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What are the consequences of the upcoming ballot measure for a "surcharge" to fund eduction? How important is it to understand and work for its passage or defeat?
This seems like an issue for kalakoa... may he live forever.. but to me after looking at the
Council Presentation On Surcharge To Fund Education (Sept. 4, 2018) at:
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2018/0...education/
In which the short article (which accompany's the video of the Council presentation) in part says...
“Shall the legislature be authorized to establish, as provided by law, a surcharge on investment real property to be used to support public education?”
That’s the question voters will have the chance to answer in November, after the Hawaii State Legislature passed Senate Bill 2922 the Surcharge on Investment Properties to Fund Public Education Amendment. The measure had the support of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
“Passing this bill will let the people of Hawaii vote, for the first time in our state’s history, to finally fund our public schools properly...
But then when you listen to Lisa Miura, the County Real Property Tax Administrator, give a detailed presentation to the Hawaii County Council Finance Committee, explaining why she sees the amendment as problematic, you have to wonder what is really going on?
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If previous stats claimed on posts here are accurate that Hawaii has an equal number of teachers versus (higher paid) administrators, then I would argue that no organization requires that much top-heavy administration sucking the financial life out of the education system.
Fixing that might not be the total solution to the education problem, but it's a start. And a better one than running straight to increased taxes that only exacerbate the problem.
How many people do we need to administrate a failed education system? Apparently we already have too many?
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Why throw good money after bad? The top heavy administration terracore so correctly describes is just part of the problem. The teachers' union got this flawed measure through the legislature and on the ballot because they vote as a bloc and can tip a primary election, something well known to the gutless legislators. Don't think passing this thing will help your kids. It won't. It will, however, help perpetuate a situation where tenured teachers can virtually never be fired, incompetent officials are promoted into different jobs rather than getting the boot, and we pay $500,000+ for temporary classrooms built like trailers.
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I want to go back to the basic question "why are property owners responsible for funding public education?" Perhaps many of those property owners are paying for their kids to go to private schools or home schooling. It's like employers being responsible for employees medical insurance? How bizarre.
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Puna already gets its tax revenue sucked away to Hilo. We don't need Hawaii county's revenue sucked away to Oahu. We already have that with TAT and all the other funding diverted to rail. Beyond that, the bill is to vague, sets no limits, and does not prevent other education funds from being reduced in kind.
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I really don’t know how to say it, but you should do everything you can to prevent this from happening. You think corruption is bad now, well you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Since you won’t believe me, may I suggest you do a little research to see how other cities are doing it. One very good example is the Kansas City School District. Another is Detroit. Think property taxes are a “rich people’s” thing? Nope, everyone has to live somewhere, right? Think you escape property taxes if you rent? Increase the property tax on any business and guess where it gets passed on....
Still, kids really do deserve a decent education, but you need competent administrators and a government that can efficiently collect and disperse the money....
Until I can be sure of that, I will vote against any bill that links property taxes and education.
“
Puna: Our roosters crow first
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Read the measure thru several times before making assumptions please.
Aloha
Dan D
HPP
HPP
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Dan, I did, do you understand what I’m saying, tho?
This measure is just the tip of the iceberg.
Puna: Our roosters crow first
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@ 8fingers: I will vote against any bill that links property taxes and education.
Let me start by saying I am immensely ignorant when it comes to politics. It's a subject I tend to avoid, but obviously times arise when it becomes unavoidable.
1) Can we all agree that there is a problem with the DOE in Hawaii? One of many such problems is where all the smartest educators that are from our state, move out and get jobs elsewhere because Hawaii teachers are severely underpaid. It trickles down to our keiki who are the future and they get less of a quality education at public schools.
2) "I will vote against any bill that links property taxes and education."
Okay then if not from there then where? What instead should be taxed for that purpose? There is definitely a great need for more $ for the teachers and DOE.
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The problem is that politicians only have one "solution" to any problem- raise taxes and fees. This just grows their organization. Rarely, their answer is to cut services.
The real answer is to make their organization smaller and more efficient. For those of us who pay them, taxes are already too high. Raising them should never be an option. Stop voting for people who want to steal your money.
