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If there was a provision that 100% of the additional funds would go directly to the classroom I would vote yes.
Methinks the DOE is but a pawn in a much bigger dance.. the kids.. collateral damage.
It's a raid. Property taxes, the heretofore under appreciated domain of the counties alone, is a potential gold mind. I mean gee, if the county ain't going to push the boundaries the state might as well. Right? How much could they jack those taxes up? We're already rated as the lowest in the nation. It's a growth industry.
Imagine how much they could expand rail.
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100% of the additional funds would go directly to the classroom
and not be offset by reductions in existing funding, and naming the specific things to be taxed, [b]and/b] how much tax... education funding isn't the point.
Imagine how much they could expand rail.
Cost of rail has already doubled to $415M/mile. With more revenue, they could probably achieve $1B/mile, shorten the line so it stops at the airport, and not finish until 2035.
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I think it's a great idea. You get a vote yes on this from me.
Just viewing KITV4 news now and they're saying that there will be specific language on the bill that will limit the tax to only those individuals with 2nd homes and only those worth over one million $.
Resulting in taxes to those who can afford it and a lot of whom are investors that don't even live in the state.
Vote. Yes.
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The issue is that DOE can spend the money anyway they want: lobbyists, attack adds and more administrators, not where it belongs, in the classroom. It's a ploy. As an educator with a doctorate in education:vote NO
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@ElysianWort: You may think the politicians will only tax wealthy second home owners, but you are very naive if you think it will stay that way. Once the state gets its fingers into the property tax pie, its addiction to taxation will kick in, and whatever limits will go out the window. They need to be given a clear message . . . "NO!"
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How about they freeze all DOE budgets and pay except teachers, and then fund more/better classroom teachers out of the regular state budget? We don't need an amendment for that.
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Why should only wealthy people pay for your kids' education? Let's all share the joy! Oh wait, we already do.
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quote:
Originally posted by ElysianWort
I think it's a great idea. You get a vote yes on this from me.
Just viewing KITV4 news now and they're saying that there will be specific language on the bill that will limit the tax to only those individuals with 2nd homes and only those worth over one million $.
Resulting in taxes to those who can afford it and a lot of whom are investors that don't even live in the state.
Vote. Yes.
You don't realize what you are stating. Do you know how many homes over $1 mil there are, that are owned by out of state folks? Do you think these folks will all just suddenly agree to paying even more than they already do, just because YOU THINK they can "afford it"?
What happens when those folks decide that having that second home in Hawaii is no longer worth it due to the high taxes? They will sell that house, maybe at a loss, stop paying the house keeper, grounds keeper, etc. It will cascade right down the line. It is a very slippery slope.
Why would folks that maybe spend only a few weeks a year here, be forced to pay extra for education and infrastructure that they don't even use? How about the folks that do live here 24x7x365, start paying their own way?
By the way, I do live here and enjoy the ridiculously low property taxes. Hawaii has to stop trying to soak the tourists and others that provide the jobs to them.
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They will sell that house, maybe at a loss, stop paying the house keeper, grounds keeper, etc. It will cascade right down the line.
Not a problem for our government, because they can "just" raise taxes on whoever is left. Sometimes I think taxing the economy into collapse is the only way to solve the problem, because voting obviously doesn't change anything.
How about the folks that do live here 24x7x365, start paying their own way?
I pay the "minimum" $200/year for a vacant lot on a private road. How much do I have to pay to actually get services and infrastructure?
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The real issue is the DOE, vote NO until there is accountability. The teachers and students will NEVER see any of these additional funds.
