teachers union wants more/higher taxes

[leilanidude]

"Teachers are also pushing legislation to change the tax code and direct more money to public schools. They want to create an education surcharge on residential investment properties such as second homes."


http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/02/13...etter-pay/

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

money to public schools... education surcharge on residential investment properties such as second homes."

Because the owners of second homes do not have their children in those homes, nonexistent children who don't attend school?

No child will ever again doubt they could grow up and someday become president of the United States

[leilanidude]

education surcharge on residential investment properties such as second homes
----------
Most of those residential investment properties are rental houses, rented to lower income people who cannot afford their own home, therefore the extra taxes on these properties will cause rents to go up, furthering burdening the poor!

Then the state will ask us few taxpayers to cough up more money because there are more homeless because the rents were raised to cover the higher taxes...

[alaskyn66]

If teachers want more money... they should be more qualified for their jobs.. Hawaii has some of the lowest test scores in the nation.

... meanwhile in alaska they are laying off 100 teachers... if they need jobs. Come and get 'em.

Sorry.... My spellcheck is mildly retarded .. Intellectually challenged.

[bystander]

Hawaii is the only state with a state wide public education system. A state wide system insures all students get the same mediocre education.
Every other state has independent schools funded by property taxes in each locality. This is the most equitable system. The better schools would tend to be in the richer neighborhoods then. I guess this is not socialist enough though.

[kalakoa]

Every other state has independent schools funded by property taxes in each locality.

With that money comes political power and the opportunity for individuals to participate in government. Neither of these are allowed on the plantation where we live.

[Peter Easterling]

alasyn66 has it backwards. Would any business pay it's workers the lowest wages in the nation (cost of living factored in)and expect superlative products? Hawaii gives lip service to education. Our statewide funding of education is a very good thing. Otherwise Oahu schools in wealthier neighborhoods would get a huge slice of the pie while Puna schools would get by with very little. Instead look at Kea'au High School. A fine looking campus, one that has to instill pride in the students and community.

Or, like bystander, you can go with Mitt Romney's approach. His belief is we should be free to get all the education we can afford. Suppress the poor and pamper the rich. Or am I socialist? OR A COMMIE???

Generally, I find you tend to get what you pay for. Pay the teachers well. It is of utmost importance.

[Rob Tucker]

Our teachers have a tough boat to row and could use better pay. Better pay might attract or keep better teachers. It may just be a local rumor but I have heard that the state DOE has more managers than they have teachers. Anyone know if that is true?

[Chas]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bystander

...Every other state has independent schools funded by property taxes in each locality. This is the most equitable system. The better schools would tend to be in the richer neighborhoods then.

---

That's the most equitable????!!!!
Wow

[Durian Fiend]

It's frustrating to be shelling out more money for a system that chronically fails to produce good results, but I see no viable alternative.
The Hawaii public schools are always struggling to find and keep teachers. Incentives for getting more locals trained in this profession might help.