Teachers union lining up forces against property tax cap

Posted by Howard Owens on August 19, 2008 - 6:56am
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The Buffalo News this morning reports that New York teachers are increasing pressure on the state Legislature to oppose. Gov. Paterson's property tax cap.

The campaign to stop the cap is intense. NYSUT last week withheld endorsements from 38 state senators who voted for the Paterson tax cap. The Working Families Party mailed out 200,000 fliers in a bid to ensure the Democratic-run Assembly does not take up the cap this week. The party, along with the Alliance for Quality Education, has begun a one-week, $1.5 million TV ad campaign blasting the cap. It has also run radio ads.

High taxes -- and they are outrageously high in New York -- impede economic growth, cost people jobs, discourage businesses to relocate to New York, drive businesses out of New York, and ultimately decrease the amount of money local governments can generate in revenue.

Gov. Patterson's proposal is modest compared to the substantial cuts that should be made.

It's disappointing that the teachers union, at such a critical time, is putting self interest ahead of community interest.

Posted by Russ Stresing on August 19, 2008 - 9:04am
A property tax 'cap' doesn't help the people who really need relief as much as a 'circuit breaker' would. If both options were presented to the public equally instead of one being supported by Governor Patterson in an effort to placate the State Senate, there would be a much broader discussion of the merits and benefits of both. Seniors, especially, would see more relief from the latter than the former.
http://www.balconynewyork.com/2008/08/07/balcony-opposes-property-tax-ca...

Digressing from the main topic, where did we come up with the idea that one group (county and/or city legislators) has to come up with the funds that another group (school board members) has the most control over (what control there is, anyway)? We give one group of local elected officials the job of negotiating with members of a national union that enjoys a legal budget larger than most towns' or counties' entire budget and give the responsibility to raise the money to another group that has next to no input in the budget-making process. While teachers are obviously a valuable force in the improvement of society and our country, the idea that a huge national organization is tasked with bargaining with small towns and cities seems like the very definition of 'inequitable'. To add an additional buffer to the process seems even more unfair. I'd like to hear more regarding why we do things this way from others who are more experienced in and closer to the process.
Posted by june rowcliffe on August 19, 2008 - 11:02am
Why doesn't the teacher's union use the 1.5 million dollars to encourage teachers to be more caring, concerned, helpful to students. Especially to the ones that are not tops in their classes. The ones that need a push now and then to do better. The union makes it look like teachers are not in for the good of the child but for the good of themselves. Where has the devoted, dedicated teacher gone??
Posted by Mark Potwora on August 19, 2008 - 11:51am
With all the money spent on education in this state why such a high drop out rate..I think in the Batavia school district the drop out rate is 25%..What are these teachers afraid of..Money is not the answer.Maybe more rock climbing walls like the one they are going to put up at the Jr.High is the answer.
Posted by Daniel Jones on August 19, 2008 - 12:03pm
The Tax Cap is meaningless without the circuit-breaker, districts could just increase assessment values to inflate the revenue and not actually cut any taxes, a circuit breaker would cap taxes on income as well.
Posted by Russ Stresing on August 19, 2008 - 8:59pm
It appears that the State Assembly is taking a more balanced approach to the property tax burden.

http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A11838