[geeks] Re: Taxes (was: Computerfests)

[Lionel Peterson]

> From: Mike Meredith <mike at blackhairy.demon.co.uk>
> Date: 2004/04/18 Sun AM 11:58:34 GMT
> To: geeks at sunhelp.org
> Subject: [geeks] Re: [rescue] Re: Taxes (was: Computerfests)

> the most obvious cure for this problem isn't tried ... allowing
> organisations and departments to save funds from year to year in a
> contingency fund.

Local school district tried to establish a war chest "for a rainy day" and over the years they saved up $1 Million dollars.

When it was uncovered, it was a big problem. Year 2003 taxes need to pay for year 2003 education, not year 2004...

So, they had to fold the $1 million into the school budget immediately, driving down the subsequent years tax revenue needs by $1 million, lowering school taxes across the board. Then, the following year, since the state only allowed for school budgets to increase by a certain percentage per year, (unless approved by the community), they had to cut services to sustain the lower budget. First to go - school buses.

They outsourced the buses (why should the school district own school buses? :^), and were forced to eliminate pick-up of students within one mile of the school. The parents that didn't approve the increased budget were screaming bloody murder "My child has to walk across the highway!" When given the cahnce to pay for busing out of their own pockets (a couple hundred dollars/year, less than $300 IIRC) no one took the option... I guess you can put a value on the safety of their children.

Oddly, I agree with each "law" or "regulation" cited above, but when strung together like this, it seems wrong...