A Pierce County reader sent us this photo from a school levy campaign brochure for the upcoming special election:
Except that it wasn't exactly a campaign brochure, it is the front page of the official Pierce County Voter's Guide.
Of course its a political statement to equate the school levy with smiling children. Why not equate the levy with the smiling grown-ups who enjoy a monopoly on spending the money? My choice of school levy photos would include this picture of WEA President Charles Hasse along with a picture of his $187,000 pay stub. The pro-levy statements in the voter's guide, by the way, include some of the same types of the misrepresentations that I discovered the Seattle School District made in the 2004 levy campaign. There must be a levy campaign consulting firm that advises school districts on misrepresenting the facts about its tax increases to the voters --
For example, see page 7 in the voter's guide regarding the Puyallup levy:
This is not a new tax. Rather, this levy replaces a tax we are already paying.Actually, it is a 7% tax increase from $30 million in 2006 to $32.3 million in 2007.
Our tax rate will stay the same for the next four yearsActually, the dollar amount of tax each taxpayers pays will increase by roughly 8% a year. The "rate" (i.e. percentage of assessed value) will stay the same only if one's assessed value increases at the same rate as the tax.
Vote YES on these levies only if you wish to reward public agencies who engage in dishonest advertising. Not that voting NO on a school levy does much good -- they'll only keep running special elections every two months until they win.
Neumeier-Martinson said the levy elections are usually successful, while bond issues usually take two or three tries to pass.Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at January 22, 2006 12:38 PM | Email This
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In [February] 2002, the levy failed by less than one percent. Officials had to finance a second election and it passed in April 2002
John Stossel wrote a great article about school.
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/JohnStossel/2006/01/18/182750.html
When they start offering vouchers for parents to choose which school to go to, then I will be more supportive of these campaigns.
Posted by: Jason Woodruff on January 22, 2006 01:30 PMPosted by katomar at January 22, 2006 01:33 PM
I don't care!!!
Yawn this is getting old! Oh well I have a good life and child free and happy! MY CHOICE! I hate smoke in my face too!
I would like to focus on better things to come like CONDI for PRESIDENT!!!
Posted by: dcat on January 22, 2006 01:39 PMSince I moved here I have seen
1. The gas tax go up 15 cents
2. Car Tab prices increase
3. business taxes increase
4. banning of out of states consumer purchases of alcohol and tobacco
5. Housing prices hit double digit increases for th e past 3 years.
6. State budget surplus
But the state has no money to fix our problems?!! Something is seriously wrong here.
Posted by: Mobius on January 22, 2006 01:49 PMWTF?
If you can't give me enough data to make a rational choice, I vote against!!
Posted by: H Moul on January 22, 2006 05:32 PMOur taxes for education are already high, so I'm not going to support more taxes as long as the WEA and the Democrats are running the show.
BTW, I'd like to have vouchers and more Charter schools also. It's time to have more choice.
Posted by: Clean House on January 22, 2006 05:49 PMPlenty of info is available on the Northshore School District (Kenmore) bond proposals. From KingCo try:
http://www.metrokc.gov/elections/contests/measurelist.aspx?eid=1210
Or, from the school district:
http://www.nsd.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=funding_facilities.overview
Northshore has a good record in getting their bond issues passed, so their schools are well-funded and the envy of surrounding districts. Their test scores are rising and they have excellent enrichment programs including one of the best music programs in the state, an International Baccalaureate Diploma program, and outstanding support for gifted and advanced students. It's interesting to note that total property tax collections are limited to the amounts approved by voters, so the levy rate gets adjusted if home values increase. As a result of the strong housing market, the levy rate has decreased from $5.17 per thousand in 2002 to $4.34 per thousand in 2005. If the proposed measures all pass, the rate is still projected to decrease to $4.21 in 2006.
As I mentioned earlier, due to strong community support for Northshore schools, my guess is these measures will pass. But, we can always use your support!
Posted by: scottd on January 22, 2006 08:17 PMHaving said that, I know that Bellevue is playing the same game about the "replacement levy". It was one of the points that Wynn Cannon made. But the Times published quotes from Mr. Cannon that made him sound like a doddering old fool (he made it easy for them to do so), which suggests what side the Times reporter is on.
I wish they would just be honest and straight forward.
Posted by: Janet S on January 22, 2006 09:30 PMA far better strategy is tax incentives. It's always better to motivate people in a positive greed based way rather than a negative gun-to-the head forceful way.
There should be a direct incentive reduction in taxes for any one who chooses to unburden the public school system and send their kids to a private school.
I live in Pierce County, I was pretty shocked by that voter guide cover picture as well. And if you are reading this and live in Pierce County, vote the Dome down too. There's no reason why the public should be paying to turn the Dome into a luxury facility. If the Dome can't be run successfully as a profit generating business by the City, then it should be sold to the highest bidder.
The government has no incentive to run the Dome to a budget, so it follows that all they can do is run it in to the ground and then come begging to the taxpayers to bail them out. More of the same.
Posted by: Jeff B. on January 22, 2006 09:57 PMhttp://www.mattmilleronline.com/articles.php?id=58
Problem is, you conservatives like not vouchers, but cheap vouchers. And how can you ever expect to attract better teachers when the starting pay is only $32 grand? I know, I know, you guys hate teachers (or their unions, you might say), but would you want to teach for such low pay? Conservatives have proven you get what you pay for.
Posted by: Belltowner on January 23, 2006 12:09 AMTo say it's a new tax is like arguing that when the revenue from sales taxes increase it's a new tax. It's the same tax. Prices go up, so the amount I pay goes up, but it's not a new and different tax.
Posted by: Julie B. on January 23, 2006 06:25 AMI think the Pierce County voter's guide is doing a bit of promotion for the various levies that are to be decided on Feb. 7. That picture of the kids is a little "too innocent" to not be a political ploy. Pierce County may not be as blue as Seattle and KC, but it's pretty darn close. Every time I have to go to the Pierce County Annex over on 35th Street, I fell like I'm walkiing in to a small Democratic Convention of sorts.
Posted by: Libertarian on January 23, 2006 07:47 AM"Perhaps throwing money that direction isn't the best solution when most of it seems to be either not reaching the children, or not spent in effective ways."
Well, perhaps, but if we funded education the way we fund Iraq, The DoD... Conservatives throw good money after bad in the Mid-East, but not for our kids. Wasting $$$ is not good, but conservatives are much more tolerant when it comes to "guns", but less so with "butter".
-Libertarian
Not an educator, I just hate demogogery. I do care about this issue. I find it hilarious that you think showing kids smiling on a voters guide is a "ploy". These Feb. elections are ALL school levies (and T-Dome), so it makes sense to put kids on the cover.
Posted by: Belltowner on January 23, 2006 08:49 AMTHE DOME HAS LOST MONEY THE LAST SEVEN YEARS (3.5 MILLION)PLUS OPERATING COSTS OF $5.5 MILLION A YEAR, NOT BECAUSE OF THE BUILDING BUT BECAUSE THE MARKET HAS CHANGED. COMPANYS LIKE VIACOM OWN THE PRODUCTION COMPANIES THAT PUT ON THE SHOWS AND CONTROL THE VENUE'S THAT THEY PLAY IN. WE COULD SPEND $200 MILLION ON THE DOME AND IT WOULD NOT BRING IN ONE MORE GIG!!!
LADDENBERG (SOUND TRANSIT), MAYOR BILLY BUMBLE(TACOMA), HAROLD MOSS AND THE REST OF TACOMAS ELITE ARE STUCK ON THE CONCEPT "THAT IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME". WE BUILT A NEW CONVENTION CENTER AND ALL WE'VE GOTTEN IS $100 MILLION MORE DEBT AND A $2 MILLION A YEAR LOSS IN OPERATION COST!!!! THIS IS JUST ANOTHER "WORKS" PROJECT FOR THE CONTRIBUTORS TO DEMO'S!!!!
Posted by: TACOMA PHLASH on January 23, 2006 10:52 AM2) Those going into teaching know that the pay and benefits won't make them rich, but it will provide a decent living, particularly if it is a second family income. It's like moving in next door to an airport and then complaining about the noise. What did you expect?
Teachers are really not as difficult to find as you might think. They would be even easier to find if the barriers to entry thrown up by the NEA were lowered. Having a certificate does nothing to ensure quality - it is just a hoop to jump through, that takes time and money. I know of a lot of moms that would get into teaching in an instant, but don't want to go through the hassle. These are highly educated women who stayed home to raise kids, and now could be real assets in the classroom. In fact, a lot of them are providing free labor to the schools as classroom volunteers.
Posted by: Janet S on January 23, 2006 12:17 PMPerhaps you misunderstand me. I am very supportive of your sister. I don't think she's a whiner. In fact, if she's an excellent teacher, she should be paid better than her fellow teachers, and should be able to max out at $100,000. If she's good
Janet S.
"Those going into teaching know that the pay and benefits won't make them rich, but it will provide a decent living, particularly if it is a second family income."
If you pay shite wages, you get shite teachers. They shouldn't have to take a vow of poverty.
Posted by: Belltowner on January 23, 2006 01:22 PMI am already paying an extra tax because my daughters are in school. The School they go to has to raise thousands of dollars every year to provide special programs. I do not want to pay more. I think this year alone to the local School I will be sending in over $500 just so that my girls can attend various activities. We get nickeled and dimed to death. If you do not pay (One Case a weekend retreat $120)you do not get credit for that project. It adds up. I am supporting my local school I will not support the state who seems to send it everywhere but the local school district. And I like my local school.
But I will vote no because I do not see any accountability. The hiding of where the money is spent including the Federal Level(Which is audit every year and has never passed the audit. They can not tell where all the money is going. Again it said."Well the money was not wasted we just dont know were it went." If the feds cant balance the books I know the State will never let out the true data on how the money is spent. Posted by: David Anfinrud on January 23, 2006 10:01 PM