Chris Fitzsimon describes what happened to the public schools in State Senator Phil Berger’s home district because of the budget cuts he pushed. Some schools can’t pay for textbooks, some can’t afford copy paper or toilet paper. Inspired by Republican and Tea Party rhetoric, voters rejected a quarter-cent increase in the sales tax.
Who cares about the children?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Not Campbell Brown.
LikeLike
You cannot continue to tax citizens to death regardless of the reasons for the tax. Americans are taxed excessively in the form of tolls fees and the like. Also, stop laying the blame on Republicans while giving Democrats a free pass. Both are identical entities paid for and bought by Corporate interests. Regardless of these obvious facts, individuals here continue to lay blame solely on the Conservatives and the Tea Party all while a Democratic President continues to destroy Public Education in ways that no Republican has ever dreamed of. Wake up and snap out of the hypnotic spell you have been under a Democrat is the same exact thing as a Republican look no further than the results from the last eight years. Vote green or suffer the consequences.
LikeLike
Diane’s post does sound one-sided today, but if you read more of what she has offered in the past, as well as today, you will find she gives equal time to both parties.
And how long will it take for the people of the Green Party to sell their souls? Once upon a time, there was a “people’s” party. Today may be the Green Party for people. But nothing lasts forever. Let’s keep it simple and real…a group of people working together on a common goal. Btw, I like your online name.
LikeLike
So because the Green Party’s honesty it may not last forever then it’s better to keep voting for the obvious crooks? Thanks for the thumbs up on the screen name I’ve been using it close to 15 years or so.
LikeLike
So you’d be in favor of shifting the tax burden upwards such that the people who benefit most pay the most rather than nickling and diming the people on the bottom to death? Yeah, I’d agree. Let’s do it.
LikeLike
I used to think the same until I researched and found that those rich people you speak of pay 40% federal income tax rates. This is simply highway robbery! The problem are the corporations whom pay little to no income taxes as well as the freeloaders who contribute nothing at all in terms of taxes and in the process bleed the taxpayers dry. Many of these people end up working on the side for cash unreported of course and when combined with their free benefits live a life equal to a hardworking teacher. Just to be clear I am talking about the individuals who game the system not the honest guy who lost his job by being laid off and is now collecting unemployment. I know a person who games the system and travels to Cuba to live the high life months at a time all on the dime of honest hard working Americans. It simply makes me sick to my stomach.
LikeLike
Can you provide facts that show American are taxed excessively (and what the comparison is – other countries, prior decades in the US, etc?) What are the effective taxes in countries with superior public education when compared to the US?
LikeLike
Yes other Countries may have higher tax rates but you must factor in that in many of these Countries both Health Care and Higher Education are free as trade offs for these high taxes. We are burdened with an unfair tax system all while getting fleeced for trying to better ourselves educationally and for getting sick respectively speaking.
LikeLike
I implore you add up all the taxes that you pay in a year including income tax state tax sales tax property tax tolls cell phone taxes ect and you will find that close to 40 percent or more of your money vanishes in thin air with little to no return on that investment. You can call these things fees surcharges and the what not but in the end they are taxes. Here in Florida they are tolling roads that have been paid for for decades and they are increasing these tolls dramatically every couple of years. However, when these roads were being built the State promised to halt all tolls when these roads were paid for. Yeah right! Another scam are these express lanes which used to be regular lanes which charge up to 15 dollars per day for motorists to drive in these designated lanes in order to avoid traffic which was created but none other than the thieves who thought up the slimy idea of taxing drivers. Scam point period blank.
LikeLike
Real One, Do you live in FL where many affluent northerners claim residency to avoid state income tax? The ones I know are way too smart to pay 40% tax; they find legal means to pay less than average earners.
We may have to pay bridge/highway tolls to maintain infrastructure.
LikeLike
Yes I do and I can’t say I blame an honest hard working individual from trying to keep more of their earnings especially when you see just how this Government is utilizing these funds. For example, wars, bank bailouts, corporate welfare and such. The fact is wages are down and taxes are up. Inflation is hitting us hard and all the Government can do is tax us more or print more worthless currency with further worsens the situation. If you are near retirement a word of advice take your money and move to a Country where your money will stay in your pocket for the most part and allow you a better quality of life.
LikeLike
Real One. True Democrats support public schools and safety nets. Republicans are convinced free markets are the answer to every issue even in the face of facts to the contrary. True, establishment Dems have drifted center right, though no question Republicans have entrenched far right. There is no moderate voice in government as, ironically, the voice of most Americans. When you drill down into beliefs and past the branding and rhetoric, you will find a vast majority of Americans support the same social good.
Taxation is complex. The wealthy pay more federal taxes because we have a progressive tax system. It makes no sense to take taxes out of the food budget of a waitress, than asking the rich to pay a little more out of their ski vacation budget. Ours is not a pure meritocracy and health, who you know, and who your parents are has more to do with wealth than ability. Taxes now for the wealthy are the lowest in decades (look at effective, not statutory, tax rates). Also the figure often quoted by conservatives that the wealthy pay the highest rates ignores state and local taxes plus Social Security (capped) and Medicare – all highly regressive. So taken as a whole, we, in reality, have a flat tax with the middle class paying a bit more. In terms of disposable income, our tax system is very much shouldered by the middle class and poor.
LikeLike
I think most of the moderates have fled both major parties and are now the majority of voters known as independent voters. They have no center to rally around. I think most independent voters are adrift and I suspect many of them distrust both major parties and the media.
For instance, “IVN is committed to the belief that democracy functions best when the most people participate. Today’s political climate discourages such a participatory democracy. This is evidenced by the fact that current congressional approval rating is just over 10%. Trust in the news media is under 40%. And, most importantly, voters are fleeing the parties in record numbers, with 40% of Americans self-identified as independent voters.”
http://www.independentvoterproject.org/
LikeLike
I agree. Moderates are purged from politics. Too many tea party types rant against taxes, yet I get tired of listening to these people as they collect government benefits, disability, and pensions. Or they claim free market beliefs like a religion as they do well on government contracts or work in protected industries. Or they benefitted from public schools and state universities and now demonize teachers and turn on the public programs that helped them to succeed.
LikeLike
Where are these so called true Democrats you speak of?
LikeLike
This is Tea Party America and what causes this type of thinking? Would you be surprised if I said higher rates of Alzheimer’s Disease in conservative states—-twice as high as the average liberal/progressive state?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012 the average rate of Death Due to Alzheimer’s Disease across the United States in 2007 was 22.7 per 100,000 population. 18 out of 22 Conservative States had a higher than average rate of Death Due to Alzheimer’s Disease (82% of Conservative States) versus 13 out of 29 Liberal States that had a higher than average rate of Death Due to Alzheimer’s Disease (45% of Liberal States). The lowest rate of Death Due to Alzheimer’s Disease in the country is found in New York with 8.8 per 100,000 population.
Conservative:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Georgia
Idaho
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
West Virginia
Liberal:
California
Colorado
Indiana
Iowa
Maine
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
What does Alzheimer’s Disease do to the brain? Alzheimer’s disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, the brain shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all its functions. People with AD gradually suffer memory loss and a decline in thinking abilities, as well as major personality changes. These losses in cognitive function are accompanied by changes in the brain, including the build-up of amyloid plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles, which result in the death of brain cells and the breakdown of the connections between them.
LikeLike
I really need to learn how to disable the auto correct on my phone. That feature is a royal pain in the butt. It takes sentences that are grammatically correct and changes various words for no apparent reason. In the post above it should have read “which” further worsens the situation not “with”. Bill Gates did you design this auto correct feature? If so I completely understand no need to explain yourself.
LikeLike
Auto correct on your mobile phone?
LikeLike
Tell the people in North Carolina they’ll be waiting a long time for ed reformers to “improve” public schools.
It’s been 17 years in Ohio, and public schools take a hit every year under their leadership. They’re either the worst advocates for children in the world or they never intended to “improve” public schools.
It’s about opening charter schools, not improving public schools. I don’t know how many states it will take before this becomes obvious nationally.
LikeLike
Teachers should hold a wipe out. No toilet paper, no school.
I buy my own Kleenex and an occassional pack or two of copier paper but draw the line at toting a roll to school everyday.
Really, this is beyond anything reasonable. The prisoners get t.p. Surely students and staff rate a roll or two. Just sayin’.
LikeLike