Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Price of Ignorance II

Bush and his misguided policies have had a direct effect on Ohio's economy and schools.

Since Bush took office, Ohio has seen over 200,000 manufacturing jobs move out of the state and overseas. Ohio has lost more people ages 15-44 years old than any other state in the country over the last three years. These are the prime child-bearing and wage-earning years. Bush wants to give more tax cuts to corporations, at a time when Ohio desperately needs the money, and as a result a Republican legislature and governor chose to raise taxes. Ohio is the first state to calculate the cost of Bush's underfunded No Child Left Behind Act. It is costing us $1.5 billion a year. Staggering, huh?

Judging from this discussion on PATA, Pickerington residents want all the perks the government can dish out, but don't want to pay for them. Where do you think the money to fund entitlement comes from? Interestingly, people who believe the government owes them used to be called ''Democrats''.

It comes down to choices. Remember, you get what you pay for. That includes the quality of education of our children. When the schools have to give teaching jobs to the lowest bidders, Pickerington will become a has-been school district. Then you'll be screaming about declining property values, and blaming it on the School Board.

But you're entitled, right?


By Pickerington Parent

whatever

If you think you are entitiled to anything, you're not pulling your fair share.

Maybe if there were more tax cuts to corporations each company would be more compelled to create jobs here at home. I know first hand 90% of my company's product is produced overseas, because obviously it is more inexpensive. Reducing out tax burden would enable us to produce more goods domestically and not see a negative impact on our bottom line.

Let's now say that companies do not receive tax breaks. Instead of hiring more folks we have to offset taxes by reducing headcount in order to maintain profitability. If a company cannot remain profitible..we go under and everyone is out of a job. It seems simple to me. Take care of the employers and all of us have jobs, are paid well and have disposable income to spend, therefore spurring the economy to growth, not to mention increasing the taxes we pay.

I agree

The compensation package the teacher's got at their last contract was high compared to the rest of the world. Conversely the two contracts prior to that did not reflect those type of increases which probably led to where we ended up.

The Board needs to be able to negotiate an equatable contract with reasonable benefits - getting a contract that the community will be happy with and the teachers will accept should prove interesting in the coming months.

I for one wish them the best of luck and am happy it's not my job to deal with.

Entitlement--LMAO

Entitlement? Let me tell you about entitlement. It is teachers who think that they are entitled to cheap insurance and high wages when those around them that are paying for it have at the best steady wages and rising insurance.

As for parents being entitled, you do realize you are talking about a public institution right? One funded by your fellow taxpayers? And you don't think you are behaving in such a way as if you are entitled to think you can just vote in levy after levy on every other taxpayer. If you really believed what you wrote, you would have no problem defunding public institutions ie school and going to a private school system where parents can pay as much or as little as they wish for the education of their children. If you would still advocate a public system, at least be honest about what you are wishing for when you scream it is ''for the children''. What you are wishing for is a reduced price education on the backs of your fellow taxpayers. If this isn't true, then please tell me as a parent who has both homeschooled AND used private institutions when you will consider the best for my children and refund me a portion of the money I paid so you could afford ''the best'' for yours? It seems people who scream it is ''for the children'' only care about the ones attending their local schools and could care less about how they are breaking the back of seniors, those on fixed incomes, or those who do not use public schools for their own children.
I am so damn sick of people who are beholdened to schools and teachers. How on earth did this country grow prior to the days of a publicly funded school system and generously paid teachers? However did children learn to read, write, and do addition? It must boggle the minds for some parents to know that there was life prior to grossly overpaid teachers who are unionized and public school systems. Maybe the better question is when will people be willing to admit that public schools have basically become taxpayer funded daycares? I think that is the real reason people so desperately latch on to the public school systems and pass levy after levy after levy....it would really stink for many if they actually had to become accountable and responsible for the education and supervision of their children without the help of the general public.