Proposition 103 (Denver, Silverton, Westcliffe: house, school district, tax)

[captain_hug99]

Originally Posted by JohnPaul

If they allowed state wide school vouchers yes, but they never will so no. I moved from colorado 25 years ago..I do not miss it.

actually the money follows the student. If you live in D-2 and attend D-20 your state dollars go to D-20 not D-2.

As far as the Camden, Newark, DC school issues, they aren't spending nearly as much as the Harlem or Kipp schools do! Harlem and Kipp are trying to create a culture change, in order to do so they need lots of money. Camden, Newark, DC cannot create that culture change with their population because they don't have the resources to do so.

[cowboyxjon]

Captain_hug99, what would happen when the tax expires and funding goes back to normal levels? I agree that teachers are paid very little, but what happens if everyone is given a pay bump because of the infusion of cash from the tax, but then the tax expires? It seems like it's a recipe for a funding crisis in 5 years.

[debbie at bouontiful]

Has it been voted on yet? Trying to follow because of possible retirement in Pagosa or Trinidad.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by debbie at bouontiful

Has it been voted on yet? Trying to follow because of possible retirement in Pagosa or Trinidad.

No, voting is set for 01 Nov 2011.

[captain_hug99]

Originally Posted by cowboyxjon

Captain_hug99, what would happen when the tax expires and funding goes back to normal levels? I agree that teachers are paid very little, but what happens if everyone is given a pay bump because of the infusion of cash from the tax, but then the tax expires? It seems like it's a recipe for a funding crisis in 5 years.

We aren't meeting funding requirements that are supposedly state mandated now. Also with Tabor, the state and cities can't hold onto any surplus from sales taxes with the ratchet down effect.

No one says that this bill is going to go for pay raises for teachers (I haven't seen one since I moved here), I just hope that my daughter's school can get into a real building instead of a modular and keep the heat at 68 degrees.

[GreenScoutII]

This is a tough and complicated issue. On one hand, I think education is one of the best uses of tax dollars in terms of the over all value to society as a return on that investment.

What my concern is has more to do with just how exactly the money will be spent. Knowing a fair number of teachers and others employed by the public school system, specifically D11 in Colorado Springs, I fear a lot of it will be eaten up by administration and not go where it's most needed.

Also, as others have mentioned, these types of "temporary" increases have a nasty habit of becoming permanent. Also, the economy being what it is, I don't know if now is the best time to do it, although the argument could be made that the additional funds for schools might even create a few jobs, so it's hard to say......

As a concept, I'm fine with it. The real world implementation is where I have concerns.......

[docwatson]

I'm voting for it. It really just raises taxes to a rate it was at years ago, when Colorado was actually more politically conservative. I don't love taxes (especially the huge $ going into the wars at the federal level), but we under-invest in education in Colorado, and expect in-comers to bring education with them ... but there's only so many well-educated Americans to go around as we fall behind out competitors (namely, Europe) in college graduation. Quality early childhood ed in particular is sorely needed as more young children are not prepared for school and fall further behind over time; yet the job market is demanding more educated workers - both in the middle-level of skilled occupations, and in the college-educated/professional occupations.

We spend less per pupil than almost any other state.

Cutting of education during the recession IMO is quite short-sighted as the preparedness of the next generation will mean more than some stimulus $ spent on some interchange. And, teachers are solid members of the community when employed - if one wants to create jobs and get people spending $, keeping teachers employed is one of the most efficient ways to do it $ for $.

[2bindenver]

Both sides debated in the Denver Post today.

Proposition 103 is a solid investment in state's future workers - The Denver Post

and Proposition 103 is about more money for the teachers union - The Denver Post

[Bideshi]

Spending more money does not improve education; this has been conclusively proven. We spend more on education in the US than any other country on the planet, yet our schools are trailing the rest of the developed world miserably. I vote no.

[motoracer51]

Coming from New York, we hear this song yearly as they increase taxes every year to pay for the school budget - mostly retirement obligations for people working in the system. It's why our taxes were close to $20,000. The quality of the education hasn't changed, and arguably it has gotten worse, while educators and administrators are getting pay and retirement benefits like no one in the private sector.

I'll be voting NO, like most here in the western Slope.