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Seeking opinions on what services people would give up for lower taxes, school sports, clubs, extracurricular activities, school taxes are large portion of bill
Don't need 5 day a week garbage pick up where the workers are finished for the day by 10:30 AM
Don't need a park every 10 blocks and pay people union wages and benefits to rake and sweep
Don't need political jobs such as Minority Affairs Director. Still don't knopw what that job entails. Hell, let the minorities have their own affairs, they don't need any direction, LOL
Figure out which government agency (village/town/county/state) owns each road so you don't have 4 different snow plows used for the same street
Eliminate multiple layers of school "suits". Don't need VP of academics, VP of business, VP of school grounds, etc.
No one on a school board can have ANY relation to a company doing business with that district.
No one on a school board can have ANY relationship with a teacher or administrator who works for ANY district in NYS.
I really like the new idea to make all new teachers NYS employees. Have 1 negotiation for salaries/benefits not the current system where the districts all try to out do each other. All new employees as of 1/01/08 get a 401K with match. NO more guaranteed pensions. All retiree medical benefits end when the retiree reaches the age to receive Medicare.
Morals clause for ALL public employees. Convicted of a felony, lose job, benefits AND pension.
Every school district must hire one CPA or private business owner ("academics" are automatically disqualified )advisor who is an independent contractor (separate from the school district's paid auditing company)paid $40K per year with commission based on money saved by eliminating wasteful district policies
I think we could save 1K- 2K a year on taxes easy.
Fopt65, you're off to a good start. What you're describing here is an entrenched, bloated bureaucracy with no incentive on their part to trim things down. Long Island is over governed and over taxed. Residents have a disconnect between what they are paying and where their money is going.
I visited my sister recently in Dix Hills. We drove over to the track for a walk only to find it under construction. Now, not for nuthin', but last year that track seemed perfectly fine to me. Also, my sister knew nothing about it. Voters need to pay attention to these things.
I don't know what you do for a living, but I would suggest that you become a teacher, since you seem to think it is such a cake job. I'm curious why you did not chose it for your profession.
What????? I was giving my opinion on how to cut taxes. and you are turning it into I hate teachers. I just think they should work full time for there money. When I was young first out of school teachers had to take summer jobs to make ends meet. That was before the swelling of taxes. I guess someone you know is a teacher. Well good for them, I dont begrudge them anything, They deserve what they get paid ,but for a full year. You do realestate How would you like that amount of time off and still get paid the same? and be honest.
What????? I was giving my opinion on how to cut taxes. and you are turning it into I hate teachers. I just think they should work full time for there money. When I was young first out of school teachers had to take summer jobs to make ends meet. That was before the swelling of taxes. I guess someone you know is a teacher. Well good for them, I dont begrudge them anything, They deserve what they get paid ,but for a full year. You do realestate How would you like that amount of time off and still get paid the same? and be honest.
Didn't mean to offend you. Actually, most of the young teachers do take summer jobs to supplement their income. They start out making in the 30's. I think you believe they get paid more then they really do. To answer your question, I would love to take that much time off and still get paid the same. I guess I sympathise because I am also in a profession that people think is much easier then it really is.
Didn't mean to offend you. Actually, most of the young teachers do take summer jobs to supplement their income. They start out making in the 30's. I think you believe they get paid more then they really do. To answer your question, I would love to take that much time off and still get paid the same. I guess I sympathise because I am also in a profession that people think is much easier then it really is.
My wife still makes more waiting tables than she does teaching.
If shes lucky she'll pull down 45k and she works her ass off every day after class all weekend etc.
You dont teach for the money(or marry one either).
Clammy is right. Some teachers may 'do well' but a lot of them go to school for a long time and never teacher in public school. I'm one example, another is my sister's friend from high school. Both of us have Masters'--she never taught except student teaching (now married to some wealthy guy and living off her Daddy's money so it's okay for her), and myself--I have done private school/prek work but never public school.
This thread is NOT about teachers, but I have to interject too many people are graduated from Teaching Schools/College for the few jobs on Long Island.
No connections no job on Long Island. (in most cases).
What????? I was giving my opinion on how to cut taxes. and you are turning it into I hate teachers. I just think they should work full time for there money. When I was young first out of school teachers had to take summer jobs to make ends meet. That was before the swelling of taxes. I guess someone you know is a teacher. Well good for them, I dont begrudge them anything, They deserve what they get paid ,but for a full year. You do realestate How would you like that amount of time off and still get paid the same? and be honest.
Teachers do work full time. I think there is a general lack of appreciation for what teachers deal with. Too many kids poorly parented wind up in schools. My wife can count on one hand the number of times a parent has said to here, "I'm sorry, you are right." Parents are always right in their eyes, and accusing a child of acting inappropriately or coming unprepared is perceived by their parents as a rebuking of their parenting.
Just know that you have the teachers you have with the present package (benefits, time, work, etc). If you require them "to work full time" without any sweetening for them, you will attract relatively poorer prepared teachers to teach your kids or your neighbor's kids. It is that simple.
New York, generally, has good teachers because they are paid competitively. Go to a state that penny pinches on teacher pay and come back to argue that you want the fruits of that system. I'd like to hear what those fruits are, other than that your tax bill was reduced.
Not only should we lay off of teachers, we should pay them more and appreciate them more. They are heroes. I would not give up New York teachers for lower taxes. No way.
I did not say lower there wages. I said make them work a full year like the rest of us,is that so harsh? If they dont want to spray mosquitos fine. But do some kind of administration work for the summer, so that we can eliminate some of those extra jobs. We can have prisoners do mosquitos and jobs like those, that are pretty much summer jobs, yet we employ people year round with full benefits. I will not dump on police salaries anymore out on the island, because there job is not as easy as it once was. they deserve the money, but city cops deserve more. all of the cops are in danger every day just from wearing the uniform. I find it funny how if you mention one thing about a teacher on this board you get blasted from every direction, why is there so many teachers on line? And when you hit a nerve it hurts I guess. They all know they have it made, with the time off. I dont like when people think certain proffesions are more "vital" then others. What would you do if the garbage man did not pick up your garbage? they are pretty vital. oil burner man ? pretty vital also. I could go on and on. So do not think just college educated people are more vital than non college educated. If all the non educated said scew this and did not work our country would come to a grinding halt. This country was built on hard work and sweat not corporate suites, who think they are better then the working man or woman. As a matter of fact I believe they are the ones that try there hardest to screw it up most of the time. peace to all and remember next time that oil guy comes at 2 in the morning to make sure you are warm when you burner breaks,how important he is. I think we need his uneducated butt more than that educated extra politician. What do you think?
Teachers should do other administrative jobs in the off-season? They aren't trained to do that. That is not their profession. If this is done correctly, a teacher decompresses and prepares during the summer in order to be properly prepared for the fall. I'd hate to think of using teachers to stamp tax forms down at the county building. This is absurd.
To all the teacher Lovers I did not say anything about teachers salaries . I repeat they deserve there money, I was saying to save on taxes make them work full time through all vacations and the summer.Is that ever going to happen? I doubt it very much. Why does everyone get there shorts in a bunch over that suggestion? Not one of you and I mean not one has come to the defense of the town workers I said to get rid of. They are people too, with families they have to feed. But not one of you cared one bit why? But I say make the teachers work through the summer and you all go crazy.And to that one person who says she went through all those years of school , so has alot of other people , for other professions. You can be a teacher after 4 years . You get your masters for more pay who are you kidding, you also can get a job in plenty of places , but you want one here on the island.If it was all as you folks think , that all teachers do it because they want to educate children and be some kind of savior why not take a job in the city or another state that needs teachers? Hmm could it be because of the money? I wonder. My nephew will have his masters in january and he is teaching allready in albany. How can he do it? And if teachers could not stamp a tax form or learn how to do that in a week I dont think they should be teaching anything. " a teacher decompresses and prepares for the fall during the summer" Whattt???? Are you freaking kidding me. Next time you go to the mechanic how would you like him to tell you come back in the fall I am decompressing, But pay me anyway because I am getting ready for when I have to go back to work. Sorry clam I still cant figure why wifey only makes what she does. Go on any school districts web site and you can find teachers salaries . Tom so what, they start in the 30s, that is decent to start. That is the problem with most kids they want 80gs out of college , sorry you have to work your way up like everyone else. You guys bash cops for making 100k but I hate to tell you that is not starting pay. I know teachers that make 100 k did they start at that ? Noooo they did not, they worked for it. So in a nut shell you folks dont like my suggestion , oh well it would never happen anyway , but not one can say it would not save on taxes if a teacher did summer jobs for the same money and got rid of the full time town and county jobs that are really just seasonal.and that is all I was saying, It was an idea . nothing against teachers at all . and Tom, one more thing every job that people think is cake usually is alot harder then people think. Take no offence I never said there job was easy.
Teachers do work full time. I think there is a general lack of appreciation for what teachers deal with. Too many kids poorly parented wind up in schools. My wife can count on one hand the number of times a parent has said to here, "I'm sorry, you are right." Parents are always right in their eyes, and accusing a child of acting inappropriately or coming unprepared is perceived by their parents as a rebuking of their parenting.
Just know that you have the teachers you have with the present package (benefits, time, work, etc). If you require them "to work full time" without any sweetening for them, you will attract relatively poorer prepared teachers to teach your kids or your neighbor's kids. It is that simple.
New York, generally, has good teachers because they are paid competitively. Go to a state that penny pinches on teacher pay and come back to argue that you want the fruits of that system. I'd like to hear what those fruits are, other than that your tax bill was reduced.
Not only should we lay off of teachers, we should pay them more and appreciate them more. They are heroes. I would not give up New York teachers for lower taxes. No way.
Read my post. Helloooooo. pay them more? appreciate them more? I smell a teachers spouse or a teacher. To many kids poorley parented? Dont get me started , All teachers think they are allways correct. Sorry but they are not and they are far from perfect. You also state if they have to work "full time" they want more money, why not we should just give them 200k a year. Maybe that will make you happy. Where did you move from? How was the teachers pay there? I bet less. does that mean you or your spouse was poorly prepared to teach? And now you are prepared because you get paid more? take care now
Teachers salaries are not my concern , it's hard enough getting the good ones to stay at the current rate but I do have a much larger issue. I have no children but I pay over $9K annually in school taxes. My wife and I moved to LI from queens with the intentions of starting a family but when we purchased the house (in '05) the school taxes were $4k and total taxes around $8K now we are closing in on $14K. With the additional $500+ per month going to taxes there is absolutely no way we could make ends meet on one salary so we are not looking to have children at this time (we are both nearing our 40's so , this may be our last call). So , I will be paying over $100K in the next 10 years towards SOMEBODY ELSES CHILDS EDUCATION. There has to be some compensation for single owners and families without children because they are creating a huge rift in the demographics with this oversight.
On the comment aimed at "lazy civil servants", I have been a NYC engineer for 20 years and have found tons of incompetence and laziness but trust me , your alternatives would save nothing . The county/village/town workers are generally paid around $8 per hour and do usually cover multiple jobs (i.e.-snow plow in the winter , park work in the summer) and "hiring" prisoners would create huge problems. There is some training involved in all of these jobs and what if the prisoners does a "bad" job , would we fire him , release him? and the amount of cash required to guard prisoners while on "job release" is much much more than the $8 per hour. I may sound like I'm guessing but my department has hired interns (high school/college) , welfare recipients and "low risk prisoners" to do menial labor and it has NEVER worked out to our benefit .... the checks and balances usually cost more than the original savings of labor
Just to touch on the topic of teachers salaries - I have had this debate many, many times with both teachers and non-teaching professionals (I spent 2 summers teaching and would never do it again) and my only point is when they say "We don't have the monies needed to teach the students" my only response is "is a salary increase going to make either you a better teacher or the student more responsive?" if not , then take the funds from the wage pact and place it in "improvements" that they claim are needed. I am a union worker and in the last 2 contracts (8 years) have received just over 11% in wage increases while teachers have received over 35%. If they feel that the needs are somewhere else, they should forego wage increases and let the monies go directly into the school fund (This will never happen because it's not human nature to "try" to place someone in a better position before putting yourself in one first)
Harsh , maybe , but reality
SGC
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Unfair
