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I think it is the improvement of technologies, that is forcing the taxes to rise. Like wireless phones, flat-screens, high-speed internet, cable, and electric cars. The schools have to redo the whole place, year round, and those costs soar like eagle. LI is basically a hot spot, for these changes. Why not vote on dropping school tax rates, in exchange to increase cell phone, and internet service rates. This way people can keep a regular home phone, and regular phone wire internet. If you have the pocket change you can pay $200 for high-speed internet, and cell phone service.
Great school ratings, hire more teachers, who are escaping diverse, city schools, and want to work near home.
Techological improvements have little to no bearing on school taxes. The vast majority of the costs are salaries and benefits.
Actually moving to Pittsburgh, which is one of the most literate states in the union. I just would like my kids educated in a safe, decent environment. As a parent, I know it is up to me to provide certain standards for them.
That's weird. I have never made more than 100k and have maintained my home for the last 11 years with a vacation to Europe 9 times and a couple of trips around the country.
Married entire time with a 2 year old now. The way I did it is not the norm but, I worked hard and at 34 I live in a brand new house with a 250k mortgage. I really believe that my generation and the ones following are a bunch of lazy, pampered and selfish people.
Respectfully, if you make $100k gross, have a 2 year old, a $250k mortgage plus taxes and live "comfortably" then you have nerves of steel cause at those #'s you are clearly living as paycheck to paycheck as everyone else and I don't define that stress as "comfortable." It's a good life, but comfortable would imply not worrying about where the next week's pay is coming from if the job goes bye bye. Just my opinion. We have all we need but my definition of comfortable is different than yours or you have some dough socked away somewhere.
Respectfully, if you make $100k gross, have a 2 year old, a $250k mortgage plus taxes and live "comfortably" then you have nerves of steel cause at those #'s you are clearly living as paycheck to paycheck as everyone else and I don't define that stress as "comfortable." It's a good life, but comfortable would imply not worrying about where the next week's pay is coming from if the job goes bye bye. Just my opinion. We have all we need but my definition of comfortable is different than yours or you have some dough socked away somewhere.
That is fine if you feel that way. I have over 250k equity in my house and a union annuity and a TDA close to 100k. Savings are shot as I just built a house. I know my situation is unique. I didn't allow my wife to dictate where I lived though and I believe I made some wise decisions.
Last edited by Galicia#1; 05-24-2012 at 04:19 PM..
Reason: !
So if personnel are laid off due to decreasing enrollments union seniority rules will dictate that the last in are released first? Teachers that may have been evaluated as less than effective or are in areas that are no longer needed are retained because of seniority? What a crock of ...... A really great motivator that the unions don't mention when trying to establish themselves in new areas....
Our district is losing a phenomenal music teacher because of this inane policy.
We have a few clunkers who have time in and the security that goes along with it. Meanwhile a teacher who would have benefited from evaluations and been retained, is let go.
If I have children I need a good size house with 4+ bedrooms, 2 car garage, finished basement, big, updated kitchen with an island, patio, master bedroom with a master bath, and at least 1.5 more bathrooms on a decent sized property. But I'm not going to get a house like that on Long Island for less than $700-800K. The high housing prices, high taxes, high auto insurance, high gas prices, and high grocery prices make it so hard to live on Long Island for a family without a six figure income. And I don't understand why the COL is so high on Long Island, it's not like we have the beaches of Florida, the mountains of Colorado, or the beautiful weather of SoCal.
I have 2 children and a 3 br cottage style home with a small eat in kitchen, no FDR no FLR and a partially finished basement. I do have a MBR w/BR but it is nothing large and opulent -- it is in scale with the rest of the home.
Ii s an ideal-sized home for anyone from newlywed through emptynesters to live out their days. That's why we bought it -- we didn't have the compulsion to be large and flashy. We prefer things to be functional and extension of the low profile image we find most comfortable.
What saddens me most is that the taxes are soaring upward with school taxes now comprising just shy of 80% the total bill. The home I bought to live my life out in will most likely be sold as I won't be able to afford the taxes in my old age.
Our district has been providing laptops (both Dell & Mac) to every middle/high student for over 5 years the only additional cost is for the parents who have to pay an annual insurance cost. And the district I work in has been able to integrate the technologies you mention over several years with proper financial planning upgrades can be introduced without going broke.
If you've already answered this, I apologize for being repetitive:
What is the average salary for a teacher with 10-15 years experience in your county?
I have 2 children and a 3 br cottage style home with a small eat in kitchen, no FDR no FLR and a partially finished basement. I do have a MBR w/BR but it is nothing large and opulent -- it is in scale with the rest of the home.
Ii s an ideal-sized home for anyone from newlywed through emptynesters to live out their days. That's why we bought it -- we didn't have the compulsion to be large and flashy. We prefer things to be functional and extension of the low profile image we find most comfortable.
What saddens me most is that the taxes are soaring upward with school taxes now comprising just shy of 80% the total bill. The home I bought to live my life out in will most likely be sold as I won't be able to afford the taxes in my old age.
It's not about being flashy, and a 4+ bedroom house with a big kitchen doesn't have to be a McMansion. I just don't prefer the older, smaller housing stock on most of Long Island. If you go outside Long Island you'll find many suburbs container newer housing stock consisting of modern colonials that are designed more spaciously. My cousin and his wife recently bought a 10 year old, 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom, large kitchen with an island house with a pool outside Tampa for less than $300K. If you can find that here it would be $700K+ depending what town you live in. It doesn't make sense. My friend has been house hunting in the suburbs of Denver and almost all the houses were built in the last 10-15 years with a decent size property. He found a nice house with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms for less than $350K. It's not about having a big house, Long Island houses need to be priced at what's appropriate compared to what you can get in other metro areas. I don't see why anyone would stay here when you can get a newer, bigger house somewhere else with lower property taxes and overall lower COL in general.
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A really great motivator that the unions don't mention when trying to establish themselves in new areas....
