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Is it true that if the state stops giving aid to the schools, the property tax just goes up more? How has this helped us then? Some people say this is the first step to getting control and taking control of the situation with the teachers/unions/state workers/opening people's eyes. However if my property tax goes up MORE, how is this a good thing? WIll this happen?
If the schools don't cut back, yes- that's exactly what will happen. If a town is spending $20 million to operate their school system, and getting $5 million of that from the state, when that state $$ stops flowing they've got two choices- reduce the budget/expenditures by $5 million, or get the money from somewhere else. The only "somewhere else" available is property taxes.
The state need to redude it's deficit, and has to make cuts to do it.
By cutting aid to the towns, the state is giving more ownership to the towns to control costs. Some towns were allowing pay increases of over 4% per year in this economy!
Hopefully, individual towns will now be able to negotiate more moderate pay increases, thereby avoiding or limiting tax increases.
Will your property taxes go up; more than like they will for now as only about 12 or so school districts agreed to a pay freeze. Once these contracts have to be renewed, we can only hope to see more moderate pay increases in line with tax revenues.
Contrary to the age-old saying about local control when it comes to big industries or big Unions the state has a better clout, bigger stick than the local , town governing bodies. Since the last go-around (of cutting taxes) when Gov. Whitman "cut taxes" (the State taxes, that is) ..Local taxes have been going up by leaps and bounds. Local politicians can be pursuaded with less "budget" to accede to the union's demands - and unending demands by parents what schools should provide for the kids that they should be providing in reality-
This is because most people who vote for a candidate proclaiming " I will cut your taxes " don't know that money eventually has to come out of the taxpayer's pockets -what is going change is from which pocket (jurisdiction) it is going to have to come from!! ...the other alternative is to cut expenses but are the parents willing to give up anything ...
The gov's end game is to consolidate school districts. So by taking away state aid he puts more pressure on each town / taxpayer. Although I think this strategy is going to backfire....
The gov's end game is to consolidate school districts. So by taking away state aid he puts more pressure on each town / taxpayer. Although I think this strategy is going to backfire....
this is what needs to happen, but you're right, it'll backfire. as i've said ad nauseum, those who bi*** and moan about taxes are the first ones who will vote down and fight any sort of consolidation (up and and including paying more taxes). drives me UP.THE.WALL.
freezing teachers' salaries for 1, 2, 5 years is NOT going to solve the problem. cutting all sports and foreign language is NOT going to solve the problem. eliminating busing in towns with no sidewalks is NOT going to solve the problem. you end up with less opportunities for the kids, and you STILL end up paying more taxes. Success? NOT.
why christie didn't tackle the 800 lb gorilla is beyond me. wait, never mind, no, it's not. he took the easy way out.
tahiti, you are the biggest moaner around. Where are YOUR solutions..everything to you is a bigger problem including those trying to find solutions. In your world status quo, corruption, bloated state workers salaries, rubber rooms make SENSE. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if you're on the dole too.
Of course these state gov'ts and corrupt workers will do everything they can to pass the costs to the electorate..we have to DEMAND that that stop and they make CUTS. This happens by speaking through your vote, by writing letters to you local politicians, by moving. It's a slow and painful process but it has to start SOMEWHERE since things are that bad here. This is why people complain decade in and decade out about NJ and nothing gets done. Another prong is rooting out the corruption-- something Christie is doing slowly and surely. Look at the Toms River superintendent scramble while his black mercedes is hauled away.
this is what needs to happen, but you're right, it'll backfire. as i've said ad nauseum, those who bi*** and moan about taxes are the first ones who will vote down and fight any sort of consolidation (up and and including paying more taxes). drives me UP.THE.WALL.
freezing teachers' salaries for 1, 2, 5 years is NOT going to solve the problem. cutting all sports and foreign language is NOT going to solve the problem. eliminating busing in towns with no sidewalks is NOT going to solve the problem. you end up with less opportunities for the kids, and you STILL end up paying more taxes. Success? NOT.
why christie didn't tackle the 800 lb gorilla is beyond me. wait, never mind, no, it's not. he took the easy way out.
Tahiti,
How could Christie literally force consolidation? He doesn't have any constitutional authority to do that directly. What's the hard way out?
tahiti, you are the biggest moaner around. Where are YOUR solutions..everything to you is a bigger problem including those trying to find solutions. In your world status quo, corruption, bloated state workers salaries, rubber rooms make SENSE. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if you're on the dole too.
Of course these state gov'ts and corrupt workers will do everything they can to pass the costs to the electorate..we have to DEMAND that that stop and they make CUTS. This happens by speaking through your vote, by writing letters to you local politicians, by moving. It's a slow and painful process but it has to start SOMEWHERE since things are that bad here. This is why people complain decade in and decade out about NJ and nothing gets done. Another prong is rooting out the corruption-- something Christie is doing slowly and surely. Look at the Toms River superintendent scramble while his black mercedes is hauled away.
i said what needs to happen. i don't whine and moan about my taxes.
How could Christie literally force consolidation? He doesn't have any constitutional authority to do that directly. What's the hard way out?
he can work to change the constitution, can't he?
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