raise my taxes PLEASE!!!!!! (2 Pages Of Responses)

[special ED]

how many of you woke up this morning and said you know what I would really really like to pay more in taxes this year?,from the count this year must have been just about everyone,Can someone tell me the thinking in this cause I`m missing something and by the looks of it something very big,maybe I need to see a shrink? next year I am going to suggest to raise school taxes by double of what they are asking for and see the reaction I get ,and I will still be labeled a nut .....help me GOD

[cestreet]

As you may have noticed, things cost more these days.  That includes those costs paid for by public dollars.  The size if the increase in Fairfax is relatively small.  I get the idea from this post and your previous posts that you have a problem with public funding of most things.  Maybe you ought to start a formal Libertarian movement of your own.  I, for one, think that would be more constructive than snarky and insulting internet posts on this website.

Clarice Streets

[greenek]

I feel that the Fairfax School Board did an excellent job this year coming up with the proposed budget. They also did an excellent job going into great detail at town meeting, clarifying each section of the budget. There wasn't too much discussion after their presentation, so the information seemed to be sufficient to make an informed decision on how to vote on Tuesday. I know that I had an idea of how I was going to vote before I went to town meeting, with very few questions. The information presented at town meeting answered all of my questions.

Kevin

[special ED]

CLAIRE are you in  anyway supported ,funded ,connected to the school or state in any way cause if you are then your opinion is mute

[7F24]

SPECIALed

I am not "supported ,funded ,connected to the school or state", and I agree with Claire and Kevin.  I was at town meeting, I heard most of the presentation.  What part do you disagree with?

Tom

[cestreet]

SpecialED,
If you're asking whether I work in the public sector, the answer is no.  Of course I am "supported ,funded ,connected to the school or state in any way"  - I live here!  My children attend public school.  I pay taxes.  As such, my opinion is no more "mute" than yours.

[logical]

I also agree w/Claire & Kevin on this one.  In fact doesn't Fairfax have one of the lowest cost per pupil in Franklin County?  For that we should be grateful. 

In another post on here this morning I saw information regarding full day kindergarten.  As noted in prior posts I too support this initiative.  I think that by investing in children's education early on you are in the end saving the town $$.  In fact doesn't part of Governor Douglas' letter regarding cutting back on budgets this year mention something regarding investing $$ in early education?  I beleive I read this on this forum somewhere earlier this year.  Even given all of this if the school board felt that it was necessary to not invest the extra $$ into kindergarten this year I support them.  I do however hope that in future years they readdress this issue.

[mirjo]

 A gentleman in central Vermont said it best on the news last night (I don't have his exact quote) but the jist was that we spend a lot of time  complaining about nickels and dimes, but ultimately if we ignore the needs of the kids, we are going to end up with a "Bunch of dumb kids."

The Fairfax School Board was very aware of the fact that everyone is a lot prickly this year especially regarding the budget. They did a good job initially with it... there was less than a 4% increase, then went back and made some very thoughtful cuts to trim fat, but preserve what's important and what makes the school a good school.

An increase of 1.49% is really not something that anyone should complain about. Everything else around us is up much much more than that, so really the school budget is a good thing.

[special ED]

I guess I am asking how much will it take for you people to say no more spending ,how much more can you afford? you have to have a limit

[David Shea]

Hello Everyone,

I agree as well that the school board did the best job that they possibly could given all of the factors that they had to consider.  The explanation, at town meeting & in mailed print, for how cuts were made and why they were made was very clear and well thought out.
A major part of every schools budget increase is made up of salary increases that are negotiated by the teachers union & the school board.  These negotiations for increases in benefits are difficult or impossible to change once made.

I did not agree with all of the cuts that were made to the budget as I would have like to see an increase in Kindergarden or at least equal access to pre school.  Currently only a percentage of Fairfax youth can attend pre school due to space limitations ect.  One of my children has gone to pre school at BFA & the other I have to pay for out of pocket to provide the same type of education experience.  I would not feel right about not giving both of my kids a chance for equal education.

I noticed that the School board positions all ran uncontested.  I would encourage anyone on this forum to run for a local office.  As a member of the School board or selectboard you have the opportunity to write the budgets and determine what is spent.

As my High School French Teacher, Stan Hancox, used to say, "Actions speak louder than words".

I believe in full disclosure. I do not work for the school, but am a resident of Fairfax.  I attended the Fairfax schools for 12 years.
David Shea

[Loctavious]

That's a great topic area to explore for a minute David - one reason for increases in education speding being salaries.  Sometimes, i think that we the public hold public officials or, in this case teachers, to a different, almost Samaritan measure.  " Be an effective teacher, care for my child as if your own, and do it all for the lowest price tag possible."  We've had this delusional approach to education for a long time, that we can pay the people responsible for teaching our kids about the world and how to change it, a small amount of money to get our most ideal results?  On top of that, whenever we do make progress, it's as if some approach it as a 1 time deal.  Just as we all like to get our so-called raises ( 'so-called' because some of our raises equate almost exactly to the cost of living increase - thus we never really make more - just the amount to get by)

Let's look at this from a different, and maybe faulty angle.  If we put more money into Teacher's Salaries than say, paying our law-makers, might that not effect a change in the very issues our law-makers work on?  If we didn't let those certan kids slip through the academic or behavorial cracks ( either because they've almost got all they need to move on or to address their behavior would cost more money and man-hours) couldn't our crime rates be lower becuase more kids are kept engaged and thus away from bad influences/paths?  Couldn't the extra attention and care by paying more teachers to do better jobs, possibly evoke more compassionate students and kids which just might go out and volunteer more or spread positivity more or denounce bullying more?

Just a basic and perhaps overly simplistic perspective - but doesn't it sound 'OFF' that we pay the individuals and institutions responsible for preparing the next generation to be better than the last, a paultry amount to do so?  It makes perfect sense to invest in tomorrow for a better tomorrow.

 

 

[7F24]

special ED

"I guess I am asking how much will it take for you people to say no more spending ,how much more can you afford? you have to have a limit"

That really is a good question, and I don't know what the answer is.  I bought my first house for $15,000.00, I never thought I'd spend more than that on a car.  I remember when gas went over $.50 a gallon, I thought that had to be the ceiling.  I remember cigarettes in the machines for $.50, and I thought those people were crazy.  I guess some of us are not near our limit, and others are probably well past it.

[mxdave]

Wow 7F24, You must be realy old.

[7F24]

"Wow 7F24, You must be realy old"

I didn't think I was until I read what I wrote.

[mirjo]

Arguments over school budgets/taxes/teacher's salaries/ what is, what was, and what should be are as old as dirt!!!

We all just have a new way to discuss and complain about it. SpecialEd has an ax to grind as many others who feel they're paying too much for  these things do. Trying to impart any kind of logic on an age-old problem with two sides that are rooted so deeply in their own beliefs is as futile as discussing politics with a staunch Republican and Democrat and expecting a change of fundamental opinion.

Until some genius comes up with a new way to fund public education, this is the model we have. The key is to be as fiscally responsible as possible and make the most with what there is. I firmly believe that BFA does that. An overview of their budget  history will show there
 really isn't  ever a lot of excess and the school offers a lot to students for being so small. This makes it attractive to kids in surrounding towns who need to choose a HS. Tuition students are good for the bottom line.
 
A look at the test scores and the achievements of the students it's easy to see that BFA is a good school, because it's supported. I'm sorry that not everyone can feel that way, but everyone has to do what's right for themselves. SpecialEd, I hope you can make peace with the situation at this point and get more involved in the future so you  have a voice and not feel like a victim.

MXDave, you must be really young, because everyone over a certain age knows that AGE IS A RELATIVE THING!