Florida Legislature Turning Its Back On Local Schools

One of the clarion calls of candidate and now Gov. Charlie "I think I might be a VP candidate" Crist was a statewide deep property tax cut to be enacted at the outset of his adminstration. Without stopping to catch his breath he also proclaimed and promised this would not affect our state educational system. And now for the shocker - he lied.

One of my pet peeves when it comes to the GOP has always been what they proclaim their "brand" stands for: lower taxes and smaller governement. Let me assure you as the Florida legislature just proved, there is no such thing as a tax cut. Whatever funding has been cut at the highest federal level, the state will take up the slack. Whatever funding is cut at the state level, the local municipalities will take up the slack. If that funding is cut off at the city level, then the service is paid for privately. Then the so-called tax cut becomes a loss of funds on a personal level and much more expensive since the cost of the service was carried over the sprectrum of the population it served at a much cheaper rate individually. That service could range form any variety of services that includes school lunches for the poor to less police presence on the street. Some "tax cut."

Right now I'm a teacher sitting in my classroom finishing up my day and looking at my walls. I'm lucky to have two world maps that proclaim the Soviet Union is still with us. In my school that has over 200 teachers we have 35 LCD projectors between us. I could sit here and go on and on but I think I've made my point. As the article highlighted, for the thrid time here in this post, stipulates, local governments are now going to have to shoulder a heavier tax burdon. Let's guess where that revenue is going to come from. Don't hurt yourself trying to figure it out, I'll give you a hand. Local property taxes. You know, as opposed to the ones Gov. Charlie helped legislate tax cuts for on a state level.

I am going to continue my campaign to destroy the myth of this GOP "brand." The "brand" that defines the "values" party. You know, the "values" party that wants to privitize the entire healthcare industry and Social Security. The "values" party that wants your life to have a price on it regarding your ability to pay for healthcare. You can't afford it? Welcome to the Darwinian universe where only the fittest survive. The "values" party that wants to prevent all abortions but cut funding for SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Program). I'll be posting more about this in the coming days and weeks while I figure out a way to pay for my school supplies next year on my teacher salary.