It must seem to regular readers of these Observations that I am dead-set against any new tax. I am not. I am dead-set against the chicanery used by government and schools to get income by tricking voters or otherwise denying them the right to vote on tax matters.
Classic case of this was the sales-tax increase by County Commissioners Tim Bubb and Doug Smith. They simply refused to hear voters asking to have a voice in the matter.
City officials regularly ignore the wishes of the majority in order to avoid the majority opinion on tax issues, most recently the decision by council to skim off another $10 per auto license plate sale, in spite of the fact that voters earlier had sent a clear message of their disapproval.
No sooner did taxpayers get that jammed into their orifice than the Newark School District board sends notice it might attempt to end-run voters in an August repeat of the failed tax-levy request, thinking that the majority of what few voters might show up for such an election will be parents and teachers, thus giving the majority of people who will have to pay for it yet another shafting.
This special election could cost the school district as much as $40,000 to produce, according to the Advocate report. That same $40,000 used for the good of the people would provide many miles of school bussing the district claimed it can't afford.
For people who are supposed to be smart enough to oversee the community's main educational factory, they don't have much going for them.
Worse, they see their constituency as one dumb, numb, mass of people too helpless and worthless to defend against another stuffing by the school board intelligentsia. That is the theory on which consideration of an August tax vote is predicated.
The news for these "public servants" is that there are many folks just like me, thousands maybe.
And what we expect from you is for you to convince us of a two things before you come to us for more money.
First is that you are wisely spending the money you have, that you are not wasting it on high-priced and useless administrators and employee wages and benefits that are out of line with what other people make;
and second that after you have cleaned house and eliminated all the useless people and programs you have acquired over the years that you need more of our money to educate (not entertain and not babysit) our children.
When you get that done, you won't have to try to trick us with an August vote.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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There is minimal glory in public sector employment. Many of the jobs are literally cleaning up the **** of the citizens of the area. Either metaphorically, or physically.
ReplyDeleteWhile i agree with you on the need to spend tax dollars wisely; i take concern in the freeflowing view many take today that public employees should have salary/benefits in line with private sector.
The reason most jobs in the public sector are more generous in these respects, is that it is hard to convince someone to stay in a public sector job for 30 years, without the higher pay/benefits. Not many people in their right mind would stay in most of the jobs (not all - some are cushy, but many are not cushy at all) offered in the public sector.
I agree on the administrators part; a common problem in state govt is the sheer amt of supervisors/mgmt compared to laborers. however, one could argue that is because supervisors can be hired without union strings. so that is an argument in your favor.
Not sure what the answer is here - you surely wouldnt want the grunt workers in public work changing every 4 years with the administrations. It would be a mess. but then again, it could eliminate some of the burnout.
Its a quandry - just my 2 cents.
~An ex newarkite