tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post4214527206767675327..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Color of Money (A Coloring Sheet)Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-22392306188782608502016-01-22T06:51:29.952-08:002016-01-22T06:51:29.952-08:00The court has set several deadlines for the legisl...The court has set several deadlines for the legislature! The legislature like to listen to the whoooshing sound as they blow by.<br />Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03535393644973542540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85148074502649177802016-01-21T19:26:09.285-08:002016-01-21T19:26:09.285-08:00This is ridiculous. The Supreme Court needs to set...This is ridiculous. The Supreme Court needs to set a deadline for the Legislature!Ms206https://www.blogger.com/profile/11815010211309994388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6711503930029184232016-01-21T17:42:21.229-08:002016-01-21T17:42:21.229-08:00Ben, we can absolutely talk about it.
1. I thin...Ben, we can absolutely talk about it. <br /><br />1. I think an income tax IS the best route but I doubt it could pass (either in the legislature or via initiative.) <br /><br />That said, if there were a coalition of the willing (that is willing to hold the legislature's collective feet to the fire), I'd work for it.<br /><br />What other mechanisms:<br /><br />-capital gains tax<br /><br />-cutting back on large tax breaks to big businesses <br />(As I have been saying to senators, "Look, Boeing and Microsoft consistently complain about the lack of prepared grads. Cutting PART of their tax break will fund education and give them the workers they long for. It's all part of the greater good where they get the workers they want, their business flourishes because of that and Washington State has citizens who work to build a strong economy.")<br /><br />-what about that Opportunity Fund that they want to use for charters? It doesn't have a lot of extra money but you certainly could use some of that lottery money for K-12.<br /><br /><br />2. No, I will NOT pit group against group. I was in Senator Mullet's office the other day where he bemoaned having to take money from social services. We all looked at each other and there was a "no." <br /><br /><br />3. Redistributing levy dollars - from what I have seen - would be very trickier and I think someone's district would get hurt in the end. I don't want to see any district have to struggle over the outcomes of McCleary which should lift all boats. <br /><br />That many legislators are trying to push this one makes me even more suspicious.<br /><br />But see, this isn't MY job. It's the people who got themselves elected to the legislature. Why aren't they doing this?Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20889731909488248732016-01-21T16:36:53.840-08:002016-01-21T16:36:53.840-08:00Its fine to be disappointed that McCleary hasn'...Its fine to be disappointed that McCleary hasn't been resolved. But I'm not participating in any advocacy effort that doesn't clearly specify how they think the funding should be actually accomplished. Given how large the shortfall is: let's assume the most commonly floated value of 2-4 billion dollars out of what is only 38 billion per 2 year budget, its going to take hard choices to make up the difference.<br /><br />You'll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't want schools to be adequately funded in principle but <br /><br />1. Do you want an income tax or some other mechanism to fund it?<br />2. Do you want to use the existing revenue sources and if so what will you cutback?<br />3. Are you planning to redistribute local levy dollars?<br /><br />etc.<br /><br />There are too many ways this could go very wrong without clearly knowing what plan I'm helping to pass.<br /><br />Benjamin Leishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10974191081762367425noreply@blogger.com