Rell's Dystopic -cough- "Vision"

The Courant reported today the shocking news that Gov. Rell wants to raise taxes to aid, among other things, education.

I whole-heartedly support increased aid to towns for education but not at the expense of higher State taxes. And these new taxes will violate the spending limits with malice. IMO, this is not a vision nor is it a true relief. This is a stealthy way to raise State taxes without guaranteeing a corresponding reduction in local taxes. Quite frankly we can't afford this bait and switch game.

What this state needs is lower taxes and the elimination of the Department of Education as well as a rollback of numerous inane and regressive education "laws".

Here's where Rell is wrong.

First, considering the negative environmental impact autos have on Connecticut she should not be attempting to eliminate car property taxes. This is regressive for urban dwellers who reap no benefit by using public transportation. Secondly, it's yet another tax break for the rich. We should be creating incentives for public transportation systems not reinforcing big car purchases.

Instead eliminate all taxes on businesses who upgrade high-tech capital equipment and assemble and operate that equipment in Connecticut and who hire local residents of Connecticut first. This creates jobs and growth that lower taxes by introducing prosperity and a larger labor and tax pool. Connecticut needs quality jobs not taxes.

Second, sunset any tax increase the minute that the state education funding is reduced to local entities. Years ago, lottos were legalized because their receipts were ear-marked for education. Soon after, lottery buyers had a better chance of seeing money than schools. Taxpayers are sick of these sneaky deals.

Third, schools cannot afford any more sugar-coated accountability riders to funding. If the governor is interested in accountability then she must address her own campaign activities long before accusing schools of needing more accountability or high-stress tests. This nonsense is killing education nationwide and she needs to get real about improving education by advocating the complete repeal of the NCLB blight.

No more high school graduation requirements. This blovial nonsense is dropping out more students than it saves. The job of schools is to create learners not student widgets. Let's start holding the veracity of employer and CBIA education claims to higher standards of accountability for a change. I recently heard a story about an engineering firm who preached to educators that that couldn't hire engineers fast enough - educational output was failing them. That was when their stock was selling for hundreds per share. Two years later, at four dollars a share they weren't hiring.

The CBIA incessant whining about American education bears examination because it distorts the true quality of the schools and students - defamation using stock market speculative propaganda.

Legalizing High School Robbery

Thanks to Republicans like Rob Simmons, most high school students who will depend on financial aid of one kind or another will be lucky to keep a shirt on their backs. The latest tax legislation is carefully crafted to offer a few crumbs to the middle class while punishing parents and students.

As Connecticut Blue observes, "Simmons is one of the few Second District residents that will benefit from this bill. The rest of us will be saddled with paying the principal and the interest on the debt we will rack up in order to transfer our money to rich people like Rob". The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities lists the criminally negligent consequences of Bill: H R 4297.

$20 for the middle class, $43,000 for millionaires. Middle-income households would get an average tax cut of just $20 from the agreement, according to preliminary estimates by the Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center, while the 0.2 percent of households with incomes over $1 million would get average tax cuts of $43,000, and the top 0.1 percent of households (whose incomes exceed $1.6 million) would get average tax cuts of $84,000.

But to complain about this -cough- "transfer" of wealth from the not-rich to the ultra-rich would be nothing more than petty jealousy on the part of the not-rich so we can't talk about how it will affect local budgets.

You see, when the not-rich have less money to spend the not-rich are less likely to vote for school and local government budgets. Bad for schools, fire departments, police, and other not-rich constuencies.

But let's peel the onion one more skin.

Today, The Student Business by Ralph Nader, is an article that talks about your child's chances of ever paying off a student loan.

In February Congress did act on student loans in another way - backward. It cut $12 billion out of the student loan programs, mostly from students and parents. In a report just out, the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) found that in California, 17.9% of public college students and 28.8% of private college graduates have unmanageable student loan debt were they to take jobs as teachers or social workers. Yet these critical careers desperately need college graduates to replenish their ranks. (To download the full report, go to http://www.calpirg.org. See also http://www.studentloanjustice.org.)

Last Sunday, May 7th, I turned on CBS' 60 Minutes which unloaded on Sallie Mae in a devastating segment about its power, greed and profits.

Originally a government-sponsored enterprise like Fannie Mae, Sallie Mae was privatized in 1997 and is now the largest private lender to students. But not entirely private. The federal government is its guarantor. Michael Dannenberg of the New America Foundation told Leslie Stahl: "It may be called 'private'.but it's not private at all. Frankly it's a socialist-like system. It's not as if this private entity is assuming any risks. No, no, no. The law makes sure that this so-called private entity has virtually no risk."

It gets worse. Let's say a graduated student defaults. The government pays Sallie Mae both the principal and the interest compounded. But the loan is still subject to collection. Guess who owns some of the largest collection agencies - you guessed it, Sallie Mae. When its collection agency collects, it gets 25% of the recovery. The profits go to Sallie Mae.

The corporate lawyers who conceived this self-enriching system ought to get the nation's top prize for shameless perversity.

Shameless perversity! The holy rollers who have taken complete control of this government say they talk to God, that the non-rich "don't share their values", and tell us underfunded schools need to be held accountable. And just a minor footnote on their "values" - for the first time in my life - torture, eavesdropping, sado-masochism, prostitution, money-laundering, national fraud in a multiplicity of critical areas, cover-ups, political paybacks, kickbacks, and back-stabbing, the destruction of a major American city including neighboring suburbs in three states... I am likely to exhaust myself naming the sins, high crimes, perversions, and witless incompetence that so naturally and casually has become business as ususal in the Bush theocracy.

And gutter bureaucrats like Rob Simmons have no problem with any of it except that it has an outside chance of hurting their election chances.

Voters reinforce the idea that schools are turning out idiots. Just look at the national election results. Stupid is as stupid does. The kids don't deserve this.

Parents lose tax break - thank Congress

Not only is education largely unfunded, now parents will be getting taxed without the benefit of long-standing tax breaks. The NY Times gives you the heads up...

With Tax Break Expired, Middle Class Faces a Greater Burden for 2006
By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON
Published: April 16, 2006

The tax break that expired at the end of 2005 limited the alternative minimum tax to 3.6 million taxpayers, of which 2.1 million were families with children.

This year 18.9 million taxpayers are facing the alternative levy, with 11.8 million representing families with children. Without Congressional action, those affected will pay $26.6 billion more in federal income taxes for this year. Almost the same amount, $24.1 billion, will be saved by all investors, the Tax Policy Center estimated. Actual savings for investors are likely to be higher if recent stock market growth continues.

The alternative tax was originally adopted in 1969 to ensure that people who earned the equivalent of more than $1 million in today's dollars did not live tax free. It has not been fully adjusted for inflation and was not integrated into the Bush tax cuts. In addition, Congress in 1986 made basic changes in what kind of deductions are counted in determining whether one has to pay the alternative levy, causing it to become a tax on the middle class.

In the beginning it took away exotic breaks to high-income taxpayers who paid little or no tax. Now it denies people exemptions for themselves and their children and deductions for state income taxes and local property taxes.

Just one-tenth of 1 percent of the increased alternative tax is being paid this year by those making $1 million or more, the Tax Policy Center estimates, even though this is the only group affected by the original version of the levy.

And you all thought your kids would be the first generation to not do as well as their parent's generation.

Ashford Democrats send the State a message

At the recent Democratic Town Committee meeting, State House Representative Mike Cardin updated the committee on legislative news from the State Capitol - emminent domain, identity theft, and more. However, the conversation soon turned to job creation and tax relief for small towns.

A recent Face the State program discussed CT's economy in unflattering terms.

...a new study warns that other states are growing much faster, and Connecticut is losing ground, in many key areas that affect business development and job creation.

The legislature should pay urgent heed to this discussion. The issue of tax relief for small town Connecticut is not far behind in importance.

Massachsetts is facing a similar situation and here is what Romney recently suggested,

Underlining the challenge, Romney said leaders of one technology firm in Massachusetts anticipated that 90 percent of its skilled labor would be in Asia in 10 years. He also pointed to statistics that show the United States graduating only 4,400 mathematics and science PhDs each year compared with 24,900 math and science PhDs for greater Asia.

"China and India have a population a multiple of ours. They have natural resources. There is no reason they can't emerge as the superpower. The only way we can preserve that role for ourselves is through innovation. It's erroneous that we do high-level work here and send low-level work abroad. When our market is no longer the largest market in the world, the idea that we're going to be innovating and they're going to be copying is erroneous," Romney said.

In response to the looming crisis, Romney pointed to some specific problems and proposed some remedies. He said we must close the educational achievement gap between racial groups in the United States. "The education gap is the civil rights issue of our age." He also said all U.S. students must raise their standing compared with students in other industrialized countries. According to one study, U. S. students rank 25th out of 41 industrial nations. "Fewer and fewer are performing at the top level," he said.

He suggested paying teachers a $5,000 bonus for teaching Advanced Placement courses, as well as giving the top third of teachers a $5,000 bonus. He also suggested a bonus for teachers that teach in troubled school districts. Romney also favored giving secondary school students laptop computers.

He pointed to some educational achievements in Massachusetts, where fourth graders ranked first in the country in math and English. He also noted that Massachusetts students ranking in the top fourth of their class can attend state institutions tuition-free under a scholarship program he supported.

"I want to make sure that Massachusetts remains competitive." Speaking of the nation, he said, "I want the center of technology and innovation to remain here. I am overwhelmingly optimistic about our ability to rise to the occasion."

Connecticut needs to wake up.

I also want to thank Mike for sending a warm congratulations letter on my election to Region 19. I hope not to let anyone down.