School Referenda
Over at DWA a thread about a Carney blog was hijacked by the question of whether renters should be allowed to vote in a school referendum. Personally, I found this worthy of a post. (Sorry Mike and Co, but I gave you a few days to post on this before stealing snagging it for myself!)
So, here are my questions:
1. Should renters be allowed to vote in a referenda?
2. Should school districts still be funded by referenda?
Let ‘er rip!
1. Yes, their rent goes toward property taxes.
2. No, this is a dumb-fucking idea.
I will take on #1, but leave #2 alone for now, as I don’t think I can give it an adequate answer outside of a knee-jerk reaction. So…
-1) Yes, they should be allowed to vote on referenda. Aside from the constitutional right they have to vote, the tax coming from the property in which they live gets paid. Whether it’s ultimately paid by the landlord or the tenant is up to the landlord. If the landlord chooses to pass on the increase to the tenant in a new lease, then that tenant pays for the tax in which he/she did (or did not) vote for. If the landlord chooses not to pass it on, well, that’s the landlord’s choosing now, isn’t it? The tenant doesn’t have to pay it, then and well, boo-freaking-hoo, take that up with the landlord.
I find it to be one of the most prejudiced of arguments to deny renters of their right to vote, even in a tax referenda. Some people choose to rent, others have no choice, as they can’t afford to own. Should the latter be denied a right due simply to their economic situation? I think most people around here, from all sides, would argue that rights should not be denied, so why should this be any different?
Those of us that own and do NOT rent, what do we know what happens between all tenants and landlords? I seriously doubt that most owners can say with accuracy whether or not a tenant actually is covering these taxes in one form or another or if the landlord handles it without passing it on.
Yes, renters have this right, as do owners. It drives me nuts to even have to get into this debate, but if you know a renter that doesn’t have to pay it, then take it up with the landlord. Stop hating on the tenant.
I agree that renters have the right to vote. No ifs, ands or buts.
Referenda… I hate the fact that schools have to beg for money. On the hand, referendums are the only way of holding school districts accountable. Look at Red Clay’s mess. (could someone tell me why the board/superintendent isn’t in BIG trouble?) And while Red Clay passed the last referendum I predict sweeping changes will have to be made before they get another – which I also predict will be held sooner than later.
So… I guess I’m okay with the referendum process. Sorta.
1–absolutely, it’s a constitutional right
2–much as I dislike the present system and its inherent inequalities, there still has to be a system that allows significant local control and accountability before I sign off on a change.
As for RCSD–I’d love to discuss it over a beer, but family connections and vulnerabilities prevent it here.
NEWTON HAS BEEN AWARDED THE SEAL OF EXPERIENCE BY OFFERING TO BUY BEER FOR THE ENTIRE DELAWARE LIBERAL CREW, CREW, CREW, EW, EW, w,w
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1. Yes
2. Yes
Perhaps at the September Drinking Liberally, Steve. Red Clay has become my personal pet peeve!
Listen, citizens have a say whether they are landowners or not. Why are we even asking this?
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what did i do?
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what did i do?
I didn’t get that.
Anyone else?
I think Steve just got nominated to buy us drinks!
😉
Yaaaay!
On question number 2 we really need to rethink the way we fund schools
do to the aging of or population we are asking more and more empty nesters who are the majority of our homeowners, to fund a service they no longer use.
the system worked when the baby boomers had school aged children, it`s much less effective now.
1) yes – but it is limited to a vote of “yes”
2) yes – do you want to pay school taxes like they do in PA & NJ
“On question number 2 we really need to rethink the way we fund schools
do to the aging of or population we are asking more and more empty nesters who are the majority of our homeowners, to fund a service they no longer use.”
Why, my retired neighbor only pays $120/year.
<$12/mth, what a joke.
Anti catholic; please explain that scary handle, sounds to KKKish circa 1925.
This is one of the interesting differences between Delaware and Texas (where I live). It seems self-evident, to me, that renters should get to vote on school issues. Renters have children, as do home owners. And, as has been noted multiple times, they pay taxes through rents.
I can’t offer an opinion about question No. 2.
# 1. Yes renters should get to vote. As sharon said they have children and they pay property taxes. Why shouldn’t they have a say?
#2. No. I don’t believe people without children (especially old folks on fixed income) should be burdened with tax increases for school funding that doesn’t impact them.
“Anti catholic; please explain that scary handle, sounds to KKKish circa 1925.”
Ask Newton.
Why?Are you one the offended catholics? Or black?
Oh my.
Your command of the english language leads me to wonder if you made the eye holes in your sheet large enough anti- catholic?
Ask Newton.
If you really want to know and you’re masochistic enough to read it all–look for the handle CJO and read these threads in this order
http://delawareliberal.net//2008/08/05/there-there-my-son-put-your-head-right-here/
http://delawareliberal.net//2008/08/05/welcome-to-delaware-liberal-we-hate-catholics/
http://delawareliberal.net//2008/08/05/you-want-catholic-bashing-bitches/
…and you can make up your own mind.
This comment went into moderation because it had too many links; so because geek and jason are out of town and I don’t know if anybody can rescue it, here it is with dead links
Ask Newton.
If you really want to know and you’re masochistic enough to read it all–look for the handle CJO and read these threads in this order
http://www.delawareliberal.net/2008/08/05/there-there-my-son-put-your-head-right-here/
http://www.delawareliberal.net/2008/08/05/welcome-to-delaware-liberal-we-hate-catholics/
http://www.delawareliberal.net/2008/08/05/you-want-catholic-bashing-bitches/
…and you can make up your own mind.
#1-yes, renters should be aloud to vote. The quality of schools affect their children just as much as homeowners children. I would argue the assumption that voting is a constitutionally guaranteed right though, especially in a local referendum.
#2- We need to get rid of the referendum system, but not because it burdens some old people with a tiny tax increase (combine all of these increases with the decreases they get on their property tax for being over 65 and they are far better off then the rest of us anyway). We need to get rid of referendum because it inherently creates unequal funding for schools across this state, and thus creates unequal access to high quality public education for all students. We should not have huge differences in per pupal spending from one town to the next. It makes hiring and keeping good teachers impossible for some of our schools, creates vast disparity in the quality of our school buildings, course offerings, etc, and uniformly places the brunt of this effect on the students that need the most from our schools to be successful in life.
We need a school finding system that creates and supports a statewide teacher salary structure and ties funding to the needs of individual students, without requiring school districts to go begging for resources ever year.