Dear Everyone;
Attached and below is the proposed argument against the special school parcel tax for purportedly raising teachers pay. The word count according to word.doc tools is 278. The maximum is 300 words the difference allows a very small room for more words but also leaves room for error in word count so it doesn't get turned down.
Please to let me know what you think. Then with the approval of the ExComm Rob will submit in time for the ballot arguments before next thursday at 12:00 noon.
Ron Getty
SF Libertarian
Vote No on 20 years of another tax indexed to inflation.
This tax measure purportedly claims to use a special tax to increase public school teachers pay. Not all the taxes raised will go to increase teachers pay. Substantial sums will go to staff members pay, training programs, buying technology and school achievement recognition.
The $28.8 million in taxes raised annually is a flat rate per residential and commercial tax parcel. Based on assessed values the $500 million building owner and the $500,000 homeowner pay the same special tax.
Senior citizen homeowners whose request is approved by the SFUSD are exempted from the special tax. They still continue to pay the base school property tax paying for someone else’s grand-children attending public school. Parents whose children attend private schools or are home-schooled pay the special tax giving someone else’s children’s teachers pay raises.
By union regulations teachers work 35 hours a week and 181 days a year. New teachers start at $43,000 and experienced teachers earn $82,000. With this level of pay SFUSD teachers aren’t street beggars who sleep in alleys.
California teachers statewide average $56,000 the third highest teachers pay nationally. Department of Labor statistics show City private industry workers average $50,000 against City public employees’ average pay and benefits of $85,000.
With declining student enrollment consolidate schools. Sell the property for “affordable” rental housing development and give the land-sale money to the SFUSD for teachers pay.
The SFUSD is already spending $360 million of taxpayers’ money on its budget along with a $450 million approved school bond. Stop forcing City taxpayers to be ATMs for the SFUSD.
Rob Power
Chair
Libertarian Party San Francisco
Vote No on 20 years of another tax indexed to inflation.pdf (15.4 KB)