With my punctuation suggestions, and minor rewording in the spirit of
parallelism and conversational style:
*Vote No - On 20 Years of a Special Tax Indexed to Inflation*
This tax measure claims to use a special tax to increase teachers' pay,
but not all the taxes raised will go to teacher salaries. Substantial
sums will go for such things as non-teaching staff salaries, training
programs, technology purchases and school achievement recognition.
The $28.8 million in taxes raised annually is a flat rate per
residential and commercial tax parcel. So, based on assessed values, the
$500 million building owner and the $500,000 homeowner pay the same
special tax increment.
Senior citizen homeowners whose request is approved by the SFUSD are
exempted from the special tax. Yet they still continue to pay the base
school property tax -- paying for someone else’s grandchildren 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. At
this level of income, SFUSD teachers aren’t street panhandlers who sleep
in alleys.
California teachers statewide average $56,000 -- the third highest paid
teachers nationally. Department of Labor statistics show City private
industry workers average $50,000 compared to City public employees’
average pay and benefits of $85,000.
With declining student enrollment, let's consolidate schools, sell the
property for “affordable” rental housing development, and give the
land-sale money to the SFUSD for teacher pay raises.
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
Ron Getty wrote:
Dear Rob;
The teachers change was incorporated. I did leave in the partial
shopping list as it is also mentioned in the initiative itself and
needs to be highlighted as to where the money is going other than
teachers pay not just the ambiguous non-classroom expenses.
What were the punctation things you mentioned???
Also note I changed the lead sentence and it is in bold type as you
can request it that way. I checked previous ballot books on previous
arguments and bold highlight when you want to say no or yes seems to
be a good thing at the very front of what you want to say.
The attached pdf is the latest version based on the changes.
Ron Getty
SF Libertarian
*Vote No - On 20 Years of a Special Tax Indexed to Inflation*
This tax measure purportedly claims to use a special tax to increase
teachers pay. Not all the taxes raised will go to increase teachers
pay. Substantial sums will go for such things as non-teaching 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
From: Rob Power <chair@lpsf.org>
To: lpsf-activists@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2008 5:11:54 PM
Subject: Re: [lpsf-activists] PROPOSED BALLOT ARGUMENT AGAINST THE
SCHOOL PARCEL TAX
A few tweaks:
change "teachers" in the first sentence to "teachers'" or "teacher" and
"staff members pay" in the third sentence to "paying non-teaching staff"
and possibly change ", training programs, buying technology, and school
achievement recognition" to "and non-classroom expenses"
the rest of my suggested changes are punctuation-related.
It's a great ballot argument, Ron. Thank you for writing it!
Rob
Ron Getty wrote:
> 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
>
>
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