The Salamander Returns
THE FOLLOWING GUEST EDITORIAL IS THE FIRST OF I HOPE MANY EDITORIALS FROM SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS OF THE PROPOSED RAYTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY TAX INCREASE UP FOR A VOTE ON APRIL 8TH.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN VOICING YOUR OPINION ON THIS SUBJECT BEFORE THE 8TH OF APRIL PLEASE SEND YOUR COPY TO gregtwalters@juno.com
Editorial Headline: Raytown Post endorses 25% School Levy Tax Increase.
Their Reasoning: "Offering competitive salaries is the ONLY WAY to ensure the quality of education remains high..."
How about that. All this time we have been told that teachers go into the profession because they "just love" children; that they find an unparalleled fulfillment in teaching others.
What a letdown. The Salamander's faith is shattered. Reading the Post's editorial was like being told there is no Santa Claus.
I appreciate those that teach our young. And, it is a clever tactic to hide behind the skirts and trousers of school teachers to sell a property tax increase. But the issue is not really teachers salaries. It is the questionable competence of those in charge of running our school district.
Life must go on; and it does, in the most predictable manner. The Raytown Tribune and the Chamber of Commerce both heartily endorsed the 25% tax increase. These pillars of the community admonish us that we MUST pay a 25% property tax increase if Raytown is to prosper and grow.
All to which the Salamander replies: "Go sell your smoke to someone who hasn't been burned time and again by threats teachers will leave, quality will reach a new nadir, etc.
I've heard it all before. I have no intention of being a part of this raid on our pocketbooks.
The fact about school district's financial conditions is this: The district's revenue increase during the last 8 years has been more than 27%. Why, one might ask. The answer is simplicity itself.
Every time your house is re-appraised (every two years) the income of the school district increases in direct relation to the amount of property evaluation increase.
The evaluation increase in property during the past 8 years has exceeded 25%.
Do the math. You will see the folly of voting yourself another 25% tax increase, especially on top of the 25% increase in the past few years.
As for the Chamber endorsing the school tax, did any readers expect them not to? That group of carpetbaggers -- which is what many of them are -- would vote to have themselves beheaded if there was a tax increase tied to it.
As for the District being short of money, who are they kidding? When you can pay $195,000.00 for a lot which is appraised for $37,500.00 you have more money than you have sense.
Take a look at the district's recent purchase of a decrepit building and the lot it sits on south of Raytown High on Blue Ridge Boulevard. Ask yourself if it was worth $195,000.00.
If you think it is, by all means, vote yourself another tax increase.
Comments
Andy Whiteman
Were you trying to make a joke about believing teachers don’t care about money? I apologize for not picking up on that. How Greg can call this an editorial is beyond me. Teachers live off money just like everyone else. And with the increasing need to bring in teachers who have masters degrees teachers pay becomes very important.
We are facing a teacher’s shortage when it comes to the amount of teachers coming out of college. Thus, we are relying more and more on professionals going back to school to get a Masters in Education in order to make up for the difference. With the cost of student loans and getting a MA you have to be competitive when it comes to teachers salaries if you want to continue to offer a quality education.
I can understand your frustration with unwise spending, but don’t take it out on our teachers…and our kids. You obviously have some passions against the district that seem to have led this editorial.
PS, Greg, if you want respectability with this site; do a better job of who you let write.
People should also understand that increases in property values do not necessarily mean a corresponding increase in property taxes. The law requires the district to roll tax rates back so they cannot get a windfall from increased appraised values. Property tax increases for the school have not matched the increase in appraised value.
If the Raytown "Quality" Schools would produce a notarized statement of exactly where these funds will go, I may feel differently. Everyone deserves a LIVING wage, not an overpaid administarator's wage.
When I was a kid, my mother complained that teachers and tennants were voting YES on school taxes. Property owners had little voting power compared to tennants who don't pay property tax. True, the landloard can raise the rent, but tennants don't consider that, don't pay the rent, or move.
Andy Whiteman
As for the topic, the School levy, I would have to say that the root of the problem is funding schools through the current property tax system. I’m not saying anything new, but if we are going to adequately fund our school systems we need to find a better way of bringing in revenue than property taxes. I am a supporter of more state control when it comes to funding, and not relying on primarily local funds.
But, since the property tax system is the only thing we have, we need to make due. When you look at the list of pay in comparing Raytown Schools with neighboring districts we really do face some challenges in being near the bottom of the list. If we are going to be competitive in how we educate out children we need to think about the salaries we pay our teachers. I am a bit taken a back that some on this message board would say teacher don’t deserve better pay. Sure, there may be some teachers that don’t seem to work very hard, but you will also find the same thing with cops and soldiers, but that doesn’t mean all should get low pay. I don’t see much support for our teachers on this message board, and that worries me a bit.
The mass exudus of teachers from this district is due to the lower pay scales here. You can't really blame them for chasing the dollar, after all, they have to try to make the most money that they can during their working years so that they can hopefully retire with some form of a retirement savings as Social Security was never meant to be the sole retirement plan.
Other things that I have seen with this district like their being reluctant to promote from within their ranks when they have qualified candidates already but they go outside to hire new administrators instead.
There are way too many assistant administrators on staff at the administration building that are really just padding their own wallets and their retirement as well as their egos with that feel good feeling. Years ago, their was a Superintendent, and a School Board, and a Secretary. All these other assistant administrators have been spongeing off of the taxpayers way too long. They need to get rid of this dead weight.
If it was worded that teachers would be the beneficiaries of the levy increase then I might be possibly persuaded to vote for that myself, however, it is not, and the inept management of funds here of late, and the reckless decisions of the School Board of Directors when it comes to their choice for labor on the district projects (non union) and the unsound financial decisions with purchases of properties for expansion are enough of a wakeup call to make my decision that they are not good stewards of my tax money that I have had to pay.
The board has awakened the sleeping giant now I am afraid.
"On Wednesday March 26, there will be a public meeting to discuss the proposed future site of the Raytown Recycling center. The proposed site, and site for the public meeting is at 6417 Railroad Street, just beneath the Raytown Street bridge. During the public meeting there will be a tour of the site, and a chance for residents to ask questions of city officials. The meeting will begin at 6pm."
to get into your wallet. Then it hardly ever goes to either.
The developers make promises of great income for the city and then leave with our tax dollars in their pockets with little or no results.
I don't know the answer. But I sure don't feel that this will get any better just because we keep throwing money at them. They need to learn the value of a dollar and how hard it is to make it.
We need elected officials that will look out for the people's tax dollars. Not officials that try to out spend each other.
It has to be the highest priced real estate in Raytown.
Who on earth was the school board's real estate broker?
Subject: Clintons Exposed
I think that this needs to be sent to everyone in your address book.
Here's a video about the Clintons that will blow your socks off, literally. You may not see this on the Internet very long, so you better look at it and send it to others before it gets pulled.
Click on this link:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7007109937779036019
He runs each time and does zero campaigning. All he has done this year is waste $5,000 in taxpayer money by forcing an election and then not taking the campaign seriously. If he was really "challenging" he would at least try.
The last time that he ran, he said at a public candidate forum that he didn't expect to win, but only get the most votes out of the candidates that weren't campaigning.
Unfortunately, you are left with no choices in this election.
There is no such thing as a 'perfect' time for anything, including a bond issue. I have not heard yet, is this bond issue being proposed to replace a former bond issue that was approved and is about to expire or has expired? I have seen in the past where one was going to expire and a new one was approved by voters that simply replaces the one that is expiring, thus no tax increase.
I do understand that prices for everything is on the rise, and I am even finding myself looking at additional ways to cut expenses in order to free up more cash for gas and food, etc.
Andy Whiteman
Numerous signs on the CITY RIGHT OF WAY are for a person(s), the person who is currently President of the School Board is the biggest violator. Wonder who has paid for all of her signs (and Mr. Landers)? I suspect that the teachers either directly or through the Teachers Union have paid for most of them. Pay back time is the current proposed levy increase and what takes place after the election if they are re-elected! Teachers you better beware if they spend like they have been, YOU will get very little of the HUGE levy increase. Although it won't cost most of you anything since many of you don't live in our school district anyway.
There are apparently many more signs then there are legitimate places to legally display them, and those signs don't come cheap.
Why do we need so much upper management? The middle schools and the high schools have 3 assistant principals and one principal per each middle school and each high school. Most assistant and principals make between $60,000.00 and $80,000.00 per year. When I went to school, we had 1 assistant principal and 1 principal period. We got along just fine.
Just remember, this will NOT be the last levy or tax increase the Raytown School district will ask for. If the levy passes, you can bet there will be another tax increase around the corner. I ask you, how is the district going to staff, teachers, custodians, maintenance, buy equipment, school supplies for all the new buildings they are building and or buying? You guessed it more tax increases, WATCH OUT!!!!!!!!!!!
Also a little odd is the fact that despite attempts to speak to a senior Democratic member, I just get passed back to the same Republicans. Are the senior Democratic commissioners chained up in the basement?
Just another reminder that Americans live in a Second Class democracy. Jerrymandered districting, partisan attempts to disenfranchise their opponents, obscene wads of money being spent for campaigning, endless campaigns, the list goes on and on.
My Canadian friends explained things this way long ago. They wait to see how us Yanks make a mess of things, then sit down and write workable, fair laws.
According to vote.ca, Canadians have automatic voter registration - if you have a driver's license, Social Insurance card, etc. then you are on the roles. Districting and voting are both handled by non-partisan commissions, districts must resemble a regular rectangle. Public campaign finance and short campaigns. Similar rules apply through most of Europe.
Why not here?
Look at this whole Hillary - Obama mess. Hillary lived in the White House for eight years and she'll do anything to go back there, ideology be damned.
Power must be a lot more addictive than it looks.
Just think what this school district could do with their money if they spent it wisely. But NO, they have to waste it so they can ask for more to waste. Typical government workers spend their budget before the physical year is up ot they lose it. Spending it all justifies an increase the next year!
The signs no matter who paid for them are a code violation but I was told that the school district is exempt from City Codes.
Placing 3 or more signs in a short distance demostrates the same stupidy that the school district is run with. One sign gets the message across. Several signs are repitious. I personally view a sign as a statement of opinion. They don't in fluence my vote. They just tell me that many people want to pay higher taxes. Won't they be surprised when the tax bill comes. Someone stated the average house is only worth $100,000; but what is the average house assessed at? Mine is assessed about $143,000 even though I wouldn't get nearly that much if I sold it. People who are quoting the tax increase on a $100,000 house really need to check at what the house is assessed at which I think was about 2 years ago.
After tax bills come out people will wonder why there are more vacant houses and repos in Raytown. What good is it to have "Quality" schools if people can't afford the houses.
G W Scheil, our system is so bad because people know how to manipulate the system. Canadians and Europeans apparently are too smart to let that happen. Canada sounds like a better place to live except it is too cold up there.
Andy Whiteman
To make them start acting responsibly will take some self-realization on their part.
Want a better schood board? Make them pay attention by not endorsing their wasteful spending.
Remember to vote no on Election Day. It will be a low turn out election. Take it upon yourself to convince some that normally stay home to go vote NO!
So, where is the money likely to go?
1. A modest general loosening of the purse strings.
2. Fill more vacant positions.
3. Buy more overpriced parking lots.
4. Pay for increases in fuel and food costs.
5. Increase salaries - management types of course get the most; teachers the minimum amount to slow losses; bus drivers, etc. get least of all.
6. Hire more short term superintendents at big bucks, not to mention the substantial costs of the selection process.
Is all this worth it? You be the judge.
Andy Whiteman
Any attempt to reduce voter fraud really bothers you doesn't it? I know that the Democrats heavily depend on that, would be too bad if you had to rely on legitimate votes for once! Why don't you just be honest in regards to why showing a picture I.D. is such a problem for you!
Why will I NOT present a driver's license? Current procedure requires that you hand over your ID to the poll workers and get it back only when they hand you a ballot. That driver's license presents a gold mine for identity theft. Do you really want to risk having it forgotten or misplaced? Voter ID cards have very little value for thieves.
For Andy - I am usually one of those election judges. Slow Bronchitis recovery has forced me out this time.
For Anonymous- You sound like one of those original intent folks - original voting requirements in the USA were restricted to white males who owned property - no thanks. Your definition of legitimate votes seems to be just those who think like you.
Like many other states, Missouri Driver's Licenses now contain a bar code section on the back which includes all your personal data from the front. It is not encrypted. Supposedly it does require a special scanner, but 2D bar codes are not that special. Care to bet that portable readers are not already on the black market?
So you hand over your ID for a moment, "Hey look at that!", SWIPE.
Another bright idea from the Department of Homeland Stupidity.
My drivers license has only my name, PO Box, description, and DL number. My SSN is not on it because I chose a random generated number. I flipped it over and there is a bar code with squiggly markings like used for postage on packages so you don't know how much the postage was.
G.W. Scheil, The readers for the swipe strips and I assume these bar codes are already being used by criminals for credit card theft before they give the card back to you so that you never suspect anything until the bill comes. Just think, the election board could scan your DL and not have to check their list!
As an FYI about 2 or 3 years ago a Raytown lady had her purse and garage door opener stolen from her car. The DL had her address and the garage door opener was the key to let burglars in. Fortunately a neighbor noticed a strange vehicle, called police, and the subjects were apprehended in the act.
Andy Whiteman
Many of our freedoms have been taken away by politicians who care nothing about our freedom. It is seldom that we are able to vote up or down on such a clear cut issue as this one. Please cast a NO vote regarding Question 3 on April 8th.
Anon 3/30 4:18PM has a good idea to split that section of the Raytown School Distrist back to Independence. But what about KC? KC schools are so bad that people move to the Raytown school District for better schools. Schools should follow city boundaries to maintain some logical orginization and management.
A good education is important, but a "yes" vote is wasted money. Citizens need to take back the schools.
Andy Whiteman