Polar Bears, School Kids, and Priorities
The Salt Lake County Council was tasked with deciding whether a vote should go forward to allow school district splits in SL County. Instead, the Council punted, saying that it could not make that decision unless the Legislature first puts a funding equalization formula in place. No recommendations or suggestions on how that formula should look. Just a punt. “It’s your problem.”
Now, though, predictably, people are complaining that the Legislature is up to no good. This article uses the words “steal . . . draconian cuts . . . tax increase . . . hurried and slipshod politics . . . bad public policy.” Oh my.
Equalization, in general, isn’t rocket science. Money goes into a pool and some areas get more than they previously did and other areas get less. Apparently, though, it is just now occurring to folks that equalization will move money from no-growth areas to high-growth areas.
The richest part of this debate, though, is Salt Lake City residents griping that their money might help educate kids on the west side. The injustice! However, there’s apparently nothing wrong with requiring those west side families to pay for Salt Lake City concerns, like better air conditioning for the polar bears at the Hogle Zoo, under the county-wide ZAP tax, instead of the Salt Lake City property tax.
Kids – polar bears. School buildings for children – air conditioning at the zoo. Hmm. Priorities, priorities.
Oh, ya, speaking of which, we’ll be voting on Henry’s Law, to make animal abuse a felony. This item couldn’t wait until the general session, since part of the bill bans Michael Vick from appearing in any NFL games in Utah.
UPDATE (8/22/07): County-wide sales tax AND property tax for the Salt Lake City zoo. Equalization for bears, yes. Kids, no.
Now, though, predictably, people are complaining that the Legislature is up to no good. This article uses the words “steal . . . draconian cuts . . . tax increase . . . hurried and slipshod politics . . . bad public policy.” Oh my.
Equalization, in general, isn’t rocket science. Money goes into a pool and some areas get more than they previously did and other areas get less. Apparently, though, it is just now occurring to folks that equalization will move money from no-growth areas to high-growth areas.
The richest part of this debate, though, is Salt Lake City residents griping that their money might help educate kids on the west side. The injustice! However, there’s apparently nothing wrong with requiring those west side families to pay for Salt Lake City concerns, like better air conditioning for the polar bears at the Hogle Zoo, under the county-wide ZAP tax, instead of the Salt Lake City property tax.
Kids – polar bears. School buildings for children – air conditioning at the zoo. Hmm. Priorities, priorities.
Oh, ya, speaking of which, we’ll be voting on Henry’s Law, to make animal abuse a felony. This item couldn’t wait until the general session, since part of the bill bans Michael Vick from appearing in any NFL games in Utah.
UPDATE (8/22/07): County-wide sales tax AND property tax for the Salt Lake City zoo. Equalization for bears, yes. Kids, no.
posted by steve u. at 8/21/2007
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5 Comments:
Let's apply congestion pricing to growing/splitting school districts. After all, this really has nothing to do with children, or polar bears for that matter, and everything to do with lowering taxes for those who are creating the need for more infrastructure. And who are also constituents of powerful legislators.
I'd like to see everyone pony up, especially the taxpayers who don't want to pay their own way.
Not having paid much attention to this because I don't live in Salt Lake, I nonetheless exclaimed to myself, after I read in the paper, the Governor is calling a special session for school district splits?
SL County appears simply to not want to be the bad guy. They need to have a seance, and when they have summoned Harry Truman from the great beyond, ask him to give them a seminar called "How to Ensure that the Buck Stops Where It's Supposed To".
But since we've been compelled to take up this subject, aren't public school funds in general all about equalization? Aren't all school districts equal? What should it matter if there are two districts or one? Or is the reality that some school districts are "more equal" than others (and some parts of the same district are more equal than other parts)?
You also need to talk about how ridiculous it is for westside cities to complain about not having enough schools for their growth. THEY CONTROL THE GROWTH for crying out loud. The cities on the westside of SL county are famously addicted to their expanding revenue streams from building permits etc… They allow growth even when there is not enough water for the homes being built. If they learned to grow responsibly and learned to work with the districts, there would be no issue here.
Nothing like using the "us against them" divide and conquer stategy to push forward a political agenda. Nice post Mr. politician!
Speaking of polar bears...I'd like to hear some answers to UTA's Questions about Hogle Zoo spending.
I don't live in Salt Lake County so it doesn't hit my pocketbook but I'd still like to hear how they answer legitimate questions about possible waste and abuse.
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