Every year my monthly mortgage payment goes up. It goes up because of school property taxes. Eleven years in my home and the monthly increase over that time equals a very nice new car payment. I could use a new car right about now. I often hear politicians use terms like “paying fair share” and “investing in our future.” Folks like me have been paying their fair share for years.
When money is tight in our households we cut back on something. Energy prices increase, we cut. Insurance costs go up, we cut. Food prices rise, we cut. If only our school boards and politicians could follow that principle, we would be OK. But I guess when it’s someone else’s money, it doesn’t matter.
Do we really need these sprawling school campuses? Do we really need to supply each kid with a laptop or notebook? Can they not play Candy Crush on their phones? Do we need to fund all the high cost extracurricular activities? Do we need to do this while working families struggle to pay their energy, grocery and insurance bills? Do Billy and Sally need that brand new school workout gym while Mr. and Mrs. Jones are worried about paying their next electric bill? It’s not just wrong, it’s immoral to do this to working families.
It’s time for working people to say stop! Stop taking our money. Stop strangling the middle class family. It’s time to eliminate school property taxes. Call your state senators and representatives and demand a yes vote on Senate Bill/House Bill 76.
– Glenn StankovicsCollegeville
