Georgia Republicans have come up with yet another assault on public education and teachers. I'm convinced that they are making and effort to destroy public education as we know it. They don't care who it hurts because they see ways to benefit themselves. I believe it all stems from that basest of human instincts, self preservation, but taken to extreme it becomes that deadly sin . . . greed. This time they plan to ramrod through a new funding plan for public education in Georgia. They say the most hated taxation is local property tax for education. A media campaign will demonize property taxes as unfair. What is unfair about property tax? Simple. The rich pay it. The poor don't. But to me, that seems fair. This ploy is the same as the "national sales tax" to do away with income taxes. It will have that grade school ring of fairness until you see what a break it gives to the rich. The "education sales tax" would add 3 or 4 cents to the dollar on every purchase by consumers and shift school taxes from those with means to those without. If you make $20,000 a year, it is $600-800 a year in new taxes for you. If you live in a $2 million estate, you get an $18,000 dollar a year break before you start your spending. If you spent $200,000 dollars a year you'd put back $6,000 to $8,000 for a cool $10,000 a year salary increase. AND any payments you made on loans on your property, WOULD NOT BE TAXED. So the kind of payments the well off make are tax free, while buying bread for your babies is taxed. EXPECT TO SEE A MASSIVE ADVERTISING AND MEDIA BLITZ FOR THIS NEW "FAIR" SCHOOL TAX. A major point will be, "let tourists help pay for Georgia Schools."

What are other negatives? Control of funding for local schools goes from the county to the state. Legislators in poor areas will lobby and get a larger share of revenue than they currently get from their communities. Fayette County tax payers will subsidize the right to live in remote areas and have nicer schools. Fayette County Board of Education has already analyzed the state's proposal for funding and said it will cause a multi-million dollar decrease in funding for schools in Fayette County. The state has cut funding for schools in each year that the Republicans have controled the state government and Fayette County has had to tighten their belts. Class sizes are up 6 students per class as a result. The county does not see how it can continue to cut without personel cut backs. Let's see. If we just stopped funding Fine Arts, would that just about make up the difference? I believe so.

The major group that is leading the charge for this change is the School Voucher Adovates. Of course what they want most is for public schools to be declared a failure so they can get money out of the government to send their precious children to lily white, parochial schools, without those unnecessary government regulations on prayers, teacher certifications, and where doctrine can be taught and science avoided.

If you got this far in reading this blog. Hurrah for you! Don't vote for state government financial take over of local schools!

Two last examples of benefits. Wal-Mart will pay no more school taxes in it's communities. Everyone who shops at Wal-Mart will pay instead. My neighbor who owns 100 rental properties in the next county will stand to make $500,000 a year without paying any taxes for schools in that county. His tenants will be expected to pay his share. This another is another scam by Republicans to make life "fair." Or to say it another way, make life easier for the wealthy harder for the poor and elderly.

Fie! Fie on you greedy evil people! God will call you to account on that great gettin up morning, bye and bye.