To: The New York State House, The New York State Senate, and Governor Andrew Cuomo
NYS 2013-2014 Budget does not address proper public school funding or appropriate middle class ta...
Dear Governor Cuomo:
I cannot begin to express my disappointment with many of the initiatives in your 2013-2014 NYS Budget and have to question many of your motives in regards to job creation, the $350 tax credit, and your education reform. In a time when the economy is leveling out at the national level, your proposals for the said above initiatives serve only a small amount of the middle class and negatively target the majority of the middle class. As a home-owner and taxpayer, my first question is why only families with children can receive this $350 tax credit? I have many relatives in retirement age who are on a fixed income. I would venture to guess that they are in more of a need for a tax relief than a working family who already receives a tax credit each year on their taxes for claiming their children. Likewise, there are many other individuals and couples who struggle regularly that could benefit from the $350 tax credit. To isolate these citizens from a tax credit is, in my opinion, a disregard for the “entire” middle class. To be completely honest, a better choice would actually be to take that tax credit and put it towards the schools for more efficient funding, as funding has continually declined each year over the past five years! These $350 rebate checks will cost $1.2 billion over the next three years. Why not fund schools instead??
I addition, I would like to know why the $181 million “Hiring Tax Credit” is limited to youth workers? I know plenty of adults who are in the lower and middle class that would benefit from being employed, rather than being on unemployment. It would seem that these jobs your tax credit is focusing on minimum wage jobs curtailed to teenagers, rather than individuals trying to support themselves. Likewise, it would also seem that those individuals who are not a military veteran are being left out, as the permanent tax credit for businesses are for those that hire veterans. Additionally, the “Investing in the Economy of Tomorrow” initiative, with all the good intentions to promote higher education groups, should not be isolated to private-sector only jobs. There are thousands of individuals in the public sector as well that are being ignored through this initiative.
On a third matter of your 2013-2014 budget, I feel your education reform is very short-sighted, as you have tied the entire $75 million of the said funding initiatives as conditional, rather than guaranteed funding that schools need! For starters, the $25 million funding to Pre-K, while generous, is for a program that is not offered by every school district, such as grades K-12. There are school districts in my area, as well as across the state that are threatening to cut Kindergarten, which is essential! With that in mind, funding for Pre-K seems irrelevant when Kindergarten is being threatened.
Your Community in Schools initiative is one that I cannot quite wrap my head around. When I read that you are for “transforming schools into community hubs” the first thing that comes to mind is “regional schools.” Are you aware that NYS has always been ahead in education because we have maintained school districts in a smaller locale, compared to those that have regional schools, such as the schools in the southern states? The $15 million that is being put towards community hubs would be better utilized by funding the poorer school districts you speak of. School districts across the state are going into insolvency because you are choosing to cut funding to them and tying it into prerequisites. Is this your goal; to bankrupt schools and create regional schools that are charter-run? Charter schools, Mr. Governor, are for-profit. Do you want to make a profit off of our children? If you are in support of our children’s education, then you will see it fit to fund our schools properly!
I also have to question your motives for rewarding high-performing teachers. Contrary to your belief, the teachers that educate our children go above-and-beyond for their students. I am well-aware of the new teacher evaluation system that you forced upon the teachers’ union. I am well aware of the criticism of tenure and your slighted view that teachers don’t deserve the respectable pay and benefits they have rightfully worked hard to earn. There is no question that teachers who maintain excellence SHOULD be in the classroom and HAVE earned their positions as educators. Why tie school funding into teacher evaluations when the funding is necessary so our children can HAVE those teachers that provide the essential programs our children need to succeed in the 21st Century? Pitting teachers against each other to obtain the $11 million funding lowers the quality of education by circumventing actual teaching skills for teaching-to-the-test. This $11 million funding would be better served to sustain programs that are being destroyed due to the lack of funding that you have created. It is without...
I cannot begin to express my disappointment with many of the initiatives in your 2013-2014 NYS Budget and have to question many of your motives in regards to job creation, the $350 tax credit, and your education reform. In a time when the economy is leveling out at the national level, your proposals for the said above initiatives serve only a small amount of the middle class and negatively target the majority of the middle class. As a home-owner and taxpayer, my first question is why only families with children can receive this $350 tax credit? I have many relatives in retirement age who are on a fixed income. I would venture to guess that they are in more of a need for a tax relief than a working family who already receives a tax credit each year on their taxes for claiming their children. Likewise, there are many other individuals and couples who struggle regularly that could benefit from the $350 tax credit. To isolate these citizens from a tax credit is, in my opinion, a disregard for the “entire” middle class. To be completely honest, a better choice would actually be to take that tax credit and put it towards the schools for more efficient funding, as funding has continually declined each year over the past five years! These $350 rebate checks will cost $1.2 billion over the next three years. Why not fund schools instead??
I addition, I would like to know why the $181 million “Hiring Tax Credit” is limited to youth workers? I know plenty of adults who are in the lower and middle class that would benefit from being employed, rather than being on unemployment. It would seem that these jobs your tax credit is focusing on minimum wage jobs curtailed to teenagers, rather than individuals trying to support themselves. Likewise, it would also seem that those individuals who are not a military veteran are being left out, as the permanent tax credit for businesses are for those that hire veterans. Additionally, the “Investing in the Economy of Tomorrow” initiative, with all the good intentions to promote higher education groups, should not be isolated to private-sector only jobs. There are thousands of individuals in the public sector as well that are being ignored through this initiative.
On a third matter of your 2013-2014 budget, I feel your education reform is very short-sighted, as you have tied the entire $75 million of the said funding initiatives as conditional, rather than guaranteed funding that schools need! For starters, the $25 million funding to Pre-K, while generous, is for a program that is not offered by every school district, such as grades K-12. There are school districts in my area, as well as across the state that are threatening to cut Kindergarten, which is essential! With that in mind, funding for Pre-K seems irrelevant when Kindergarten is being threatened.
Your Community in Schools initiative is one that I cannot quite wrap my head around. When I read that you are for “transforming schools into community hubs” the first thing that comes to mind is “regional schools.” Are you aware that NYS has always been ahead in education because we have maintained school districts in a smaller locale, compared to those that have regional schools, such as the schools in the southern states? The $15 million that is being put towards community hubs would be better utilized by funding the poorer school districts you speak of. School districts across the state are going into insolvency because you are choosing to cut funding to them and tying it into prerequisites. Is this your goal; to bankrupt schools and create regional schools that are charter-run? Charter schools, Mr. Governor, are for-profit. Do you want to make a profit off of our children? If you are in support of our children’s education, then you will see it fit to fund our schools properly!
I also have to question your motives for rewarding high-performing teachers. Contrary to your belief, the teachers that educate our children go above-and-beyond for their students. I am well-aware of the new teacher evaluation system that you forced upon the teachers’ union. I am well aware of the criticism of tenure and your slighted view that teachers don’t deserve the respectable pay and benefits they have rightfully worked hard to earn. There is no question that teachers who maintain excellence SHOULD be in the classroom and HAVE earned their positions as educators. Why tie school funding into teacher evaluations when the funding is necessary so our children can HAVE those teachers that provide the essential programs our children need to succeed in the 21st Century? Pitting teachers against each other to obtain the $11 million funding lowers the quality of education by circumventing actual teaching skills for teaching-to-the-test. This $11 million funding would be better served to sustain programs that are being destroyed due to the lack of funding that you have created. It is without...
Why is this important?
The 2013-2014 NYS Budget ignores the need for public school funding. Governor Cuomo has made school aid "not guaranteed," as it comes with prerequisite strings attached. Likewise, the tax relief and initiatives for the middle class is not appropriately addressed to all middle class citizens.