Letter to the Editor: School Budget Solution

Below is a letter I mailed to the editor of my local newspaper today:

I opened the paper today and was blasted with sticker shock at staggering amount of money that the Wake County school system claims it wants in the next ten years in order to overcome overcrowding and budget problems. 5 billion dollars? Has someone lost their mind? It is absurd that property taxes and fees will skyrocket to pay for this.

Thankfully, I have already come up with a two-part solution to the school system’s budget and overcrowding. It is important to note that my solution does not add any additional taxes to households that do not have children, such as my own. I do not believe I should have to pay for any of these extra costs and fees, since I do not have kids and have zero intentions of having any in the future. It simply is not my problem. Overcrowding and overpopulation are here to stay, forever. What about ten years from now? The school system is going to be back begging the public for money through ballot initiatives and bonds, after their five billion is gone and spent.

My statewide solution: Effective in 2006, every parent in the state of NC with a child 17 years or younger should have to pay an additional tax every year to the state in the amount of $700 PER CHILD. Where are they going to get this $700? They are going to get it from the $700 federal tax credit that Washington hands down in tax deductions every year. That money should be taken away and put to the local school coffers. This may serve as a small reminder that the more kids you churn out, the more the tax man is going to be coming to collect. Again, adults who do not have children, or whose children are over 18 do not have to pay this tax.

If that isn’t enough money to keep operations growing, then allow me to present the second part of my budget solution. Immediately put a halt to all out of town sports games for public schools statewide. Also slash, or eliminate, the budget for sports uniforms, trips, dinners, awards, ceremonies, practices, etc. Get those meat heads out selling cookies and washing cars like the poor kids in the band and drama department have to. How much does transporting sports teams around the state cost every year, dare I even ask?! Kids should not be taught in trailers when the athletics department is running away with this much funding.

If that still isn’t enough, the system will get a few dollars out of me when I buy a lottery ticket next year.