School and Money
We are in such a shaky economic time right now that I worry about the effects it will have on educational funding. Almost 50% of funding for education comes from state money (the rest comes from local taxes and a small amount from the federal government). I knew funding was always a critical issue when our state legislature meets each year, but I didn't realize how much of the pie they must provide. With our current financial crisis I worry what will happen during this year's legislative sessions. Unfortunately, in years past, some of our lawmakers have spent an incredible amount of time debating moral message laws or other non-essential topics (example: Should we really have seat belt laws? What if we have too many children to fit in a car? etc.). Meanwhile, we have children without health care, single mothers without child care assistance and the lowest per-pupil expenditure in the nation. It is my hope in this coming financially-tight year, our lawmakers can concentrate on the humane and important issues. I'm worried because recently a lawmaker expressed concern that we are adding a new area code to Utah. Everyone will now need to dial all 10 digits of make a call. He wants to introduce a bill so that people won't be inconvenienced by needing to dial 10 digits. Please...
posted by John Funk @ Permalink11:50 AM
4 Comments:
Chad Jeffrey Russey
TL 1010
Intro to Teaching
Student Response
(This response is my own personal opinion, and not the expressed view of any University of Utah administrator, staff/faculty or member of the student body other than myself.)
I too have concerns over the funding of state education. I am a liberal minded thinker, and believe that all men and women are deserving of equal rights. What does equal rights have to do with state education? Ask the Mormon leadership, who just spent millions of dollars on Proposition 8, banning gay marriage! Jeers to you Mormons! Not because you’re Mormon, as you too deserve the equal right to worship as you please, and not because you oppose of gay marriage, as it is your right to believe as you wish, but because you AGAIN have decided to unethically use your influence to make a mockery of “separation between church and state!” Where do you get off!
As a tax payer and home owner, a VERY large portion of my property tax goes towards public education, and I’m glad to help do my part, even though I have no children of my own that benefit from my tax dollar. Yet here are the Mormons, which have a church in every community, promoting amongst its membership the will for its member base to have large families. So why did you fight so hard in legislation to forgo having to pay property tax? Is it because you don’t want to pay the millions you’d be required to pay annually? That money comes from your large-family membership base anyway, and you really have plenty to spare. So why not pay?
If only you cared about public education as much as you do banning gay marriage. Maybe then Utah would not be LAST in the nation for funding per-pupil in our state education system. Do you not have enough seminary buildings at our schools to validate more economic support?
Well, actions speak louder than words. Based on your actions Mormon leadership, it’s time for you to be stripped of your tax exempt status. It’s time for YOU to start supporting our state and local education system. It’s time you did your part, and now! Amen!
Yuki Saito
TL 1010
Intro to Teaching
Education needs huge money if we hope to educate children better and better. Most of people do not think that our present-day educational situation is perfect. Obviously, there are a lot of current educational issues to solve quickly:children without health care, single mothers without child care assistance and the lowest per-pupil expenditure. I do not understand why Lawmakers have spent a lot of time debating other topics. Definitely, they should talk more about educational issues and try to make our society better by solving problems seriously.
Jackie Benavides
T L 1010
Intro. to Teaching
I have grown up in a family of teachers. I have been exposed to a lot. I remember going with my Grandmother, to set up her room. Then I helped my Mother do the same thing. My aunt, taught High School English, most of my younger siblings had her for a teacher. By observing these wonderful examples, I was able to also observe how much money that came out of their own pocket. Sometimes is was a little or a lot. It all depended on how the legislature set aside for the teachers and the schools. I am also very worried and frightened by the way this world is going. I biggest concerns in this big bad world, is the education of the future generation. We need to teach them how not to let certain ideals take over their lives and they can no longer think of anything. Take fir example, Proposition 8. Right now there is focus only on that point. To me, the vote has been counted, so shut up and move on. I wish I could get a lawyer from the ACLU to help me sue every company that makes things to small for me, and makes me pay for two airplane seats! The answer I get back is "To bad, you brought this on yourself, lose the weight! What is difference of giving the gay comunity all sorts of special laws? Isn't that a choice too? I don't care about what happens behind you bedroom doors! And neither should our legislators either. We need to focus on what we are leaving for our children to clean up! If we don't start looking at giving more money into education, this country is going to pot! Come on Utah, we are about families-then fight for that in the way of giving them the best education we can!
Sarah Magnuson
TL 1010
Intro to Teaching
Are lawmakers really talking about passing a bill so that Utahns won't be "inconveinenced" by dialing 10 digits?! Seriously that is ridiculous! We are in economic crisis and money is very tight, I hope that it will be used in a sensible way because education needs to come first, we already had one of the lowest expenditures per pupil. I hate to think what would happen to our schools if we lose out on money because legislatures arn't spending wisely.
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