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10/22/2009
Appleton Schools budget meeting Monday
Appleton’s School Board will be voting on the 2009-10 budget this Monday – October 26 at its 7:00 PM meeting. The meeting is to be held at Appleton East High School, most likely in the LMC (library). Signs will direct visitors through the hallways to get to the meeting.
Please consider attending. (I won’t be there, as I’ll be driving back from Milwaukee late Monday.)
Earlier this month, I addressed the property tax levy increase the Appleton School District (AASD) is proposing. Originally the increase was set at 9.7%; because more dollars are coming from the state than what was originally projected, that increase now is set at 9%.
At a time when the state budget is suffering billion dollar deficits, when the state has cut its support of AASD, when enrollment has declined by 220 students, and when inflation is 0%, still the district’s total budget increased by over $3 million (from $176 million to $179 million)!
The district’s budget increase is primarily fueled by employee compensation increases, including an 8.2% increase in health care benefits – for a benefit plan that is already a Cadillac.
During the public hearing on the budget the evening of Oct. 12, many in the audience voiced their concerns about the property tax levy increase. If you believe this is not the year to increase taxes at almost a double-digit rate, share that with the school board Oct. 26. The agenda should be posted here later today. A period of public participation is scheduled near the beginning of the meeting for which anyone can sign up to speak to the Board.
Please consider offering a solution when you speak. In a recession year, when the CPI is actually slightly less than 0%, how much should total taxes increase? Again, from an earlier FP article:
Taxpayers in the Fox Valley are working harder to make fewer dollars stretch farther. Given Wisconsin’s public union negotiating laws, it’s very difficult for the school district to do this by itself. It’s time the employees did their part, so district dollars would stretch further without further increasing class sizes and without further cutting back on instructional supplies.
School Board member Jeff Knezel was described by the Post-Crescent this week as saying nothing can be done about the 84% of the budget that is staff compensation.
The main concern of those attending [the budget hearing] seemed to be the level of staff benefits as a percentage of their salaries… but with negotiations tentatively set to start in November, it is too late to make any changes for 2009-10.
Why would that be? Understandably, it’s very inappropriate to be negotiating with the union(s), ad hoc in a School Board budget hearing – so that part is difficult. It’s difficult too, to have to set a budget before you’ve negotiated a settlement. But here’s the deal – the more union leaders take for benefits, the less is available for other education expenses – like textbooks, technology and co-curriculars. Perhaps employees might suggest to union leaders that they would agree to bid out the health insurance (that union leaders require be with the union-affiliated company) or to paying more of their premiums (employees pay just 5% of policy costs of about $20,000 - for a family), if it meant not having to increase class sizes.
If the Board and taxpayers suggest bidding out the health care contract, with a potential $millions in savings, and suggest a one-year salary freeze, this would potentially bring down the tax levy to a compromise 5% increase. As I said earlier, this is not the year to increase the tax levy by 9%!
(There will probably once again be lots of discussion about the tax rate. Please read this quick primer that I try to repeat every year at this time – It’s the tax levy, stupid… And remember, the number to talk about and compare is always the total tax levy, not the tax rate.)
Please consider attending the Appleton Area School District Board meeting Monday night, October 26, 7:00 PM, Appleton East High School, 2121 E. Emmers Drive, LMC (library).
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Jo,
I agree with everything you said. But, I'd like to put the impact in perspective. According to the Post Crescent the budget would increase the $150,000 assessed value home by $108 per year. That's it. Less than $10 per month. And, property taxes are tax deductible so the real impact is even less. Can I find an extra $10 per month? Yes. Can most taxpayers? Yes. I don't like the budget. If I was budget czar I'd make a bunch of changes. But I can afford the increase and most taxpayers can also.
dave allen (Thu Oct 22 08:25:41 2009)
Hi Jo:
Right on again! Dave's logic is exactly the type of apathy that got us to this point in Public Education. WEAC, and its Members have an insatiable appetite for more, and the LOGIC, that, "it's only an extra $10 a month", keeps feeding it. It's how we got to "$20M WEAC Union medical plans" with the Union Teacher only paying 5% of the premiums. Couple that with the liberal Madison, "Med/Arb law", and the Taxpayer always loses. With 80% of the cost of Public Education going to Salaries and Benefits, we will never get off this treadmill. And remember, there are NO CREDIBLE studies that demonstrate, increasing Educators compensation, improves the student out comes. GLS
GL Schilling (Thu Oct 22 13:09:33 2009)
GL,
I'm not apathetic, far from it. If I was apathetic I wouldn't even make any comment. But, I do think it is important to address the real issues, some of which you have pointed out. I do not think it is accurate or useful to have manufactured outrage against increases in property taxes when the increase is affordable. Let's look at the causes, attend the meetings , deal with the big stuff. Unfortunately most people jump up and down when they hear a "9.7% tax increase" but since they don't take the time like you and I have to look at the budget their complaints fall on deaf ears. Now, I'm going to pick on smokers (that's easy isn't it?) I think a smoker would have a hard time complaining about $10 per month for schools. But complaining about a few hundred thousand in the budget is a different matter.
dave allen (Thu Oct 22 13:18:10 2009)
You missed my point. I do not have, "Manufactured anger". In fact, I look at this, "With professional detachment". As a 38 year, Corporate, Management Labor Negotiator, I have tremendous admiration for WEAC, as a Labor Union. For over forty years they have been successful in managing the "politics" in Madison, while shrewdly "bamboozling" the Taxpayer. And remember Dave, "It's for the children! GLS
GL Schilling (Thu Oct 22 13:54:46 2009)
I am very happy for Mr. Allen who feels able to meet the demand with little objection to falling enrollments, minimal inflation, and rising salaries and benefits defining the argument.
My question to Mr. Allen and those who accept these demands with minimal objection is, where forms the platform of advocacy for the taxpayer, those obligated to meet the demand, when the "bargaining" takes place?
Can Mr. Allen or anyone else please point out to me an instance when collective bargaining, more importantly,an arbitrated settlement resulting from the bargaining, EVER came down in favor of the taxpayer.
When it comes to Public Employee Union negotiated settlements, I can't recall and I would love to see a statistic for settlements that benefited the taxpayer's tax bill. The system is corrupted and rigged on it's face value against taxpayers. The proof rests with the far greater, near 100% settlement in favor of the Public Employee for a gain, never an even, and truly remiss, a reduction in either pay or benefits.
I dare the Public Employee Unions of the State to lay bare the defined benefits and salary packages they receive, all personal information aside. Then the true cost to our community would be open for scrutiny and comparison,but that is not likely to ever occur, too bad, so sad....
Richard Parins (Thu Oct 22 14:18:52 2009)
Affordability is an issue.District residents' purchasing power this year probably actually decreased this year. How is an increase of $100 affordable in that instance? Dave, taxpayers have a responsibility to be "the bottom line" for government - and that takes good responsible analysis - more than, "well I can afford it" or" our kids are worth it. " Perhaps that what you're saying. School costs have gotten out of hand, as costs have repeatedly increased at greater than the average taxpayer's income. Some may agree that's ok. I think it's not best for the community.
Jo (Wed Oct 22 14:21:15 2009)
Few people enjoy paying taxes. Most would rather pay only for what they feel directly benefits them. Your focused outrage at the cost of AASD teacher health benefits would have greater credibility if you occasionally expressed a modicum of angst at the tax impact of government support for the financial industry. But that would mean looking at what puts bread on your family's table. I suspect my total tax bite is as much impacted by government subsidies to the financial industry as support for education. It's considerably easier to take something from others than to sacrifice from your own pocket. As soon as your blog campaigns against tax preferences for the rapacious hand that feeds you, I'll begin to respect your indignation at the compensation paid teachers.
Dennis (Thu Oct 22 17:02:42 2009)
Dennis, I'm sure Jo is as appalled with bank bailouts as I am. I do not understand why you believe true conservatives would be in favor of that or any other, redistribution of wealth.
The bailouts never should have happened, and "Bushama" only continued the outrageousness that Dubya started. Why didn't he pull the plug instead!? Banks are one of the largest, if not THE largest, lobbying group there is.
I quote from a previous comment I left:
"We are in this mess directly because of FDR, who started the special interest ball rolling...and because of Wilson, who passed the Federal Reserve Act; who later bemoaned it: "I have unwittingly ruined my country."
A HUGE place to start cleaning up the mess would be to harry your Congressmen and Senators to pass the bill to audit the Fed, HR1207/S604. I understand Feingold and Petri are already sponsoring it. And ask them to pass it so that it has teeth, and not be just a meaningless gesture. Banks give more money to both parties than anyone else; and probably have figured out better ways of hiding the donations than anyone else."
emily matthews (Thu Oct 22 18:24:33 2009)
Hey Richard,
Stop picking on me. It hurts. ouch. No, really, I'm very concerned about the growth in school budgets in ways that are inefficient or driven by just union power. My point is that I'm not griping about the tax increase because I can't plead poverty over that. Like Emily points out the raping and pillaging of the taxpayer at the macro level(or our children and grandchildren ,more like it) is very significant. I just prefer not to whine about a hundred bucks when it is the hundreds of thousands that need to be watched from beginning to end.
dave allen (Thu Oct 22 18:39:51 2009)
Emily, my issue is with the selectivity of supposed "tax hawks," i.e. people who rail against taxes yet focus primarily on a small segment of society that uses tax dollars. The public school system has born the brunt of much criticism in this blog. The unions are ripped (to some degree deservedly) but no mention is made of the banking industry lobby. The health benefits of teachers are ripped, but no mention of the ostentacious bonuses of the financial industry leaders who created the current recession. Better accountability is demanded of educators, yet no mention is made of accountability for financial advisors who get rewarded even when decimating client portfolios. In our nation every business/industry/sector accrues some tax favors from government whether in exemptions, exclusions, supports or regulatory assistance. A true conservative will look at the total picture, not simply one segment. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a spouse of a retired AASD teacher. Our family made huge sacrifices to enable my spouse to invest in her passion for helping children learn and grow into productive citizens. Now we face reduction in compensation earned over many years but deferred to retirement because school levies are easy targets and do not have the power or influence of big industry and business. I believe the AASD tax levy should not increase this year. Like everyone else, I will have to pay for it. Nevertheless, simplistic answers like cut "cadillac" benefits, fail to examine the complexity and implications of school funding and social programs mandated for delivery in schools. In sum, if one wants to be a tax hawk, don't let anyone off the hook for use of tax allocations or favorable status. Second, foster responsible and comprehensive dialogue about what tax dollars fund and the priorities for this funding within each recipient institution.
Dennis (Thu Oct 22 19:04:29 2009)
Dave
"I just prefer not to whine about a hundred bucks when it is the hundreds of thousands that need to be watched from beginning to end"
DAve, Savings start with pennies.
The old adage, If you watch the pennies, the dollars take care of themselves.
So it is with Government.
If we hold them to pennies, (small change)the dollars will be fine.
Your attitude may be fine with you, and I have no quarrel with that,
But what I do quarrel with is the assumption that your attitude is true of all people, or to imply that since its OK with "You", that "we", should adopt it,
OR that because we disagree, "We" are "whinning"
I would be happy to forward my Tax bill to you for full payment, and then both I and You will not have to whine !
If you disagree, then perhaps you can understand why others here do not want to feed the "Lion".
Liberals are known to be happy with spending other peoples money, I am not
Notice Dave, I have given you two options, as I personally don't like single payer, or whining
Rich Carlstedt (Fri Oct 23 21:36:22 2009)
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