Archive: Opinions

EditorialFederal income taxes, state income taxes, county taxes, sales taxes, town taxes, village taxes, school taxes, fire district taxes, library taxes... am I forgetting a tax?  Then there are business taxes and payroll taxes...  yike!  Some of these taxing authorities take their responsibilities seriously over a period of years.  Arguably the Town of Lansing has been responsible, getting an A- in my tax grade book.  The fire district gets an A+ especially because they are working off of a 20 year plan that shows miniscule rises as inflation inflates.  I think we all know what grade New York State gets.

I would give the school district a D.  I am conflicted about that.  Because in the 'quality of services' grade book I give them an A.  As I observe district officials struggling to put together next year's budget I am nervous, especially because my  assessed value went up much more than I think it should.  And I'm not talking about going from 85% assessment last year to 100% of fair market value this year.  I'm talking above and beyond that.

For the record, I'd give the Village an A, and while the library hasn't even levied its first tax yet if they do what they say they want to do, they get an A as well.  I'd grade the county at a C+.  The plus is for effort in the past couple of years.  I don't even know where to begin with the feds.  I like pork when it comes to Lansing, but I hate it in all other instances.  But since I haven't noticed much pork coming our way, I guess I'd give them a C.  I personally like the economic stimulus package they just passed, so they get points for effort. 

However the Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) identified 2,658 projects at a cost of $13.2 billion in the Defense and Homeland Security Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2007 in the ' Pig Book ' they publish every year.  They define 'pork' as 'A "pork" project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures.'  What were those budgetary procedures for -- and how much did taxpayers pay to develop them -- if the government can circumvent them to the tune of 13.2 billion dollars?  That's billions, as Carl Sagan used to love to say.  Billions and billions of our dollars like $4,500,000 for chitosan bandage component which utilizes natural compounds found in shrimp heads.  Or $2,000,000 for 'Mathematics and Technology Teachers Development' and 'Cyber Curriculum for the Education of Children in the Military.'  Or how about 700,000 for a Marijuana Cannabis Eradication Decision Support System?  I sure want one of those!

The biggest tax I pay is the school tax -- well, I haven't added up my sales tax payments for a year, but I have been careful about spending this year, so I think the school tax is the big honking whale in my fishbowl of tax payments.  I applaud the process that Superintendent Steve Grimm and Interim Business Administrator Dave Klemm have laid out -- look at the scary facts first, talk to everybody and solicit as many ideas a possible, then make the hard decisions.

On the good side, the more people who contribute ideas, the more good ideas will surface.  Sure more bad ideas will surface, too, but our school officials are smart enough to know the difference.  On the scary side, past school boards haven't been good at making hard decisions, and that is largely responsible for the dire straights the district finds itself in today.  There is no question we have a superb school system.  I'm as proud of that as any Lansing citizen.  But it has to be balanced with our ability to afford it.  I think that balance has gotten way out of whack.  They say that you don't fix a problem like addiction until you hit bottom.  I am hoping this is the bottom, because school finances in Lansing need fixing.

I'm the sort of person who is pessimistic about himself, but optimistic about everyone else.  And this year's school board has some voices that are clearly in favor of cleaning up the money mess.  So I am cautiously optimistic that Lansing school officials will actually get the tax levy -- not the budget, the levy that determines what we all really pay -- down to 3%.  Given how school taxes have risen over the past recent years I wouldn't call even 3% reasonable, but ignoring the history I'd say it is.  My pessimism comes in when I think of paying it.  Because even 3% of a big number is a lot of money.

I am hoping that school officials will use all the information they are gathering to make the best decisions.  I am not for decimating our school system.  But the balance has to be reached while anyone can still afford to live in the district.  School officials are studying for the test right now.  I hope when decision time comes all that studying will pay off and raise their grade.

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