I don't know what is more amazing, my agreeing with Allen Hirons (Letter, "Seniors' exemption for school taxes a dilemma," March 20 MDJ), or the MDJ's willingness to raise this important community issue. I believe removing the senior tax exemption is the right thing to do for several reasons.
The exemption is un-American in the strictest, most literal, sense. The fundamental reason for the American Revolution was "No taxation without representation." Seniors not paying the school property tax and being allowed to vote for school board members is "Representation without taxation."
Some may argue school services are no longer used by seniors. Would the same logic allow citizens to deduct the portion of their taxes devoted to public parks they did not use? Could the same argument be used for families not utilizing the public school services by choosing private schools or home schooling? Do any of these seniors have grandchildren that utilize our public school system? Do they attend school extracurricular events?
Seniors owning homes benefit from any property value a strong, fiscally sound, school system brings to the area and neighborhood. That benefit may not be immediate, but will be realized at the time of home sale or valuation of net worth.
Lastly, our community schools are financially strapped. Budgeting and belt tightening will only go so far. Do we think school teachers are being paid too much? Do we really think increasing class size benefits our young citizens, our schools, or our community?
Luckily our Marietta superintendent has diligently kept funds in the "rainy day" reserve to meet short term needs. Removing the seniors' exemption would help restore that reserve and increase school operating budgets.
Steve Nielsen
Marietta
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Seniors don't bring up the crime rate, they don't contribute to many other county expenses such as Section 9 housing, free county medical services and vaccinations, free sports programs, myriads of other expenses.
If you want to increase school funding, first look to apartments, extended stay motels and rental properties. The numbers of school children from those types of housing are immense.
In NJ, which has a much higher level of test scores than GA, the builders and developers were made to build a school or schools when they developed the land - they donated the property and built the school as a part of doing business. Now there's a suggestion - and lets do it retroactively since the greedy builders are responsible for enticing all those illegals in the first place. In fact, they should be taxed to pay for each child of each worker in the school district.
Allen
If all these people are living under one roof - call cobb county.
The rules are there - quit belly aching and make that call!
will be ugly because as Seniors we know how to
fight and really stick it where the sun don't
shine. We have had lots of practice and this is one fight that you WILL NOT WIN!!!!!!!!!
in Cobb County for Twenty eight years after my
children graduated, so I more than did my part.
I also worked and saved and paid off my mortgage
beforeI was 62, so that when I retired I would
have enough money to live. This is called
planning, which is not done by the current I want
it now generation. The CCSD should have planned
for hard times. It is not our responsibility to
pay for thier short comings. Don't punish the
senior citizens for working and SAVING money
to have a good life.
My last child graduated 15 years ago so why should I continue to pay school taxes even up to 62?
Now if want to decrease the budget for the schools, then start demanding that illegals not be given a free ride in our schools, do away with special language classes for them, stop their free breakfast and lunches.
And get a BOE that has the determination to run the school system as it should be run and not cower to the egotist superintendent that believes he runs the system.
Until then keep your mitts off my tax monies.