15 Comments - grand old partisan - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 9:09 am: First off, sales and cigarette taxes are two of the most “regressive” taxes imaginable. And, as Rich points out in his post, they are a far less stable stream of revenue (not to mention just plain old stupid, when consider that the state is incrementally banning the use of one of those items). Secondly, we are talking about making the state responsible for an enormous financial responsibility – does anyone really think that it won’t want (and, to be fair, deserve) an equally enormous amount of authority? Take away the local funding base, and the local control – a fundamental principal of successful education in this country - will soon follow. Too many lawmakers think that education is something that more money can fix. CPS spends almost twice as much per pupil as Naperville schools – and look at the result! Education is about more than lines on a budget – and until lawmakers get that, and start governing accordingly, it won’t matter how big a number is at the end of that line. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 9:20 am: More entertainment from our feckless state legislators. This is an income tax increase in property tax relief clothing. There would be no other way of paying for the additional expenses. Lang is an old school Dem who sees income taxes as the solution to every problem in society. Lang does not, however, have the courage to do what needs to be done and introduce a constituional amendment to allow for progressive income taxation in Illinois. That might unsettle his many wealthy consituents, perhaps cost Mr. Lang himself some money. A truly progressive income tax with a surcharge on wealthy residents would bring in all the money the state needs to ramp up its educational budget (assuming such money is needed, another issue). - RMW Stanford - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 9:31 am: While the system the state uses to fund schools needs to be looked at, I don’t think that it is in the best interest of the education system to completely eliminate there funding from property taxes. At the moment even people with out children have an incentive to make sure that the schools in there district are well funded, since good schools translate to higher property values. So they have a direct link between the property taxes and it benefits to them. If you serve that link then your less likely to the see the benefits of the taxes that pay for education to be capitalized in housing values since the tax base will no longer by linked to the property in the local community or any asset in the community. For that reason if the funding of the school districts is entirely at the state level, childless people will lose an incentive to support school funding and gain one to vote for candidates that support the lowest level of school funding. - Greg - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 10:52 am: You could eliminate the property tax and keep local control by funding the child directly and equally (based on need ie. special needs children, poorer children receive more) and giving children the right to attend the public school of their choice. People w/children who value good schools would still cluster around them. Peoplw w/out children would still tend to live in areas where schools aren’t necessarily a priority, so I don’t see how that would change much. The sales tax in Illinois is all ready a progressive one. It don’t believe it covers food and medicine and it doesn’t apply to services. And it is more stable than the income tax. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 11:17 am: If we could give all the money in the world to our schools will that teach Johnny how to read? No? Then why all the harping over money if that is not the problem? To those who say it can’t hurt - well, it IS hurting. By not addressing our education problem at it’s roots and reforming our schools, giving more money is a moot point delaying the real changes that need to be made. Our public schools are a bad value. They do not deliver what is promised. They do not provide the education needed. No more money until they show us an attempt to update and reform this broken system with meaningful measures that show results. You don’t fix a leaky boat by raising the cost of the tickets. I find it incredible that these two legislators have to play games with our system on this issue because there are nothing but cowards in our General Assembly. When will we find leaders to take on this entrenched rotted bureacracy? Not a dime more until someone shows they are willing to change. - i d - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 11:55 am: Just changing the source of funds will not fix our education system. Much of the problem could be solved by ensuring that reading comprehension is primary for each individual student. If that requires tutors and/or special classes then that is where the most money should be spent. They will not succeed in school or life without this being the primary goal of education. - Disgusted - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 12:14 pm: Money won’t fix the schools, no matter how much you throw at it. Caring, involved parents and teachers, ALL THE TIME, is what is needed. Refusing to let children “get by” with below average grades, chastising children who make fun of those who do well in school and sending children to school year round would be a start. Precious little is retained, especially in the lower grades, when the schools recess for 2 months in the summer. Also, the school bureaucracies need to be pared down. We don’t need as many school districts and administrators. Pay teachers to work a full day and to be advanced on strict standards of merit. Parents should stop being cowards and demand a better deal from the schools they pay for and their employees. - Gregor - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 1:24 pm: If this escapes Rules committee alive, I’ll eat a bug. - City Voter - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 2:27 pm: Lang’s eternal gaming expansion bill was not proposed as part of the replacement funding source? I find that hard to believe. - Marie - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 2:55 pm: The education system we have now ISN’T working. The funding is high or low depending on where you live. And property taxes are pushing the elderly out of their homes. Funding should come from the state in a form of an “income tax increase.” Education changes should come in the form of “eliminating tenure and holding teachers accountable for student’s progress.” I don’t believe that Chicago schools and Naperville schools spend the same amount of money. My children attended schools in Naperville and had all the advantages, well kept buildings, and the latest technology available to them. Many of the Chicago schools are in very, very bad shape with little or no technology available. Education is the great leveler. If we don’t educate our inner city students and inspire them to suceed, then we’ll just have to lock our doors and windows and build more prisons. Is that what Illinois really wants? - DRB - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 3:05 pm: I think that many parochial schools educate students for lower cost per head than public schools. We all know that parochial schools tend to turn out better educated students. Libs are going to say that parochial schools are selective in the students that they take. I am sure that some are while I know that some take anyone who comes along, sometimes even when they cannot pay tuition. - Southern Illinois Democrat - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 5:26 pm: As an educator, I get a kick out of the comments bashing the schools and teachers. Try teaching Johnny and Susy when they refuse to do homework and have parents who do not want to take the time to help them and complain that there is too much sent home. I see poor parenting on a daily basis that a teacher cannot fix in school day. A big reason that kids are not learning has NOTHING to do with the teachers. They are more educated and better prepared than any in the past. Sure, there are bad ones but show me a profession in which all of its members are great. Will more money help? Maybe…Maybe not. But since nobody wants to hold parents to the same level of responsibility as teacehrs, more moey for more services will be needed. Something needs done with school funding and I applaude these two for ay least trying something. - Ali Bin Haddin - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 5:40 pm: Another attempt to produce Harvard results with a Dollar General budget. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 6:06 pm: DRB - I disagree that “We all know that parochial schools tend to turn out better educated students.” SOME parochial schools may turn out better educated students than SOME public schools. Where I live, that certainly isn’t true. Our public schools spend about the state average per child and have absolutely outstanding results. It’s because of parents who care, students who care, teachers who care and a community that cares. Economically disadvantaged students do need support but it isn’t monetary support in the existing k-12 schools. It’s early childhood education, parenting classes for the people who care for them, books, art and music enrichment and all the advantages of a supportive home environment. That can’t be bought by throwing money at the problem. If it could be solved with money it would have been done already. This is a much bigger problem and the solutions are not obvious. - steve schnorf - Wednesday, Feb 14, 07 @ 7:37 pm: I’m very encouraged by the fact that there are now competing ideas for dealing with Illinois’ financial problems. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.