Teachers Should Share The Sacrifice

To the Editor:

Federal and state tax receipts, responding to the poor economy, are down.

Our local government’s cash cow is the property tax. This clever device has several advantages for the government and is bad news for the taxpayer. The amount of revenue can be manipulated by the mill rate to obtain the desired tax receipts despite falling property values, layoffs, reduced working hours and other economic ills.

The budget process is as much theater as reality. Inflated budgets are proposed and then “cuts” are made, not to last year’s actual budget, but to the proposed budget. The proposed budget which is described as “bare bones” is then subject to a vote. If accepted, all is well. If not, the voters are subject to a series of nominal “reductions” and are gradually worn down by a series of votes. Note that this always results in an increase of taxes. One has to wonder, based on past performance, where are the property taxes going to be in the future.

If we accept the fact that were are on an unsustainable course, what can be done?

Businesses control costs by various means. One of the main ways they control cost is by workforce reduction through layoffs, work hour reduction, and pay cuts. This is why the unemployment figures are so high. Businesses are attempting to control their costs by reducing labor cost.

Here we have the crux of our budget dilemma. The main tool used to control cost has been taken out of the equation; the teachers union has been very successful in linking, in the mind of the public, their salary demands with student performance. According to Hoven’s Index for March 21, 2010, the average salaries for various occupations are: education administrators $86,060/yr; school teachers $51,650/yr; all occupations avg $42,270/yr.

 These figures don’t include generous public sector pensions and benefits. Think of any situation in the real world where the employees (teachers) earn a higher salary than the owners (taxpayers).

The solution to this situation can be found in the federal governments salary caps on business entities receiving TARP funding. Any business receiving taxpayer money has their worker compensation limited. Following this logic, the teachers are receiving taxpayers funding and as such should have their compensation reduced to the average of their taxpayer base. One suggestion would be to have their salary reduced by “only” the same amount of household average increase in property tax.

 This would be a win-win situation. The children would still receive their excellent education, the student/teacher ratio would remain unchanged. Reducing the teachers compensation allows them to become partners with the taxpayers in “shared sacrifice.” This would also provide an incentive to control the school budget as any increase would result in a reduction in teachers salaries. If the budget remains frozen, salaries are also. I expect the teachers will be eager to step up to the plate and make this investment “for the children.” After all, they will be sacrificing no more than what they are expecting of the taxpayers.

Ronald Polard

5 Point O’ Rocks Road, Newtown                                 April 13, 2010