The whole world --- at least everyone in Massachusetts seem to be celebrating a new poll from The Boston Globe on voters appreciation for the need to raise taxes in order to support public schools.
That is all well and good. But although the poll talks about being supporting it -- the poll drops the ball.
What the poll needed to ask is “how high do you want your taxes to go to accomplish that?”
Left unanswered is does everything change based on what the future may hold.
The state legislature is likely to be sued or in the alternative to take up the issue on its own, the matter of school funding formulas.
Most observers suggest the same thing. The poorer communities, mostly older cities and towns, are getting poorer-- unable to keep up with the immense needs of inner cities students in this changing world.
Most people will tell you that that cities like Springfield, Worcester, New Bedford have been underfunded for years to the tune of 100 million dollars a year per community.
Where does that money come from?
A Massachusetts State Senator, Jamie Eldridge says that the time is now...right now to raise taxes by billions and billions of dollars to fix Mass Transit. The last straw was a train derailment this week that left people stranded in among other places, Dorchester.
Billions and Billions?
Where does that money come from?
Unfunded mandates, constantly created by the state legislature.
Where does that money come from?
Unfunded pension obligations.
Where does that money come from?
It is nice to say that the taxpayer is 0k with a tax increase to take care of some thing or other.
But it is not just one thing that we need money for -- it is a whole bunch of things.
Which begs one more question.
How much do you want to pay in higher taxes?
(Photo credit MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images