The media is constantly conveying to us we are in tough economic
times. People have lost jobs, others are underemployed. We taxpayers
have less money to spend. State and federal taxes/fees are going up;
neither includes income sensitivity adjustments.
Don't the unions realize we are having a hard time paying expenses not to mention our taxes?
What is amazing is that people in education casually use the sacred word
"Sustainability." They don't understand what it means. Nor do they
think it applies to them or government. Why should they? Government
after all, unlike business, has an endless supply of money and customers
that are stuck with its decisions?
Facts: Vermont teachers are rated 22nd in the nation in salaries with an
average salary of about $44,000 (Teacher-World.com). The average salary
of Vermonters is about $38,000 ranked 21st in the U.S. in per capita
income (VT DOL). This disparity may be tolerable if we had a large
population and business base to spread the cost. However, we have one of
the smallest populations with a declining business base. Lack of
available funds is further compounded by income sensitivity with only
about half the taxable population fully paying for those salaries.
This does not fit the definition of sustainable? I am guessing many
teachers are availing themselves of income sensitivity so are not as
affected by property tax increases.
The school boards should take cue, as the article states, from the state
government where employees have taken a 3 percent pay cut and others
have been laid off. Those pay cuts help keep them and others employed.
Throughout my business career budgeting was predicated on how much we
thought we could get people to part with their money for the goods and
services we provided. The key point is that we couldn't
force people to give us money. Herein lies the problem with
government and their unions.
As a mayor of a small community, my board was faced with renewing the
police and public works contracts. The problem I faced was that many of
the cops were my friends and fellow firefighters. I personally knew most
of the DPW guys as well. It was very hard to face them when we turned
down their contract request and negotiated more reasonable terms.
As a business manger, it was hard to tell an employee they weren't
getting a raise or not the one they expected. It's happened to me. The
point I am making is that I have been down that road and it wasn't easy
or pleasant.
Nor is it easy to see someone lose their home or have to leave a home
that their family lived in for generations - just because unions feel
they're entitled to whatever they want.
The teachers unions have to get back to earth - they are not entitled to
anything more then we can afford to give them. And praise be to the
local schools boards for standing up for us.
Bifano lives in Warren
