On Evidence suggests voucher expansion won’t lift education

Posted on June 16 at 1:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Karl,

While I respect your opinion- and this is what your article is- it is simply one mans opinion- there is a dearth of "evidence" suggesting vouchers.

You arrived at your opinion how? You began your article "I started out against the voucher program in Wisconsin, even organizing a letter from the Janesville School Board to our lawmakers opposing this effort. Later, I decided to research vouchers/charters and their tax credits/scholarships to understand them better" and what did you learn after your "research"? What a shock! now you sit on the same board that you lobbied and suggested it disregard the idea of vouchers? Shazam-you're against vouchers!

Erica Hanushek, Jeff Ganger, James, Coleman, Sandra Black, David Ballou, Richard Nunmane, Derek Neal, Steven Rivkin, Davide Weimer to name a few-economists, sociologists which collectively have authored HUNDREDS of peer reviewed position papers lauding the benefits of vouchers may have a different opinion.

You close with "More than $800,000 each year is taken off the top of Janesville School District state equalization funding and given for Milwaukee vouchers, which Janesville property owners must replace with local property taxes." So what? Per pupil spending is 10K per child in Janesville-are you advocating this is not enough? This is page 1 of the union playbook that more money equals better education. In the united states we spend 4X per pupil that any other developed nation and we our children continue to slide farther down the scale globally. When will you realize that there is enough money in this broken system?

You end is with this "In the future, school districts should expect this system to expand, see diminished income, or accept more state and local taxes and/or less quality education" Diminished income? For whom? Many not all fear vouchers for 1 reason- the real threat of the public school system status quo. Is it perfect? No, but real reform is required if the next generation expects to be productive in a global economy

On Budget undergoes crushing changes while you slept

Posted on June 14 at 2:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Uhred,

The FACT about foreign investment in the US is 100% true. It is you who are ill informed.

What about taxing solar companies more? Instead of subsidizing them?

Let me clarity on Milk-cows mil is not good for humans. Its simply a processed food-nothing more. Plenty of evidence to support this statement. However, dairy farming is big business in Wisconsin and california. perhaps higher taxes on big milk because they are not taxed high enough? After all-most farmers are big corporations-greedy.

What other industries are not taxed enough? US corporate tax rates are among the highest in the world-that is for US corporations doing business in the US. Govt by nature is highly inefficient-consumers bear the cost of these inefficiencies in the form of higher prices for goods and services.

The Iphone5. If it were made in the USA-what do you think it would cost? Too much-Apple would not be in phone business if it had to employ 200K people (as Foxconn in China does) to "assemble" the iPhone-no one could afford it-well very few could afford it. There would be no obama phones for certain. But yet-they are not taxed enough? APPL pays all the taxes its owed. When you kill the goose-it no longer lays golden eggs-excessive taxation is a form death by a thousand cuts. Instead of finding more ways to fleece business -legislators should incentivize individuals to create more.

The old bromide is: "That what you incentivize you get more of- that what you tax more you get less of."

On Budget undergoes crushing changes while you slept

Posted on June 14 at 1:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

uhred,

Why punish oil and gas companies specifically? Arent they taxed enough? Why not tax dairy farmers more? Milk is deadly. Why is your solution more taxation? APple has billions parked overseas-why not close the loop holes and punish them for their success?

Social security taxes are capped because benefits are capped. Raise the income threshold and you need to raise the benefits-correct?

If raising taxes had no impact on economic activity- why arent tax rates near 90%?

As for tax havens- the USA is the one of the greatest tax havens - for foreign investors. About half of the world's money now moves around in an offshore environment. Excessive and penal taxation by a nation of its own people encourages its citizenry to trade in their neighbor's house in order to obtain a more favorable tax rate, or to legally avoid taxation in its entirety where allowed-why do you think China, Japan, and other nations want to buy our goods or invest here? Its not because they like us. There are incentives to foreigners not offered to the citizens of the united states.

You are correct that its complicated-but every action has unintended consequences.

On Teachers, Janesville School Board can’t reach agreement

Posted on June 14 at 1:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

dead,

In a market economy all positions have a clearing price for labor. And since there is not a shortage of qualified individuals-In the real world, the district only needs to offer an amount to sufficient to compete for labor- workers go where there is more demand for them, as expressed by what employers offer to pay. That being the case, since Obama ended the recession in June of 2009 I would assume that school districts competing for employees would be required to offer wages sufficient to retain and attract employees.

The reality is the economic landscape has changed, even in sleepy Janesville. Gone are the days that one could find a good paying job with lifetime benefits - and this includes public sector employees.

As for low-achieving administrators-what evidence do you have to categorically label the administrators as low achieving? Some may be- i have no idea. Some teachers may also be low achieving-what is your remedy? Pay for performance? I would support this- the union - not so much. I wonder why?

Your post reeks of envy that the administrators received a pay increase. Jealously is not a negotiation tactic. Simply because 1 group of employees received a pay increase is not a reason to offer another group of employees a raise-is it? (Union mentality- it certainly is)

Here is one idea-the beloit school district "outsourced" their janitorial services to a contractor. Reportedly it will save 3 Million over 5 years. 600K per year-not chump change. Perhaps Janesville should follow? This means people, i.e. janitors and other custodial personnel would loose their jobs and it means that some owner of a custodial service would earn a LOT of money.

On Teachers, Janesville School Board can’t reach agreement

Posted on June 14 at 10:43 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

vet,

Anti teacher? The district is hiring. It will have no trouble finding qualified people to fill the positions. The fairytale that the district is anti teacher is perpetuated by individuals who fear employers in general or those who live, sleep, and eat the union mentality that the sky is falling. Only a simpleton believes the 'management hates its employees".

What in your opinion would the JSD need to do to "prove" to you that it values its employes? The relationship between employee and employer is voluntary. Not a single teacher is forced to work in the district. The low attrition rate, low (to zero) termination rate, competitive wages, high graduation rate, are all good reasons to work and live in the community. Is this the culture of fear you believe exists with this employer?

It seems to me the employees completely disagree with your cogent, rational, assessment of the working conditions within the JSD.

On Budget undergoes crushing changes while you slept

Posted on June 14 at 10:27 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Uhtred,

"
Third Eye, the facts are that the economic circumstances of the middle class have declined dramatically during the past generation, while the economic circumstances of the wealthy have dramatically improved. This is largely due to the economic policies put in place by the Republican party. It's not due to the middle class being lazy and unproductive as you seem to imply. It's because the economic system is vastly skewed in favor of wealthy interest"

lets assume this is true: What is your solution? More govt determining the winners and losers? Or the govt determining more losers?

On Budget undergoes crushing changes while you slept

Posted on June 13 at 11:18 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Andy is talking about Obamacare being passed at 1am - correct? Im confident thatthosewho voted for this important legislation while America slept also read the2600 pages, right Andy?

More govt isneededto solve more problems. Obamacare = healthcare = student loans = lead paint lawsuits? Outr benevolent dictators will help us in flyover country right? (They wouldn't exempt themselves from the laws they pass for us-would they?)

On Teachers, Janesville School Board can’t reach agreement

Posted on June 13 at 11:08 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Drop dead,

What is fair? Historically, have the offers been unfair and not competitive? The average cost to employ a teacher is north of 80k per teacher per year- is this not of fair? In Milwaukee the cost (salary AND benefits) is more than 100k per year is this not fair? Perhaps your believe that since the cost to employ a teacher in Milwaukee is so much more comparatively that you feel those teachers are getting a bad deal?

Off topic- how should the district handle the teacher who allegedly was drunk while working (at a field trip) --what is fair?

On Budget undergoes crushing changes while you slept

Posted on June 12 at 6:44 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Leave it to a democrat to claim that the state needs to take more money from the tax payer. It is never enough!

I would post more but I need to check my home for lead paint and then I need to go to woodmans and check for lead paint and asbestos and then file a lawsuit against woodman's for damages- perhaps Mr Jorgensen can refer a trial attorney who will represent me? (the special interest group that contributes the most money to Jorgensen are trial attorneys!)

On End of year closes book on St. Patrick Parish School

Posted on June 9 at 11:09 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

wasp,

what should we wait for regarding a muslim school? Try to be specific.