Today’s Globe reports that Mitt Romney is proposing revamping the formula that governs how much education money communities receive from the state. Instead of just looking at property values, the proposal is to start considering personal income as well, since many communities have seen property values soar but incomes remain stagnant, resulting in increased property tax burdens that residents find difficult to manage.
Great Scott, can it be? A sensible proposal from Mitt Romney? This may not actually have been Romney’s idea – the Globe reports that Romney “said his plan had a ‘very good chance of passing’ because it was similar to key aspects of some Democrats’ proposals.” But whatever. Of course, the devil is in the details with these things, and Romney hasn’t released details yet, so there may be poison pills lurking. But for now, kudos to Romney for finally doing something that appears to be in the best interests of the residents of Massachusetts. That is his job, after all.
Romney and his administration deserve a lot of credit for this idea. The funding under the proposed scheme seems to be the most fair way to dole out the cash because it recognizes that some areas in this state have astronomical property values but lower income. Some districts will lose and some will win but overall this system seems like a great start to revamping education funding.
Romney’s proposal is classic Neo-Conservative! Read this quote:
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“We do want to communicate to cities and towns that if their schools are shedding students because people don’t want to enroll in their schools . . . or not open their doors to housing, then there will be a consequence of less funding”
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In other words, as wealthy people flee a poor city — perhaps because they’re fed up with service cuts and high crime — that school system should get LESS money because it obviously is failing due to not trying hard enough — not because the declining demographics of its remaining students make them very hard to educate.
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This is the equivalent of “winners” in basketball. Penalize the losers, reward the winners so that the next game, the winners will have it easier, the losers will have it harder.
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After all, doing otherwise would “penalize success”, right? Let’s penalize failure instead, and just screw the hell out of those losers!
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Romney’s proposal is hardcore Republican with a bow tied to it.