posted
Mar 19, 2009 by Lamar Thames
Rep. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, has a proposal in the Legislature for a constitutional amendment to raise the state sales tax by a penny, from 6 percent to 7 percent, to fund education.
The idea is to let state residents decide by vote whether they want to tax themselves an additional penny to pay for the shortcomings in education. It would better if the Legislature would tackle the issue head on and try to bring the state education funding out of last place in the U.S. but that is probably not going to happen any time soon.
I am OK with a vote on an increase in sales tax — especially if the increase can be specifically directed to education spending. We have seen what the folks in Tallahassee can do when they get their hands on money intended for other uses, aka the Lottery. If Floridians truly want the improvements in education funding that they say the do, then the amendment should pass with flying colors. Don’t look for it to be a slam dunk in Clay County, however, where a local option sales tax increase has gone down in flames in the past, albeit under difficult circumstances.
In a brief comment on the subject, Rep. Jennifer Carroll, R- Green Cove Springs, said that as long as school districts were top-heavy with administrators she didn’t see much relief coming. She couldn’t have been referring to Clay County because the local district has reduced its administrative positions significantly over the last few years. Is there room for more administrative cuts in Clay? Possibly, but not to the extent that cutting more vice principals would make a dent in its huge budget shortfall.
Carroll also said she was not in favor of raising taxes.
I don’t sense there is any interest in Tallahassee in doing anything about education funding this year. Or maybe any year for that matter. There just seems to be a disconnect between Tallahassee and some of the desperate needs in Clay County.
