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In a few weeks, people all over the state of Ohio will be asked again to vote on school levies. When they fail, people who voted for them get upset, and people who voted against them breathe a sigh of relief that their real estate taxes won't increase again.
Approximately 15 years ago, Ohio’s Supreme Court told Ohio’s legislature to find a different way of funding public schools other than real estate taxes. They have been in contempt of court because they still have not done this. The only way voters can “force” the legislature to fund schools differently is to continue to vote against every school levy and write and phone your Ohio senators and representatives frequently to remind them that relying on real estate taxes to fund schools is very unfair, and that Ohio’s Supreme Court has told them to find another way.
Someone told a very simple and fair solution several years ago that she heard a state in the South was implementing to fund public schools. Instead of taxing real estate, they tax groceries. People who have children buy more, and single or retired people buy less, so everyone is paying their fair share. The grocery taxes collected are not be allowed to be used for anything other than funding public schools.
Or if you have any other ideas, be sure to tell your senators and representatives until they do something about this.
Pamela D. Wayland, Akron
In a few weeks, people all over the state of Ohio will be asked again to vote on school levies. When they fail, people who voted for them get upset, and people who voted against them breathe a sigh of relief that their real estate taxes won't increase again.
Approximately 15 years ago, Ohio’s Supreme Court told Ohio’s legislature to find a different way of funding public schools other than real estate taxes. They have been in contempt of court because they still have not done this. The only way voters can “force” the legislature to fund schools differently is to continue to vote against every school levy and write and phone your Ohio senators and representatives frequently to remind them that relying on real estate taxes to fund schools is very unfair, and that Ohio’s Supreme Court has told them to find another way.
Someone told a very simple and fair solution several years ago that she heard a state in the South was implementing to fund public schools. Instead of taxing real estate, they tax groceries. People who have children buy more, and single or retired people buy less, so everyone is paying their fair share. The grocery taxes collected are not be allowed to be used for anything other than funding public schools.
Or if you have any other ideas, be sure to tell your senators and representatives until they do something about this.
Pamela D. Wayland, Akron
