(Camden) - Oct. 16, 2003 - Sixth graders at Camden
Middle School were learning the fundamentals of
math.
Parent Mark Malone was outside the school crunching
numbers as well, "Everytime I turn around, my daughter
says we need to get more books, teachers are always
hitting for something moneywise." Deloris English is the
mother of a student, "If you look out here, the school
and stuff, they just need more funding in the
school."
Republican Rep.
Rick Quinn has come up with a plan that he says
would increase the salary for every teacher in the state
by $3000, "It would take the dollars that we generate
from the sales tax and distribute it to districts based
on the students as opposed to how it's done now, it's
almost schizophrenic."
Sales taxes would replace property taxes as the main
source of funding for public schools under his plan.
The main points of the plan:
- Increase sales taxes from 5 to 7%
- Vehicle taxes would be eliminated to offset the
hike
- The income tax reduced from 7 to 6%
- Other property taxes cut by 60%
Rep. James Smith (D) Richland says don't hold your
breath on the plan passing, "The legislature, by it's
nature, doesn't typically welcome great changes in
anything, really." Smith has some concerns about the
bill, but says he's open to new ideas from the across
the aisle.
Quinn says even with bipartisan support, it's passage
will be an uphill battle, "Left to its own devices, the
political system won't pass a bill like this. It's
almost going to take an uprising of public support from
the business community and taxpayers."
Parents like Malone wants to hear more details before
lending his support, "They need to nail that down. Yes,
it's going to come in here. Not sales taxes going
up and somebody else is getting this stuff."
The bill was actually introduced in the House last
May, where 26 representatives signed on as sponsors. It
is expected to be one of the mostly debated bills of
next year's legislative session.
By Heather
Brown
Posted 5:59pm by BrettWitt
