MCCS1977

It would seem like a no-brainer situation. Given the amount of unnecessary things we as a society purchase everyday, in addition to having the second lowest property tax in the Union; that a sales tax that goes entirely to the schools would have been welcomed by the citizens of our county. An ongoing local poll shows a split of 53% yes to 41% no in favor of the increase. I’ve come to realize a few things about Alabama since I’ve been here. First and foremost, that citizens detest taxes, consider them a form of socialism, and routinely shoot down any proposal to increase the land taxes. This leads me to conclude two things:
1. Almost every citizen owns land, and does not want to pay overwhelming taxes for it.

or

2. Very few citizens actually own property, and the owners do not want to pay taxes on it.

I have my suspicions as to which of the above is truest, however in the interest of fairness let us consider both.

If almost every citizen owns land, but does not want to pay taxes on it this is understandable. This would mean that the majority of schools in Alabama are (in theory) well funded because property taxes in the United States are generally withheld or set aside for education funds.

However, Alabama ranks as the lowest per capita property tax in the entire nation. Consequently, we also rank among the lowest in graduation rates from high school, child poverty, median household income, and bachelor‘s degree holders. On the up and up are crime rates, prisoner populations, prison expenditures, judge’s salaries etc. The states with higher property taxes generally have better educational systems because they actually have money with which to hire well qualified teachers, buy books, and maintain their facilities. These statistics and statistics in general can be twisted to reach any conclusion one wishes. However, these facts are common sense. Taxes fund government. It’s simple enough. If the government has no money, their only option is to attempt to increase those funds. Since Alabama continually ranks at the bottom of property taxes, legislators are forced to tax other things like food and income. This, of course, does not have the same effect on the top 10% richest citizens.

If very few citizens own land, and the owners do not want to pay taxes on it. Alabama has earned a dubious honor as being one of the most regressive tax systems in the nation. This means that the lower percentages of income earners pay more than the highest. It isn’t a long stretch of the imagination to think that the richest among us send their children to private schools. This is their choice, after all we are a land of freedoms. That being said, the top ten percent have no vested interest in the public education systems. In fact, the top ten percent would like nothing better than things to remain as they are because they stand to gain the most. However, given that the average wage earner has (nine out of ten times) a high school diploma only, Alabama’s main productions are in the industrial and service based sections, the argument that Alabama’s poverty, increased crime rates, increased prison populations are indirectly due to this regressive form of taxes not only holds water but overflows.

We live in a Republic, not a democracy. This means that the minority has a voice, but the majority rules. The majority of our State is middle-class income or below, unhealthy, and poorly educated. These are not insults, these are facts. Since the average citizen does not hold land, but does hold a vote I ask:

“Why is nothing being done?”

Land tax increases or lotteries are basically the two main sources of income for the educational systems nationwide. Yet both measures are continually shot down year after year. The excuses made are that taxes are evil and so is gambling. That the schools should make due with what they have, or throwing money at something is not the solution. I’d ask “How would we know? We’ve never “thrown” money at our schools therefore we have no reference point. There is one word that comes to mind when I look at the state of the State.

Oligarchy

Webster’s defines the term as: “a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.”

In Alabama’s case it is the landowners that are at the top. Yet, who are they? It’s been claimed that land tax increases would make our farmers suffer or put them out of business. Could a provision protecting our farmers not be put into place? Of course it could, but in the tradition, that reared its’ ugly head most recently when Bob Riley introduced Amendment One a couple of years ago, of an oligarchy a massive campaign was well funded and well organized to defeat it. They have the money to spend to guarantee the rest of their fortunes.

To the “evilness” of a lottery, I would humbly suggest the Christian Coalition remember the ideals of “free will”. If a religious citizen does not wish to commit such sins, they should not. However, I seriously doubt if praying for our children to become educated will result in much progress. We could ask for educational mana from heaven, so that’s an option. Though with the recent exposures of their leadership’s corruption I would hardly take anything that organization says at face value.

Our children’s destiny lies, not only in their hands, but in ours. Would we allow ourselves to become fear stricken by a three letter word? Would we allow ourselves and our children to suffer because of a commercial that depicts the assuredly inevitable disaster that a tax increase would incur? Do we live in a state of fear to that level?
Or, would we act as we claim to believe. That our children are our most valued resource. That we wish them to succeed in whatever it is they choose to do. That we do, in fact, love them beyond words.

It appears that the average citizen has one form of power, and it is ultimate. The vote. It is up to each individual to vote accordingly. If one feels the way I feel one should do one’s own research. Look at the numbers. Look at the “way it’s been”. Look to your neighbor. Consider the options. Then vote for what one feels it in the best interest of the State. The adage of “We are only as strong as our weakest link” is completely apt in our case. As our weakest link at the root of all societal evils is education, we absolutely must take steps to remedy it.

In closing, our educational systems can be likened to a garden. If the gardener plants diseased seedlings, does not water or fertilize it, is it common sense to expect the garden to yield a good crop of healthy ripe fruits? No. If anything it would yield nice ripe weeds. The world moves ever forward, will we take the initiative as a collective group of responsible citizens and take steps to lead the way? How proud would our claims be if one of our students cured cancer or AIDS. How proud our claims would be if had among us a Nobel Prize winner?

As an author I do not wish to vilify a section of the populace. I do wish for the world to benefit from the amount of genius sitting in the other room doing their homework. Funding education is a keystone to a fully functioning and flowering republic. Not funding them is equivalent to an oligarchy. Not funding them creates worker bees instead of inventors, drones instead of leaders. I wish better for my children, and I am more than willing to take a half cent hit on the nose to ensure just that.

And no I don’t own any land.