Jamie Sanderson: Tom Slagsvol's letter
Last Updated on 3/18/2010
Published on 6/23/2009
For this column, I am going to entertain Mr. Tom Slagsvol's letter to the editor in response to me in regards of the stimulus funds. I cannot allow the truth to be trampled on in such a decepti-ve way.
Mr. Slagsvol makes the comments of "big government controlling and spending more money" and asks "where we will get another $700 million?" I can answer both, Tom.
If the Republican-controlled state would roll back the tax cuts that are needed to fund programs and systems in this state, we'd not need stimulus money to begin with.
For example, the progressive nature of the income tax in this state has always been frowned upon, and in result, our income tax revenues have decreased 38.6 percent, making us No.2 in the nation with decreasing revenues.
That's a lot of money that could have been used for short-funded programs.
Unfortunately, money is needed to be spent to get us out of the mess we are in. What I can't understand is why there was no outrage in money being sent in billions to a war of choice where our own country could have used it to prevent the shortfalls we face now.
Only now that it's domestic - spending on [our] own people - do the Republicans have a problem.
You're right we have to change the way we tax and spend, Tom. We can't tax the populist more than the rich and expect great returns and we can't spend when we do not have the tax revenue to back up what we spend.
Eight years of Bush and decades of Republican control have ruined our situation.
Their "individualist" stance and lesser taxes mean we have to borrow and spend, for now. They have set the field for that.
And, Tom, I think you are confused with what state you live in. Liberals do not run this state.
They are not the ones in control who've said layoffs are imminent in law enforcement and public education. The Republican-controlled legislature and governorship dictated that.
If liberals ran this state, you'd not worry about public education or law enforcement. They'd all have their jobs because their services would be funded appropriately.
And as far as your "high taxes" comment, you must be delusional. You received a tax cut this year from President Obama. You've enjoyed property tax cuts as well. This state lives in cuts - even cutting jobs, services and stability.
Now, I'll answer your question about low income families having "choice" to "escape failing government schools."
First, the states control their public education systems. They have little involvement from the national level.
If you want to say public schools are a failure, you need to look at the Republicans in this state. The school system is not a failure; the Republican leaders failed the public schools.
The parents in South Carolina have public school choice. They can choose a public school to send their children to. When you involve private schools and tax-payer funded vouchers, it's not choice. It's a rip-off.
Let's say you send a child to a private school that has tuition of $350 a month. For 12 months, that's $4,200 a year. In state Senator Robert Ford's failed school voucher bill this year, parents of students zoned for failing public schools would get a tax credit equal to 75 percent of private tuition or the state's per-pupil spending, whichever is less.
Again, Tom, this is not choice. A voucher in this state is not a voucher in regards to education. It's a discount. And stores have discounts on all types of products, but it doesn't mean all people can then afford them. Parents still have to pay.
But choice does exist with the more fortunate. They can send their child to a private school if they can afford it.
The problem I see is the Republicans want a back door to allow the state government to give back to parents, rich parents. In laymen's terms, another rich-class tax cut.
If Gov. Sanford truly wanted children and parents to have choice, he'd make the voucher a real voucher, providing 100 percent of the tuition cost up front.
The governor of this state sends his children to private school as well, Tom. Almost all politicians do so. President Obama and former president Bill Clinton didn't want the taxpayers to fund their children's education in private schools. We should heed their stance.
And then we have the attacks from Mr. Slagsvol. In referring to me as a "union boss" and wanting to have a "government monopoly." Huh? Come on, Tom. This is more serious than political coding to jab at me. I wrote the column you responded to with fact. This just demeans your whole response. Obviously, you're even confused with who I am.
And as far as you commenting about a statewide group wanting to change our state constitution to allow for a high-quality education, you've basically summed up what a majority of this state really thinks about its children and the public education system.
It's the same thinking that lead to the language in the constitution now.
Thanks for responding, but I suggest you get to know your state better than you do, in regards to political leadership.
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My children are now grown and supporting themselves, thank goodness; but they went to private school. It was a great financial sacrifice on my wife's and my part, but well worth it. To quote President Obama's chief of staff, "We shouldn't let a crisis go to waste." Georgetown county schools should have taken this opportunity to rid themselves of the lousy teachers. Most of the time private schools get rid of lousy teachers quickly, before they have the opportunity to do their permanent harm to the students they are suppose to be teaching. The test scores clearly show the differences between public and private schools. These tests also show the lousy public school teachers. The "porkulus" package has seen to it that these crummy teachers will continue to be in their classroom, and continuing to do their damage. Democrats continue to be naive and put their heads in the sand when it comes to the SC teachers Union. It's sad that the truly gifted poor children in this state are forced to attend failing schools. Liberals always contend that it only needs more money, and then it might work. Sorry, but that's bovine scatology. Send the kids that don't want to learn to a trade school; those that do want to learn, give them either decent teachers or a decent private school. You libs have no backbone and throw like girls. Posted by Community Organizer in Chief on 7/10/2009 |
