Sunday, Nov.1
This is for all the irate folks who sent me the story of the recent generous raise of an Ulster County school superintendent’s already swollen salary… despite the depths of our recession, the administrative excesses continue.
Normally our tax reform job is to focus on shifting these school and Medicaid funding issues to the state-where they belong- via the Omnibus relief and reform bills pending in the state legislature.
The state has the means to deal with these excesses …of course it hasn’t dealt with them–it keeps fiddling around with silly non-starters like bogus budget gimmicks -but it is the state’s job to sort out what we pay for with public funds and –in conjunction with localities- to find out what the public values and what it finds meretricious (an indispensible word when talking about state government).
Apparently-from the letters I’m getting- continued excessive spending on administrative perks and salaries-as opposed to the direct delivery of services- is a VERY SORE point with the electorate.
We can’t stem the horrible tide of property taxes district by district or locality by locality. We need -and we have at hand-a statewide solution in the Omnibus Bills.
BUT THIS STORY brought out the emails and I can’t avoid a detour into the Hudson Valley.
We need to talk about a mindset (prevalent in Albany and in school administration) that says, “Some people are so important they should be immunized against the events that impact the general public…the public that pays their salaries. “
Amazingly-even while people are in financial free fall- administrators of some public institutions continue with business as usual-even when that business is all about enriching themselves at the public trough…and little else.
They don’t even have an iota of shame about accepting raises when people are losing their homes because of the property taxes supporting their raises……
So here goes….
YOU’LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW……
…..that no matter how bad things are for you all, superintendents of publicly financed schools are protected from the devastating effects of the recession and-as a matter of fact- are still getting hefty raises from your escalating property taxes.
WELL…Thank goodness for that!!
I know you feel so much better- as you look for a job- to realize that you are supplying the school superintendents with those big and little luxuries to which they are entitled because……uh
Their six figure salaries are NOT consumed by the high cost of medical care (it’s in their goody bag for life) and they don’t have to put away for retirement because they mostly have splendid pension plans…not to mention golden parachutes in case somebody is mean to them. Whew! That’s a worry off your mind I bet.
Some school superintendents have other property taxpayer supported luxuries befitting important people whose critical job is to… uh ……let’s see…whose irreplaceable work is to…let me see now…
Let me try again to figure this out..…teachers are actually teaching actual children…..school nurses are actually seeing to the children’s health…custodial people actually keep the actual building heated and fixed and open…..
……and school superintendents are actually…uh…
Okay. I give up. How come school boards wouldn’t think of asking these exclusive folks to share in the pain of a recession by foregoing a raise or a perk…. or something??
Oh I know! They must be a group apart from the “common herd”…they “toil not neither do they spin”…they-like the lilies of the field- just have to look and be expensive.
They belong to the same exclusive club as state legislators- they must feel they deserve big salaries and perks no matter what’s happening to the communities they “serve”…no matter how the people who supply their goody bags are going down for the third time and drowning in debt and despair….
I guess they must never be made to feel small…. or feel obligated to make a gesture of solidarity with the suffering taxpayers by turning down the BIG $$$$$$ RAISE to the big salary….or maybe even a little part of it… just a gesture maybe?….
….. I suppose they can’t be expected to share the pain even the teeniest bit because…well… because….
It appears that “ordinary” people-who pick up the tab for the “big shots”- should just go without shelter and financial security because the “state” –which caused the problem in the first place-says it doesn’t happen to have the money right now (or ever) to help us…sorry kids…..
…….but apparently this lack of funds doesn’t apply to the so-called educational and political “leaders” who must not ever be discomfited in the slightest ….because…uh… uh….uh…uh