During his State of the State Address, the Governor proposed the possibility of a cap on property taxes for School funding. Here is an outline of Spitzer's proposal.
Some have already indicated their support for a cap. I would like to see all of the details first. What happens when you reach the cap? Do you automatically cut services? How do you square a cap on spending with the taxpayer's current right to vote on school budgets? I am glad that Gov. Spitzer proposed to study the idea before going too far towards implementing it.
I am, however, bothered by the implication that it is local spending that is the "real" problem in New York and that it is local spending that should be capped. Its clear that Spitzer is among the "local government consolidation" crowd who don't think we yokels are smart enough to decide how much service or school spending we want or need. This concept ignores the reality that the State legislated S.T.A.R. program, touched off the dramatic increases in school spending by insulating some taxpayers from the cost burden.
Rather than worrying about what we pay in school taxes or other local government costs, why doesn't the Governor focus on cutting the bloated State budget and reduce State taxes? As I continue to insist, we get a far better return on our "investment" from local taxes than we do on our State taxes. If the State controlled its spending, our local government expenses would not seem like such a burden.
Where is the call for a cap on State spending? That's where the real problem lays.
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