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In a recent local school district newsletter, the superintendent lamented the stagnant nature of education funding and suggested a solution. He urged residents to support existing local businesses and encourage growth of new ones. Being a local business owner, I do appreciate such a gesture but it is not the answer for a number of reasons. The first is the suggestion that more local revenue will enhance overall revenue. The fact that all taxing jurisdictions are borrowing money means that we are playing a zero sum game these days. An increase in revenue from one source will result in a decrease from another. For instance: If you buy a shirt from a local store you have contributed to that establishment’s property tax payment as well as their sales tax, income taxes, etcetera, which end up being shared as part of the general fund. The out of town store will have lost the income from the sale of that shirt along with the subsequent contribution to its school district. The lost tax revenue will be replenished with revenue from the general fund which we all pay into. If Schodack residents try to help Schodack schools by shopping in town instead of neighboring East Greenbush and East Greenbush residents try to help their schools by shopping within their own boundaries we have engaged in another zero sum game. (Maybe if we all shopped in NYC, increasing their local tax revenue, they might not be suing us for the billions of dollars they seem to think we can just pluck from our money tree.) The real problem is spending. Most education money is spent on salaries and those salaries are too high. They are more than the market will bear. Educators need to realize that the suggestions made by their critics are borne of the desire to make public schools better. We know from experience that competition is a good thing. School choice will bring the natural forces of the marketplace to bear. It’s the medicine we want you to take because it will make you better, not because we are mean. DRC
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