The president of the Georgia Association of Educators is proposing a half-cent sales tax increase to make up for state cuts and what he calls a downward spiral that started in the 1980s.
GAE President Jeff Hubbard said a temporary half-cent sales tax would help counter almost $2 billion in austerity cuts since 2003 and underfunding of the Quality Basic Education program ever since the 1980s.
Stimulus funding offset austerity cuts by almost $1 billion, or the situation would have been "much, much worse," he said.
"We understand that the concept of any tax at this time could be controversial, but we also understand that 1.75 million children show up in Georgia schools on a daily basis and we must, per the Constitution, provide them a free education," Mr. Hubbard said.
The tax would amount to 50 cents more on a $100 purchase, he said. The tax would sunset once revenues and investments reached "certain levels," he said, but he didn't describe those levels.
"We think that is a small price to pay to give our children a fighting chance at a quality education," he said.
The GAE isn't alone in pushing a sales tax increase.
Rep. Rusty Kidd of Milledgeville, the Georgia House's only Independent and a 1965 Baylor School graduate, has proposed a temporary 2-cent increase to boost state revenues back to 2006 levels and help all state services, including education. The bill hasn't been introduced yet.
Rep. Kidd said he wants to give legislators an option that has a safeguard for taxpayers.
"What we could do is freeze state spending at the 2006 level," he said. "A two-cent sales tax increase would fill the gap up to a 2006 level."
GEORGIA'S K-12 AUSTERITY CUTS
State funding cuts have continued since 2003. Stimulus funding offset total cuts by about $1 billion.
2003: $134,933,642
2004: $283,478,659
2005: $332,838,099
2006: $332,838,092
2007: $169,745,895
2008: $142,959,810
2009: $495,723,830
2010: $936,342,040
Total: $2,828,860,067
Source: Georgia School Superintendents Association and the Georgia Parent Teachers Association
Any excess revenue would go into a reserve account until Georgia's revenue equals 2006 levels and the tax is repealed, he said.
He said he expects a hearing on the proposal next week.
But will majority House members support either idea?
Rep. Jay Neal, R-LaFayette, said the majority's intent is to "balance the budget with budget cuts and not raise taxes."
Rep. Neal said lawmakers are at the point where every cut hurts.
"You could make an argument for either side," he said Friday. "Maybe we're now at the point that making additional cuts would be more painful than raising some revenue."
Legislators probably will have to look at all options, "but I don't know how much support will be out there for any kind of taxes," he said.
Mr. Neal said the economic downturn halted efforts to restore money lost in the austerity cuts.
"In 2009 we actually had a plan to fully restore the cuts, and then revenue started turning down," he said. "We had to back off our plan to restore and ultimately had to increase the cuts."
Ben Benton is a news reporter at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He covers Southeast Tennessee and previously covered North Georgia education. Ben has worked at the Times Free Press since November 2005, first covering Bledsoe and Sequatchie counties and later adding Marion, Grundy and other counties in the northern and western edges of the region to his coverage. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Tenn., a graduate of Bradley Central High School. Benton ...
I don't know if Mr. Hubbard is takind a mind altering drug of some type but I am sure that no student in the state of Georgia or any other state receives a FREE EDUCATION. As to his point of giving children a fighting chance, hey Mr. Hubbard, perhaps hiring teachers that can spell and have some type of math skills along with the ability to connect with the children they profess to educate might help. As to Rep Kidd and his proposal, I guess they didn't teach economics at Baylor. It is no longer 2006. The days of being able to generate massive amounts of tax revenue are OVER!! The party ended years ago. There must be a law, although I have never seen it that mandates all governments must spend every dollar of tax money as soon as it is collected. They all did it. Mr. Hubbards group made sure his members received every penny they could squeeze out of taxpayers over the years. With everyone doing with less it would seem the right thing to do would be for his union members to make some consessions to help ease the burden felt by the rest of the people. Mr. Neals 2009 fantasy plan to restore funding is laughable. This is the same guy who wants to give teachers another undeserved raise if they complete a higher degree in the next 3 years. Gov. Perdue has commented on the failure of higher degrees with higher pay. Rep. Neal would like to continue this failed practice knowing that the system needs every penny it can gather. It seems he is more interested in the vote than educating the children of the state. It is obvious the elected reps for Georgia lack vision. Anyone who thought there was going to be more money to spend this year lacks common sense and good judgement. I'm just sayin!!
Or login with:
New Account