Letters to the Editors

Put our schools before tax breaks for corporations

At a time when classes are overflowing with children, school boards are canceling summer school and freezing the purchase of books and computers, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Republican leaders of the Florida Legislature have tentatively agreed on another $428-million dollars in tax breaks for corporations.

Under the guise of "economic stimulation," this new round of generosity to corporate Florida allows businesses to claim a bigger tax break for equipment that they purchase. The new tax breaks will be implemented through a bill that amends Florida's tax code to match changes in the federal tax code that even Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has questioned as being too far reaching because it doesn't really provide an incentive for immediate spending, which is the purported purpose of the tax break.

According to an analysis by the Florida Senate Finance and Tax Committee staff, by adopting these new bonus depreciation provisions of the federal law, Florida will immediately lose $262-million and $428-million over the next four years. That's the equivalent of 10,000 new teachers. Furthermore, the analysis says that Florida will not recoup the loss until 2024.

Fortunately, legislators have the option of not conforming to the new federal law. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, two states that would have automatically conformed to the recent federal changes (Maryland and Virginia) have passed legislation not to conform. Many other states, not wanting to reduce important health care and education services, may follow their lead.

The $428-million is too much to give away without a reciprocal benefit. Florida's education system can't afford more cuts. Independent researchers indicate that Florida ranks 49th in per capita funding for education, 49th in high school graduation rates, 43rd in the number of students per teacher and 46th in SAT scores. And, according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce 2002 Cornerstone II report, in the past decade, Florida has lost ground in almost every important education performance measure.

Florida's schools need more resources, not less. It seems to me that it would be better for business if Florida invests in our intellectual infrastructure now. That will mean real economic stimulation in the future by providing our youth with the learning tools to prepare them for the 21st century workplace.

I urge Gov. Jeb Bush and my colleagues in the Florida Legislature to give a real break to our children, not another tax cut to big business. Let us resist catering to corporate campaign contributors and advance our economy by advancing our kids!
-- Lois J. Frankel, Florida state House Democratic Leader, Tallahassee

Choice plan is a bad choice

While the Pinellas County School District contemplates eliminating another 90 positions from our schools, the School Board is moving full speed ahead on a choice plan that will add an additional $7-million to $8-million in recurring transportation costs. In every sense, that is a bad choice!

Imagine choosing between getting rid of people like behavior, curriculum and media specialists whose services are considered by the state to be indirect -- even though they directly impact classroom instruction and student achievement -- and spending millions of additional dollars to transport students to accommodate a school choice plan that nobody seems to want. I agree with one School Board member who thought that an additional $7-million was too much to spend on transportation in light of the state's cuts in education funding. After all, we are transporting them right now to the same schools, with the same faculties and staffs and facilities that will be available for parents to choose for $7-million less than is proposed in this plan. Bad choice.

I wonder if the citizens of Pinellas County would rather see this money used to retain technology specialists, school guidance counselors and achievement specialists or see it used on a transportation system that adds no value to teaching and learning and contributes nothing to student achievement? Would they prefer to see it used to provide raises for our employees that will help us attract and retain a high quality school work force or would they rather see it blown out the tail pipe of a school bus on U.S. 19?

I think the School Board should slow down and smell the exhaust! This choice plan is a bad choice. Renegotiate it, delay implementing it or phase it in, but don't spend $7-million on school buses when teachers, support professionals and programs for our students are being cut.
-- Rob McMahon, president, Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, Largo

Don't destroy this support system

Re: Schools shed jobs to meet budget, April 24.

I have been a special education teacher in Pinellas County public schools for almost 22 years. I have seen legislators and School Board members come and go. It seems that recently these leaders are leading us (children and teachers) on a path of deterioration and ultimately a dismal end.

The Office of Civil Rights mandated that many special education students be housed and hopefully "included" in general education schools. In some cases this has been done successfully. In other situations this has been done without sufficient personnel placed in the school, i.e., a behavior specialist to assist with mentally handicapped and emotionally handicapped students. In my case, the assistant principal has taken over this duty in addition to his infinite other jobs.

The School Board states that it must cut up to 90 jobs. Included in those cuts are assistant principal and behavior specialist positions. By doing this, it absolutely undermines the ability of special education teachers to do their job effectively.

A school needs a strong support system to deal with disruptive students. The students sometimes need a place to defuse. Behavior specialists are trained to deal with these situations so that a child may return to his class successfully. Without this support our job becomes unmanageable. Now the School Board says it must take away the support system it put in place! Then the board members wonder why teachers burn out.

In addition to the loss of some of these jobs they want to take technology specialists hired to help with our new schools and quickly expanding technology and guidance counselors who, in my case, serve also as a staffing specialist. We already wear many hats. This one just doesn't fit.

When school choice begins in 2003 and we need more money for more buses for more schools for more programs what will happen? When are they going to realize that we need to adequately fund the programs that are in place now before continuing to add more programs with no funding (school attractors). No more, please!
-- Diana Fauth, Gulfport

Can we stop school choice?

Re: Schools shed jobs to meet budget, April 24.

I am amazed with the thought process of the Pinellas County School Board. How can they push their school choice program without any regard to the recipients? In discussing their program with numerous parents, not one of us understands the plan and how it will benefit our children. No one seems to want it but the School Board.

A representative from the school choice program recently spoke to a group of parents at our church. When asked if she thought the plan would work, her simple but very poignant answer was, "I work for the department." Not an very encouraging answer, but it speaks volumes.

And now we find out the true cost of the busing. Where will they get the money to pay for buses?

The schools are being forced to upgrade programs without teachers or money. Wouldn't the money from this program be better spent just to do this? Wouldn't this be a simpler, more intelligent response to helping our children?: Not paying to bus them to what may be their last choice for a school -- yes, we need to remember what will happen when you don't get your first choice under this plan. You may not be better off than you are now!

Right now, it is very difficult to see why they want to implement a program that they do not have all the answers for. Can't they wait another year? Why do we let them continue with this program when clearly they are the only ones who understand and want it?

Can't anyone stop them until all the issues are resolved? Can we sue them to stop the process until we have answers? Or do we let them proceed and then try to fix it later at more expense to our children's education?
-- S. Bley, St. Petersburg

Poor use of book budget

Re: Book backlash turns new page, April 21.

I believe there must be a lack of oversight for the process of book acquisitions within the Hillsborough County School District. Everyone understands that school budgets haven't been able to cover a variety of materials teachers feel are important to their curriculum.

How can it be determined that such an "encyclopedia" (The A-Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers) is of greater relevance to the education of teenagers than some of the textbooks that have not been purchased over the last few years? Surely, students have the option of visiting a public library to borrow such literature.
-- Alison Hardage, St. Petersburg

Jeb's veto was the right move

Re: Bush kills phone rate increase, April 24.

Gov. Jeb Bush has done the right thing. The members of the Legislature would be wise not to try to override it. When you read the reasons, it is very clear who would win (the phone companies) and who would lose (the "average" customer) in the deal.

A special note to all the "supporters": If you really feel that sorry for Verizon (and other local providers), feel free to send them more when you pay your phone bill.

Bottom line, this was a bad deal for Florida and Jeb Bush saw through it and did the right thing.
-- Christopher M. Hoekzema, St. Petersburg

A vote-saving veto

Re: Governor's phone bill veto no easy stroke of pen, by Howard Troxler, April 24.

Troxler got it right. There were a lot of Jeb Bush supporters, myself included, waiting to see what he would do on this issue. And as far as I was concerned, had Jeb not vetoed the bill, he could have kissed my vote goodbye.

When I got back to the states six weeks ago after a two-month stay in London, I got my phone turned on again with the Verizon "big deal" package including voice mail, caller ID, and a few other bells and whistles. I found out what the "big deal" was when I got the bill. Before long distance charges, my monthly bill will routinely be over $50 a month -- and that doesn't include $3.95 for wire maintenance, which I declined.

What is wrong with this picture and how dumb do the fat cats in Tallahassee think that we are.

Raising our rates through the roof to encourage competition? How altruistic. Oh please!

Contrary to Michael Douglas' famous lines as Martin Gecko, the Wall Street bad boy in the movie Wall Street, greed is not good. Looks like Jeb has the right stuff.
-- John Mashburn, Largo

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