Rob_Haswell's Blog

New York State has something called a Star exemption - a tax break for those who do not have kids.

There are two parts to the STAR property tax exemption:

The Basic STAR exemption is available for owner-occupied, primary residences regardless of the owners’ ages or incomes. Basic STAR works by exempting the first $30,000 of the full value of a home from school taxes.


The Enhanced STAR exemption is available for the primary residences of senior citizens (age 65 and older) with yearly household incomes not exceeding the statewide standard. (The definition of “income” for this purpose is provided later in this pamphlet.) For qualifying senior citizens, the Enhanced STAR program works by exempting the first $56,800 of the full value of their home from school property taxes. For property owned by a husband and wife, or by siblings, only one of them must be at least 65 years of age as of December 31 of the year in which the exemption will begin to qualify for the Enhanced exemption. Their combined annual income, however, must not exceed the STAR income standard.

The only reason taxes are being raised is because they can do it. What they really need to do is an audit of where the money is going now and find better ways to spend. They need to find ways to get students to stay in school. Extra money so far has not helped that. As for Doyle - does anyone remember when the teacher's union said they would strike if he were not elected and Doyle did not say a word? Connection?

Yes we should all pay something, but the money needs to be managed and people held accountable for their poor spending. I went to that meeting last night and a teacher got up and said she puts money from her own pocket into her classrooms and she is not seeing anything from these increases into her classrooms. She lives in the city and if these tax increases happen, she is going to have to stop spending her own money for her students.

MPS needs to be accountable. Money was saved by closing schools and people want to know where that money went. They want to know why $300,000's is needed for basketball, when special needs students are getting the help they need (another parent talking) and a third parent mentioned that they received a letter that their kids school was closing - just received a letter last week. Another father spoke, that his daughter needed help with reading. They went to the school and were told there was no money for reading, so he paid for a tutor himself and they work every night with their daughter. This tax increase means he will have to make other cuts to keep the tudor he is paying for out of his own pockt.

MPS money goes for salaries and pensions. Do you get a pension from Fox6?

I am not against paying for a childs' education because like you said Rob, it may benefit us (me) in the future. My problem is the large step up. I have a couple rental properties that I was looking to sell, but now I may have some trouble selling them.

I tend to be all over the board on this issue. I have 3 kids. I spend minimum of $300 each school year. This is the registration fees, the "good" calculators that the teachers require, plus, the extra "materials fee" for elective classes. This doesn't cover the basic school supplies or clothes or uniforms or sports fees.
Then, my 91 yr old mother in law, living on social security, in her own home, that she only paid $5000 for when she bought it in 1939-she's paying almost $6,000 yr in property taxes already.
AND, lets also take into consideration the "quality" of the "product" that the schools are turning out.
Throwing money at a problem, especially money from people who are already struggling, will unlikely help the girl at the check out counter who has to pull out a calculator to make change because you confused her. total bill was $12.52, you give her $20, then you realize, after she entered it into the cash register, that you have $.52, so you give it to her. And nearly 90% of the time, you will leave her dumbfounded and scrambling for a calculator.
If the teachers seemed to care and to want to educate the kids, it would be different. But how many went into teaching for love of educating kids or for love of summers off and holidays off + all the other days off??

Rob, I paid for MPS with my taxes but opted to send my kids to private. I made the concessions until I could no longer afford the costs of 3 high school students' tuitions times 4 years. I had numerous problems with sex offender teachers who also coached after school activities within the MPS system amongst other problems. That was more than a decade ago. I can understand the outrage by the citizens of Milwaukee and they're justified because their hard earned money is going into a bottomless dark pit with no sufficient return when it comes to MPS schools.

It's not that people don't want to pay for schools. It's just that we are tired if paying a fortune and getting nothing in return.
MPS has one of the poorest records in the nation, that was pointed out in the news just this week, while the board was asking for their huge hike. If I did my job the way they are I would not be working very long, and I can't go to my boss and say I'm doing poorly at work because you don't pay me enough. That would end my butt on the street even faster. I have never gotten a 9% pay increase, much less 16%.
Perhaps it's time that MPS was told you need to be accountable. What are you doing with the money? If you show me great results this year I can afford to pay you more next year.
I would more than happy to see that tax hike have a one year time limit. If there is no significant improvment with the money you get, you don't get it next year.
I also have trouble with Mr Androkopolus saying we need it for music, art, sports etc. when they have a graduation rate of 60% and many of those can't read, write or string togeather a coherant thought useing basic english.

Wow, this is quite the lengthy blog.

mbeth1277 - not sure if you were addressing me but I do my best to reply to blog comments when I have time but I have a busy job and two kids so you can imagine there isn't a lot of down time. Plus, I don't really add to comments unless there is something directed at me or if something has been misunderstood. Hope that makes sense.

To the rest. I think it's a way too big hike too and school funding needs an overhaul to be sure. Most major cities are having a hard time with these same issues. The point of my blog was really to rebut those who simply think they shouldn't pay at all because they don't have kids.

Thanks for all the feedback!

[I KNEW I WAS GOING TO GET CUT OFF] --As I was saying... I'm not with all this higher tax paying. I feel our money is our money and the government should just find other ways to get the money they need instead of taking their cut from our hard-earned money we make every week or every other week or whenever.

Ugh and just how stupid can you be Only1Antoine.
You are the government, in fact all of us are. Where in the world do you the money comes from to pay for all you demand? Obviously, you are a product of a student who refused to learn while in school and no doubt since you have been out. It's students like you that make the schools appear bad.

Your child is your child !You raise yours and i'll raise mine !If you want a better education for the kids get rid of the teachers union and spend the money on the kids !