The Anchor Mom: Taxes and Consequences
No doubt, the Texas Legislature under Governor Rick Perry had a problem, not unlike the problem faced by state legislatures all across the country. It started writing its latest budget already about 27 billion dollars in the hole. Determined to hold the line on taxes, the legislature began looking for places to cut...and cut, and cut. Public education did not avoid the ax, and the amount of cash sent to schools by the state has diminished dramatically. Many school districts, also unwilling or unable to raise taxes, began to look for places to cut. In at least one Texas school district, one of the larger cuts came in transportation. There will be no more free bus rides in the Keller Independant School District. Parents will pay hundreds if they choose to bus their kids to school.
NewsRadio 1080 KRLD anchor Scott Braddock spoke with education blogger Dr. Jerry Burkett about this issue. You can listen to their conversation here:
Podcast
So few people pay attention to what's going on in their government. So few people vote. So few people are plugged into the political process that something like the loss of free busing doesn't register on a busy parent's radar until they get the bill. You may be ok with paying for busing as long as your taxes don't go up, and that's fine. You may not be. Also fine. However, if you didn't play a role in the decision making process you may feel blindsided, either way.
Many parents in Keller do today.
All politics are local politics. Someone's going to pay, eventually.
-Bonnie
Get more news and views for parents from Bonnie Petrie at The Anchor Mom and Pea in the Podcast.
