LAST WORD OF THE WEEK: Win Or Lose- Meals Tax Was A Bad Idea!

by, Ted Shockley

Earlier this year, the Accomack County School Board was staring down the barrel of $3 million in state funding cuts. The Board of Supervisors instead gave the school system $730,000 to cover the shortfall.

The result wasn't good. The school system couldn't afford to enhance programs or salaries. It had to reduce 52 positions. Class sizes grew. Support staff was lost.

It was during this gloomy time that the seeds of Accomack's proposed meals tax were planted.

It was a strange idea for elected leaders supposedly looking out of the best interests of public education -- let voters in the state's most overweight county decide whether to pay more for fried chicken and hushpuppies, the taxes on which could raise between $500,000 and $700,000 annually for schools.

Maybe I'm a distrustful skeptic, but I was convinced that there was no way for Accomack's public schools to win with this referendum, no matter how voters cast their ballots.

It was a short-sighted, ill-advised measure and a strange corner in which to push our children's futures.

Had it passed, I feared the public schools would have never received a penny more in new funding than the meals tax would have provided.

I feared that the county would have cut its contribution to the school system by the amount of the meals tax revenues -- if the meals tax generated $600,000, the county would reduce its contribution to schools by $600,000.

I feared meals tax proceeds would have forever been held against the school system by taxpayers and the Board of Supervisors, as in, "Why are you asking for more; you already get the meals tax money."

I feared that the meals tax proceeds would have been plowed into debt service for school buildings and not operations money to help teachers and students.

But the meals tax failed, and now my fear is that elected officials will try to twist the results into a referendum on increased local funding for schools.

Elected leaders and governmental skinflints will suggest that county voters don't support new education money because they voted against it on Tuesday.

That would be wrong. The only message sent at the polls on Tuesday is that residents of the most obese county in Virginia do not want to pay more for fries and pies.

Did I say it was a strange corner in which to push our children's futures?

Accomack's public budget negotiations will begin in a few months. Public school systems need local increases each year to develop a career staff, grow educational programs and ensure our greatest resource is well-prepared for the future.

Local elected officials should make this the area's hallmark priority. Local parents, proponents and products of public education should demand it be supported by something besides a tax on food.

The state's obesity capital can tolerate taxes on land, cars, boats and businesses, but we draw the line at doughnuts and cheeseburgers.

The problem is, I think our county leaders knew that.

http://www.easternshorenews.com/

Maybe our local officials should concentrate on getting the back taxes collected from property owners before they put another tax on already overtaxed residents. Or were they planning on tourism? Either one, not a good idea and thank goodness the voters were able to tell them.