From what you write I assume that you do not have children in school, or never consider taking them out of the public school and putting them into private education where the emphasis is on reading English literature, writing, arithmetic and an introduction to the modern trades: electricity, refrigeration, computers, physical education and nutrition.
Money retained by local citizens does not remain idle. When property-tax and sales-tax burdens are reduced, families and small businesses can spend, save, repair, hire, purchase, and reinvest within the local economy. Those dollars circulate through contractors, retailers, employees, suppliers, utilities, landlords, and service providers, producing a multiplier effect that may substantially exceed the first dollar of tax relief. If local money movement turns over even 15 to 25 times through ordinary economic circulation, broad-based tax relief for everyone may do more good than selective abatements or grants for a few. Eliminating property and sales taxes would also give new ventures a better chance of success by increasing the personally usable funds available to customers, founders, employees, and local investors. Instead of subsidizing selected projects to induce development, the city could strengthen the purchasing power of the entire community and allow development to arise from the activity of its own citizens.
A revenue system should not merely fund government; it should preserve the economic strength of the people from whom government derives its authority. Broad-based tax relief allows households, small businesses, and local consumers to become the primary engine of development, rather than leaving prosperity dependent on selective grants, abatements, or negotiated favors.
Broad prosperity is itself infrastructure.
The threat of homelessness for non payment of tax on an inert property is warfare.
Agree that “b” is the worst. However, we don’t have to choose “d” as the worst. We have the technology and skills to choose “a”. Of the 500 people that serve on our State Boards of Education, responsible for K-12 education, either they don’t know much about curriculum and even less about pedagogy or they actually like the current K-12 performance. Obviously, indoctrinated kids that become voters are easily misled into voting for candidates that promote progressive agendas which are destroying America…from within. We have to fix curriculum, which virtually no one talks about, present company excluded, such that students have the skills to and motivation to Critically Think and to learn the 3R’s efficiently. Plus we have to use the science of learning to immediately fix the pedagogy. Doing both, (selection “a”) is a winner.
Doing only one is a loser. Fixing only the curriculum (selection “c”) means it will take decades to move from our current state (selection “d”). During these decades, America will continue to slide away since a large portion of the 4 million teachers are progressive minded and will spin a good curriculum toward their thinking. Fixing only the pedagogy (selection “b”) means America slides away even faster through quicker indoctrination.
Selection “a” is the fast and effective way forward. We should not waste time on trying to compete curriculum against pedagogy. This is America…we don’t have to choose fixing only one flaw.
Indeed we should be able to fix two things ("a"), and ideally that is what my commentary advocates.
The point is that if you only fix one, starting with pedagogy gives the worst of all results. On the other hand starting with curriculum is a FAR superior option.
The definition of "Better Teacher" needs to be defined. I would say that a teacher that I measured as better or excellent would be easily able to override a terrible curricula. I had a history teacher in middle school that didn't follow the book at all, and I still vividly remember his lessons in history. He was one of the few great (and memorable) teachers I had in grade school. Of course, this was a hundred years ago.
Nadia: A better teacher would be more effective in getting students to learn the curriculum. Regretfully, the system makes it VERY difficult for a teacher to deviate from the standards set up by the State's Board of Education (e.g., NGSS).
This is a terrifying reality for public school kids in particular, and it seems less of a problem at private parochial schools where we sent our kids. Now that our kids, who are now adults, have their own children,they are having to manage this issue constantly. Our youngest daughter and her husband have decided to homeschool our youngest grandchild. More parents that we know are choosing this option, and given the climate, culture, and curricula in our educational system currently, I can see why. Teacher unions and federations have done much damage over the last 20-40 years politicizing education. Shame on those like Randi Weingarten.
Our kids homeschool their children. They were homeschooled themselves for a number of years. I encourage grandparents to not sit on the inheritance. If you need to financially help your children/grandchildren to afford to homeschool and can, please do it now. It is an investment!
Bonnie: Yes, many parents are rightly concerned. Unfortunately too many of them are focused on the secondary things, few on fixing the curriculum, and essentially zero on getting their State to formally teach Critical Thinking in K-12.
What about property tax?
Is that not highly critical?
SoloD: Miseducating 50 million children is worse than property tax.
What have you done or propose to do to properly educate children?
SoloD: I have written about this multiple times. As a new subscriber, the best way to catch up is to peruse the Archives. For example, I wrote a three part overview of this enormous problem. Start here <https://criticallythinking.substack.com/p/overview-of-americas-1-threat-part>.
As a critical thinker, how does the poor education of children enable property tax ?
SoloD: Clearly we have to pay for the education some how, and property tax is one way to do that.
Sir,
From what you write I assume that you do not have children in school, or never consider taking them out of the public school and putting them into private education where the emphasis is on reading English literature, writing, arithmetic and an introduction to the modern trades: electricity, refrigeration, computers, physical education and nutrition.
Money retained by local citizens does not remain idle. When property-tax and sales-tax burdens are reduced, families and small businesses can spend, save, repair, hire, purchase, and reinvest within the local economy. Those dollars circulate through contractors, retailers, employees, suppliers, utilities, landlords, and service providers, producing a multiplier effect that may substantially exceed the first dollar of tax relief. If local money movement turns over even 15 to 25 times through ordinary economic circulation, broad-based tax relief for everyone may do more good than selective abatements or grants for a few. Eliminating property and sales taxes would also give new ventures a better chance of success by increasing the personally usable funds available to customers, founders, employees, and local investors. Instead of subsidizing selected projects to induce development, the city could strengthen the purchasing power of the entire community and allow development to arise from the activity of its own citizens.
A revenue system should not merely fund government; it should preserve the economic strength of the people from whom government derives its authority. Broad-based tax relief allows households, small businesses, and local consumers to become the primary engine of development, rather than leaving prosperity dependent on selective grants, abatements, or negotiated favors.
Broad prosperity is itself infrastructure.
The threat of homelessness for non payment of tax on an inert property is warfare.
John,
Agree that “b” is the worst. However, we don’t have to choose “d” as the worst. We have the technology and skills to choose “a”. Of the 500 people that serve on our State Boards of Education, responsible for K-12 education, either they don’t know much about curriculum and even less about pedagogy or they actually like the current K-12 performance. Obviously, indoctrinated kids that become voters are easily misled into voting for candidates that promote progressive agendas which are destroying America…from within. We have to fix curriculum, which virtually no one talks about, present company excluded, such that students have the skills to and motivation to Critically Think and to learn the 3R’s efficiently. Plus we have to use the science of learning to immediately fix the pedagogy. Doing both, (selection “a”) is a winner.
Doing only one is a loser. Fixing only the curriculum (selection “c”) means it will take decades to move from our current state (selection “d”). During these decades, America will continue to slide away since a large portion of the 4 million teachers are progressive minded and will spin a good curriculum toward their thinking. Fixing only the pedagogy (selection “b”) means America slides away even faster through quicker indoctrination.
Selection “a” is the fast and effective way forward. We should not waste time on trying to compete curriculum against pedagogy. This is America…we don’t have to choose fixing only one flaw.
Don: TY for your good comments.
Indeed we should be able to fix two things ("a"), and ideally that is what my commentary advocates.
The point is that if you only fix one, starting with pedagogy gives the worst of all results. On the other hand starting with curriculum is a FAR superior option.
The definition of "Better Teacher" needs to be defined. I would say that a teacher that I measured as better or excellent would be easily able to override a terrible curricula. I had a history teacher in middle school that didn't follow the book at all, and I still vividly remember his lessons in history. He was one of the few great (and memorable) teachers I had in grade school. Of course, this was a hundred years ago.
Nadia: A better teacher would be more effective in getting students to learn the curriculum. Regretfully, the system makes it VERY difficult for a teacher to deviate from the standards set up by the State's Board of Education (e.g., NGSS).
This is a terrifying reality for public school kids in particular, and it seems less of a problem at private parochial schools where we sent our kids. Now that our kids, who are now adults, have their own children,they are having to manage this issue constantly. Our youngest daughter and her husband have decided to homeschool our youngest grandchild. More parents that we know are choosing this option, and given the climate, culture, and curricula in our educational system currently, I can see why. Teacher unions and federations have done much damage over the last 20-40 years politicizing education. Shame on those like Randi Weingarten.
Our kids homeschool their children. They were homeschooled themselves for a number of years. I encourage grandparents to not sit on the inheritance. If you need to financially help your children/grandchildren to afford to homeschool and can, please do it now. It is an investment!
Bonnie: Yes, many parents are rightly concerned. Unfortunately too many of them are focused on the secondary things, few on fixing the curriculum, and essentially zero on getting their State to formally teach Critical Thinking in K-12.