SPEAKOUT

Tax increase won't help

This is in regard to the school board proposal for a tax increase that would quadruple our taxes and to talk about the response in Sunday's paper that "large plans produce large results." I think there is a lot of things our school system needs more than an increase in funds. Chicago, for example, spends the most money of any school district in the nation and they have the worst results of their massive spending in education. I, for one, will be against any tax increase and will vote no on any proposal. The school board needs to focus on common core. That's their number one objective. Get rid of common core curriculum, otherwise they will have no local control whatsoever. They cannot increase taxes enough to keep in place what the federal common core standards are gonna bring us in the way of cost.

In regard to the reply in SpeakOut, "Small plans bring small results. Large plans can and should bring large improvements." If that is the case why not tear down the high school and vote for a $50 million bond? For the first time in like 50 years of voting, I will vote no on the school tax.

This is in response to the editor's comments to "increase is too much." Increase was correct in saying this proposal is ridiculous. Our real estate and property taxes will increase from 21 cents per $100 assessment to 99 cents, an increase of 78 cents per hundred assessment. Property owners will see a huge increase in real estate taxes as well as personal property taxes. Rent will go up because landlords will not absorb this increase. Thinking about buying a new vehicle, beware, you won't be able to pay the personal property taxes to the county or city. To contemplate such an increase and burden on the citizens of Sikeston is totally irresponsible. Hard to believe not a single counsel or school board member spoke in defense of those less fortunate. Large plans are fine if you can afford them. If I could afford it, I would live in a mansion on a hilltop and have a different colored Mercedes for every day of the week. Can't afford that and cannot afford the tax increase either. Our city is not filled with wealthy people. We are a poor community. To quote from the editorial in regard to increase in Medicaid spending on the same page, "I applaud your optimism - (Sikeston, I have added), Missouri like the federal government has to curtail spending." Wonder if this will make SpeakOut?

The Sikeston R-6 Central Office administration provided the following response: To support a $32.3M Bond Issue proposal, there will be an increase to the debt service levy from 21 cents to 99 cents. The 78-cent increase will raise real and personal property taxes by 20.3 percent, not 400 percent.

We, as civic-minded citizens, see this bond issue as an investment, not only for the school district, but also for the future of the Sikeston community as a whole.