Is It Drafty In Here?
If at first you don't succeed...
In a letter submitted to the Prince Georges's County Council Wednesday, Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) made it clear he would like the group to approve his proposal to raise county phone taxes by 3 percent.
He called it "the preferred method for funding the school system's budget." He said the tax would provide "a reliable source of ongoing revenue with which to fund major programmatic improvements" for schools. And he suggested a council suggestion for making up the money without the tax--using surplus school funds--could create an imbalance in future years once the surplus is gone.
But these haven't been Johnson's only words on the topic. On Tuesday, his staff unveiled a first draft of the same letter to the council during a committee meeting. In that version, Johnson was far blunter.
He called the tax the "responsible path" for school funding and said it would "not be sound fiscal practice" to use the school surplus in place of the tax. He suggested also that if the council does not approve the tax, the "responsible fiscal practice" would be for them to cut the Board of Education budget--a move he knows would be politically tricky.
"In light of our successes in improving the financial position of the county, it would be unwise and unfortunate if the Council were to substitute a temporary fix for a viable ongoing revenue source that can pay for school improvements on a permanent basis," he wrote in the first draft.
Reports from the committee meeting indicate council members were quite ticked off at the letter, particularly its implications that they were putting school system funding at risk. In strong terms, they urged revisions. Apparently, they got them.
In an interview Wednesday, Chairman Camille Exum (D-Seat Pleasant) declined to comment on reports that Johnson had felt the tax was the "responsible" path for funding. She indicated in public comments that schools would receive "funding priority" regardless of the fate of the tax.
Johnson spokesman James Keary said formal letters often go through several drafts. "The final version is the actual document," he said.
By Rosalind Helderman |
May 24, 2007; 2:00 PM ET
| Category:
Rosalind Helderman
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Posted by: BG from PG | May 24, 2007 9:41 PM
Jack, if you wanted to increase the cell phone tax, why didn't you advocate same in your Primary with Baker? Then we could have had a new County Executive.
Posted by: PC fron PG | May 24, 2007 10:12 PM
Maryland tax payers fund Casa de Maryland in excess of $1M a year. Casa's latest "accomplishment" is a comic book for illegal aliens, with instructions to refuse to cooperate with law enforcement. Illegal aliens take $3 from the local coffers for every $1 they earn.
Cut the Casa grant and benefits and services to illegal aliens. This should open up more than enough money (already in the budget) to fund the schools. There will probably even be some money left over.
Posted by: Junes | May 25, 2007 6:46 AM
I hope the Democrats of PG County get everything they deserve from Jack Johnson. He's going to raise taxes across the board until it hurts. The citizens of this county need stop giving their blind loyalty to a Democratic party that historically camouflages it's true intentions which are to tax-and-tax and spend-and-spend. Next time vote Republican.
Posted by: I told you so | May 25, 2007 7:37 AM
VOTE REPUBLICAN
Posted by: Anonymous | May 25, 2007 7:45 AM
Why should people that have no children or children not in the school system or live in PG county pay for public schools???? I sure dont want to pay for someone elses kids, i did my job paying for my kids. We need to get rid of Johnson have the county stop spending the money on stupid things which they do every year, as one commenter stated the big drunken bash in OC. Let them pay for that themselves.
Posted by: plemnah@yahoo.com | May 25, 2007 7:57 AM
Why should people that have no children or children not in the school system or live in PG county pay for public schools???? I sure dont want to pay for someone elses kids, i did my job paying for my kids. We need to get rid of Johnson have the county stop spending the money on stupid things which they do every year, as one commenter stated the big drunken bash in OC. Let them pay for that themselves.
Posted by: plemnah@yahoo.com | May 25, 2007 7:57 AM
PG residents are already taxed like crazy for shotty services. If he wants to tax something, maybe he should focus on guns and alcohol.
Posted by: LJ | May 25, 2007 8:51 AM
"Why should people that have no children or children not in the school system or live in PG county pay for public schools?"
Why should people who have children but refuse to send them to the failed public schools in PG have to pay?
It's time to end the government monopoly on education. School vouchers would improve the education of our children while cutting the overall costs. It makes so much sense that no Leftist can understand it.
Posted by: Rufus | May 25, 2007 2:12 PM
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Jack, if you want to save the county countless dollars in tax money, how about banning the PGFD from participating in the annual Ocean City convention, which is nothing more than a free drunken weekend for volunteer firefighters in OC aboard county fire apparatus causing considerable wear and tear...not to mention the cost of fuel. Who pays for that?