Taxes

[oldengineer]

In Pennsy I pay no tax on pensions, IRA Disributions or SS payments but they do tax annuity payouts - go figure. Sales tax is 6% but I pay big property taxes, about $6300 a year for a 2800 sq ft home on 1.5 acres. 5K of the tax is for schools. School tax is set by the district school boards and there are more than 510 of them here. It's crazy but the unions have the legislature in their pockets and every year there is legislation introduced to reform it but every year it gets to the floor too late in the session to vote on, but "next year we'll really take action ...."

 

[bobvick]

In Pennsy I pay no tax on pensions, IRA Disributions or SS payments but they do tax annuity payouts - go figure. Sales tax is 6% but I pay big property taxes, about $6300 a year for a 2800 sq ft home on 1.5 acres. 5K of the tax is for schools. School tax is set by the district school boards and there are more than 510 of them here. It's crazy but the unions have the legislature in their pockets and every year there is legislation introduced to reform it but every year it gets to the floor too late in the session to vote on, but "next year we'll really take action ...."

Is Penna. a right to work state? Here, in Ala. State employee unions are outlawed by the Legislature and always have been. That being said, the teachers have an "association" that lobbies Montgomery, much like a union, the AEA (Alabama Education Association), they used to have quite a bit of power until their old boss stepped down and the State Legislature went republican.
I don't know when they will figure out that throwing money at schools and education doesn't work, they've been throwing money at it my whole life and performance has not gotten any better.

 

[rvvaquero]

they've been throwing money at it my whole life and performance has not gotten any better.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You sound like you are pretty well informed.

 

[bobvick]

Don't be so hard on yourself. You sound like you are pretty well informed.

Actually, my point was, if a child (or adult for that matter) wants to learn, they can. Throwing more money at the problem is not going to motivate the child to learn anything, they have to have a "want" to learn.