Politicians and bureaucrats are quick to notice trends that work in their favor.
On Nov. 8, voters in Nassau County will be asked to divert more money from their families to the government school coffers.
Jacksonville voters gave their approval for a similar measure last year and throughout Florida taxpayers have been happy to pony up when asked to do so.
The Florida Legislature provided the opportunity. Although it is not their job to set salaries, they voted to spend billions to increase the pay of new teachers in the state.
Naturally, this created an “inequity.” Politicians soon started bootstrapping by saying that more experienced teachers were left behind.
They claim – without providing one iota of evidence – that bigger paychecks will improve learning in the schools.
But to liberals, any tax is a good tax and so all of them are supporting this latest increase.
The question that might be asked is this: If it is so beneficial, why hasn’t the School Board increased the pay for more experienced teachers? It is well within their province to do so.
In fact, why haven’t they paid the better teachers more? Just staying alive is not a reason to be paid more money for doing the same job. In a meritocracy, people who do a better job are rewarded.
In 2021, Nassau’s school property tax per capita ranked above the state average, falling between Broward and St. Johns counties. They also ranked fifth in Florida in the amount paid in property taxes per capita for county government, so the citizens of Nassau certainly are paying their “fair share” of taxes.
Furthermore, the growth in total property taxes during the 10 years up to 2021 was 47 percent in Nassau – fourth highest in the state and higher than Duval.
One certain outcome is that the well-heeled teacher union will collect more money to use in financing the campaigns of liberal Democrats.
But there are more Republicans than non-Republicans in Nassau County.
Of course, we live in a republic and it’s up to the voters. If they want to shell out more money in the hope that their children somehow will get a better education, it is their right.
