WARNING: This is not Fake News, read at your own risk.<\/p>\n
Legislators in California recently introduced a bill that would offer educators major tax breaks in an effort to keep them in the classroom and combat the state\u2019s growing teacher shortage.<\/p>\n
The measure quickly drew fire from taxpayer advocates who criticized it as politically inspired favoritism.<\/p>\n
Democratic senators Henry Stern of Los Angeles and Cathleen Galgiani of Stockton earlier this month introduced Senate Bill 807, which would exempt teachers from paying the state income tax \u2013 which would be the equivalent of a 4 percent to 6 percent salary increase \u2013 after five years in the classroom.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I thought major tax breaks were for the hedge fund guys and zillionaires?<\/p>\n
“You’re not going to be able to get paid $50,000 a year and go live in the Bay Area, go teach at the local school…. we think it’s a pretty creative tool, we’ll see how the fiscal conservatives in this house want to approach this,\u201d Stern told Fox 40<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Are college freshmen or the new Yale PC term\u00a0“first years”\u00a0threatened with getting their kneecaps busted if they don’t pick a teaching career path these days?<\/p>\n
Fiscally conservative groups, including the\u00a0Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association<\/a>, criticized the bill. Jazz Shaw, writing on the group’s website, said that for lawmakers to pick certain groups to get privileged treatment is a slippery slope.<\/p>\n
“If you take an entire class of people based on their occupation and say that they are somehow ‘more deserving’ than everyone else and should be exempted from paying state income taxes, what other groups might qualify? It\u2019s not hard to imagine quite a few of these ‘deserving’ professions being rather quick to have their hands out,” he wrote.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
You think?\u00a0What about the doctors that save our lives? Police Officers? Wal-Mart greeters? Electricians? Pool Cleaners? Professional poker players? Pot dealers in Colorado? Perhaps they are jealous that illegal aliens and hookers dodge paying state income tax. It’s really anyone’s guess.<\/p>\n
The bill is expected to enter committee\u00a0review by the end of the month and has so far faced no opposition from lawmakers in either party. It is unclear, however, what the estimated loss in tax revenue to the state would be if the measure is approved.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
No opposition? California\u00a0teachers should ask the NEA leadership if they struggle to pay for housing, food and private schools for their children. Who would have thought that a union had fat cats up top like the meanies in Corporate America. Good grief. If this passes, like always, the middle class will carry the burden. I did notice the token male in the top four.<\/p>\n
LILY ESKELSEN GARCIA, NEA PRESIDENT
\nSalary Breakdown (2015)
\nTotal Compensation
\n$416,633.00
\nGross Salary: $303,934.00
\nAllowances: $77,197.00
\nOfficial Business: $20,594.00
\nOther Compensation: $14,908.00<\/p>\nBECKY PRINGLE, NEA VICE PRESIDENT
\nSalary Breakdown (2015)
\nTotal Compensation
\n$371,278.00
\nGross Salary: $268,594.00
\nAllowances: $58,678.00
\nOfficial Business: $35,903.00
\nOther Compensation: $8,103.00<\/p>\nJOHN STOCKS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
\nSalary Breakdown (2015)
\nTotal Compensation
\n$407,264.00
\nGross Salary: $304,709.00
\nAllowances: $77,974.00
\nOfficial Business: $23,972.00
\nOther Compensation: $609.00<\/p>\nPRINCESS MOSS, NEA SECRETARY TREASURER
\nSalary Breakdown (2015)
\nTotal Compensation
\n$429,851.00
\nGross Salary: $327,195.00
\nAllowances: $62,962.00
\nOfficial Business: $39,273.00
\nOther Compensation: $421.00<\/p>\nNational Education Association Salaries<\/a><\/p>\n
Speaking of housing and food, during the\u00a0crash of 2008, then NEA Secretary-Treasurer Lily Eskelsen received a base salary of $248,349 and allowances of $54,285 for a total of $302,634. Also at that time, NEA President Reg Weaver raked in a whopping $686,949. I bet they struggled to make mortgage payments on their beach houses that year and could only eat out six days a week,\u00a0bless their little hearts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n