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JodieLyn
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There's also the question is this something that is bothering you all the time? or is it something about which you have an opinion when the topic comes up but that you don't dwell on it or hold onto resentment?
I don't see why you can't give up all the resentment but when the topic comes up you still have an opinion on taxes being paid for schools when you have to pay for your own children's schooling out of pocket. It does make sense that since your children aren't draining any of those funds by attending school that *some* of the funds should be returned to you. Obviously, it would be a disaster for public education if it came down to only those using it pay for it.
It does seem like little things like.. parents being able to get the education credit that teachers get for supplying classroom materials on their Federal taxes .. or being able to get a percentage of property taxes paid to schools reduced for reducing the work load on those schools.. shouldn't be that big a deal. And it might make a big deal to our schooling budget. Neither of which is removing all the funds that each person pays into it.
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G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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mom2mpr
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Servant2theKing wrote:
| I used to struggle with resentment over the fact that we are actually paying three times over for education...first for public schools through taxes, second for parochial schools and relig. ed. through our tithe, and third through all of our homeschool expenses. Then the Lord revealed to my heart that we ought to be profoundly grateful to Him for the incredible privilege of keeping our children home, and if need be, ought in turn be willing to pay infinitely MORE for that blessing! Every time we scrimp and scrounge to make ends meet I thank God over and over that we are able to live this life and that I am not forced by financial circumstances to work outside the home and am thus able to homeschool! We as homeschoolers are incredibly blessed to be home with our children...no amount of money in the world can compensate for such a blessing! If we in turn pay our taxes and tithes, freely and generously, we are blessing others who do not share the incredible blessing we have of having our children with us and being able to live and love and learn together as a family! That fact was brought home even more intensely on 9/11, when schools were clamouring to send children home...I was SO thankful to the Lord that ours were right there beside me where we could pray and trust in God to take care of us. Every time we struggle with the woes of taxes or finances, we turn to thanking God as we "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" and we turn our thoughts toward "rendering unto God what is God's"....to God be the Glory and the Praise that He allows us to live this blessed life we call homeschooling! |
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Amen, Servant.
I occasionally get "cranky" about paying taxes--mostly when dh brings it up  but you are so right!
Anne
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SusanMc
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I am amazed when I think of how financially ineffecient public education is. At the same time, I realize that in a democracy, we need to have an educated public for it to work. I am a huge supporter of public schools and hope to continue to do so even though we plan to homeschool. As someone earlier said, not everyone is able to homeschool their kids.
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Martha
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Not sting at all here.
There's literally 100's of things that I pay taxes towards that I do not qualify to beneift from but don't get a rebate/voucher/discount on paying the taxes for it. Such is life.
As long as private schools also do not get to use the public school whatever for free, then I don't feel I'm entitled to it either.
Homeschooling is just like any other parental choice. There's pros and cons. Things we get out of it and things we have give up or find elsewhere for it.
As for the issue of speech therapy and such...
I think the problem there has nothing to do with what educational outlet is offerring the service. The problem is that any school system is offerring medical services such a occupational or disability therapy. That is NOT the job of schools and no public school money should go for medical treatment needs of students.
Please don't get me wrong, I think those children should get such therapy if neccessay, I just don't think it should be through schools. That's not a state school problem - that's a state health care problem, imho.
Aside from those issues, I'm NOT for vouchers/charter programs either because I don't want the gov't anywhere near my curriculum or "classroom" and without a single exception, $ = strings (req on what/how/when/who to teach and paperwork/redtape from hades and so forth..)
I do not want "school at home" to become the requirement for homeschooling.
Just my $2 worth.  Nothing personal in this opinion against those who disagree - just what I've come to feel strongly about.
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Sarah M
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I work p/t at a library, and recently our deputy director mentioned- what if only library-users had to pay tax to support our libraries?
 We wouldn't have libraries. Or, at the very best, the libraries we'd get would be scant and there would not be services like storytimes, inter-library loans, and hold/request services.
For our packages to arrive on time, our libraries to hold shelves of books, our roads to be smooth, our bridges to be safe, and for the majority of American children to get an education...we have to pay taxes. Regardless of whether we use the service much or at all. This is not to say that taxpayer money is used responsibly or efficiently  . Ahem. It's just to say that we all have to pay them. I don't personally use the court system that much either- I've never had to hire a lawyer or go to trial- but I still pay taxes to support our courts. It's only fair in a democratic system.
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Molly Smith
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JodieLyn wrote:
| There's also the question is this something that is bothering you all the time? or is it something about which you have an opinion when the topic comes up but that you don't dwell on it or hold onto resentment?. |
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That's it exactly. I'm not anti-tax, anti-government, anti-public school, anti-public library or any other public service, for that matter. I am grateful to live in this country, in this county and in this town and I wouldn't trade it for a minute. However, it is a lot of money. Our tax rate is set based on the fair market value of our home, which is several times more than we paid for it almost 9 years ago, so the bill is huge. When it's time to write those two checks each year, I get aggravated and clearly, when the topic comes up, I vent. Our tax payment used to be collected in escrow and paid through our mortgage company, but when we refinanced a few years ago we changed it to pay on our own. We budget for it, so the money is always there to pay for it, but we're much more aware of how much money it is and how it's allocated.
So, no big philosophical argument from me. Jumping off the thread now.... 
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marihalojen
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I dropped by our local school to register dd when we moved to the Keys to live aboard our boat. They wouldn't let me as we are not land-based and so do not pay property taxes. Upset my husband to no end as others live here (like RVers and other seasonals) and do not pay property taxes either but still are allowed to send the dc to school.
This county won't let boaters vote either. Big fights about that with marches and picketing on City Hall.
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Martha
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marihalojen wrote:
I dropped by our local school to register dd when we moved to the Keys to live aboard our boat. They wouldn't let me as we are not land-based and so do not pay property taxes. Upset my husband to no end as others live here (like RVers and other seasonals) and do not pay property taxes either but still are allowed to send the dc to school.
This county won't let boaters vote either. Big fights about that with marches and picketing on City Hall.
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whoa! isn't that against federal law? i mean, even homeless people can vote as long as they are a citizen. my nephew is in the navy and hasn't bothered with a personal land address in years, but he still gets to vote... hmm.. never really gave this much thought, but I'm outraged on your behalf1 
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marihalojen
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Martha, in Florida a permanent land address is required to register for voting, this can be a marina if you have lived there for more than 30 days but not if you are anchored out (even anchored within city limits) with only a PO Box as an address.
Page 18 in this older edition (11/06) of the online copy of SouthWinds details a bit more on this subject (this is a copy of one I have on the boat).
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The Mari Hal-O-Jen
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lapazfarm
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Wow. That IS outrageous.
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Theresa
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Alice R
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I get VERY annoyed when I am driving my child to music lessons and get stuck behind a big school bus. Stpopping every few feet to drop off yet another child.
I already pay a samll fortune for the music lessons, which I feel I should get for free since I pay school taxes, and THEN I have to fill up my car with gas that is very expensive.
I sit there, waiting and waiting, slowly following this bus and have all sorts of thoughts going through my head about how unfair it is.
I understand that I'm stuck paying for everyone else's education but I wish they would give me a credit for some amount of money. I can't even get a crayon for my children from the district but they gladly take all off my money.
I know, I know, it is a democracy and we all have to help out but there are times that I don't feel like it. We are having a very hard time financially right now and stuff like that bugs me. I can't afford to pay for the music lessons anymore but my neighbor gets them for free. Something is wrong with that. I pay my taxes but when I need something, I'm never eligible.
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Martha
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If it's any consolation....
I went to public school K - 12
not one music lesson
and many times I was made fun of for not having my own crayons (paper, eraser, ect..) because my parents "forgot" to buy my school supplies and I'd have to beg off the teacher or a fellow student. 
I don't think any of the schools here give free music lessons or crayons to every student now either. Esp after 5th grade. Even before then, the music lesson is just singing together for 40 minutes once a week. Not learning to read music or an instrument or anything.
After 5th grade, they have band and orchestra class options, but kids have to try out and get their own instruments and pay for all their own uniforms, competitions, and any travel involved. Kids who can't commit to that don't get to play. Kids who's parents couldn't afford all of that via private lessons before middle school, probably won't make it in the try outs. Same thing for sports and other arts.
A LOT of people think public schooled kids can choose from just about anything and do just about anything for free, but that is very often NOT the case at all. At least not in my experience here in Okie land. My dh and I have often commented that homeschooling really is cheaper than public school here. 
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folklaur
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I have found that what Martha says about music lessons is true here too. My oldest dd has taken marching band thru the local high school, and the only reason we could afford it at all was because she was on bass drum so the school supplied the instrument - however...things like band camp for the Marching Band - which was NOT optional, it was mandatory - cost almost $400, "percussion kit" which had sticks, tape etc - by itself it was over $100, and you did not have the option of going to the local music shops for items to purchase yourself, because they all had to be the exact same...plus we had to buy uniforms (well, "rent" actually), marching shoes, performance shoes, performance gown, shakos...and there were certain trips and stuff we had to commit to, or they couldn't be in band. It was not cheap.
Most of the kids who were on things like flute, trumpet, etc, all attended private lessons - or they would not make it onto the band.
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CrunchyMom
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Isn't there a difference between being angry that one is paying taxes to support public schools and being angry that public schools take SO much money to do a bad job (inefficiency)?
I personally have no problem with local communities providing schools for their students (in fact, its a good thing!), but I happen to think the federal involvement and all the corresponding agencies (NEA) are a huge waste of money and hurt more than they help.
Also, I think that when schools get more and more money without any accountability it is a problem. The charter system has worked well in our state. The regular public schools here are awful and rank terribly, but the charter schools (which are forced to compete for the money) are quite good--one even ranked in the top ten schools in the nation (still not sending my kids, though) !
Almost everyone paying for schools isn't benefiting (all people who don't have school age children still pay taxes), but I think it does sting a bit more when one *does* have school age children and the community doesn't want to let your child benefit from this effort unless you choose to send your child to *their* school.
I am sure that people using Catholic and private schools (and paying out of pocket) feel the same way!
Actually, I'm sure that the long list of supplies needed for classrooms at the beginning of the year needles parents sending their kids to public school, too. Why should the school need extra supplies, isn't that what their taxes are supposed to pay for?
Also addressing the property/voting laws, that is how all states used to be until recently. The idea was that if you owned property, you had more at stake in the community. In Berkely, CA, the town recently passed a law about how one had to have a permanent address for a full year to vote in local elections because the transient students at the local universities were having such an impact on local elections when they were going to be leaving the community shortly (leaving the permanent residents to live with the results).
While I can certainly see how frustrating such laws could be in various situations, I can also see how they may have made a lot of sense at the time they were passed.
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CrunchyMom
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Oh, and if you wanna know what *really* needles me, its that working parents who put their kids in daycare can deduct their childcare from taxes, but even though I choose to provide that childcare myself (still in effect paying for it by not working for an income), there is no corresponding program for me to do the same.
Irks me more than the public school taxes.
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Lindsay
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My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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And teacher's can deduct things they buy for the classroom.. but not if it's only your own children that you teach.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Martha
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teacher's can deduct it because they are in business, homeschoolers are not.
my fil can deduct the purchase of a computer because it's a business expense. I can't because I don't have a business.
now the childcare thing...
*sigh* that's a whole 'nother topic!
I get ticked because if I went to work for $8 an hour, I would qualify for childcare subsidies, which helps, but I'd still only bring home about $3 an hour. (And frankly that wouldn't be a good care center either, but that's what i'd have to do do bring home any funds)
Everyone gets the bad end of the stick. the kid, the mother busting her bum to break even if she's lucky, the daycare worker that obviously has to make less than the mother.
Would it make more sense and cost less money to assist parents in staying home with their own kid?
So yes, by all means if one is going to get royal ticked at the system, then let it be at the inefficent methods of it.
Because the sad truth is, some kind of system IS neccessary and always will be. Even Christ said the poor would always be with us. And sadly, there wouldn't be a need for such gov't systems if the Church were able (and parishoners willing) to meet such needs.
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Servant2theKing
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If we focus on our God-given calling to homeschool our own children, and adopt the attitude of "not letting our right hand know what our left hand is doing" regarding taxes, etc., then our souls will be more at peace. When we focus on the inequity in what others are receiving, or the details of what others are doing we run the risk of always feeling disturbed or slighted. It can be very freeing to concentrate solely on those things which have come into our lives from the Lord, such as our husbands and children, and it can be consoling to allow ourselves to be somewhat oblivious of what occurs on other side of the fence, unless the Lord specifically calls us into that realm. This actually holds true in all aspects of life...the more we focus our hearts, minds and souls on whatever has come to us through the Lord, the more we will be at peace!
We ought to pray for those who are mired in dependency on the government for educating and caring for their children...in doing so we choose the better portion. Let us not be anxious and troubled about many things, but instead pray for those who do not share the incredible gift the Lord has given us of homeschooling our children.
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Taffy
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Well said, Servant!
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Susan
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Paying Taxes for Public Schools
