“Temporarily” exempting “veteran” teachers (more than 5 years working as a teacher) from paying the CA state income tax is the logical extension of our state’s treatment of government workers as aristocracy. In CA the public employee pay is far higher than what public employees make in the other states, the underfunded opulent pensions are unsustainable, and now the legislature is considering removing “public servants” from the tax rolls.
Once one public employee group is removed from the tax rolls, the other CA state and local government workers will yell “unfair”– insisting on a “level playing field” (among CA state and local employees). First to insist on “equal treatment” will be police and firefighters, and the rest will shortly thereafter get the same subsidy.
A “temporary” exemption from paying taxes? We all know what happens with such “temporary” taxes and tax breaks. Later it will become permanent. And guess which unions will be tirelessly campaigning to again raise the income tax — this time on the under-$100,000 taxpayers foolish enough to work in the private sector.
As one wealthy “pundit” (Leona Helmsley) put it, “Only the little people pay taxes.”
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2017/03/california_bill_would_exempt_v.html
California Bill Would Exempt Veteran Teachers From State Income Taxes
Two California state senators think the solution to the state’s teacher shortages can be found in its tax code.
If it passes, Senate Bill 807 would exempt teachers with more than five years of experience from paying state income taxes for the next ten years. That would essentially give every veteran teacher a 4 percent to 6 percent raise overnight. The bill also hopes to remove some of the barriers for new teachers entering the profession by giving them tax credits to help cover the costs of the trainings required to become a fully certified teacher in the Golden State.
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To read the rest of the article, go to:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2017/03/california_bill_would_exempt_v.html
NOTE: Don’t bother leaving a comment criticizing the idea under the EDUCATION WEEK article. They “encourage” comments, but delete any negative comment — even if it is not disrepectful of teachers.