I see mention of tax credits for the working poor, and for buisinesses that create local jobs, and "removing tax incentives" for people moving jobs overseas. No mention about magically making $1.5B / year.
Unfortunately, moving jobs overseas isn't a TAX incentive, it's a cost saving maneuver - same jobs done at less than half the costs. Taxes don't come into it much, really.
It's possible we could find the money, but it would inevitably involve raising taxes (something that I personally don't mind, so long as I feel that my tax $$ is going to something worthwhile)
The deficit, combined with increased security, combined with Social Security, combined with people wanting universal health care, etc etc etc etc - that's an awful lot of money going out, we'd need more moneey coming in.
I don't seem to sound like an asshole, but why should I believe that someone who homeschools would be interested in bolstering education over saving their own tax dollars? Most of the homeschooling families in my experience had no incentive and therefore wrote us public school kids off as a waste - or worst of all condisended us by saying they supported education by removing the kid and expected us leftover families to do what they did in fashion.
Just because I don't believe that the hilltop neighborhood Tacoma public schools wound't be a good match for my son (considering their entry guidlines do NOT allow for him to be in first grade due to his birthday - he would've started kindergarten this year) does not mean that I would prefer the public schools to be improved overall. In fact, I would love for the schools to be improved for the betterment of my fellow man, and even for the use of my own family.
And all of this coming from someone who went to 1st grade through high school in private schools, and who still regularly votes to increase his own taxes for schools if he feels that the schools will end up better for it (being a homeowner, increases in property taxes - the common way for schools to raise money - have a more direct effect on me than on some)
Without insisting we pull out of Iraq, or anything of the sort, I can come up with the money from the budget fairly easily. Stop producing further nuclear weapons. As it is, our arsenal is more than enough to bomb anyone back into the stone age and then some. Its also very difficult to convince other countries to disarm or cease development of nuclear arsenals when we're pushing further production ourselves. A lot of the development budget is already in place. Take it out of the works, and you have some room to push other financial plans. And you could probably get that change passed in congress, even currently.
There's other things that could be cut, but that's one of the first that comes to mind.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:34 pm (UTC)I like the idea and all but...
Who'se going to foot that $1.5B / year (not including facilities costs)?
Also, $30k/yr is more than most beginning teacher's salaries, and these teachers don't seem like they would be certified...
It seems like a good idea, but I wonder about it...
no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:48 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, moving jobs overseas isn't a TAX incentive, it's a cost saving maneuver - same jobs done at less than half the costs. Taxes don't come into it much, really.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:55 pm (UTC)However, 1.5 billion is nothing compared to the funding poured into Iraq and the military of late.
We already have the money for these things, it's just not being spent domestically, where I feel it belongs.
I don't know the federal budget inside and out, but I guarantee you the money could be found, and put to better use there than where it is now.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 10:03 pm (UTC)The deficit, combined with increased security, combined with Social Security, combined with people wanting universal health care, etc etc etc etc - that's an awful lot of money going out, we'd need more moneey coming in.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 11:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 11:13 pm (UTC)And all of this coming from someone who went to 1st grade through high school in private schools, and who still regularly votes to increase his own taxes for schools if he feels that the schools will end up better for it (being a homeowner, increases in property taxes - the common way for schools to raise money - have a more direct effect on me than on some)
no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 09:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-05 10:19 pm (UTC)Stop producing further nuclear weapons. As it is, our arsenal is more than enough to bomb anyone back into the stone age and then some. Its also very difficult to convince other countries to disarm or cease development of nuclear arsenals when we're pushing further production ourselves. A lot of the development budget is already in place. Take it out of the works, and you have some room to push other financial plans. And you could probably get that change passed in congress, even currently.
There's other things that could be cut, but that's one of the first that comes to mind.