Restructure education taxation

The Legislature plans to revise how schools are funded but still fund schools by taxing property. This is a very positive step toward redesigning our racially and socioeconomically discriminatory education system. However it continues a disastrous and outdated way of funding education.

Property taxes are responsible for displacing entire neighborhoods as well as the elderly who no longer have the income to pay the constantly rising property tax on the house they have lived in for years when their income is not going up.

A sales tax is fair to all, as it taxes citizens based on how much they spend today, not on how much they spent years ago building their homes.

Call your legislators and tell them to eliminate all state and local property taxes for education. Tell them to refuse federal money (education is a state, not federal responsibility). This will allow us, not the feds, to control how our children are educated. Tell them to redefine education so no additional funds will be needed in the future.

We need to unite and require real education reform.

John Axtell

Valley