MM: Tax Exemptions and School Funding, Student Behavoir, and Parrots are Awesome
Decatur Metro | March 29, 2016 | 10:10 am
- Ga. Tax Exemptions May Equal Trouble for Schools [WABE]
- Decatur High students show “alarming rates” of risky behavior [Decaturish]
- Senior strives to improve police-student relations [3ten]
- Rising Son Debuts Tuesday Morning in Avondale Estates [Eater]
- Mayor Reed releases statement on passage of MARTA funding bill [ABC]
- Parrots Are a Lot More Than ‘Pretty Bird’ [NYT]
Photo courtesy of Rising Son Facebook page
Ga. Tax Exemptions May Equal Trouble for Schools [WABE] … exactly.
The WABE article fails to mention that the key financial concern — a shifting demographic towards more retirees — is also why Decatur and similar age-exempt provisions in other Georgia municipalities all have a sunset clause — to force the issue to be revisited periodically.
I wouldn’t even call the WABE piece an article; it is little more than clickbait. I expect better from WABE.
I’m wondering if the “alarming rates” of risky behavior compared to Dekalb 12th graders and nationally reflect more honest self-reporting
But it probably doesn’t explain the trend over time. DHS students are getting more honest over time? Probably not.
So here’s a question for other Decatur adults … Last fall I was at McKoy park with my kids and noticed a group of about 5-6 teenagers in the woods (clearly trying to hide, but doing an absolutely terrible job). While the kids were playing, I noticed the unmistakable smell of a certain burning plant. As we were leaving, we walked by the same group and I walked into the woods and confronted the group and told them their attempts to hide were woefully inadequate and they needed to leave. They packed up their paraphernalia and quickly left, clearly scared that they were confronted by an adult. I had contemplated calling the police, which could have resulted in life altering consequences for some of the teens involved. If I had known any of them, I would have notified their parents (as I would want to be notified).
I still wonder if I handled it the right way in the moment. What do you think? Should you call the police when confronted with a situation like that? Other suggestions? Just curious.
You did the right thing and, were you to know any of the kids, it sounds like you were poised to do an even better thing (informing their parents). Our zero-tolerance world has conditioned us to engage the highest levels of authority as our first course of action. Your restraint is admirable.
Agree with Scott wholeheartedly. Absolutely the right call to NOT call the police.
How do you square this with blatant disregard of authority, namely the entitlement behavior of adults who speed, drive recklessly, run red lights, park in handicapped parking spots when no disabled persons are in the vehicle, often with precious cargo on board? I’m calling the police. Mama doesn’t use the hair brush like she used to…
I see your point … but I also put myself in their shoes. I was generally a good kid with good parents, but I also did a few incredibly stupid and certainly illegal (though harmless) things when I was in highschool. I never got caught, no one ever called the police, and i was smart enough to learn my own lessons about the stupidity of my actions. If the police had become involved, however, the consequences could have had a permanent and life altering consequences. And the lessons woudl have been imposed on me instead of me having recognize it for myself.
Same here. Lessons learned from adults, whether parents, friends’ parents, or police are not forgotten.
The examples you list (with the exception of handicap parking) puts lives at risk. Some teens smoking pot in the park does not.
And as a side note, I personally have no issues with disregarding authority when The Authority oversteps it’s bounds…and the behavior does not harm the person or property of another.
The Walrus doesn’t need to square that with your examples, because the activity in question was none of those. Completely different conversation.
Examples used to illustrate risky behavior based on poor role modeling, which I believe was the point of the original post.
Touché. The OP did ask about situations like that. Carry on. 🙂
Again, without the provision of income/asset based appropriation of this exemption, I believe it is going to be a hard sell this year. We just had the $75M bond pass and now you are basically taking away a part of the population to pay for it.
I know the intent is to slow school enrollment, but not at potentially benefiting those who financially need the tax break the least. If seniors have the amount of wealth to where they shouldn’t receive the exemption, then a reduction in their taxes isn’t going to be what makes them stay/leave.
The senior exemption that will presumably be on the ballot this November is distinct from the recent bond. Even if it passes, all affected seniors will continue paying towards the $75 million.
No one gets an exemption from helping pay the bonds. Exemptions only apply to either city services tax or school tax.
Is DeKalb also voting on half penny for MARTA expansion?
I do not believe so. I think Dekalb County (and I guess COD residents, but not sure) are going to get to vote to increase sales tax by another 1% per dollar spent to be used on roads and infa-structure. More $ to the corrupt “works project” known as Dekalb County government.
DeKalb did not want to have multiple sales tax increases on the same year’s ballot. It will likely be included next year because the Clifton Corridor connection (and the federal matching funds it would attract) will require DeKalb’s participation.