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Show Pge 4 Aug. Utah Farm Bureau News 1972 Policy Development ISSQJGS For Discussions Implications of Recent Court Cases on the Use of Local Property Taxes to Finance Schools In a number of recent cases courts have held, in effect, that reliance on local property taxes to finance public education is unconstitutional under the Federal, or a State, Constitution. The most common argument in such cases is that a system which makes the level of spending for public education dependent on local wealth violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The first such case, Serrano vs. Priest, was returned to a lower California court for further consideration. In a Texas case, Rodriguez vs. San Antonio Independent School District, the Texas system of financing schools was hdd to violate both the Texas and U.S. Constitutions, although only about one-ha- lf of Texas school local comes from public financing property taxes. The court ordered the State to restructure its school financing within two years. The Rodriguez case is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court If the Federal District Court decision in this case should be upheld by the Supreme Court, public schools in all States except Hawaii would be affected. (Hawaii would not be affected because it now finances public schools on a statewide basis.) The general argument in these cases is that the use of local property taxes to finance schools is unfair because taxable property valuations vary quite widely from district to district in a state. For example, in Texas assessed valuations per pupil are said to vary from a low of $1,581 to a high of $71,311. Nothing in any of these court decisions indicates that the property tax is an unconstitutional tax; or that spending per pupil must be the same in all districts. The thing that is in question is the basing of local school expenditures on local property taxes. This might possibly be overcome hy the use of a system which collected property taxes on a statewide basis and distributed school funds on some basis other than the amount raised by taxes on local property; however, some states have constitutional provisions prohibiting statewide property taxes. A variety of plans for changing the present methods of financing school expenditures have been developed by people who expect the Supreme Court to uphold the District Courts decision in the Rodriguez case. The major proposals may be summarized as follows: Full State Funding Under this approach all-- or virtually all-fu-nds for the support of public schools would be raised on a statewide basis. As noted above, this could involve the use of a statewide property tax in states that do not have a constitutional provision against such a tax. Full state funding does not necessarily mean that each district would receive the same number of dollars per pupil from the state. Various formulas are proposed to provide extra funds for certain students-su- ch as to extra cost students assistance and for high provide disadvantaged districts. Districts might, or might not, be permitted to supplement 10 percent-t- o enrich their state funds to a limited extent-s- ay educational programs. Tax Power Equalizing Under this approach the state would supply each district with a flat grant Districts wishing to spend more could levy a local property tax, but the return from such taxes would be levy raised less than equalized by die state. For example, if a one-mi- ll $25 per pupil the state would make up the difference; but if one mill raised more than $25 per pupil the excess would have to be remitted to the state. - - - . issue hearings have been held by House and Senate Labor Committees among changes included in various bills are: (1) increase generally applicable minimum wage from $1.60 an hour to $2.00 or $2.25 an hour; (2) increase farm minimum wage from $1.30 an hour to $1.70, $2.00, or $2.25 an hour; (3) reduce present exemption for s farmers with less than 500 of employment in high quarter of preceding year, to those with less than 100 maitdays; (4) require payment of time and a half for work after eight hours a day in addition to overtime after forty hours per week as now small calf was shot and left on farm property In Southern Utah This Is mute evidence that coyotes are not the only predators" doing damage to farm and ranch property. Anyone who observes crimes or sees anyone "casing" farm properties for later criminal activity, should take license numbers and all other Information that could be used as evidence to convict such criminals. A County. man-day- Cash For Candidates The July issue of Farm Bureau News reviewed the major issues which will be of importance to farmers in the approaching election and session of the legislature. Each Farm Bureau member should become acquainted with these issues and discuss them with candidates. Your decision as to voting preference will be based on the candidates support of the programs you believe in. County Farm Bureaus should hold some sort of a formal Session with each candidate to review policy and get the candidates commitment of support needed. Now the real facts of life tell us that it is hardly fair to the candidate for us to expect him to do so much for us and we do nothing for him. His first big job is to get elected. This takes time and money. Farm Bureau believes that all members should do three filings: 1. Pick the candidates you want to siqaport. Do this by matching what the candidate stands for with the things you want done. 2. Help in the campaign. Talk to friends, pass out literature, call on phone and do anything you can to help. 3. Contribute some cash. Our modern means of communication are very expensive. A campaign costs a bunch of money. This is our democratic system. A governor candidate may spend as much as candidate for Congress from $40,000 to $75,000; a county $100,000; commissioner from a few hundred to several thousand dollars; a candidate for the legislature from several hundred to more than a thousand dollars. Most candidates do not have the funds to pay for this cost. They must depend on help from friends. Again let us make it plain that politics is a two-wa- y street. We cannot expect to receive all the favors without giving a little. You will note a contribution blank in this paper. Clip it out. Send a small contribution to each of your chosen candidates and we will see that it is properly distributed. We are told that horse race fans get more excitement out of a horse race if they have some money invested. The same principle applies here. If you help a friend to the finish line, your government will take on a new look. Be a good friend help your candidate. Send your contribution today. required; (5) repeal present from overtime exemption of and farmers requirements of farm partial exemptions processing and handling concerns; (6) limit employment of minors by farmers; (7) provide penalties for farmers who do not verify citizenship or lawful immigration status of farm workers. Farm Bureau opposes all these changes. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE When Congress revised unemployment insurance legislation in 1969, the bill did not cover farmers, but called for priority study of feasibility of farm coverage-stu- dy is about completed legislative proposals are expected to be submitted to Congress in 1972. Farm Bureau believes that extension of unemployment in- surance to a farm work force which is composed primarily of high school and college students, housewives, unskilled persons who are unemployed most of the time, retired people, members of farm families temporarily working for other farmers, and other short term workers employed on a seasonal, part-tim- e basis, would be impractical. - CONCLUSION The court decisions discussed above raise many questions. One important question is: Who will control the schools if States are forced to restructure the financing of their educational programs? Another question involves the effect these decisions are likely to have on school costs. For example, it is likely that more State involvement in school finance would lead to statewide bargaining for teachers salaries, and that increased Federal funding would mean increased Federal control. The final outcome of this issue is, of course, in doubt pending further court decisions. Many people feel that the Supreme Court eventually will uphold a lower court decision that the local property tax is an unconstitutional basis for financing public schools. Even if the Supreme Court should not render such an opinion many states are likely to face a need to revise their method of financing public schools under decisions based on State Constitutions. The solution to this problem will vary from state to state. Thus each State Farm Bureau will want to study it in the light of the situation in its own state, and also in the light of Federal-Stat- e TO: Utah Farm Bureau Political Education Program Committee: which represents my contribution to the political action Enclosed is $ of Bureau. Please Farm allocate program my contribution as follows: V to State Democratic Party $ to - to $- relationships. District Reorganization Court objections to file use of local property taxes to finance schools apparently could be overcome by reorganizing districts so that each district in the state would have approximately the same average property valuation per pupil. This approadi involves many problems. In order to equalize property values, it probably would be necessary to have at least some very large districts, and some with unusual shapes. It also would be necessary to redraw district lines from time to time. Increased Federal Funding Some will argue that large amounts of local property taxes should be replaced with Federal funds. One d d local d state and Federal, proposal calls for - $- to - to s- - to - to s- one-thir- (me-thir- - $- - one-thir- to State Republican Party - (Name) for Congress (Name) for Governor (Name) for County Commissioner (Name) for State Senator (Name) for State Representative for Other Office (Name) Total Contribution financing. When the stranger asked Luke if they had any criminal in Luke allowed as how they were but pretty sure they did they couldn't prove it yet lawyers town, Other Issues Some national legislation on the horizon will be of . considerable concern to farmers. Among the bills being considered are the following: MINIMUM WAGE, HOUR, AND "Jimmy, auntie will never want to kiss that dirty face." ."Thats what I thought. EMPLOYMENT REGULATION Growing opposition to enactment of changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act has so far deferred Congressional action on this I would appreciate having my name added to the list to be presented to my respective candidate choices. It is understood that the contribution amounts will not be publicized. Signed : County If you care to be anonymous you may choose not to sign above. Anyone contributing $100 or more should sign as the law requires us to report such contribution to the proper state and federal agency. Should you desire to make a contribution to a candidate for President of the United States you may send it to this address. We must report name of donor and amount to the state office. can-didate- Mail to Utah Farm Bureau Political Education Committee 629 East 4th South Salt Lake City, Utah 84102 's |