More Taxes for Tech Ed?
Most people would agree that we need more skilled trades education to meet the manufacturing sector’s personnel needs and that technical colleges are one of the most important sources of this curriculum.
Most people would also say that they don’t want to pay any more taxes.
Since taxes are one of the primary sources of funding for technical colleges, the question begs to be asked whether increasing taxes would be the most effective way to achieve the goal of expanding the country’s technical education programs.
Many welding programs, for example, lack the physical space and equipment to accommodate all the students who want to enroll in their courses, and must put those students on waitlists. Other schools suffer from lack of enrollment. More tax revenue could allow these schools to expand their facilities to accommodate more students or expand their recruitment programs to attract more students.
What is your take on the issue? Should we allow technical colleges to increase the amount of taxes they raise in order to expand their skilled trade educational offerings? Would you vote to increase your taxes for such a measure? What would be the benefits or problems caused by doing this? Please share your thoughts by posting a comment below.
Average (Not Rated)
November 27th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I am in need of training in some areas myself so i have to wait until the local comunity college and the high school offer classes. If there isn’t enough enrollment then the classes arn’t held locally. Anybody wanting training has to go to one of the other areas to get it . I am in favor of tax support for education anywhere.
November 28th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
I don’t mind being taxed more for education purposes as long as the tax money will be going to United States Citizens to be educated.
November 29th, 2007 at 2:24 am
Before taxes are increased the productivity of the programs should be assessed. I have been exposed to programs where the needs and suggestions of advisory committees were not respected. Some of the advisory members were tempted to write the governor to get reimbursement from the taxes that were being paid to school programs that they could receive any direct benefit from because of the administration.
November 29th, 2007 at 8:01 am
I would favor increased tax for skilled trades education only as a last ditch effort. Many years ago I remember how many states said if people would vote yes on a state run lottery, the monies generated would go to the schools and eliminate budget shortfalls and increases in millage. Well that has not happened, and I believe a tax for technical education would also be abused, and not applied properly. The best solution may be for industry to partner with the technical schools. If industry donated scrap metal, welding machines that aren’t being used and consumables that would reduce the budget of a welding program. Perhaps industry in the given area would allow their welding engineers, QC representatives, etc to teach at the school on a part time basis. The pay back would be that industry would build a skilled labor pool, welders, that are highly trained for the welding in that geographic area Vs the high coat of sending potential welders, employees to higher priced Generic welding classes.
November 29th, 2007 at 8:35 am
I am in favor of education in any form. After watching the Presidential debate last light and looking at the infrastructure of our country I don’t think they have the big picture yet. 50+ years ago we started aggresivly building all kinds of things across this great country. We have thousands of miles of roads, railroad, pipelines, power transmision etc. I has fueled and funded alot of the growth of our economy and freedom. Lately over the past 20 years we hear about all of the things we have built that are wasteful and shame on our leaders for building bridges in Alaska to nowhere and all of the other things we have done, BUT SHAME ON US FOR LETTING THEM. As long as “I got mine” we have been happy. But because of such wasteful spending our education system has faltered. Ashamedly I admit to not even taking algebra before graduating high school, and California let me. We need to focus on the education of Americans, not only encouraging them to get a higher education but pushing them to. I don’t mean a 4 year degree for everyone but something anything. We see automation taking the higher paying jobs, but I would be just as happy to get my fast food from a robot and not my car, or a bridge. We are on a track to let our kids do as they please and then wait for social security to kick in, well I say that is not good enough. Let the Europeans do it that way but not us. Sure the Euro is stronger now than the dollar but it doesn’t have to be, we are FREE. We are the ones who have the ability and drive to inovate and excel beyond anyone else. We give more and do more for other countries than anyone in history and we should there isn’t a country on this planet that hasn’t had people imigrate here and they should be welcome if they will follow the rules like everyone else has to. All of the “entitlement” items have gotten us off course, people complain about not having good jobs but they are out there, employers complain about not having skilled workers and they could be out there. The government keeps spending more to take care of people who wont care for themselves and they shoul not do it, there are cases for those who truly need help and I am open to that but if a mom or dad is able to work and just doens’t then shame on us for not helping them desire to work, to feel the satisfaction of honest income and success. Seeing 4 and 5 generations not on welfare is in my opinion modern day slavery. They do what they are told and then they get a meger check. We should be helping them.
Do we need more money for training, no I don’t think we do. Do we need to change how our government works? I say you bet. I don’t know how but it has to be done and leaving it to them is askig kids to baby sit themselves.
November 30th, 2007 at 8:07 am
I am in favor of Vocational (education) in any form. We as a country have taken Vocational Education out of our schools. We now have a skilled work force where the average age for a construction worker is 49 years old. Over the past 20 years we no longer have hands on education unless it is on a computer. Most students in high school have never used a screw driver let alone a lathe or welding machine. But because of such wasteful spending on educational testing, we look at the testing in schools more than hands on learning. I am ashamed to admit students of today have never changed a tire, changed the oil in a car or have never even been in a metal shop or wood shop. We need to focus on the skilled education of Americans, not only classroom education but hands on education. We are on a track to let our kids do as they please and continue letting our work be outsourced to other countries. We are the ones who have the ability and drive to motivate and educate our young people.
We do need more money for training, I think we need to get more students working with their hands and away from the computer (As I type this on my computer) The more we work to better the skilled trade worker the better our country will be. We live in the greatest country in the world (we are free) We need to get back to basics in education and stop trying to be inovative in education. Hooked on Phonics worked why change it. A skilled worker takes pride in what he does, America was built on that same pride.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
We absolutly do not need any more taxes. Anyone who thinks we do either has too much money or none at all. If you have too much, donate it to a good cause. If you don’t have enough start reading and educate yourself enough to figure out who to vote for. The rest of us in the middle are sick and tired of footing the bill. There is too much waste in our government. We have been throwing money at social ills and education without good results for too long. Start holding your elected officials accountable to the community rather than themselves.
If you read this and still wonder where I stand, no more taxes!
December 1st, 2007 at 7:29 pm
steve schofield if we as a country only had more like you.
December 14th, 2007 at 8:28 am
As someone who has been a mechanic all my working life and for the last 18 years an employer, I have seen first hand the pitfalls of our educational system. I have seen most hands on programs in local schools done away with. I have had many young people come to work for me that were ill prepared for the realities of making a living. I have had several people who with high school diplomas could barely read and write let alone communicate a thought with the written word. I feel that one of the base causes for the lack of skilled motivated people is the stigma that is attached to the thought of anyone working with their hands. Somewhere along the line we have misplaced the concepts of a good days work for a good days pay and pride in a job well done. We still very much need skilled tradespeople in many many capacities. Seems that years ago a person was ready to enter the job market and earn a living and build a career by age 20, seems like now it is age 30 or later. My biggest wish is that I was intelligent enough to offer viable answers to these problems.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:08 am
I am appaled by the this country’s obsession with sports, and this goes into the schools as well. They are happy to have a championship winning football or basketball teem and spend millions for new fields and gyms calling it school spirit to justify the expense because everyone benefits. Well not everyone benefits; the arts and science,library, and technology budgets are underfunded so that teams of less than 20 can have a few superstars, get college scholarships. How many of these superstars end up making a living at these sports after college? How many are permanently hurt and become wards of the system and never add to the economy; only take? “No child left behind” has become the battle cry of education, but it turned into educations self fullfiling gratifcation. A student is only a guidance counselor’s success if they go to college. This countryneeds every one. A friend tells of being asked by the hi school guidance counseler if he wanted to be “a dumb farmer all his life” when he expressed his carier prefference. Well we need dumb farmers to eat. we needMcDonalds burger flippers ,welders ,machine shop opperators and tire busters more than collage sports superstars. why are all of our jobs going to china, and our youth going on welfair? Let schools put there budget where it will do the most good raise the taxes some but redistribute funds so that every child receives an approapate to them education.
December 21st, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I have retired for career education as it is called today and have seen the decline of hand-on training drop not only in numbers but quality. The teacher standards have dropped funding has dried up, and it has turned into an alterative program for low achieving non-college bound students. Ten years ago the fed’s funded a program called regestered apprentice program, it was a smashing success students for home school that had problems with just seat time spent two to three days a week and holadays and summers partnered with a journeyman. Manufacturing needs this program because the student {not really motivative in the clossroom} gets to apply all the things they do learn , math , physics, history just talking people that lived it ,not a teacher who has not a clue about the real world. They also learn work ethics the hard way and receive a pay chech with raises as they progress,believe me this is a motivator. I was the cordinator for Washington County Pa. I had between 80 and 100 student working a any given time at no cost to the local tax payer. The federal government provides a cordinator to regester all apprentices 16 years and older. The program was dropped in 2002 when I retired. I in favor of in house programs to justify keeping expensive tax based programs. One half of all my student received post-secondary paid for by the employer an journeymans statis. This program cost the tax payer 0 nothing in fact it returns taxes in the form of taxes. I would like your comments on this program.
Thank You
December 21st, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Please disregard my first paragraph I hit submit before profing it. I have retired from career education as it called today and have seen a large decline in skilled training in especially the manufactureing field with large drop in those entering the field. Teacher standards have dropped, funds have dried up due to “No Child Left Behind” and voc-ed has turned into an alternative program for under acheiving non-college bound students. Ten years ago the federal government approved a regestered apprenticeship program that high school student 16 years and older could apply for. Perfect for bright student that did not like boring seat time and eventually caused problems. They spent three days the first year in the classroom and two day the second for applied academics the rest of the time they spent at a work site with a mentor appling what they learned at school. Manufacturing in particular needs this program today because equipment changes so fast and school fund can not keep pace. This program requires 0 No taxes in fact there is a return of taxes from student wages. I was the workforce development cordinator for Washington County Pa. responsible for placing student . I was partnered with the Federal Apprentice Cordinator responsible for registering each site.I had 100 sites registered in 1998 and at least 40 apprentices working holidays week ends and summers within the rule of the program. When I retired in 2002 the program was dropped in favor of in=house programs to raise seat numbers to justify keep expensive tax based programs. by the way one half of all the apprentices received some kind of post-secondary training provide by the employers. I seven years we registered approximately 780 apprentices in companies inthe tri-county region. This program should be revived.
February 29th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
As a high school welding instructor I wouldn’t mind paying more taxes if someone would guarentee me that the money will be used for vocational education. I have been a welder my entire adult life and if it wasn’t for career tech ed I would have been lost. welders in this trade are excellent craftsman.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Yes we need more money for learning. With a tight budget we get jipped out of some interesting things. Can you emagine how much more we could learn with some extra cash. It would be great.