The Dirty Business of Politics, Money and Public Schools

The Washington Post ^ | April 17, 2006 | Editorial

[khnyny]

Montgomery's Unseemly Windfall How the rich get richer

Monday, April 17, 2006; A12

AN UNHERALDED, fine-print change in federal tax law means that Montgomery County will reap an accidental windfall in state education funding, in the range of $20 million or more annually, starting in July of next year. That's nice for Montgomery. The trouble is, the windfall is largely at the expense of 20 of the 23 other jurisdictions in Maryland, especially Prince George's County. As a result of the federal change, Prince George's schools would be shortchanged by roughly the same amount, an estimated $20 million.

The arrangement is blatantly unfair -- it helps richer jurisdictions and penalizes poorer ones -- and Maryland lawmakers could have fixed it easily by adjusting state procedures to take account of the new federal rules. But in an election year, with Montgomery staunchly opposed, the chances of such a rational outcome were jinxed. Instead, the state is saddled with an inequitable system of education funding that probably could not withstand a court challenge.

[khnyny]

Montgomery County, Maryland, happens to be one of the wealthiest counties in the nation - right outside of Washington DC.

[Gabz]

Montgomery County seems to control the entire state - whether others like it or not.

[jer2911tx]

the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few

...not sure i agree with the socialist concept of redistributing wealth away from a taxpayer's public schools to benefit public schools outside that taxpayer's community

public education needs a major re-do.
privatize or something to hold people accountable

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Instead, the state is saddled with an inequitable system of education funding that probably could not withstand a court challenge.

Sad that courts are not our tax leviers too. I wonder if I could sue for some tax inequities in the tax code. There is some major discrimination going on.