School levy favors the wealthy

With regard to the school levy, there is a dynamic at work I would like you to consider. Because of the changes in the housing market, families who have lived in the area for a long time have seen the values of their homes triple or quadruple since the time they bought them (even when adjusting for the dips they’ve taken lately). Very few or none of these same families have tripled their income in the same time period. Because the levy is based on the value of property, this means there has been a disproportionate shift in the burden (in terms of percentage of income) to the families who make less money.

In my circle of friends, the ones who support the levy are largely families with comfortable incomes. They will not feel the impact of levy. They view it in terms of “giving up a few luxuries” for the worthwhile investment of education. But I have other friends who gave up luxuries long ago. They are already making decisions about whether to skip needed dental work or continue to drive with bald tires. Paying for the levy will be a genuine sacrifice for these families. And they are being asked to shoulder a larger share of it than the families of means. It does not seem right to me that as a community, we are considering voting to take a larger share of money out of the pockets of the people who can least afford it.

CYNTHIA GLENN DILTS

Sagle