Vermont Proposition 3, School Choice and the Cost of Living: Alison Despathy on Common Sense Radio

What is Proposition 3, a proposed Amendment to the Vermont Constitution?  What language in Proposition 3 is reasonable, but redundant of what law and Constitutional Rights we already have.  And what language in Proposition 3 could easily be interpreted tn ways that should concern all those who believe in the right of employees to be free to decide for themselves whether they want to join a union or not.

Has this portion of the Proposition largely been overlooked by most in the media, and thereby, most all of the general public?  And why so?

What might be the role of the Supremacy Clause in the US Constitution?  Have any other States in the Nation experimented with this particular amendment to the State Constitution?  Illinois.

Should you be required to join a Union against your will?  What is a monopsony?  How can a monopsony interfere with freedom on choice, with similar effects on market distortion as monopoly?

Why is freedom of choice, as both a customer and as a producer or provider, essential to the functioning of a free society?

What can we learn by applying the principles of choice and competition to the markets for education, including Pre-K child care services.

How did Act 60, and the weakening of the Foundation Formula in the late 1990s, lead to much faster growth in the Vermont cost of education, compared the same cost in other States. Including States just as rural as Vermont — Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Montana, and late portions of the Great Plains, Texas, and Alaska.  What is the difference is students per teacher, and student per staff among these States, compared with Vermont?  How does this affect the cost per student, in which Vermont is second highest in the nation?

What should we know about student proficiency scores in Vermont?  Compared with other States, and compared with earlier times in Vermont?

What is your evaluation of the effects of the new child care subsidy, and the new payroll tax to fund the subsidy?  Is there more availability of openings, and at a lower cost?  Are there any parallels with the massive subsidies provided for college education?  Including the effect on costs?  How did Vermont’s assistance for child care compare with other States, prior to the new subsidy and new tax?  Was there a better way?  For example, aid directly to the families seeking child care?  When providing assistance for a particular service, or product, why is it almost always better to subsidize the customer, and not the provider?

How is school choice affected by the Education Reform passed by the Legislature?  What is a good working definition of school choice, and in what forms does it appear in Vermont?  For example, Town Tuitioning?  What limitations on choice arise from the process by which school boards decide whether and under what conditions a family will be allowed to choose the school to which to send their child?  What should we know about home schooling, and the degree to which families have this opportunity?  What is the history of school choice in Vermont?  What were the reasons why school choice was started in Vermont?  What is the connection of school choice to religion?  Why do some say that wealthy families have school choice, but not families of modest means?  Was this a factor in providing the opportunity for choice in other States or jurisdictions — such as Florida, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, and Washington, DC?  Can Charter Schools be public schools?  What is the difference, if any?  And what is the difference a specialized theme school, like the creative arts school in Burlington, and a charter school?

What is the history of school consolidation in Vermont? Starting in the early 1800’s, the Vicious Act of 1892 when the number of schools was reduced from about 2,500 to about 250; consolidation to union districts in the 1970s; and various consolidations in the last two decades.  What is the connection between school finance and education costs?  What do we know, as a general principle of economics and choice, about what happens when a supplier has a monopoly over their customers — what happens, almost inevitably, to the cost and quality of the product or service being provided?  As opposed to what almost always happens when customers have choices and options, and providers must compete for the choice of their customers.

Some have said the legislation passed this session puts control of school spending more completely in control of the State.  Does this seem correct to you?  And, if so, is it because of the nature of the Foundation Formula?  What are the weighting factors in the Foundation Formula, and how are they measured and determined?  What if there are differences of opinion as to what individual weights, in a particular school district, are determined?  Will each factor have a gradient of potential values?

Will State Aid for District schools evolve into being similar in form to State Aid for Town Roads?

What was the illusion created for local school Districts when the State first took control of the property base in the late 1990’s, under Act 60?  That individual Districts could spend more than they would if they had to pay for their spending by raising taxes on their own taxpayers, The illusion that the additional spending would be funded by taxpayers in other Districts?

Was this a factor in the rapid rise in school spending since that time?  That is, from about the same cost per student in Vermont as in the national average, to today, more than 70 percent over the national average.

Can the opportunity for school choice be a factor in helping to reverse Vermont’s decline in population, particularly among middle class young families, with the associated decline in student population, including in small rural schools?  What are some of the reasons why families want school choice?  Specialty training — science, languages, skiing, theatre, music, or just a better fit for a child?  How does choice and competition affect price and quality in most all other markets for goods and services?  Why should education be exempt from these basic laws of economics?  Why do markets seem to work better when subsidies go to customers, not to providers?

What is the history of raising non-property taxes, with the aim of reducing property taxes?  State income tax, Rooms and Meals taxes, Sales Taxes, State Property Tax, Purchase and Use Tax, Short Term Rental Tax?  Does this history suggest that we have a spending problem, other than a revenue problem?  What should we know about the customary objections to school choice?  For example, that private schools are not required to accept students whose education would require special attention which would be costly and time consuming. Other State requirements imposed on public schools not imposed on private schools?  Do all public schools comply with this list of requirements?  Do some private schools take students that public schools will not?  How do we address the comment that school choice drains resources from our public schools, weakening them; and therefore, to improve public schools we must keep public money in public schools, and strive to improve them?  What should we consider in evaluating pre-school and early education programs, costs, and quality?  Including the new payroll tax?

What should we know about legislation and regulation affecting the cost and availability of energy?  Global Warming Solutions Act and the Climate Council?  The Clean Heat Standard, or Cap and Trade, vs voluntary approaches to reducing emissions?  What should we know about renewable energy standards, energy codes, and the suspended rule that would have limited sales of gas powered trucks..  Did the proposed fuel registry pass the Legislature, and is the purpose of such a registry to lay the foundation for a Carbon Tax?  Do Carbon taxes, and complex and burdensome energy regulations disproportionately affect the cost of living for rural families, businesses, and communities?

Did the Road Rule and Tier 3 land use regulation adversely affect the property rights of rural and businesses?  What is the issue of unfairness as to live savings?  And the issue as to gentrification and discrimination against families and businesses of modest means?  And the general effect of limiting opportunities for new housing in rural communities?

Do the issues of energy cost, and land use regulation, along with high property taxes, and difficulties in keeping rural hospitals solvent, help us understand why many in rural areas are beginning to feel that State policy made in Montpelier wants to depopulate rural areas of Vermont?