There were some education goodies in the bailout bill that was just signed into law, especially some pieces for rural schools. That’s because with a turkey like this you have to put a bunch of other things in so members can say, “Well, I didn’t vote for it because of x, I didn’t love that, I voted for it because y is in there and it’s very important…” and also because when a train is pulling out of the station, everyone wants their luggage on it. That’s fine, it’s democracy and though it’s not always pretty it’s pretty great.
But, if we’re throwing in rural initiatives, why not a homestead tax incentive for teachers and principals who move to rural areas and buy houses…you could structure that in a way that helps with home ownership, still an important goal despite this mess we’re in, and also encourages teachers to stay in hard-to-serve areas. Too late for this one but maybe we could put it in next year’s bailout bill?
Next year’s bailout bill? Maybe we’re naive, but aren’t we at least hoping to have a better year next year?