Chef Verc TV Reality Show Support Thread

Prayers man. I know how that feels. Wish nothing but the best for you and your family
 
I used to live near (but not quite in the district of) a public elementary school in north Buckhead that looks like a frigging private college campus. It looks like part of Emory University. Apparently the strategy among the Buckhead folks is to send their kids to this "public" elementary school through sixth grade, then pull them out of the public system and send them to a very expensive private middle/high school. The whole Atlanta public school system is apparently a disaster except for this one elementary school.

I don't know what you do about it though. Many people wouldn't see a problem with it at all. I don't really like the inequity, but then of course my own kids' school has a new computer lab that was completely paid for by fundraising. Is it egregious? I don't think so. Is it better than the kids at schools down in south Dekalb County have? Almost certainly. Is that fair? Not really. But if you keep parents from donating to their own schools, then nobody gets anything, because nobody is going to donate to a district-wide "Dekalb County School Fund."

This is a long-winded way of saying that yes, I think it sucks but no, I don't think you can fix it.
 
Do you think this....

"If a foundation raises money for a district with a high percentage of children eligible for free lunch, it could offer a double deduction; for a district below the average in per-pupil spending, the standard deduction; for a district with few poor children and higher than average per-pupil spending, no deduction."

would help at all? Or just result in far less donations and thus "more equal but ehhh overall worse off"?
 
Interesting article. I agree with Verc...I'm not sure what you can do to fix it. On the one hand, I can understand and even support those that are wealthy that want give to their own kids' schools...like the article said, it's human nature. At the level of donations referenced, it can also be viewed as very elitist...also human nature.

On the other hand, I'm sensitive to the idea of having my wealth "redistributed" forcibly...although I hate to see the kids in lower income areas not enjoy the same educational opportunities. Its not their fault their parents aren't wealthy. Quite the conundrum...

Another long way of saying...it sucks, but I also don't know how to fix it.
 
Every dime of my money that goes to public schooling annoys me to no end.
 
I can't speak for other areas of the country where the public school system might actually come close to functioning as it should, but it is the single worst element of memphis without a doubt. Outsiders bang on the crime rate and safety and this and that, but it's the public school system, city and county. It is a significant drain on the city budget. It is an embarrassment. It is a sieve of money.

I think it is ridiculous that children are provided free breakfast. I think it is ridiculous that they can qualify to be provided free lunch and, in some instances, free dinner as well. I'm all for helping the less well off, but I'll do that as my own choosing, with my own money. Redistributed wealth is communism, point blank, and irritating to any self respecting person who tries to better their own situation as well as their families.

People who know the handouts are coming can sit on their ass and accept them. People should be responsible for providing for themselves and their responsibilities (children). Wellfare/food stamps/free meals/qualifying for government aid is so poorly regulated that it misses its intended mark. It's, by and large, a waste of working people's money.
 
I will agree that it misses its intended mark a lot of times. but i am on the flipside when it comes to views of that mark and the... intentions behind the programs. thats also coming from me: a young, naive kid who will readily admit he is still learning a crapload every day from all different directions on the spectrum.

I will agree that banging on the crime rate and showing murder stories on the news etc etc probably does absolutely nothing to help Memphis (and similarly situated cities) and does even less to shed light on what the actual concerns should be.
 
005 said:
Do you think this....

"If a foundation raises money for a district with a high percentage of children eligible for free lunch, it could offer a double deduction; for a district below the average in per-pupil spending, the standard deduction; for a district with few poor children and higher than average per-pupil spending, no deduction."

would help at all? Or just result in far less donations and thus "more equal but ehhh overall worse off"?
Click to expand...

In general I don't think people donate to their local school for the tax break, although I'll grant that I've never heard of anything like the "suggested contribution" the article talks about. I wouldn't take the deductible away. But establishing a large new deductible might indeed be a good way to encourage donations to poorer schools that would help even it out even a little bit.
 
I'm fairness I only skimmed the article but it seemed very much same ol same ol in terms of rich people spending their money on their kids and people feeling sorry for poor kids school not being as nice..

That's unfortunate, but where do you draw the line? You want all 16 yr olds to get the same car on their birthday? They already have to wear the same clothes to school so no one feels bad. They need the same computer labs? Same school funding? Same lockers, supplies, etc?

Some people have money, some don't. It's life. It's a reality everyone deals with. It shouldn't be even.
 
Vercingetorix said:
In general I don't think people donate to their local school for the tax break, although I'll grant that I've never heard of anything like the "suggested contribution" the article talks about. I wouldn't take the deductible away. But establishing a large new deductible might indeed be a good way to encourage donations to poorer schools that would help even it out even a little bit.
Click to expand...

Maybe I should read the article.

People take all tax deductibles available to them. And TONS of people give money to all sorts of random things for no other purpose than the tax deduction.
 
TBreazy said:
I can't speak for other areas of the country where the public school system might actually come close to functioning as it should, but it is the single worst element of memphis without a doubt. Outsiders bang on the crime rate and safety and this and that, but it's the public school system, city and county. It is a significant drain on the city budget. It is an embarrassment. It is a sieve of money.

I think it is ridiculous that children are provided free breakfast. I think it is ridiculous that they can qualify to be provided free lunch and, in some instances, free dinner as well. I'm all for helping the less well off, but I'll do that as my own choosing, with my own money. Redistributed wealth is communism, point blank, and irritating to any self respecting person who tries to better their own situation as well as their families.

People who know the handouts are coming can sit on their ass and accept them. People should be responsible for providing for themselves and their responsibilities (children). Wellfare/food stamps/free meals/qualifying for government aid is so poorly regulated that it misses its intended mark. It's, by and large, a waste of working people's money.
Click to expand...

There's a difference between cutting someone a check for not working, and feeding a little poor kid a meal that he otherwise might not get. The kid isn't the one sitting on his ass.
 
TBreazy said:
Maybe I should read the article.

People take all tax deductibles available to them. And TONS of people give money to all sorts of random things for no other purpose than the tax deduction.
Click to expand...

What I asked verc about is what I took away as the main interesting suggestion in the article. What may make it more than just any other article on the topic (though I'm sure its been suggested before).
 
005 said:
Do you think this....

"If a foundation raises money for a district with a high percentage of children eligible for free lunch, it could offer a double deduction; for a district below the average in per-pupil spending, the standard deduction; for a district with few poor children and higher than average per-pupil spending, no deduction."

would help at all? Or just result in far less donations and thus "more equal but ehhh overall worse off"?
Click to expand...

I don't believe deductions should be phased out for giving money to more privileged schools, but I do believe offering a double deduction would increase funding for poorer schools--coming from my own tax planning experience
 
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