[Catfish787]

I'm majoring in Criminal Justice, minor in Biology.

Wanted to get a police job with the NYSP, NYDEC ECO, or Park police, but they have not held exams since 2008.

Think i'm just gonna move to PA and find a job there. More available from what I've researched.

Also... here is a good video. Basically sums up the problems with the whole current college systems. For example, college textbook price scam, high tuition, loans that you pay back nearly for life, etc.

College Conspiracy Scam in USA [HD] Full Version - Google search: 'John Taylor Gatto' - YouTube

 

[RayKnobs]

I have no issue paying school taxes. I should not have to pay the same amount as someone with five kids in school though.

no one is forcing you. rent

 

[ChrisWNY]

no one is forcing you. rent

That same thought crossed my mind as well. Problem with that theory is that school taxes and property taxes are built into the cost of rent. You pay it in one way, shape, or form. There's no escaping taxes, *especially* in NYS...

 

[dsdmmat]

I bought all but one of my books used so that saved a bunch, as far as online goes I've tried and I do much better navigating a solid book then online textbooks, just the way I learn and retain info.

I am the same way, prefer to have books in the hand.

 

[whauburger]

I go to school there, SUNY Orange. What do you do there if you don't mind me asking?

I am one of the maintenance guys at the Newburgh campus. You in Middletown or Newburgh?

 

[Camper4lyfe]

I bought all but one of my books used so that saved a bunch, as far as online goes I've tried and I do much better navigating a solid book then online textbooks, just the way I learn and retain info.

I personally prefer a physical book as well. I can make notes, add tabs to pages, and it's just a lot easier to flip between subjects than to deal with digital copies. Plus, electronics fail. A physical book isn't going to magically lose all of its words.

 

[ScotchMan]

I went to MCC and RIT, and I stopped buying books very early in my experience. About once a semester or quarter, there'd be maybe one or two books I "needed", that I would buy, used if I could. Otherwise I just wouldn't buy any of the other "required reading." Most of it seemed to be there so that there was a book in the syllabus, rarely referenced if at all. If someone was assigning problems out of a book, I might buy it, or I might try to use the library's copy, or borrow a friend's.

Point is, don't think you have to buy all the books on the list, figure out which ones you actually need and which you can live without.

 

[Camper4lyfe]

The biggest one that gets me is the professor that writes his own books, publishes them, then requires them for the class. Talk about double dipping!

 

[ECU Pirates]

no one is forcing you. rent

You must be a teacher or have one in the family. So you are saying I should rent or be forced to pay for others kids to go to school? Sounds a bit socialist. Even if I rent someone is paying the school tax. I don't have any children. Why should I pay the same amount as someone who does?

 

[ECU Pirates]

That same thought crossed my mind as well. Problem with that theory is that school taxes and property taxes are built into the cost of rent. You pay it in one way, shape, or form. There's no escaping taxes, *especially* in NYS...

Do you think people with children should pay more school tax than those without them?

 

[ECU Pirates]

I assume you attended public school since you can read and write, now it's time to repay the state for that education.

I thought about this more. My parents already paid taxes while I was in school. The state has already been paid.

 

[ChrisWNY]

Do you think people with children should pay more school tax than those without them?

Hell no. Nor do I think that people with a litter of kids (more than 3) should be paying the same health insurance rates as someone with just a couple or NO kids at all. If you have 4, 5, 10, 20+ kids, then you should be carrying the tax burden for putting that many kids through the school system. However, we know that policy and sound/reasonable logic rarely if ever mix. The right thing to do would be to set a base tax that everyone pays, and each kid attending a public school raises the school tax rate by some % for that family. That may help cut back on a major dilemma we have in this country - the people having the most kids are the ones who can't afford to have that many. The taxpayers, especially those with few or no kids, are carrying the burden.

People who had NO kids going to school used to get a STAR exemption rebate every year - I enjoyed getting ~15% of my school tax money back, but even that's gone now.

 

[Catfish787]

Just want to provide some statistics for all of you talking about school taxes.

Average cost per student in NYS based on 2011 data:

$18,126 (higher than any other state!)


So if you had 5 children in school, that is $90,630 versus just $18,126 if you had one child in school.

So for those of you saying that those with more children put a larger burden on the school tax system, it is true. That is why it is understandable for some of you to have anger over paying equal tax amounts even if you have no children or less children than the next guy.

Finally, much research has shown that spending LESS on children education has IMPROVED scores while spending HIGH amounts has led to LESS satisfying scores.

 

[warbrane]

Im at the middletown campus for all of my classes

 

[NirvanaFan]

Finally, much research has shown that spending LESS on children education has IMPROVED scores while spending HIGH amounts has led to LESS satisfying scores.

Does that study include private schools? They typically spend less on educating students, and get higher test results. The local all boys school averages 300+ points better than the national average. However, private schools can pick and choose who they allow to attend. They generally accept smarter kids with good work ethics, home life, and will succeed whether they are at a public school or private one.

 

[ChrisWNY]

These days only the wealthiest parents can afford to send their kids to private charter schools (unless they are employed by the private school). Just think of it...tuition for private schools is upward of $20k per year (sometimes more). On top of that, these parents are still paying public school taxes for their town or city.

 

[NirvanaFan]

These days only the wealthiest parents can afford to send their kids to private charter schools (unless they are employed by the private school). Just think of it...tuition for private schools is upward of $20k per year (sometimes more). On top of that, these parents are still paying public school taxes for their town or city.

$20k? The all boys school in Rochester (McQuaid) I was talking about is about $10k a year. They consistently churn out some of the smartest kids in the state. Mercy (all girls school) is about $8k a year. Even paying full price, (there are scholarships for lots of kids), pays off. They get LOTS of scholarships when going to college/university. My wife works for a local private school, but we wouldn't get free tuition.

My kids won't be going to public school where I live. I'd rather home school them than send them to the local public school. If we lived in Fairport, Penfield, Pittsford, or another good district, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but there is no way they are going to school where we live now.

 

[RayKnobs]

You must be a teacher or have one in the family. So you are saying I should rent or be forced to pay for others kids to go to school? Sounds a bit socialist. Even if I rent someone is paying the school tax. I don't have any children. Why should I pay the same amount as someone who does?

You live in a country that provides a basic education to everyone free of charge. You are incredibly narrow minded if you can not see the benefit of partially funding the education of the next generation even if they are not related to you.

Once you received your education you were free to leave this country and not contribute back to what you and your parents were given.

You choose to stay, you have accepted the responsibility.

 

[ECU Pirates]

You live in a country that provides a basic education to everyone free of charge. You are incredibly narrow minded if you can not see the benefit of partially funding the education of the next generation even if they are not related to you.

Once you received your education you were free to leave this country and not contribute back to what you and your parents were given.

You choose to stay, you have accepted the responsibility.

Free of charge? What do you think the taxes are??? I said I don't have a problem paying some school tax. What I said was I should not have to pay the same amount as someone with 5 kids.

The "you can leave the country" argument is what's narrow minded and idiotic. First I should rent and not own to not pay tax. When that is proved wrong I should leave the country? I would expect more from an educated person.

Are you enjoying your summer off? Or is someone in your family? The comments you have posted in this thread seem very union like.

 

[NirvanaFan]

Free of charge? What do you think the taxes are??? I said I don't have a problem paying some school tax. What I said was I should not have to pay the same amount as someone with 5 kids.

The "you can leave the country" argument is what's narrow minded and idiotic. First I should rent and not own to not pay tax. When that is proved wrong I should leave the country? I would expect more from an educated person.

Are you enjoying your summer off? Or is someone in your family? The comments you have posted in this thread seem very union like.

Would you rather go back to the days where only the wealthy can afford education? Kids drop out of school to help earn money so they don't go hungry? If everybody didn't pay into the education system, that is exactly what would happen. I'm not condoning having 20 kids and living off the system, but even with 2 kids, if my parents had to pay 3 times (base cost + 2 kids) the amount of someone with no kids, I wouldn't have been in school past 14. We wouldn't have been able to afford it. I would have dropped out and found a job somewhere. Now, I have a good job, house, wife, kid, and am a productive member of society.

Are school taxes socialist? I guess partly, but I don't see a better option. There really aren't any good alternatives. There are LOTS of socialist programs in this country, but some of them are needed.