Republican town in Connecticut marches for higher taxes [View All]

Yes, I said higher taxes...

This is one of the more Republican towns in the Hartford, CT area – registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by a pretty large margin and Republicans have dominated the town council since the 1960s. I will qualify that by saying that the town voted Obama over McCain in 2008 by a small margin.
However, getting this big a turnout to support raising taxes really should be taken to heart by those who advocate spending for the public good – people are willing to pay if they know what they’re getting. I also found it interesting that the article did not say how many were involved in the anti-tax group.

AVON — - In the midst of a stubborn national recession and its sibling malady — anti-tax fever — should a Connecticut town raise taxes to pay for a world language program and high school electives?

A coalition of school-proud parents, teachers and students answered that question Monday night with a school band playing "March Onward" and minivans festooned with "Vote Yes for Schools!" as Avon observed the usually sleepy public budget hearing with a festive display for school spending.

Avon, with one of Connecticut's most respected school systems, faces a dilemma: a proposed $47.7 million education budget that is 6.91 percent more costly than the present budget and would require raising taxes. If the board of finance trims that budget to no increase, school administrators said it could force them to eliminate as many as 40 faculty and staff positions, cut ice hockey, fall crew and swimming from the high school sports programs and language and music offerings in the lower grades.

Members of the Coalition of Citizens for Avon, which advocates raising taxes to maintain school programs, say this would gut Avon's identity as a mecca for quality education and drop the town behind equally prestigious schools in West Hartford and Farmington. Back-to-back years of school cuts, they say, have cut staffing and programs to the bone and are beginning to threaten Avon's ability to place students in competitive colleges.

http://www.courant.com/community/avon/hc-avon-budget-hike-0405,0,216388.story