tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7186797.post7465149308123083991..comments2023-12-29T05:24:43.830-06:00Comments on Kay Brooks: 2009-01-30 legislation filed to SB0099Kay Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06073075957511329333noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7186797.post-30661668174052509582009-02-02T21:45:00.000-06:002009-02-02T21:45:00.000-06:00Whoa- missed several things:- As introduced, suspe...Whoa- missed several things:<BR/><BR/><I>- As introduced, suspends driver license of a student suspended for 10 or more days during a school year until the student reaches 18 years of age or for two years from the date of the 10th day of suspension, whichever is later, and provides that unlicensed student who is suspended for 10 or more days in a school year shall not be eligible for a driver license until reaching 18 years of age or for a period of two years from the date of the 10th day of suspension, whichever is later. </I><BR/><BR/>Now that would get some kids' attention. It might actually have enough teeth to help.<BR/><BR/><BR/><I>Adoption - Prohibits any individual who is cohabitating in a sexual relationship outside of a marriage that is valid under the constitution and laws of this state from adopting a minor. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 49.<BR/><BR/>The best place for children is in a stable home which includes a married husband and wife to provide good parenting and gender modeling by a mother and a father. Statistics tell us that abuse is more likely when the man and woman are merely cohabitating. From the act:<BR/></I><BR/><BR/>Well, they'd probably be less likely to be abused if there were no man in the house at all, so lesbian couples would have an advantage by that logic. Or maybe only rich, college educated couples should be allowed to have children. This isn't about abuse, it's about keeping homosexual couples from adopting. How about rather than deciding by statistic, we actually review the prospective parents to see if there is any potential for abuse rather than assume that abuse will happen just because one type of couple is statistically more likely to see abuse in their households?Buckleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04087082956705159705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7186797.post-41059809670963178692009-01-30T17:52:00.000-06:002009-01-30T17:52:00.000-06:00Education - As introduced, requires LEAs to report...<I>Education - As introduced, requires LEAs to report each fiscal year the percentage of expenditures made on classroom expenditures district-wide and by school; requires classroom expenditures to be at least 70 percent of the total operating expenditures both district-wide and by school by fiscal year 2013-2014 and to reach at least 90 percent by fiscal year 2017-2018. - Amends TCA Title 49.<BR/></I><BR/><BR/>I like this, too, though 90% is pretty high.<BR/><BR/><I>As introduced, increases the Hall income tax exemption for taxpayers 65 years of age or older from $16,200 to $36,000 of income from all sources for single filers and from $27,000 to $60,000 of income from all sources for taxpayers filing jointly.</I><BR/><BR/>I don't like this for several reasons. First, I'd be absolutely berated for saying this, but why is it we single out those folks who have had the longest amount of time to prepare for financial independence? How about young parents- single or otherwise? If we are reducing whatever tax on seniors, then someone else is shouldering more of a burden. If we truly want tax fairness- we need to stop singling certain folks out- either by exemptions or special tax credits or deductions. Whatever happened to Steve Fobes' idea that we should be able to do our taxes on a post card? Income times tax rate equals taxes.<BR/><BR/>Second, I'm not really a "soak the rich" kind of guy on taxes, but this is a tax on interest. If you are getting $36,000 in interest, that's probably on principal of $720,000 (at 5% interest) to 1.2 million (at 3% interest). Or more if we're talking stock dividends. I'd rather see the tax on food cut and help everybody's budget.Buckleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04087082956705159705noreply@blogger.com