Terry Grier Does His Best Marie Antoinette

Regarding "HISD debates raising tax rate" (Tuesday City & State), we could not be provided with a clearer example of the myopia of our school system bureaucrats.  The proposed new spending is for tutors at struggling schools, extra money for all campuses, possible employee pay raises, and HISD Superintendent Terry Grier's Apollo school reform program.  In other words: yet more money to fix the failures of HISD.  Ironically, Grier justifies the increases by saying "I don’t mind paying more taxes", and Teachers' union president Gayle Fallon demands tax increases and pay raises for all employees, stating “I’m saying this as a taxpayer.”
 

I wonder if the irony of these statements is lost on Mr. Grier or Ms. Fallon?  First off, 100% of their salaries and the taxes they pay come from the already over-burdened taxpayers of Houston.  Second, they apparently expect failure to always be rewarded with more dollars, as if their performance had nothing to do with the failures.  Finally, it's easy to advocate for property tax increases given the huge salaries they draw, but are they blind to the fact that their demands represent an ever-increasing percentage of the household income of ordinary citizens?   Or do they think that money just grows on trees? 

 

If they themselves are a product of our public school system, they just might.  Otherwise, their demands are just plain irresponsible.

Pete Smith
Cypress