Taxation without Participation
By Ronda Watson Barber – OhioMBE Publisher
Taxation without Participation
Taxation without Participation is alive and thriving in the suburban schools of Central Ohio. The public schools districts are benefitting from the tax dollars derived from the attendance of students of color; the property taxes from the homes in which they reside and in some districts the tax assessed to income from their parents. The districts are not sharing the wealth. These publicly funded school systems do not have inclusion programs or purchasing goals.
I witnessed first-hand the diversity of the Pickerington Local School District. I recently attended one of their high school graduations. There were a bunch of Black and brown folks in the audience and receiving their diplomas. Thirty percent of students who attend Pickerington Schools are students of color. The district does not actively engage in outreach opportunities targeting minority or woman-owned businesses. They make no special efforts to include special populations in purchasing opportunities. They simply state we have a non-discrimination policy.
If you are a taxpayer and voter in the Pickerington and other suburban school districts this is an important issue. How many people of color sit on suburban school boards? Our dollars and votes have power. When electing school board members, are you putting people in office who care about inclusion in purchasing and economic empowerment? Are your tax dollars being taken for granted? Does your elected school board member know your thoughts on purchasing opportunities for small businesses? How is it that public school districts can eagerly and readily accept your tax dollars but not accept moral responsibility for providing economic opportunities for small businesses?
Shout Out to the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus
OhioMBE Award Winner, State Rep. Alicia Reece and other members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus deserve a mega shout out! They are working overtime. They are fighting for jobs for Black folks down at the Statehouse. They are fighting to combat taxation without participation. I still don’t understand the mindset and reasoning of the GOP and Governor Kasich. Does your state representative know your opinion on hiring practices on construction projects? Does the governor know your opinion on hiring goals on taxpayer-funded construction projects? Jobs for these major construction projects should go to Ohioans FIRST. These good paying construction jobs should go to Ohioans in the neighborhoods where the construction is occurring. There should be goals to include all taxpayers. The unemployment rate in the Black community is too high. These construction projects are a way to stimulate the economy in the Black community. We have posted recent hearings in the Ohio House available on our website ohiombe.com.
S.A.L.U.T.E. Rep. Reece and the OLBC.
Our votes and dollars have power! Just my thoughts…
Printed in the June 1 issue of OhioMBE
