Gray Davis’ proposal to exempt public school teachers from paying state income tax.
“If you teach in California, we’re going to reward you like we reward no other profession,” declares Davis, aka The Education Governor.
But Democrats, Republicans, even some teachers themselves are recoiling at the idea of singling out a particular occupation as more worthy of favorable tax treatment than all of the others. Still, it’s just too easy to dismiss Davis’ proposal as a depraved political gesture, as the worst sort of pandering to a favored constituency.
I urge the governor’s critics, especially libertarians and political conservatives, to seize the opening. Take this wacky idea and embrace it.
I say, give the teachers the break.
“The governor is saying a teacher in a public school has a superior status to a private school teacher,” complains Assembly Republican Leader Scott Baugh.
Easy enough to fix,exempt private school teachers from state income tax, also. While we’re at it, let college profs off the tax hook. And you can’t be a teacher without someone to teach,all students get the tax break, too.
“What is next?” worries Democrat and Senate President Pro Tem John Burton. “Cops? Firefighters? Social workers?”
Absolutely.
From there, we exempt the trades, and then move on to the other professions. Eventually, even lawyers, journalists and venture capitalists should be exempted.
What’s that? Who’ll be left to pay state income tax?
Heh heh, that’s the idea
