Coffee Break # 91

Yikes I thought mine were high at 4000!

FlowAjen, migraines----I take Zomig, nasal spray and it is the only thing that helps.
Property taxes---My brothers built their houses, one pays over $30,000 and the. other over $20,000. No land. New Jersey is too high.

What?!!!

That is the reality in NJ.

What???!!! where do they live? I obviously live in Jersey and don't pay anywhere near that!!!!

Celest: that thingie with glass top is stunning.What is it? Lamp?garden bauble?

When I lived alone I was part of the STAR program.It lowered taxes for seniors so they could stay in their homes.
SIL and DD pay here $12K big house large lot.
I couldnt leave my gardens, could you Victor?

Good morning Jo,. :) That is a 52" Tiffany lamp that will need to be mounted on the wall and a switch put in so I only have to flip it. (the switch that is)

Its just wonderful.Great idea too.

When we moved from NJ (Harrington Park) our taxes were nearing $20.000 for 1/2 acre with an older ranch house on it.

THAT JUST BLOWS ME AWAY!! I was just thinking how much land you can buy for 20,000 here. It would buy 10 acres of land...... more usually.

Taxes are high in more populated areas.Residents want services that cost.Like more public schools, street lights,highway repair,garbage collection.Water,Sewer maintenance etc.

People are still buying in Bergen County, NJ, though. Proximity to NY and lots of jobs make it a prime location. No need to live there when you're retired.

Crazy. School budgets out of control. Teachers make $120+ here after a few years. Pay zero into health and retirement.

Hopefully all of them are doing a great job.

I have no problem with them, but that is just way too much.

It's difficult to understand why they don't pay into health and retirement plans. Will this ever be addressed with a reasonable conclusion?

Yes - bankruptcy.

Superintendent makes $250K.

I pay over 5k for 11/4 acres...house has 8 rooms....I get garbage pick-up....streetlights in town have been turned off for several years now...we have a library, the 3 flood control dams are our rec areas....fire & ambulance are volunteers.....my son pays the same amount for 5 acres & a house that has over 3500 square footage......of course, the school system is a region, and I just read in today's paper they MAY get a gas station/convenience store in their town......they have to travel at least 15 miles to a gas station or store.....

we are at $4.7K for 1.7 acres - since 2007 the property taxes have increased 26% and property values have decrease 25%. Towns have gotta get there's.

3000 sq ft house. 0.7 acre. Private trash. Vol fire.

Same here Victor.

Teachers earn what they make. Contact hours arent much compared with required workshops at their own dime and lesson plan time and paper grading all after school hours.

SOME teachers earn what they make, others are a total drain on the system

Shouldn't be making more than a police or fireman, or not having to pay into pension or health benefits when police and fireman have to
UGH don't get me started, superintendent of our school system stepped down before they fired his butt...he was making more than our GOVERNOR!!!!! Absolutely RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!

Well first of all - it doesn't matter whether they deserve it if we simply cannot afford it. Working for the taxpayers is NOT the same as working for the private sector.

As for deserving - I don't think many, if any, deserve that much for 180 days of work. With benefits, you're talking about $1000 a day. They cannot be fired no matter how much they suck at their job - only for criminal behavior and even that requires jumping through hoops. They can be home in time for their kids and have the entire summer off.

Not true.....34 years in the classroom, went to school summers, master's degree mandatory within 10 years in CT....plus, since my town paid poorly, had to get a 5th year....then had to take continuing education credits every year.... worked many days the kids weren't in session, most supplies were out of pocket....paid into teachers' retirement & for health benefits...corrected papers every night, planned on weekends. When I worked for the post office, I made just as much money, had NO responsibilities other then get the mail into the box....leave when that was finished......both my DH & i told our kids....Do NOT go into education!

You are definitely the exception

The termination thing is coming to an end in some states.
There is a movement for incentives for good teachers and termination for the ones who arent energetic and doing a good job.

What would you have paid the teacher who stood in front of the gunman in Newtown?
We had a teacher killed here from a kid with a gun in school.There are parts of big cities that have armed guards and metal detectors.
ALL kids in a neighborhood attend these schools.Mini thugs as well as good kids with responsible parents.
Newtown elementary was not in a hood like the inner city here I agree but the profession of teaching has always had to scramble for crumbs when budgets are decided.

Marilyn we crossed.Hooray ,you are typical of those in education.
Dont even get me started on the Arts that get no space in certain schools .

Billions for sports complexes to make the rich richer and teachers who have to buy notebook paper for their students in some districts.

This message was edited Jan 30, 2013 10:51 AM

My friend is an art teacher down in Camden...talk about combat pay!( I don't know how much she makes) anyhoo...she's there I guess temporarily because the former is out on maternity...they won't let her use the art classroom cause it "belongs" to the other teacher...door is locked she is not allowed in there!!!! she has to use a cart and visit the classrooms for art time

Yes - very different, Marilyn. Maybe the teachers in the places like here should 'share the wealth'. Fat chance. With our recent budget problems, the teachers refused a pay cut to avoid layoffs. So 60 of their 'union brethren' lost their jobs. I can only talk about what goes on here. Teaching is not easy, but there are many tough jobs that pay lots less. I personally do not have the patience to teach. Would want to kill some of the kids - and parents.

This message was edited Jan 30, 2013 1:20 PM

Ohh yes "art a la cart" I applied for teaching jobs and many rural schools had the art teacher teaching in the chemistry lab and storing materials and supplies in the janitors closet.
As it turned out I made double what the art teaching salary was just by designing and making my own work and selling to galleries and at Fine Art Fairs.
Just as much stress tho.

Yes, except there weren't any rotten kids! I saw in the paper the other day, the only child who ever gave me the finger (4th grade girl) was arrested for home invasion....brother was a doll, don't know where she came from! Anyway, my DH did terminate several teachers for incompetency...you can do it if you have the proof....You're right about the arts getting the cuts, Jo....Garret was in gifted & talented art programs in middle school....they were cut when he went to the HS....I think those classes led him to his career.....

If you want a career in the arts you need to be tough. There isnt the grade school background in all schools that leads a student to a great college program.

Hard to make money in the arts.

The art schools are filled with students who work in digital design or graphics that are digitally created.
GF teaches PrintMaking at a local college.

This is the traditional method of hand etching a plate with an image,inking and running thru a press.
It also requires the fundamentals of drawing and a comprehension of perspective and composition.
She has maybe 1 person who is devoted to the craft,the rest are sports kids who need the humanities course. She drags it out of them but they do stay in class.

Unless you are really young and understand the technology there are no jobs in art,even teaching is scarce.So much of whats done now all looks alike.No original thought all the kids think if they can do Animaee they will have a career in art.

My galleries are all closing.I cant make enough selling paintings to pay for the materials and supplies and matting and framing.I am down to one gallery and its 30 miles from here.
I am frankly tired of schlepping paintings to my car and unloading them for no sales.

That's really a shame, Jo. Ever set up a website?

I had a website for many years.Sold 2 prints $40.00 the thousand dollar paintings never sold.
There are millions of artists sites.They are handy when your at a gathering and someone is interested in your work.I just refer them to the site.
Lots of lookers.Just the 2 sales in 8 years I had it.
I suppose I could build one of my own again.Back then I needed someone to go the work.Now there are do-it yourself sites that are nice looking and easy. Hosting fees are more reasonable too.
I have them on Photobucket but havnt updated in a couple of yearsI think.

Post some here. I might be interested.

You are sweet Victor.I really didnt mean to whine.Its just the way it is.I am glad I dont need to make a living at it anymore its just painting for myself now and mental health.
Robindog will tell you its very soothing to paint in watercolor.

And acrylics too. That's what got me through that horrible nausea last winter. You just leave the world around you behind as you get so focused on what you are doing. It is wonderful therapy. Now that the workers are all finished, I hope to get set up to paint again. Of course, as a beginner, I do not have the expertise that Jo and Marilyn have, so I can't draw any comparisons to their "real" creations. Maybe someday though.....

Donnibrook:Its the same "flow " that runs thru all of us. We MUST heed the call when it comes.