John B. Bowden – 4/30/06

This page was last updated on April 30, 2006.

Then pay your own way, too; John B. Bowden; Beaver County Times; April 30, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“In his letter to the Times on Wednesday, Donald Miller suggested that parents should be solely responsible for funding their children’s education.

“I’m curious about who paid for his children’s education, or for that matter, for his education. While I agree that it is incumbent upon the various local school boards to ensure that taxpayer money is used responsibly, it is also imperative that they provide a quality education to our children.

“My wife and I paid school taxes for 19 years before we ever had a child in the public schools. We saw, and still do see, this as an investment in society.”

[RWC] Does anyone care to guess how much the Bowdens would have contributed to this “investment in society” if they were not forced to pay school taxes?

“A quality, well managed school system benefits the community in a number of ways. These benefits include, among other things, increased property values for all property owners.

“Why did Miller choose to move to his current home? Could it be in part due to potential resale value? Is the quality of the school district not a factor in determining resale value?

“Currently, I pay Social Security and Medicare taxes that support senior citizens. With the current state of these programs, I don’t expect to ever receive a dollar from either.

“I would prefer to not pay these taxes and invest the money myself. Instead, I pay the taxes and save money each month to ensure that I will be able to care for myself in retirement.”

[RWC] Where was Mr. Bowden when President Bush recommended the personal investment option for Socialist Security?

“Does Miller support receiving benefits from these programs equal only to what he contributed?

“We owe it to our children and our society to provide them with a quality education which will allow them to become contributing members.”

[RWC] Parents owe it to their children “to provide them with a quality education.” Society – but not necessarily government – should step in only when parents don’t meet their responsibilities.

I know Mr. Bowden disagrees, but the best way really is for all of us to pay our own way.