Fwd: Hands of our kids cash!
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mario cardenas
Jul 31, 2012, 9:00:41 PM7/31/12
to moratorium-on-d...@googlegroups.com, occupy-e...@googlegroups.com, ocupar-el-ba...@googlegroups.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kirstin Roberts <kirst...@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 9:19 AM
Subject: Hands of our kids cash!
To: "iso_c...@googlegroups.com" <iso_c...@googlegroups.com>, "logansqs...@googlegroups.com" <logansqs...@googlegroups.com>
Hyatt Hotel mogul Penny Pritzker was appointed to the unelected Chicago Board of Education by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Instead of putting money into schools, she's taking it directly from parents and teachers' property taxes in a $5.2 million TIF (Tax Increment Financing) scheme for a Hyatt hotel at 53rd and Lake Park asked for by the University of Chicago. The U of C ($6.6 billion) and Penny ($1.8 billion) have over $8 billion together and can afford to build their own hotel without robbing the community and defunding local schools.
The board's proposed CPS 2013 budget targets seven neighborhood public schools (Dyett high school, Kenwood Academy, Canter middle school, Reavis Elementary, Burke elementary, Ray school, Kozminski Academy) around the Hyatt TIF for defunding to the amount of $3,379,677, at a loss of 27 positions.
If this TIF wasn't here, 62% of the same property taxes paid by the community would automatically go to schools. Interestingly, 62% of $5.2 million is very close to this $3.37 million funding hole. But Hyatt Hotel is only one part of the $20 million Harper Court renovation from the 53rd Street TIF founded in 2001.
With that money, we could hire more teachers and reduce class sizes. Instead, the University of Chicago is getting a 12 story office building. The Chicago Board of Education should be fighting to return that money to our schools, not waiting in line for a handout from the Mayor for their private business.
As a member of the Board of Education, it's Penny's job to find money for our schools, not to take our money for her business. TIFs are property taxes the mayor controls costing us close to $500 million a year. By state law, 62% of that would go to public schools, over $250 million this year. But the unelected board appointed by the mayor has no incentive to go against him as he squanders the public’s funds on political favors.
We must end the chronic defunding of neighborhood schools by reclaiming TIFs and taxing the rich. It's our money, our kids, our teachers, our communities and our schools—we should have most of the say in how it's run, not out of state special interest groups backed by the 1%. The Chicago Board of Education must be elected and representative of the CPS community. That's the only way we can end the race and class disparities in quality of CPS education and ensure we fully fund quality public education for all Chicagoans regardless of race, money, special needs or legal status.
We call on parents, teachers and students from the neighborhood schools, as well as the CTU, labor and community activists and concerned individuals to join us in exposing and amending how our public funds are distributed.
From: Kirstin Roberts <kirst...@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 9:19 AM
Subject: Hands of our kids cash!
To: "iso_c...@googlegroups.com" <iso_c...@googlegroups.com>, "logansqs...@googlegroups.com" <logansqs...@googlegroups.com>
Join the Chicago Teachers Solidarity Campaign to tell the billionaires on the unelected Chicago Board of Education
HANDS OFF OUR KIDS' CASH!
Protest Hyatt TIF Siphoning of Millions form Neighborhood Schools
Press Conference and Speak Out followed by picketing at 53rd and Lake Park
Wednesday, August 8th
5:30pm-8:00pm
The board's proposed CPS 2013 budget targets seven neighborhood public schools (Dyett high school, Kenwood Academy, Canter middle school, Reavis Elementary, Burke elementary, Ray school, Kozminski Academy) around the Hyatt TIF for defunding to the amount of $3,379,677, at a loss of 27 positions.
If this TIF wasn't here, 62% of the same property taxes paid by the community would automatically go to schools. Interestingly, 62% of $5.2 million is very close to this $3.37 million funding hole. But Hyatt Hotel is only one part of the $20 million Harper Court renovation from the 53rd Street TIF founded in 2001.
With that money, we could hire more teachers and reduce class sizes. Instead, the University of Chicago is getting a 12 story office building. The Chicago Board of Education should be fighting to return that money to our schools, not waiting in line for a handout from the Mayor for their private business.
As a member of the Board of Education, it's Penny's job to find money for our schools, not to take our money for her business. TIFs are property taxes the mayor controls costing us close to $500 million a year. By state law, 62% of that would go to public schools, over $250 million this year. But the unelected board appointed by the mayor has no incentive to go against him as he squanders the public’s funds on political favors.
We must end the chronic defunding of neighborhood schools by reclaiming TIFs and taxing the rich. It's our money, our kids, our teachers, our communities and our schools—we should have most of the say in how it's run, not out of state special interest groups backed by the 1%. The Chicago Board of Education must be elected and representative of the CPS community. That's the only way we can end the race and class disparities in quality of CPS education and ensure we fully fund quality public education for all Chicagoans regardless of race, money, special needs or legal status.
We call on parents, teachers and students from the neighborhood schools, as well as the CTU, labor and community activists and concerned individuals to join us in exposing and amending how our public funds are distributed.
To endorse this action or get more information please write chicagoteach...@gmail.com
Please share this event and information with your friends
Please share this event and information with your friends
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/335882093162102
Flyer: imgur.com/LPkKv
Website: ctscampaign.weebly.com/
Flyer: imgur.com/LPkKv
Website: ctscampaign.weebly.com/
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