Newspaper Page Text
THE FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS, DEC. 23, 1971, SECTION B
A National Question
Education Financing
JACK P. NIX
Many questions have been raised in the minds of Georgians by
the recent California Supreme Court ruling that the state's system of
financing education from local school district property taxes is uncon
stitutional.
The ruling, as I interpret it, is based on the fact that almost all the
education financing in California comes from the local level and
depends on the property tax. Therefore, wealthier districts can have
better educational programs than poorer districts.
In Georgia, only about 20 percent of education's support comes
from property tax at the local level. And even that portion is more
equitably distributed under provisions of the MFPE Law in Georgia
than in most states. The Required Local Effort factor built into the law
means that systems vary in local support according to their taxable
wealth.
So the point in question does not really apply here.
But that does not mean our system of financing education in
Georgia is perfect. We helped matters some last January when the
Legislature passed House Bill 140 providing that Required Local Effort
would be determined gs a set percentage of the adjusted property tax
digest. The Bill in effect froze the Required Local Effort for 1971 at
the S7B million dollar figure. It also means that the topic will come up
for debate again during the 1972 Legislative session.
We will probably hear again from the group of citizens that thinks
education should be financed 100 percent from state funds. Their
reasoning, in part, is that the property taxpayer in Georgia is over
burdened, and that state financing of education would provide the
most effective form of relief. »
But the property tax in Georgia is low compared to the tax levied
in other states. According to the NEA "Rankings of the States" research
report for 1971, per capita property tax revenue of local governments
in Georgia was $81.17. The United States average was $147.05 per
capita, and the range, interestingly, is from a high of $238.05 per
capita in California to a low of $30.11 in Alabama.
Supporters of 100 percent state financing of education cite as their
argument the fact that there seems to be a national trend toward
increasing the amount of state financing for education. But it is the
trend only in those states where local support is extremely high as in
California, and state support is very low. Only three states—Hawaii,
Delaware and North Carolina—provide a greater percentage of
educational funds from state government than Georgia.
So I would not like to see Georgia adopt an education financial
plan that would provide 100 percent state support. Instead, we need
to make additional efforts to increase the total amount of money
available for education and to distribute the resources more equitably
and effectively.
PRISON REFORM EFFORTS ANNOUNCED BY ATTORNEY
CENERAL MITCHELL
*
•
Attorney General John N. Mitchell has announced new Federal
ihltlatives to assist state and local corrections programs in
Order to bring “genuine reform to the most neglected aspect
Of our society." The new efforts will be in the areas of corr
ections training, inmate education and institutional architecture.
! The measures announced by Mitchell are aimed at assisting
states and localities in developing sufficient expertise to
modernize their corrections systems. They include:
—The establishment of a National Corrections Academy that
would be a national center for correctional learning, research,
aind training of federal, state and local corrections personnel;
facilities to be improved
, -Funding by the Justice Department's Law Enforcement
Assistance Administration (LEAA) of a National Clearinghouse
f6r Criminal Justice Architecture at the University of Illinois
t 6 provide technical assistance for improving existing facilities
; -The establishment of a National Clearinghouse for Correc
tional Education to provide professional assistance for planning
and implementing education programs for inmates.
• Mitchell also called upon state and local agencies to join
the Federal government in hiring more minority personnel in
the field of corrections. He said all 28 institutions in the Federal
prison system have been directed to work toward a goal of
ong-thlrd minority employment in all new hiring.
COMMUNITY-ORIENTED CORRECTION PROGRAM
The Attorney General also declared that he is directing the
Justice Department “to study the feasibility of enlarging the
area of criminal cases in which the prosecutor might be justified
in deferring prosecution in favor of an immediate community
oriented correctional program.”
“In many cases,” he said, “society can best be served by
diverting the accused to a voluntary community-oriented cor
rectional program instead of bringing him to trail.”
; Mitchell said the system is already being used by the Federal
government in some juvenile cases.
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ANDERSON BUSINESS SERVICE
Faye and Robin Anderson
PAGE 8
Religious Cards
Take Lead
In Popularity
"Sorry, we don’t have any
more Christmas cards, only
some religious ones.”
These words, supposedly
spoken by a saleswoman to
a last-minute shopper for
greeting cards a good many
years ago, wouldn’t be mean
ingful now.
During recent Yule seasons,
greetings with a religious
message have led the way in
popularity. The wryly-humor
ous idea that anyone looking
for cards wants some that
show only the convivial side
of Christmas was never very
funny, and now it definitely
isn’t true.
Early cards pictured danc
ers and skaters, holly and
mistletoe, robins and other
birds, beautiful women and
charming children and flow
ers by the score.
Such themes still appear,
but they take second place
to religious messages—espe
cially, "Peace on earth, good
will toward men.”
“Basketball Soldiers” from Gift Wrappings
Christmas—what a fabu
lous, fascinating, thoroughly
fantastic day for the children!
It’s a day for eating the tasti
est goodies, opening the most
exciting surprises from Santa,
playing with the most won
derful toys, dolls and games.
In fact, it’s so exciting that
sometimes even the liveliest
youngsters want to rest.
This is the signal for Mom
and Dad to suggest a change
of pace, such as a slow-paced
game to play or something
that’s fun to do or make.
"Basketball Soldiers” could
be the answer.
The soldiers can be made
from leftover ribbons and
wrappings in the house on
Christmas Day, or even from
gift wraps and ties that the
kids have removed from their
own share of Santa’s bounty.
Material not immediately at
hand can be added later, but
if there are corrugated board
and ping-pong balls around,
the soldiers can be used at
once for an impromptu bas
ketball game.
A diagram accompanying
this article shows dimensions
to follow in cutting out the
soldiers. The whole idea was
developed by the Norcross
design studio.
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The following materials, or
substitutes, can be used.
Solid-color glazed gift wrap;
patterned gift wraps
Foil gift wrap
Cord and ribbon
Ribbon spools, 3/4” wide x
3” diameter
Stapler
White glue, rubber cement,
spray adhesive
Corrugated board, poster
board or heavy cardboard
Numbers cut from gold
paper
1. Using spray adhesive,
cover corrugated board (26”
x 36”) with red gift wrap.
Edge board with gold ribbon.
2. Cut soldiers from poster
board. Score arms on back at
dash lines (see diagram) and
fold forward.
3. Cement patterned gift
wrap to hat and shirt area,
including backs of arms.
4. Cement foil gift wrap to
legs. Glue a piece of cord
down center of legs to divide
trousers.
5. Add sequins for eyes.
Cut mouths from gift wrap.
6. Decorate hat and add
other decorations, from
shredded ribbon.
7. For the ring or "basket,”
remove top and bottom from
ribbon spool. Cover the inner
HOME
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FUN TO MAKE ON CHRISTMAS DAY ARE "Basketball
Soldiers,” which can then be mounted on covered, corrugated
board to become part of a game played with ping-pong balls.
Numbers on the board help in totaling up game points. Mate
rials are gift wraps and ties, either leftovers or those removed
from packages. Suggested by the Norcross Design Studio.
ring with foil. Place arms
around ring and staple in
place. Staple ring to body.
Basketball soldiers can then
be glued to covered, corrugat
ed board and numbers glued
HOME
FEDERAL
P. O. Box 8
CUMMING, GEORGIA
in place under each figure.
Object is to toss ping-pong
balls into the rings. Numbers
on board, under the soldiers,
determine the score.
DIAGRAM SHOWS dimen
sions for making the soldiers
fa the "Basketball Soldiers”
game. Dash lines indicate
where arms should be scored
pnd folded forward. 1
CANING EVIL'
Because candy canes have
the legendary ability to ward
off evil, they became part of
Christmas, bringing good.