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Weekly News Journal Thursday, March 7, 2013 9» Continued from page 8Imagine the effect of a consumptiontax that will allow that to happen.The economy is expected torow by 10.5% the first year HR25is enacted. Exports are predicted togrow by 35% the first year. How isthat for STIMULUS?HR25 has been shelved withinthe House Ways and Means Committeefor many years. Dave Camp,the chairman of W&M has indicatedthey will be considering alternativetax proposals this year. Hehas assigned committees to studyhem. The Income Tax lobby is theargest lobby in Washington DC.ongressional members use it tobuy votes and paybacks. It will takegrassroots movement to overcomehat. Call your congressperson andemand they support the Fair Tax.ee fairtax.org for more informaion.Roy T NewsomRecently our PTO had thepportunity to visit with Dr. Smyerregarding the Plant Facility Levy,and we would like to explain whywe are now in favor of supportingthe renewal of the Levy. We wouldalso like to clarify the misconceptionsthe public may have regardingthe renewal of the levy. There are3 types of levies: 1- SupplementalLevy that renews every two yearsand defrays the costs of operatingexpenses such as textbooks, transportation,technology, insurancend utilities. 2- School Bond Levywhich is used for school construction,renovations and expansions.Our current bond levy will be paidoff in 2016. 3-Plant Facilities Levywhich is used to pay for majorrepairs, improvements and additions.It comes up for renewal every10 years, and this happens to be thatyear. People opposing the Plantevy are stating that it is a sneakyttempt to pass a Bond Levy. Donot confuse this Plant Levy with therecent Bond Levy that was votedThe worst of all possible options is doing nothingSenator Alan Simpson(R-Wyoming), Senator MarkWarner (D-Virginia) and Presidentof the Committee for aResponsible Federal BudgetMaya MacGuineas recentlyjoined us at a federal fiscal issuessymposium hosted by the Universityof Idaho’s McClure Centerfor Public Policy Research.The symposium provided anopportunity for us to sit downwith some of those working tofind solutions to America’s fiscalcrisis and discuss with Idahoansthe debt crisis that threatens ournation’s future.America is at a debt to GrossDomestic Product ratio that nonation in the last 200 years hasbeen able to sustain withoutserious economic consequences.As panelist Maya MacGuineasframed it, our debt levels arealready doing damage: “Oureconomy is not growing as fastas it otherwise could be…Weare not going to be able to havea vibrant economy until we quitborrowing so much.”The solutions are difficultbut achievable, and requirethat all options must be on thetable. We know that we mustcontrol federal spending, anda revenue solution is part ofthe remedy. We know that wemust have budget enforcementmechanisms that will finallykeep Congress within adoptedbudget limits, and we know thatthere is a pathway out of this ifwe act now.We also know that the worstof all possible options is doingdown. It is an unfortunate coincidencethat the amount needed tomaintain our district is similar to theamount proposed in the Bond election.They are completely separate.This Plant Facilities Levy has beenin place for 60 years and is crucialin maintaining our schools. Youmay go on the district’s website athttp://www.sd151.k12.id.us/ andclick on a power point presentationunder the headline Plant FacilitiesLevy. This contains several slidesthat detail how much money wasspent on projects from 2004-2013.The power point also lists the prioritiesand goals for the next 10years if the Plant Facility Levy isapproved. Number one on the listis school safety and security. Thiswas virtually an unheard of needwhen the levy renewed 10 years ago. Providing additional safety andsecurity needs alone will take a bigchunk of the budget.There is some confusion on thelevy increasing to $2 million (schoolpower point), vs the $721,985 atpresent (Plant Facilities Levy brochure).If you look at page 14 of thepower point, you will see that thereare two columns. The first is theamount of the Plant Facilities Levyand the second is for the constructionBond that will expire in 2016.Add the two columns. For 2014, thePlant Levy would be $850,000 andthe School Bond payment would be$1,711,920 for a total taxpayer costof $2,561,920. As the School Bondpays down, a portion of those fundsare transferred to the Plant Levy in2015. In 2015, the amount owedon the School Bond is now only$156,000. The extra money is transferredto the Plant Levy, showing itto increase to $2,155,000. Totalcost to the taxpayer for 2015 is nowonly $2,311,000. This actuallyresults in a decrease in taxes. Therehave been many maintenance needsthat have been deferred due to lackof money, and the hope is that bytransferring the funds, the districtmight be able to start meeting theseSenator Mike Craponothing. If we do nothing,our entitlement programs—Medicare, Medicaid and SocialSecurity—continue screamingtoward insolvency. If we donothing, the bond markets willsolve this program rather thanCongress or the President, andthe consequences will be devastating.But, we have opportunitiesto make progress in this terriblecrisis.We have the opportunity toreform the overly-burdensometax code and make America astrong, competitive economyagain. We must enact progrowthtax reform, which wouldsimplify the tax code for allAmericans, grow our economyand make American businessesmore competitive. We have theopportunity to reform our entitlementprograms and put themon paths to solvency. We alsohave the opportunity to put inplace budget enforcement mechanismsthat give Americansconfidence that federal spendinglimitations will be honored.needs. IF a new School Bond isvoted and approved for 2016, thenthe money that was transferred tothe Plant Facilities Levy will beapplied to the new School Bond,thus ensuring that there would notbe a noticeable increase in taxes tosupport our schools. According tothe Plant Facilities brochure, by2023 the most a $100,000 homeownermight see in a school taxincrease would be $4.08 per year.Many opposers are angry thattaxpayers are being asked to supportthis because of our dire economy.Please understand that this isexactly the problem! It is becauseof our dire economy that the statehas had to reduce the funding it normallyprovided our schools. Timeshave changed and now more thanever we are needed to step in. Ourfuture as a community, state, andcountry rely on our children. Wehave voted in members of our communityto serve on the school boardand entrusted them to provide forand do what is in the best interest ofour children. I have made the effortto sit in on several school boardmeetings this year and I am amazedat what they accomplish. We expectthem to provide top notch materialsand tools for our children withlimited resources and a great dealof public backlash. I encourage theauthors of the letters that opposethe Levy to attend not just one, but3 or 4 school board meetings totruly understand the task our boardis faced with. In closing, I willquote one of those authors in saying,“I hope everyone will becomeinformed and vote”. Exactly. Goto the school website. Pick up abrochure from Central Office. Askboard members your questions. Itis our right and duty as a voter tomake an informed decision. I willvote yes on renewing the PlantFacilities Levy.Geri LiljenquistDeclo Elementary PTOAchieving these reforms wouldreassure America’s future.This is the economic challengeof our lifetime andwill determine the future ofour country. We must cometogether and work out a solutionthat includes tax and entitlementprogram reform, deficit reductionand tough budget enforcementmechanisms. It should,and must, include the participationof all Americans in findingand implementing solutions.During the symposium, wetook questions about whetherspending cuts through sequestrationare expected to take effect,the future of Social Security andMedicare, the impacts of potentialdefense spending cuts andexpected changes in support ofveterans. We heard from a smallbusiness owner seeking tax certaintyand simplicity and a familyphysician wondering aboutthe impacts on affordable healthcare if something or nothing isdone to address the deficit. Weheard from a local mayor andcounty commissioner wonderingabout the impacts of deficitreduction on the ability of communitiesto provide necessaryservices. We heard from a dairyfarmer interested in passage of aFarm Bill with existing farm programs.We heard from a collegestudent and teacher wonderingabout the potential impacts ofdeficit reductions on education.We thank the McClure Centerfor hosting this valuable discussion.Employment Resources forOlder Job SeekersDear Savvy Senior,What resources can you recommendto help older job seekers?I’m 62 and have been outof work for nearly a year nowand need some help.Looking For WorkDear Looking,While the U.S. job markethas improved slightly over thepast year or so, challenges persistfor many older job seekers.Fortunately, there are a numberof free online tools and in-persontraining centers scatteredacross the country today thatcan help you find employment.Here’s what you should know.Online ResourcesIf you have Internet access,there are a number of 50-andolderonline employment networksthat can help you connectwith companies that are interestedin hiring older workers.Two of the best are workreimagined.org,a resource developedby AARP that combinescareer advice, job listings andonline discussion tied to LinkedIn’sprofessional networkingplatform. And retirementjobs.com, which offers a job searchengine that lists thousands ofjobs nationwide from companiesthat are actively seekingworkers over the age of 50. Italso provides job-seeking tipsand advice, helps with resumewriting and allows you to postyour resume online for companiesto find you.Some other good 50-plus jobseeking sites to try are workforce50.com,retiredbrains.com, retireeworkforce.com, andencore.org a resource that helpsolder workers find meaningfulwork in the second half of life.In-Person HelpAnother good place to gethelp finding a job is at a CareerOne-Stop center. Sponsored bythe U.S. Department of Labor,these are free job resource centersthat can help you explorecareer options, search for jobs,find training, write a resume,prepare for an interview andmuch more. There are around3,000 of these centers locatedthroughout the country. To findone near you, call 877-348-0502or go to careeronestop.org.Depending on your financialsituation, another programthat may help is the SeniorCommunity Service EmploymentProgram (SCSEP). Alsosponsored by the Departmentof Labor, SCSEP offers accessto training and part time jobplacements in a wide varietyof community service positionssuch as day care centers, seniorcenters, governmental agencies,schools, hospitals, libraries andlandscaping centers. To qualify,participants must be over 55,unemployed and have pooremployment prospects. To learnmore or locate a program inJim Milleryour area visit www.doleta.gov/seniors or call 877-872-5627.Work at HomeIf you’re interested in workingat home, there are manyopportunities depending onyour skills, but be careful oframpant work-at-home scamsthat offer big paydays withoutmuch effort.Some of the more popularwork-at-home jobs include“customer service agents” whofields calls from their employers’customers and prospectivecustomers – you don’t placetelemarketing calls. Agents earnan average of $8 to $15 an hourand many also receive incentivesand commission, too. Tofind these jobs see arise.com,alpineaccess.com, liveops.comand workingsolutions.com.If you have good typing skillsthere are “transcriptionist” jobsthat pay around $10 per hourfor typing verbatim accounts ofboard meetings, presentations,conference calls, etc. Companiesthat hire transcriptionistsare tigerfish.com, ubiqus.com,ctran.com.And if you have a collegedegree, online “tutoring” or“proofreading” jobs are alwaysavailable. See tutor.com to findtutoring opportunities whichpay between $10 and $15 perhour. Or, if you have somewriting or editing experience,proofreading pays $12 to $20per hour. See firstediting.comand cactusglobal.com to lookfor proofreading jobs.For more work at home ideasand resources, see retiredbrains.com and click on the “Workfrom Home” tab on the left sideof the page.Start a BusinessIf you’re interested in startinga small business but coulduse some help getting started,the U.S. Small Business Administrationoffers tips, tools andfree online courses that you canaccess at sba.gov.Send your senior questionsto: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443,Norman, OK 73070, or visitSavvySenior.org. Jim Miller isa contributor to the NBC Todayshow and author of “The SavvySenior” book.