The Inescapable Decision;

There are many differences between small town living and city living. One main reason people move out of the city is for the good quality of schooling people get around here. I know for a fact, that I enjoy my schooling a lot and the quality of teachers and connections I make every year. However, there has been a great downfall in this area. New York State has been in some debt and trouble for some time now, but teachers all over the nation are experiencing cuts and job shortages. The main problem the upstate community is facing right now is that we lack serious funding.

Many people feel that the City areas deserve all the money because they have more kids. It is apparent that in the city many people live at or below the poverty line and are dependent upon state aid. However, when claiming this, they forget all of the wealthy individuals that also reside in their respective areas. The city schools are less dependent upon state aid, because they have the ability to raise taxes and make up the money that they lose or get cut every year. They often receive more grants are the attention of many politicians when deciding where to place the state money. Many people make the claim of how unfair the distribution is on percent generated versus percent given. Since the downstate and city area generate a higher percent of income tax, they should receive a higher amount of aid percent. “New York City generated 45 percent of state revenues in 2010, but received 40 percent of spending. The gap is even larger for the four major suburban counties: a collective 24 percent of revenues paid to Albany, and 18 percent of expenditures received in return.”

People in upstate are being hit very hard from this latest recession. In my school they have virtually cut everything they can while leaving some sports in the mix. We haven’t gone on field trips for three years, and have cut nearly every AP course. The next step is to cut sports as a whole, and perhaps shut down entirely. There are some very wealthy people in the area; however the medium yearly income for my town was $34,619 as previously recorded. There is never much that generates or stimulates the upstate economy to raise it. Therefore, when the prices go up, and the income stays the same, the poverty line comes closer and the jobs start going away. You will often hear people claiming how “cheats students in low-income areas and lavishes rich districts in tax money”. However, it is true to say that “We may have less political power because we have less wealth…”.

People may have their own opinions on the topic. It is true, however that it all really depends on where you live. I live upstate, and therefore my opinions go along with the second statement. But I have family downstate, and I know they hate seeing my shot at a good education be compromised due to insufficient legislative decisions.