Your Tax Cuts at Work
Back at School, Teachers Lose Tax Breaks for Class Expenses

Because of a budget crunch, California has suspended a tax credit that reimbursed teachers up to $1,500 for classroom supplies. Meanwhile, a $250 federal tax deduction for teachers that helped defray out-of-pocket spending expired this year. ...The National Education Association and some lawmakers are working to reinstate the federal teacher deduction, which was introduced in 2002 but expired at the end of 2003.

Ooops... guess they forgot that 2004 was also an election year. Probably figured it would be such a cakewalk what with the successful war on terror they didn't have to bother to court parents and teachers this year. Not that they give a shit. Their solution to public schools is for everyone to go to a private school, so why even bother funding them?

Good mid-day all. A friend called in the wee hours and forced me to go painting today, but back now.

Am reminded that it's my nephew's birthday, so Jon, if you're out there, Happy Birthday. I'll call later.

And for those concerned about my hurricane-prone friend, RD, well, he finally called last night. He'd been evacuated to Atlanta and had just returned. Someplace along the way he was in NYC during the Republican convention, and kept getting lost as squadrons of para-military types pushed him first down this street, then down another, as he tried to get to various galleries. Sweet innocent that he is, he didn't go for political purposes, merely because August in NYC is about the cheapest travel rate you can get. And got back to find his Kerry sticker had blown off the bumper of his car, which bummed him to no end.

Back later with a snap of today's catch. This is not earth-shattering art, I realize. For that reason I call it "practicing my scales."

- posted by Cynthia @ 2:01 PM | | | Link |