Entire Tennessee school district closed because of Obamacare.

[madfloridian]

From Jen Hayden's diary at Daily Kos. This is unbelievable, but real.

Tennessee official offers mind-blowing explanation for abruptly closing entire school district

A Tennessee school district is making the news after it was announced the entire school district was closing up until further notice due to lack of funding. It is unimaginable this could happen in the United States, right? Especially so abruptly, in the middle of the school year, leaving parents and students in a lurch.

Clay County Director of Schools Jerry Strong has offered an explanation for the shocking closure. Inept management? Nope. Inability to pass local taxes to support the school? Oh, no way. The head of Clay County schools says the whole thing is due to Obamacare:

"Clay County's inability to generate the revenue to offset the mandates is what's caused this to come to a head," he said. "The straw that broke the camel's back was really the Affordable Care Act for us and it has made it very difficult for us to have our employees properly covered and meet the mandates of the law. That was going to require new revenue and the commission felt like they couldn't do that through a tax increase."

Strong said the county commission, which funds the schools, has declined to increase property taxes and a proposed wheel tax referendum vote won't take place until March.

Thanks, Obama! Through your insidious plan to get affordable healthcare for educators, you have forced their hand. For a party that once touted themselves as the "party of responsibility," they sure seem lack any personal accountability for their own misdeeds. Clay County, Tennessee residents aren't doing themselves any favors here either. Consistently identified as one of the most impoverished counties in the entire nation, they've turned extremely Republican in recent years. The district, which Vice President Al Gore once represented, has gone "severely conservative" in recent years. The county went overwhelming for Romney in 2012 (62/37) and they elected Tea Party Republican Diane Black to Congress in the "Tea Party wave" of 2010.

For now, Clay County residents appear to be reaping what they sowed. It is just too sad that the biggest losers in all of this are the children of Clay County.

[Angry Dragon]

1. open the books to prove this claim

[lpbk2713]

2. No ... no ... no ... It was Benghazi.

It had to be.





Well at least the logic is on the same level.

[reflection]

7. Love the pic of Ben Gazzara. n/t

[madfloridian]

14. .....

[Blus4u]

3. Something smells on this deal.

What was the healthcare situation prior to the ACA?


Peace

[LonePirate]

4. So taxes are more important than education for these people?

That question is not necessarily rhetorical even if these people are RWNJs.

[phylny]

16. In my red state of Virginia, you betcha taxes are more important than education.

Teachers leave in droves to go to other school systems because they HAVE to to live, and this is a very affordable place to live. My taxes are so low for the size of my home and location (lakefront) that it's laughable.

[struggle4progress]

5. Clay County parents sue school system over closure

13 Oct 2015
Laura Militana

CLAY COUNTY — Late Friday, the parents of two Clay County High School seniors filed a lawsuit against the system and also got an injunction granted to keep the system open pending a temporary hearing on the issue.

Tracy Ford and Christopher J. Kane filed the suit against the Clay County Board of Education and Jerry Strong, director of schools, stating that “local officials are engaging a rather high stakes game of political ‘chicken,’ placing the children of Clay County, Tennessee, in the middle of their standoff” ...

They also stated that the county has funding in place and available to fund the school system while this dispute unfolds.

“The Clay County commission has passed and adopted a formal budget required by Tennessee, including relevant tax rates earmarked for the support and maintenance of the Clay County education system,” the suit said. “In fact, the budget has been passed and the tax bills have already been submitted to the State of Tennessee. The Defendants (Strong and the board of education) must now provide an approved budget to the State of Tennessee, which they have thus far failed to do” ...

http://www.herald-citizen.com/newsx/item/10653-clay-county-parents-sue-school-system-over-closure

[madfloridian]

6. Thanks for the link.

[struggle4progress]

8. ... County Commissioner Parrish Wright contends that the district does have enough funding

to get through the end of the school year and officials could take up the issue later if the tax referendum doesn't pass. "It's going to hurt a lot of people," Wright said about the decision to shut down the county's three schools. With children at home, parents will have to find child care or stay home from work. "Either way it goes, Clay County has lost. Nobody's won" ...
Tennessee county closes schools, cites Obamacare as reason
REBECCA REYNOLDS YONKER, Associated Press 12:20 p.m. CDT October 14, 2015

[Lars39]

10. The replies to that article are encouraging.

[haele]

9. So, they had cheap "basic" insurance before that covered basic checkups and small emergencies -

that provided premiums that did little for the teachers and staff, but sure filled the pockets of the corporation that cut a deal with the district. Insurance for "the healthy" until they needed it. The type of insurance that was basically a coupon or voucher for specific services, but if you really needed health care before you could get old enough to be on Medicare and actually be provided a modicum of wellness care along with health services, you and your family plunged six figures worth into bankruptcy.
And now the district has to purchase something with a minimal quality of health care, so now "they can't afford it". Or maybe they're just digging their heels in because it's "Obummer-care", as our currently uninsured son-in-law's equally (and proudly) uninsured father who pays him to work the family business constantly calls it.

But hey - maintaining tax breaks and cutting pesky regulations for civic moochers who "got theirs" is far more important than those silly liberal ideas like community services, common standards, and fair access to necessary resources.

Haele

[madfloridian]

11. About 10 years before I retired, teachers here had best insurance around.

Doctors and hospitals applauded it. Our county took pride in providing it for its teachers.

We did not have to pay for coverage for ourselves, but family insured was still pretty reasonable.

Then suddenly a few years ago about 2009 teachers became the bad guys. The insurance here now I understand is just plain lousy.

[teach1st]

13. I rarely use my school-board insurance

I'm a teacher, and my insurance used to be decent. Now, I go to walk-in clinics for the minor health problems. It's cheaper and save hours of waiting room and paperwork time. My insurance declines to cover treatment that would help my major health issue.

[Lars39]

12. Wonder who was in charge of insurance decisions.

Cousin Ned's insurance agency maybe?!

[DisgustipatedinCA]

15. Revenue comes from taxes. Republicans believe taxes are evil.

So why in the hell are they surprised when they don't have operating capital? It's what they've wanted all along. So celebrate, Republicans. This is exactly the win you've been hoping for. And when your schools have been closed for a generation, good luck figuring out the velcro technology that holds your shoes closed. Dumbasses.