Teachers won't be able to deduct what they spend on their students' supplies under tax bill

We retired types here in Austin and elsewhere are getting stiffed on a daily basis by rising taxes of every stripe and color. If the tax rate doesn't rise, the assessed value of your home rises, resulting in higher taxes. Education is important, but - pouring more and more money on the inferno of waste and poor learning at just about every level, won't help the kid who is disrespectful and out of control in kindergarten. The push nowadays is give 'em all a diploma and get 'em out the door; teach the test and make damn sure they pass. Some mite dispute this, but many believe it to be so. Unfortunately, my retirement has not gone up 25% in the last few years to match increases in the school district and other budgets. Double my standard deduction and I will be happy. Teachers should be too with that option.

I absolutely don't have a problem with teachers. My wife, my mother, and my grandmother are or were all teachers. I can't tell you how many dead beat parents don't send their children to school with the correct supplies. Not all of them are dead beats but a lot of them expect the school to the teacher to provide for that because they spend their money on cigarettes and other things and the government subsistence won't pay for it. Now there are some kids that their parents just are barely getting by and some kids come to school hungry because there just isn't enough food at home. Some come hungry because again the dead beats expect the school to feed them so they don't have to use their subsistence to feed them at home. I wish I had the money my wife, mother, and grandmother spent on supplies and food just so the kids can learn, for no other reason they care for these kids.

Thanks for sharing - Dave