What a horrible idea. This guy needs to be removed from office.

What I find interesting is that the article states teachers, aides, and principals. Nowhere does it say anything about Karen Schulte and her high paid friends. What a bunch of crap.

nicksmom, Walker instituted the parking fees for state employees?

It doesnt really matter how much money the city makes. They could up taxes on everything 20% and still mismanage it and be broke. Until you get the idiots out of there that have no clue how to manage anything....we will always have issues. ALWAYS!

Of course, in big cities, it makes sense to pay to park if you drive to work. There are enough other options (park and ride, public transportation) to warrant this. But to do this in Janesville? Makes no sense, especially when the parking options are so plentiful (street parking). Also, kids paying to park, how many live within walking distance of the school and how many qualify for school bus services but don't take them?

The $100 will probably go to pay the person collecting and processing the payments, the gas and the vehicle it takes to drive the checks and cash to the bank, the bank account fees for this extra account (or to process CC payments), and maybe some for the upkeep (snow removal and repairs) of the parking lots. The first three things are unnecessary. If SDJ needs help with upkeeping the lots, if they simply asked the teachers, "Hey, help us out," I can guarantee that they would be willing to pitch in one way or another. What will happen is that teachers and staff will begin parking in the street, neighbors are going to complain. What is the city going to do? Put up more signs for 2-hour parking or no parking? That will be paid by Janesville taxpayers. So glad I don't work in SDJ anymore!

Hmmmmmm; I think that I will buy a lot across the interstate from Marshall Middle School and put in a parking lot. I'll charge the teachers 1/2 of what the school district charges and the teachers can use the walkway over the interstate that we are going to build!!
Oh wait; that's another stupid idea.

I know of a school district that charges teachers a pretty large yearly fee to pay for electricity to run a coffee pot.

Pet tax, Wheel tax, parking tax..... what next?

Ninja: Not all teachers are liberal...My wife will still burn fosil fuel on the way to work. Don't be see quick to lump all of them together.

I am sooo glad I don't work in the JSD anymore.

Kids have to pay to park and go to school. Teachers can pay to go to work. So, what do they do with the $100 each kid pays to park? Ultimately, it is probably part of some teacher's salary. So, the teachers are benefitting off the kids' parking fees.

If the kids have to pay (which is really the parents paying), then the teachers should have to pay. Otherwise, no one should have to pay.

State employees have had to pay for parking for years.

What about the kids paying to park to learn??? If it's good enough for the kids then it's good enough for the teachers.

This is just another ploy to cut money from school staff. It would start at $100 and go up whenever the board needed to cover an expense.

Students can ride the bus. Safer then having them drive to school.

High school students are charged $100 for a parking permit PER YEAR to park their car in the parking lot. Where does that money go? If you think the teachers shouldn't pay, then don't charge the students, either.

They already charge the kids.

I am betting Mr. DiStefano doesn't bring this issue up again.

charge the kids, not the teachers.

Pay to park to go to work? Wow... this city just keeps getting dumber.

It's dishonest to make up random fees for things and makes the school district seem miserly instead of resourceful. Also, it would not be worth the loss of moral that it would cause. A lot of the work teachers do is above and beyond what they are paid to do and it would not be worth the $100/ year to have teachers feel more negative about their workplace.

Time to bring collective bargaining back! Maybe the school district should pay for all the supplies that the teachers pay for themselves out of there own pockets. Time to get back in the "box" Davey.

This is a great suggestion even if it turns out only to be symbolic. Those who refuse to support fiscal responsibility continually need to be shown in the spotlight. Fiscal responsibility is coming whether Kevin Murray, Karl D and others like it or not.

This is one of the dumbest things I have seen. Pay to park at your own work!?!

It's only an idea, a dumb one but then we all have an occassional dumb idea and like all dumb ideas, soon dropped and forgotten.

If this person has more ideas like this, he ought to resign now before he is run out of town. This idea is horrible.

I would think that most of us agree that this is a STUPID idea. I have a school related concern on a so called "EXTENDED SUPERVISION" of certain teachers in the Janesville School District that is NOW taking place. I would imagine the school district will not comment on it, but I have heard the extended supervision is being pushed on some quality veteran teachers in the district. Anyone have any information they can share???

Just a bad idea

I think public tranportation is the what they should all use, The ones outside the city can use park and ride. If the left is against all forms of fossil fuel this would help to save our planet. Come on now walk the walk and stand behind what youre side is trying to do to this country. Ban all oil drilling,ban coal ect.

Glad I got a job in another district. This is the worst idea ever.

greatplain,I know there are controls in place. You are foolish to think that there are not ways around it! After all who created this mess, the taxpayer?

Hey Nicksmom, that didn't start with Walker. Try again.

This sounds like a tax! I think this should be passed if School Board members are charged a fee for the chair they sit in at their meetings. About $100 per meeting would be good.
@casey5863: The assumption that all government programs are run without spending controls and monitoring means you haven't spent much time working for the government. Sure there is waste...in the private sector too, where it can be better covered up.

Is the board nuts? Really? Who does that? No Really that was a legit question. I don't know of any employers who charge their employees to park at work, well other than nicksmom! This has nothing to do with liking Walker! It would generate 75K-100K a year if they were all willing to PAY along with it. As stated by others they will park in the streets and devalue the homes around the schools. The schools will have empty parking lots and pissed off homeowners. Nice job Dave way to think out of the box...hopefully you've thought yourself out of re-election!

As with all Government run operations, there is alot of wastefull spending. It is time that someone starts at the top and checks into every dollar spent. This idea of a parking fee, just creates more money to keep silly spending. As a taxpayer, I see everyone going after the middle class instead of where the waste really comes from.(The Top)

NO

What next , charging a quarter to use the toilet ? These board members need to get their head out of there!

Next - let's require them do do all their shopping through the company store! Welcome back to indentured servant status, Janesville teachers.

School board members should be charged to park at the ESC.

Public transport system? What about the teachers who travel from other cities? Won't work for them. This is ridiculous.

You gotta be kidding me...Stupid, moronic, dumb, don't even come close to how unbelievable this idea is....
If this passes it will be a new low for this School Board.
What next ?? Charge a fee to use the desks??
Or wait, I got a good one...How about:
MAKE ALL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS GET AN I-PASS TO USE THE HALLWAYS...Oh yah...

All you Walker lovers - my spouse is a state employee. He gets charged for the privelege to park in the state parking lot so he opts for the free street parking.

If thats the case every school board member should be charged to park for meetings. The public can set the fee and see how they like it!

I think school board members should be charged $100 for every frivolous proposal they make.

"If my employer charged me to park my car at my workplace, I would start using public transportation."

Perfect idea...........why not use the transit system. If students/teachers/employees used the bus system, it would reduce the pollution. Isn't that what the "sustainability" group wants?

This is a new low. It would be a little different if the parking lot(s) were tiny or in desperate need of repair. But to just come up with this as a revenue stream out of the blue, and as a brand new school board member!? Offensive.

Vote wisely, everyone!!

The question I have asked over and over is why, why, why would anyone want to be a teacher in this district?? What a pathetic place to work!

tbs123: Your comment mentions the only beneficial aspect of this idea ... potentially increasing the use of public transportation. I worked for a variety of employers over many years and have never had to pay to park in their parking lot while I was working. Grasping at straws here.

For those talking about the street being clogged..take a look next time you are around one of the high schools. The city went along with the school district years ago and closed nearly all public roads within several blocks of the high schools. "no parking during school hours" to force students into buying their parking pass, which is great when there was limited parking available at the school.

Oh, come on now. Terrible idea.

Unreal. If my employer charged me to park my car at my workplace, I would start using public transportation. How ridiculous. Throw this idea away and get real!

This is ridiculous! There is no reason school staff should be expected to pay to park in a school parking lot. Teachers, aides, and other support staff have enough to deal with as it is. Also, look at positions such as the FRC at the elementary schools that only pays $9.50 per hour and they work 10 hours a week. Take out taxes, union fees, and then the parking fees to be there and there won't be much left at all. By the time you factor in gas to get to and from, nobody is going to want these types of jobs that is important in the school. (And no, I am not a school district employee). If this for some strange reason gets passed, I'm sure there will be hundreds of no parking or 2 hour parking signs put up on public streets like there is now on the streets near Craig and Roosevelt to make sure staff pay.

I'm skeptical that tax law would allow this to be taken pre-tax, but this is a stupid idea, anyway. Once again I am reminded that I am glad I am once removed from the City of Janesville/Janesville School District.

Will they be installing coin acceptors on the toilets next? No, better yet, and expensive RFID system so they can not only charge for using the bathroom, but teachers will be tracked by how many times they use it, and how long they're in there.
Sheesh!

This board member may be one term.

Or...let's be wild and crazy...let's figure out something the district needs and can't afford. Like: we're short 12 basketballs (or whatever). Tell the community what you need. You need hundreds of textbooks? Doesn't matter...ask us. Wait for basketballs and textbooks (or what have you) or the cash to buy them to arrive. This is how the private schools do it. Stop being insane and take a page from them.

Give me a break; this is asinine!
How about we charge school board members and city council members to park at their vehicles at their places of employment too!
How about we charge school board members and city council members $1000 for every stupid idea that is shot down!!
How about we charge school board members and city council members $50 dollars for adding something to the agenda!!

This is a really stupid idea!

I can't believe this was even suggested. STUPID idea!

I'm thinking of the teacher aides and substitute teachers and substitute aides who dont make nearly what the teachers make. What a slap in the face to those people. Substituting is a thankless enough job as it is to have this crazy idea possibly go through. What are you thinking????

Wow. I thought this must have been a joke, but it isn't April 1st. Another bad election result for Janesville politics. Can't we find anybody with a lick of common sense?

What do the students pay for a parking pass? That's $100, isn't it? This may not be a popular idea, but at least the new board member is making an effort. What money saving ideas have the other board members offered?

Foolish. Simply foolish. This is what passes for leadership in our community?

Stupid is as stupid does.

Who is going to monitor it? What about when parents ,etc come to visit? Stupid idea!

stupid idea!

Sounds to me like Davey DiStefano has been grousing with the Phones Plus guy about how easy teachers have it.
...
Can you imagine if GM had tried that nonsense with the UAW membership down at The Plant?
...
DiStefano should have his home checked for carbon monoxide buildup...something's definitely impairing his brain function.

Kick them some more
Is ( D D ) willing to pay for a parking space when he is @ a board meeting ?

AFGHANISTANVET Good comment - And thank you for serving our country.

I have never understood why they charge the kids that drive to school to park either. This is ridiculous.

I understand that the school district does have budget problems, but asking teachers to pay for parking is NOT part of the answer or even a small part of the solution. Matter of fact - comments by Mr DiStefano when he was running for office are actually what he should remember:
1. "I think we need to look at this as a community."
2. "I think we need to PRIORITIZE SPENDING."

http://walworthcountytoday.com/news/2012...

This is BEYOND stupid! I thought the school board was supposed to support their teachers--not try to "stick it to them"? Seriously, what kind of revenue will this generate? The only thing it will do is make the teachers in our city feel even worse about themselves than they already do.

Run, teachers, as fast as you can! This state and now this city hate you!

OMG!

Slickster -- that was my first thought. I'll just park on the street.

Getting even with some of your old Craig teachers, huh Dave? All this will do is clog up the streets surrounding the schools with parkers. It's a double bogey, Dave.

I'm thinking of the unintended consequences......the neighborhoods surrounding the school being clogged with student and teacher vehicles. Imagine, if you will, these neighborhoods looking like the neighborhoods surrounding the Rock County fair.....Only for 9 months of the year as opposed to a week. I wonder how much the surrounding homes would be devalued? I bet the school's neighbors would come out better off stresswise and financially if they paid for everyone's parking fees.

Talk about STUPID. That is a really silly asking them to pay for parking. It is a DESPERATE brain dead idea. The person that came up with this idea needs to be sent packing or recalled.

I do not feel anyone should be charged to park on our own property. Schools are puplic so that means we are all paying for the parking lots now. Student should be charged a small ($5) fee for processing a parking pass based on seniority. Teachers and staff should not have to pay anything, if you are looking to cut costs start cutting some fat off the top.

Wow... a new low (for reference, I don't work for the district, so this doesn't impact me). Name another employer that charges their employees to work? This is not the same as downtown employees - the employer in this case owns the parking lot and there is ample space. This is something that adds very little revenue, yet makes Janesville even less attractive to future employees. Janesville will soon become a revolving door system (it's getting close already with the first and second year teachers) where fresh college grads work until a decent district has an opening they can move to. Although that will certainly keep costs down, it will not produce the desired quality of education. And I'm sure when the contract ends and the yearly budget "crisis" is a thing of the past, this employment tax will stay.

Sounds like a good idea to me! And it would be tax deductible for the teacher.