Close Schools, Raise Taxes & Other Political Ignorance

It never ceases to amaze me where the politicians make their cuts or add new taxes. I wish for just one year Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania would live in my home, with my income, and my bills. In these hard times he should be forced to live like a 'regular Joe'.

The Governor announced his yearly budget today. While the plan calls for more spending on education, it also calls for the elimination of 400 out of the 500 state school districts. Our public schools are just as overcrowded as our prisons, but the budget calls for 2,400 more prison beds.

The politician praised Al Boscov publicly today for fighting to save the retail chain that holds his name, Boscov's. He has lobbied for the $35 million bailout of the local chain repeatedly. At one point Rendell stated that he had to do it, to save the 155 jobs at the Fairlane Village Mall Boscov's alone.

He would then, just weeks later, announce that he doesn't want to hear any whining about the proposed layoffs of at least 400 state employees. He was quoted saying that times are hard and cutbacks are necessary.

I think the man has got his apples in the wrong basket. He wants to save 155 jobs at one retailer at a cost of millions, but then wants to layoff 400 state workers. He wants to close 400 public schools but add beds to the prisons. Am I the only one who sees a problem here?

On top of putting our children last the new 2009-2010 budget calls for new taxing on the drilling of natural gas, new taxes on the previously untaxed tobacco such as snuff, cigars, and pipe tobacco. Have no fear, he didn't forget about the cigarette smokers. He has opted for a ten cent per pack increase on the sale of cigarettes.

While he is at it, he called for each Pennsylvania county to add a percentage point to the sales tax. The counties then would be required to share this revenue with the cities, with the exception of Allegheny and Philadelphia counties as they are already taxing at 7%.

His numbers for state layoffs turned later to a sum of 2,600, with 300 to 900 of them being because of program eliminations. The Department of Labor & Industry, the same one that is so busy they recently hired 600 temporary workers, would suffer cuts of at least 900 employees.

None of the Governor's plans make much sense. School districts alone employ thousands of non-state employees. Closing 400 school districts would not only send the state's economy into a tailspin, the unemployment rate would jump from being the highest in 13 years, to the highest ever. Our children, yes your children, too, will be in overpopulated classrooms, getting one tenth of the attention and direct education that they need.

There will be fewer teachers for more students, and less time per student. There will be an increase of school violence due to the overpopulation of the remaining districts and the consolidation of rival districts. He is ignorant to think that doesn't happen. School sports fans are just as protective about their district as are NFL and NBA fans. The amount of school sports rivalries is not even comprehensible at this point.

It was later clarified, however, that most of the 400 schools Rendell was talking about would not be closed, but consolidated. School Districts that are near each other would become one big district, as opposedto three or four smaller districts. Again, this will cause many individuals to be out of work, especially superintendents and higher level educators. Less people will be available to deal with more children in either of the two extremes. Either way, it is not a good idea and it is ultimately going to cause more problems that it is worth.

Rendell didn't fail to give at list one bit of good news at his press conference. He has proposed expanding the states adultBasic healthcare program to provide coverage for 90,000 more Pennsylvanians. The program has been capped out for months. A personal friend has been on the waiting list for 8 months, with no hopes of ever getting the notice that her medical conditions are now covered.

He has also proposed that the Department of Public Welfare arrange buys with the Pharmaceutical Companies to buy medications direct. He is claiming that over time this kind of program could save the state $146 million per year.

These two good intentions do not make up for his ignorance during this horrid time. Cutting that many jobs, and our schools, should never have been a consideration, especially after publicly trying to save face by acting as a savior in the Boscov's situation.

sources:

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/02/04/news/local_news/doc498a0ef09cd4d778807998.txt

http://wfmz.com/view/?id=627379