From the Inquirer.
Our neighbors to the south are building a new elementary school. It's been in the planning stages for ten tears, but it's been PLANNED! The Philly School District is much, much larger than Morrisville, but look at their planning staff.
Plans are for sissies anyway. We can do it on the say so of the Emperor and the board of selected toadies. That's all we need.
Groundbreaking set for new elementary school
Posted on Thu, Nov. 27, 2008
After years of delays, the Philadelphia School District will break ground on a new Frances E. Willard Elementary school next week.
The new school will include a two-story, 96,000-square-foot building for 850 students. Planned is an industrial-looking exterior with a combination of steel and masonry structures. The new Willard will rise on a former cemetery site, which was most recently used by the city as a recreation center. Human remains buried at the site have been moved.
The Kensington school community has been waiting for a new building since 1998. In the current Willard building, the only student restrooms are in the basement. Also, the school has no cafeteria, so students must eat in their classrooms.
The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at the current school site, 2900 Emerald St. - Kristen A. Graham
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Oops!
From the Inquirer.
Maybe we can learn from this mistake?
Camden school district must return $393,00 in federal funds
By Rita Giordano Inquirer Staff Writer Posted on Thu, Nov. 27, 2008
The Camden School District, which often complains to the state that it doesn't have enough money to serve its mostly poor student population, has to return nearly $400,000 in federal aid.
Why? Apparently someone didn't file the necessary request to allow the district to roll over the unused funds from 2004-05 to the following year.
The district routinely asks for federal permission to roll over unused funds from one year to the next, spokesman Bart Leff said. However, for the year in question, he said the request for rollover permission "either wasn't made or it was made late."
The $393,000 was part of nearly $21 million in Title I aid from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2004-05 school year, according to Leff. The unused money, which is granted to help low-income children, was identified through an audit.
A vote to return the aid was made at Tuesday night's board meeting.
In an interview yesterday, board president Sara Davis said she feels state officials "share some of the blame" for the district losing the money. She said the money would have been used to fund certain math and reading programs, but state officials wanted those programs discontinued.
She also acknowledged that given administrative changes and lack of continuity within the district in recent years, "things happened that shouldn't have happened."
Camden school officials have long said the largely poor district needs more aid than it receives. To balance this school year's budget, the district had to cut staff and programs.
The board also voted to make Jan. 20, the day of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, a school holiday. It gives students an extended holiday since they are already off Jan. 19 for Martin Luther King's Birthday and employees a paid day off.
Maybe we can learn from this mistake?
Camden school district must return $393,00 in federal funds
By Rita Giordano Inquirer Staff Writer Posted on Thu, Nov. 27, 2008
The Camden School District, which often complains to the state that it doesn't have enough money to serve its mostly poor student population, has to return nearly $400,000 in federal aid.
Why? Apparently someone didn't file the necessary request to allow the district to roll over the unused funds from 2004-05 to the following year.
The district routinely asks for federal permission to roll over unused funds from one year to the next, spokesman Bart Leff said. However, for the year in question, he said the request for rollover permission "either wasn't made or it was made late."
The $393,000 was part of nearly $21 million in Title I aid from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2004-05 school year, according to Leff. The unused money, which is granted to help low-income children, was identified through an audit.
A vote to return the aid was made at Tuesday night's board meeting.
In an interview yesterday, board president Sara Davis said she feels state officials "share some of the blame" for the district losing the money. She said the money would have been used to fund certain math and reading programs, but state officials wanted those programs discontinued.
She also acknowledged that given administrative changes and lack of continuity within the district in recent years, "things happened that shouldn't have happened."
Camden school officials have long said the largely poor district needs more aid than it receives. To balance this school year's budget, the district had to cut staff and programs.
The board also voted to make Jan. 20, the day of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, a school holiday. It gives students an extended holiday since they are already off Jan. 19 for Martin Luther King's Birthday and employees a paid day off.
Local Sales Tax for the Schools?
If you remember our friends in the financially-strapped and taken-over-by-the-state Greenland School District in Arkansas, the local city council is proposing a sales tax increase designated for the district only.
A member of the city council is the former president of the final voter elected school board and believes that "If we pass the sales tax, most of the money will be paid by people passing through town..."
That only works if you have a strong commercial base already existing in the town.
"If the school can't stand on its own, we go to Fayetteville and taxes go up forever," Groom said. "The 2 percent tax will last for only two years."
The bottom line, according to Groom: "Even if you don't care one iota about the school, you're better off passing a sales tax for two years and letting people from out of town pay for it."
It's an interesting crossroad. Is it legal in Pennsylvania? I doubt it. Is it worth a try? I doubt that too.
What I do know is that we better start throwing ideas out on the table pretty soon.
Greenland Aldermen Consider Sales Tax To Help Schools
Legislature Changed Law In 1993 To Allow Funding Method
Friday, November 28, 2008 7:50 PM CST in News
A tactic to boost school income using sales taxes that failed 17 years ago in Fayetteville may work in Greenland.
Bill Groom, a member of the Greenland City Council, proposed letting Greenland residents vote on extending a 1 percent sales tax to benefit the financially strapped school district.
Groom, the former president of the Greenland School Board before the State Department of Education dissolved the school board and took over the district, says a sales tax to finance sewer improvements will end next year.
Greenland voters could extend the tax and divert a portion of the money toward bringing school finances back into the black, Groom said.
"Bald Knob has done it," Groom said. "I've talked to them and they've been real helpful. They've sent us a sample ballot and we've talked to a tax attorney in Little Rock, recommended by our City Attorney Danny Wright, about the legal wording."
Bald Knob dedicated 95 percent of its sales tax to the school and 5 percent to the city, Groom said. Bald Knob residents approved the measure last year. It has not been constitutionally challenged.
The Fayetteville School District attempted a similar tactic in 1991, but Springdale attorney John Lisle sued the district.
Back then, Lisle said, the move was judged to be illegal.
"At that time, no sales tax law existed allowing you to use a sales tax for schools," Lisle said. "That made the Fayetteville tax unconstitutional."
Lisle said he'd just moved to Northwest Arkansas from Little Rock and his father had voted for the Fayetteville tax. That alerted Lisle to the problem.
"It took close to four years to get it all done including the appeals," Lisle said. "They'd estimated the tax would raise $130 million. We won. They lost. This is the first I've heard of it since."
However, the state Legislature intervened in 1993, passing a law that makes it legal for cities to share sales taxes with schools.
In part, the law stipulates that a school district does not have the authority to impose a sales tax itself. However, a city or county may designate on the ballot that a portion of a sales tax will be dedicated to a school district.
In that scenario, only voters inside Greenland would vote on the tax. The Greenland school district extends from Prairie Grove on the west to Elkins on the east and from Fayetteville to the north and past Winslow to the south.
Voters outside the Greenland would pay the tax only when purchasing items or services from businesses in Greenland.
Groom said, from his point of view as an alderman, the tax is justified -- even though the city would have to pay $3,500 for a special election.
"We have a 2 percent sales tax with 1 percent dedicated to sewer improvements," Groom said. "The sewer tax is about to end. The sewer allowed us to get the businesses along Interstate 540, which is most of the sales tax coming into the city. Without the 1 percent sales tax, those businesses couldn't have been established."
The school tax would last for two years, bringing in about $100,000 per year, Groom said.
"If we pass the sales tax, most of the money will be paid by people passing through town," Groom said. "There's not a lot of money that Greenland people spend themselves in Greenland. So, we're looking at an outside stream of money versus 8, 9 or 10 mills more than we're paying now if we're annexed into the Fayetteville school district. That would have a great effect on people's budgets."
Groom said he feels Greenland schools are at a crossroad.
"If the school can't stand on its own, we go to Fayetteville and taxes go up forever," Groom said. "The 2 percent tax will last for only two years."
The bottom line, according to Groom: "Even if you don't care one iota about the school, you're better off passing a sales tax for two years and letting people from out of town pay for it."
A member of the city council is the former president of the final voter elected school board and believes that "If we pass the sales tax, most of the money will be paid by people passing through town..."
That only works if you have a strong commercial base already existing in the town.
"If the school can't stand on its own, we go to Fayetteville and taxes go up forever," Groom said. "The 2 percent tax will last for only two years."
The bottom line, according to Groom: "Even if you don't care one iota about the school, you're better off passing a sales tax for two years and letting people from out of town pay for it."
It's an interesting crossroad. Is it legal in Pennsylvania? I doubt it. Is it worth a try? I doubt that too.
What I do know is that we better start throwing ideas out on the table pretty soon.
Greenland Aldermen Consider Sales Tax To Help Schools
Legislature Changed Law In 1993 To Allow Funding Method
Friday, November 28, 2008 7:50 PM CST in News
A tactic to boost school income using sales taxes that failed 17 years ago in Fayetteville may work in Greenland.
Bill Groom, a member of the Greenland City Council, proposed letting Greenland residents vote on extending a 1 percent sales tax to benefit the financially strapped school district.
Groom, the former president of the Greenland School Board before the State Department of Education dissolved the school board and took over the district, says a sales tax to finance sewer improvements will end next year.
Greenland voters could extend the tax and divert a portion of the money toward bringing school finances back into the black, Groom said.
"Bald Knob has done it," Groom said. "I've talked to them and they've been real helpful. They've sent us a sample ballot and we've talked to a tax attorney in Little Rock, recommended by our City Attorney Danny Wright, about the legal wording."
Bald Knob dedicated 95 percent of its sales tax to the school and 5 percent to the city, Groom said. Bald Knob residents approved the measure last year. It has not been constitutionally challenged.
The Fayetteville School District attempted a similar tactic in 1991, but Springdale attorney John Lisle sued the district.
Back then, Lisle said, the move was judged to be illegal.
"At that time, no sales tax law existed allowing you to use a sales tax for schools," Lisle said. "That made the Fayetteville tax unconstitutional."
Lisle said he'd just moved to Northwest Arkansas from Little Rock and his father had voted for the Fayetteville tax. That alerted Lisle to the problem.
"It took close to four years to get it all done including the appeals," Lisle said. "They'd estimated the tax would raise $130 million. We won. They lost. This is the first I've heard of it since."
However, the state Legislature intervened in 1993, passing a law that makes it legal for cities to share sales taxes with schools.
In part, the law stipulates that a school district does not have the authority to impose a sales tax itself. However, a city or county may designate on the ballot that a portion of a sales tax will be dedicated to a school district.
In that scenario, only voters inside Greenland would vote on the tax. The Greenland school district extends from Prairie Grove on the west to Elkins on the east and from Fayetteville to the north and past Winslow to the south.
Voters outside the Greenland would pay the tax only when purchasing items or services from businesses in Greenland.
Groom said, from his point of view as an alderman, the tax is justified -- even though the city would have to pay $3,500 for a special election.
"We have a 2 percent sales tax with 1 percent dedicated to sewer improvements," Groom said. "The sewer tax is about to end. The sewer allowed us to get the businesses along Interstate 540, which is most of the sales tax coming into the city. Without the 1 percent sales tax, those businesses couldn't have been established."
The school tax would last for two years, bringing in about $100,000 per year, Groom said.
"If we pass the sales tax, most of the money will be paid by people passing through town," Groom said. "There's not a lot of money that Greenland people spend themselves in Greenland. So, we're looking at an outside stream of money versus 8, 9 or 10 mills more than we're paying now if we're annexed into the Fayetteville school district. That would have a great effect on people's budgets."
Groom said he feels Greenland schools are at a crossroad.
"If the school can't stand on its own, we go to Fayetteville and taxes go up forever," Groom said. "The 2 percent tax will last for only two years."
The bottom line, according to Groom: "Even if you don't care one iota about the school, you're better off passing a sales tax for two years and letting people from out of town pay for it."
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Winterfest: December 6
From the BCCT.
Make sure you come out and support our town.
Winterfest is coming to town
By DANNY ADLER
Now that the Thanksgiving turkey is done, Santa Claus is preparing to make his annual rounds through Morrisville during the borough’s Dec. 6 Winterfest celebration.
The jolly one’s day kicks off with a “Breakfast with Santa” event at Holy Trinity School and concludes with him hanging out at the Morrisville Rescue Squad headquarters.
Other festivities include a Winterfest parade through the borough’s streets, a live nativity scene and concert, caroling, tree lighting, a reading of the Christmas classic and more.
Here’s a full list sent from organizer Kim Kane of the Morrisville YMCA:
“Breakfast with Santa” from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity School on Osborne Avenue gives families the chance to enjoy some morning grub with Santa. For tickets and pricing for the breakfast, call 215-295-9235.
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Morrisville YMCA at 200 N. Pennsylvania Ave. hosts a craft fair and flea market, featuring crafts, jewelry, holiday gifts and food.
The Morrisville Senior Center Christmas Bazaar will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 31 E. Cleveland Ave.
The Winterfest parade runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and swirls through the borough, starting at Post Road and traveling down South Pennsylvania Avenue to Delaware Avenue. Then the procession turns onto Washington Avenue, Lafayette Street and Hillcrest Avenue before going back on Pennsylvania Avenue, where the parade ends at the YMCA.
The First Baptist Church of Morrisville, at 50 N. Pennsylvania Ave., will present a live nativity and offer refreshments from 4 to 7 p.m. A “Celebrate the Season” concert there is scheduled for 6 p.m.
From 5 to 6 p.m. at the Robert Morris Plaza at Bridge Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, there will be caroling, the reading of “The Night Before Christmas,” the annual tree lighting and a guest appearance by Santa Claus.
Local businesses on Bridge Street are slated to stay open during the Bridge Street block party from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring live entertainment and refreshments.
Also from 5 to 8 p.m., the Morrisville Rescue Squad, on North Washington Street, will host an open house with refreshments, entertainment and, yep, more Santa.
Make sure you come out and support our town.
Winterfest is coming to town
By DANNY ADLER
Now that the Thanksgiving turkey is done, Santa Claus is preparing to make his annual rounds through Morrisville during the borough’s Dec. 6 Winterfest celebration.
The jolly one’s day kicks off with a “Breakfast with Santa” event at Holy Trinity School and concludes with him hanging out at the Morrisville Rescue Squad headquarters.
Other festivities include a Winterfest parade through the borough’s streets, a live nativity scene and concert, caroling, tree lighting, a reading of the Christmas classic and more.
Here’s a full list sent from organizer Kim Kane of the Morrisville YMCA:
“Breakfast with Santa” from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity School on Osborne Avenue gives families the chance to enjoy some morning grub with Santa. For tickets and pricing for the breakfast, call 215-295-9235.
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Morrisville YMCA at 200 N. Pennsylvania Ave. hosts a craft fair and flea market, featuring crafts, jewelry, holiday gifts and food.
The Morrisville Senior Center Christmas Bazaar will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 31 E. Cleveland Ave.
The Winterfest parade runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and swirls through the borough, starting at Post Road and traveling down South Pennsylvania Avenue to Delaware Avenue. Then the procession turns onto Washington Avenue, Lafayette Street and Hillcrest Avenue before going back on Pennsylvania Avenue, where the parade ends at the YMCA.
The First Baptist Church of Morrisville, at 50 N. Pennsylvania Ave., will present a live nativity and offer refreshments from 4 to 7 p.m. A “Celebrate the Season” concert there is scheduled for 6 p.m.
From 5 to 6 p.m. at the Robert Morris Plaza at Bridge Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, there will be caroling, the reading of “The Night Before Christmas,” the annual tree lighting and a guest appearance by Santa Claus.
Local businesses on Bridge Street are slated to stay open during the Bridge Street block party from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring live entertainment and refreshments.
Also from 5 to 8 p.m., the Morrisville Rescue Squad, on North Washington Street, will host an open house with refreshments, entertainment and, yep, more Santa.
Way to go, Fitz!
From John Mullane's column in the BCCT.
Mike Fitzpatrick has always been a class act and his service to Bucks County is well documented. If ever there was someone who deserved a break, this is the guy.
A second chance
By JOHN MULLANE
Bucks County Courier Times
Mike Fitzpatrick was told he had colon cancer in June. It was stage three cancer, which means it had spread to his lymph nodes.
The former Bucks County congressman found himself facing his own mortality.
“You want to know how is it to be told you have cancer?” he asked, exiting a hospital elevator earlier this week on his way to a morning session of chemotherapy.
He is 45 and has a wife and six children.
“I ignored the symptoms from about, let's see, January,” he said, entering the treatment suite. He removed his suit coat and draped it over a chair.
Last May, he said, at his wife's insistence, he went for exams and tests. In early June, he was told about the cancer.
“The first hour was, well, basically disbelief. Then there was another hour of self-pity. After that it was like, OK, I have six kids. What do I have to do to beat this?”
Fitzpatrick settled into the chair. He unbuttoned his shirt. Blood was drawn. A thin plastic tube curled from an IV bag filled with clear liquid and was anchored to a port in his chest.
The two-hour chemo drip began. He is a veteran of this procedure, and he chatted amiably through it.
Because of his relative youth, his doctors recommended an aggressive treatment program of radiation and chemo to shrink the colon tumor. Afterward, whatever was left would be cut out — a major surgery that would leave him down and out for five to six weeks.
But in mid October, he got good news. His doctor, examining his CT scans, said the tumor appeared to have vanished.
“Melted away,” Fitzpatrick said.
The surgery was canceled.
“I left that doctor's office and I felt free,” he said.
Could the cancer return? Yes.
“I'm not counting on it, though,” he said.
A nurse checked the IV bag.
“The steroid they give me will keep me awake all night. That's OK. I'll be in court tomorrow. I can do paperwork overnight,” he said.
Since losing his congressional seat in 2006, Fitzpatrick has returned home to Levittown and is practicing law. He is legal counsel to the Morrisville School District. He drafts wills as a sideline.
His oldest child is in college. His youngest is 8. He told the older ones about the cancer, but the little ones he only gave bare details.
“Dad's got to take some medicine to get better, is what I told them. No need to burden them,” he said.
Ultimately, cancer is a lonely battle, he said. There is fear. There are nights when he is up alone worrying, questioning.
“You think about whether you have succeeded in fulfilling your talents, your dreams, and you refocus on what is really important,” he said.
“You know — there was this calming effect on me, too. I haven't set an alarm clock since June 3. Until then, my life was measured in six-minute intervals, for [attorney] billing purposes. As a public servant, I was always thinking how many events can I cram into one day? I realized I wasn't spending enough time with my kids.
“I told my wife, I'm not setting my alarm for 5:30 anymore. Let the birds wake me. For me, it took a crisis to make me realize what I should have been doing all along. I feel like, you know, I've been given a second chance.”
The treatment was complete. The chemo tube was removed.
“You want to get coffee?” he asked.
Downstairs, he took a seat in the hospital cafeteria next to large windows, which overlook an outdoor courtyard called the Healing Garden.
He talked about the cigars he can no longer smoke, and the doctors who saved his life.
He reminisced about his days as a county commissioner.
He talked about taking more time to help one of his sons with reading, and how he insists on driving his children to school each morning. It's not a hassle in his day, but a highlight.
He talked about Thanksgiving with family and how this Christmas will be, for him, “one like no other.”
He sipped his coffee and looked into the courtyard, filled with late morning sunshine.
“Looks like a good day,” he said.
Mike Fitzpatrick has always been a class act and his service to Bucks County is well documented. If ever there was someone who deserved a break, this is the guy.
A second chance
By JOHN MULLANE
Bucks County Courier Times
Mike Fitzpatrick was told he had colon cancer in June. It was stage three cancer, which means it had spread to his lymph nodes.
The former Bucks County congressman found himself facing his own mortality.
“You want to know how is it to be told you have cancer?” he asked, exiting a hospital elevator earlier this week on his way to a morning session of chemotherapy.
He is 45 and has a wife and six children.
“I ignored the symptoms from about, let's see, January,” he said, entering the treatment suite. He removed his suit coat and draped it over a chair.
Last May, he said, at his wife's insistence, he went for exams and tests. In early June, he was told about the cancer.
“The first hour was, well, basically disbelief. Then there was another hour of self-pity. After that it was like, OK, I have six kids. What do I have to do to beat this?”
Fitzpatrick settled into the chair. He unbuttoned his shirt. Blood was drawn. A thin plastic tube curled from an IV bag filled with clear liquid and was anchored to a port in his chest.
The two-hour chemo drip began. He is a veteran of this procedure, and he chatted amiably through it.
Because of his relative youth, his doctors recommended an aggressive treatment program of radiation and chemo to shrink the colon tumor. Afterward, whatever was left would be cut out — a major surgery that would leave him down and out for five to six weeks.
But in mid October, he got good news. His doctor, examining his CT scans, said the tumor appeared to have vanished.
“Melted away,” Fitzpatrick said.
The surgery was canceled.
“I left that doctor's office and I felt free,” he said.
Could the cancer return? Yes.
“I'm not counting on it, though,” he said.
A nurse checked the IV bag.
“The steroid they give me will keep me awake all night. That's OK. I'll be in court tomorrow. I can do paperwork overnight,” he said.
Since losing his congressional seat in 2006, Fitzpatrick has returned home to Levittown and is practicing law. He is legal counsel to the Morrisville School District. He drafts wills as a sideline.
His oldest child is in college. His youngest is 8. He told the older ones about the cancer, but the little ones he only gave bare details.
“Dad's got to take some medicine to get better, is what I told them. No need to burden them,” he said.
Ultimately, cancer is a lonely battle, he said. There is fear. There are nights when he is up alone worrying, questioning.
“You think about whether you have succeeded in fulfilling your talents, your dreams, and you refocus on what is really important,” he said.
“You know — there was this calming effect on me, too. I haven't set an alarm clock since June 3. Until then, my life was measured in six-minute intervals, for [attorney] billing purposes. As a public servant, I was always thinking how many events can I cram into one day? I realized I wasn't spending enough time with my kids.
“I told my wife, I'm not setting my alarm for 5:30 anymore. Let the birds wake me. For me, it took a crisis to make me realize what I should have been doing all along. I feel like, you know, I've been given a second chance.”
The treatment was complete. The chemo tube was removed.
“You want to get coffee?” he asked.
Downstairs, he took a seat in the hospital cafeteria next to large windows, which overlook an outdoor courtyard called the Healing Garden.
He talked about the cigars he can no longer smoke, and the doctors who saved his life.
He reminisced about his days as a county commissioner.
He talked about taking more time to help one of his sons with reading, and how he insists on driving his children to school each morning. It's not a hassle in his day, but a highlight.
He talked about Thanksgiving with family and how this Christmas will be, for him, “one like no other.”
He sipped his coffee and looked into the courtyard, filled with late morning sunshine.
“Looks like a good day,” he said.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
Proclamation of Thanksgiving
by the President of the United States of America
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
A. Lincoln
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Morrisville Tomorrow
Here's a comment from long time poster Peter answering the question of who or what is Morrisville Tomorrow.
It's nice to see someone on the scene in the community with some progressive ideas. OK, what I meant was any ideas at all. The school board is mired is doing too much haphazardly and ineffectively with too little and the borough council is just not doing much at all.
Yes, being a [insert public office holder title] is hard and demanding. But whirling feverishly and accomplishing nothing is just like a Canadian police chase.
Let's hear some real discussion that can improve Morrisville instead of what's really happening: Zero discussion and outright evasion.
Face it people: We got exactly what we voted for.
Maybe we can do better?
So, who/what is Morrisville Tomorrow?
Well, like the ad says, we are a non-partisan group that is interested in getting more people informed about the goings on of our town. We recognize that we are all busy and that people may be more inclined to get involved if someone helped them stay informed. None of us can attend every meeting, but we can as a group.
The sentiment of the billboard is sincere. We just want to show our appreciation for the efforts of those that are working hard to make our schools great, and recognize the improvements that are being made.
We encourage a progressive can-do attitude and support attempts to improve our town through business development. We love the rich history of the town but realize that history alone will not sustain us. And not only do we need to attract businesses to our town, we need to attract the right types of businesses.
What Morrisville Tomorrow is not: we are NOT a charitable organization. We have NOT incorporated, nor do we plan to. We are NOT about reliving the past and we are NOT about a new school building.
Want to know more? Contact Morrisville Tomorrow at:
Morrisville Tomorrow
P.O. Box 1222
Morrisville, PA 19067
morrisvilletomorrow@googlegroups.com
It's nice to see someone on the scene in the community with some progressive ideas. OK, what I meant was any ideas at all. The school board is mired is doing too much haphazardly and ineffectively with too little and the borough council is just not doing much at all.
Yes, being a [insert public office holder title] is hard and demanding. But whirling feverishly and accomplishing nothing is just like a Canadian police chase.
Let's hear some real discussion that can improve Morrisville instead of what's really happening: Zero discussion and outright evasion.
Face it people: We got exactly what we voted for.
Maybe we can do better?
So, who/what is Morrisville Tomorrow?
Well, like the ad says, we are a non-partisan group that is interested in getting more people informed about the goings on of our town. We recognize that we are all busy and that people may be more inclined to get involved if someone helped them stay informed. None of us can attend every meeting, but we can as a group.
The sentiment of the billboard is sincere. We just want to show our appreciation for the efforts of those that are working hard to make our schools great, and recognize the improvements that are being made.
We encourage a progressive can-do attitude and support attempts to improve our town through business development. We love the rich history of the town but realize that history alone will not sustain us. And not only do we need to attract businesses to our town, we need to attract the right types of businesses.
What Morrisville Tomorrow is not: we are NOT a charitable organization. We have NOT incorporated, nor do we plan to. We are NOT about reliving the past and we are NOT about a new school building.
Want to know more? Contact Morrisville Tomorrow at:
Morrisville Tomorrow
P.O. Box 1222
Morrisville, PA 19067
morrisvilletomorrow@googlegroups.com
Where's Chicken Little When You Need Him?
From Forbes Magazine.
Pa. teacher, government pension funds post losses
By MARK SCOLFORO , 11.25.08, 05:00 PM EST
Pennsylvania's massive state government and teacher pension funds reported double-digit declines Tuesday, losses that reflect returns through September but not the market's continued fall since then.
And officials with both systems warned that year-end totals could be even worse.
From July 1 through Sept. 30, the two funds fell by more than $12 billion, or nearly half the size of the current state budget.
The State Employees' Retirement System said its investments fell about 14.4 percent from January through September, while the larger Public School Employees' Retirement System's investments dropped 16.7 percent for the one-year period ending Sept. 30.
The government workers' pension fund shed $4.3 billion dollars from July 1 though Sept. 30, ending the period with a value of $29.3 billion. The teacher fund, the nation's 14th largest public defined-benefit pension fund, lost $8 billion over the same three-month period to a value of $54.7 billion.
The stock market has experienced steep declines in October and November, and the two pension funds warned that their year-end accounting may end up looking worse.
In a statement, the state employees' pension fund said its investment performance in 2008 closely mirrored that of other large public pension funds in a prominent national comparison service.
Over the past decade, the State Employees' Retirement System has produced 8 percent a year on its investments, compared with a median of 5.6 percent for the large pension funds measured by the Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service.
For 2007, the system earned 17.2 percent, a $5 billion windfall that was among the best in the nation. By comparison, the S&P 500 grew by 5.49 percent in 2007.
The investment returns are bad news for state government retirees who have been pressuring the Legislature for a cost-of-living increase. Such increases are not automatic.
But state tax revenues for the current year are running hundreds of millions of dollars below expectations, and the decline in pension fund investments raises the likelihood taxpayers will have to pump in billions more to balance the retirement funds even without a cost of living adjustment.
Pa. teacher, government pension funds post losses
By MARK SCOLFORO , 11.25.08, 05:00 PM EST
Pennsylvania's massive state government and teacher pension funds reported double-digit declines Tuesday, losses that reflect returns through September but not the market's continued fall since then.
And officials with both systems warned that year-end totals could be even worse.
From July 1 through Sept. 30, the two funds fell by more than $12 billion, or nearly half the size of the current state budget.
The State Employees' Retirement System said its investments fell about 14.4 percent from January through September, while the larger Public School Employees' Retirement System's investments dropped 16.7 percent for the one-year period ending Sept. 30.
The government workers' pension fund shed $4.3 billion dollars from July 1 though Sept. 30, ending the period with a value of $29.3 billion. The teacher fund, the nation's 14th largest public defined-benefit pension fund, lost $8 billion over the same three-month period to a value of $54.7 billion.
The stock market has experienced steep declines in October and November, and the two pension funds warned that their year-end accounting may end up looking worse.
In a statement, the state employees' pension fund said its investment performance in 2008 closely mirrored that of other large public pension funds in a prominent national comparison service.
Over the past decade, the State Employees' Retirement System has produced 8 percent a year on its investments, compared with a median of 5.6 percent for the large pension funds measured by the Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service.
For 2007, the system earned 17.2 percent, a $5 billion windfall that was among the best in the nation. By comparison, the S&P 500 grew by 5.49 percent in 2007.
The investment returns are bad news for state government retirees who have been pressuring the Legislature for a cost-of-living increase. Such increases are not automatic.
But state tax revenues for the current year are running hundreds of millions of dollars below expectations, and the decline in pension fund investments raises the likelihood taxpayers will have to pump in billions more to balance the retirement funds even without a cost of living adjustment.
Bridge Renovation Trifecta in Play
The BCCT tells us this morning that the Calhoun Street Bridge is next on the list of DRJTBC structures to be rehabilitated.
Structures need to be maintained (note to school board) and plans need to be made (also a note to the school board) but it's not going to be easy traffic-wise with both the Superhighway and Calhoun bridges undergoing some sort of work.
Calhoun Street Bridge slated for rehabilitation
The 124-year-old span is the oldest of the commission’s 20 Delaware River bridges.
By GEORGE MATTAR
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission awarded a contract Monday to start the rehabilitation process for the 124-year-old Calhoun Street Bridge, which carries about 18,500 vehicles daily.
At its regular monthly meeting, the board approved a contract not to exceed $666,000 for TransSystems Corp. of Langhorne to begin engineering studies on the bridge. The engineering contract is for preliminary, final and post design services.
The rehabilitation includes replacement of the floors, repairs of the iron truss, painting, improvements to the bridge rail and sidewalk safety features and roadway repairs.
Construction is expected to being late next year and be completed in late 2010, said commission spokesman Joe Donnelly. The study will determine the cost of the project.
“The Calhoun Street Bridge is the oldest bridge in our jurisdiction,” said Frank G. McCartney, the commission’s executive director. “At 124 years old, the bridge is constructed of wrought iron, posing unique challenges for commission personnel and our consultants to overcome in rehabilitating the structure.”
Donnelly said McCartney was referring to the iron structure, as few, if any bridges are constructed of iron today. Even back in the 1800s, Donnelly said many bridges were built with steel.
The bridge is 1,274 feet long. A timber plank pedestrian sidewalk is supported by the upriver truss on steel cantilever brackets, Donnelly said. The bridge has a three ton limit and a 15 mph speed limit.
In 1985, stiff opposition from Morrisville residents prevented the commission from replacing the span with a new bridge. Likewise, a plan by the commission to convert the Calhoun Street bridge into a pedestrian route in return for a four-lane bridge being built next to it was turned back in 1992.
Structures need to be maintained (note to school board) and plans need to be made (also a note to the school board) but it's not going to be easy traffic-wise with both the Superhighway and Calhoun bridges undergoing some sort of work.
Calhoun Street Bridge slated for rehabilitation
The 124-year-old span is the oldest of the commission’s 20 Delaware River bridges.
By GEORGE MATTAR
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission awarded a contract Monday to start the rehabilitation process for the 124-year-old Calhoun Street Bridge, which carries about 18,500 vehicles daily.
At its regular monthly meeting, the board approved a contract not to exceed $666,000 for TransSystems Corp. of Langhorne to begin engineering studies on the bridge. The engineering contract is for preliminary, final and post design services.
The rehabilitation includes replacement of the floors, repairs of the iron truss, painting, improvements to the bridge rail and sidewalk safety features and roadway repairs.
Construction is expected to being late next year and be completed in late 2010, said commission spokesman Joe Donnelly. The study will determine the cost of the project.
“The Calhoun Street Bridge is the oldest bridge in our jurisdiction,” said Frank G. McCartney, the commission’s executive director. “At 124 years old, the bridge is constructed of wrought iron, posing unique challenges for commission personnel and our consultants to overcome in rehabilitating the structure.”
Donnelly said McCartney was referring to the iron structure, as few, if any bridges are constructed of iron today. Even back in the 1800s, Donnelly said many bridges were built with steel.
The bridge is 1,274 feet long. A timber plank pedestrian sidewalk is supported by the upriver truss on steel cantilever brackets, Donnelly said. The bridge has a three ton limit and a 15 mph speed limit.
In 1985, stiff opposition from Morrisville residents prevented the commission from replacing the span with a new bridge. Likewise, a plan by the commission to convert the Calhoun Street bridge into a pedestrian route in return for a four-lane bridge being built next to it was turned back in 1992.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Thanksgiving Day Pigskin Preview
Don't forget some pigskin with your turkey on Thursday. The Bulldogs will host Bristol at Robert Morris Field at 10:30 A.M.
THANKSGIVING DAY RIVALRY
Cookson spreading out success
The Morrisville sophomore has thrown for 1,161 yards in the Bulldogs’ spread offense. He said his team needs to be more consistent to defeat archrival Bristol Thursday.
By TOM WARING
Matt Cookson loves quarterbacking in the spread offense.
The Morrisville sophomore rarely lines up under center, almost always taking the ball from the shotgun. The Bulldogs have a single back and up to four wide receivers.
“The defense has to stay on their heels,” Cookson said. “We can run or pass.”
Cookson, a 6-foot-1, 175-pounder who played mostly special teams as a freshman, has had a pretty good season. The 10th-grader has thrown for 1,161 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Bulldogs, though, have mostly struggled. Cookson blames the team’s 2-8 record (0-3 in the Bicentennial Athletic League) on inconsistency.
“Football is four quarters, not just one or two,” he said.
Morrisville has a final chance to prove it can play four solid quarters of football Thursday against archrival Bristol. The teams will meet for the 80th time at 10:30 a.m. at Robert Morris Field.
A backup quarterback a year ago, Cookson will be playing in the most highly anticipated game of his young career. The Thanksgiving game brings out plenty of partisans on both sides.
“We should get a pretty big crowd, and we hope to please them,” he said.
Morrisville coach Jim Gober likes his quarterback’s athleticism, size and willingness to learn the spread offense that was implanted in the offseason.
“He has a nice mix of running ability and throwing ability, smarts and toughness,” the coach said.
Cookson plays some outside linebacker and safety, but Gober will limit his snaps on defense to keep him fresh and healthy for when the Bulldogs have the ball.
The 16-year-old quarterback knows his team is the underdog. Bristol owns a 41-35-3 advantage in the series, including eight wins in a row. The Warriors have earned shutouts the last three games.
Still, Morrisville is coming off a victory over St. George’s Tech (Del.). That game was played on Nov. 1, and Cookson acknowledges that the team hasn’t experienced much hard hitting in practice since then. Coaches have introduced new plays and made practice fun in the last three-plus weeks of game inactivity.
The quarterback is confident that running back Kyle Schnee, a speedy senior, will have a big game in his career finale. He added that the offensive line has improved during the season. Based on watching film of Bristol’s game against Academy of the New Church, he expects the Warriors to blitz a lot.
The Bulldogs can’t wait to get back on the football field.
“We’re all hyped up,” Cookson said. “It’s been cold, but we’re all pumped and excited for Bristol. It’s our rival.”
THANKSGIVING DAY RIVALRY
Cookson spreading out success
The Morrisville sophomore has thrown for 1,161 yards in the Bulldogs’ spread offense. He said his team needs to be more consistent to defeat archrival Bristol Thursday.
By TOM WARING
Matt Cookson loves quarterbacking in the spread offense.
The Morrisville sophomore rarely lines up under center, almost always taking the ball from the shotgun. The Bulldogs have a single back and up to four wide receivers.
“The defense has to stay on their heels,” Cookson said. “We can run or pass.”
Cookson, a 6-foot-1, 175-pounder who played mostly special teams as a freshman, has had a pretty good season. The 10th-grader has thrown for 1,161 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Bulldogs, though, have mostly struggled. Cookson blames the team’s 2-8 record (0-3 in the Bicentennial Athletic League) on inconsistency.
“Football is four quarters, not just one or two,” he said.
Morrisville has a final chance to prove it can play four solid quarters of football Thursday against archrival Bristol. The teams will meet for the 80th time at 10:30 a.m. at Robert Morris Field.
A backup quarterback a year ago, Cookson will be playing in the most highly anticipated game of his young career. The Thanksgiving game brings out plenty of partisans on both sides.
“We should get a pretty big crowd, and we hope to please them,” he said.
Morrisville coach Jim Gober likes his quarterback’s athleticism, size and willingness to learn the spread offense that was implanted in the offseason.
“He has a nice mix of running ability and throwing ability, smarts and toughness,” the coach said.
Cookson plays some outside linebacker and safety, but Gober will limit his snaps on defense to keep him fresh and healthy for when the Bulldogs have the ball.
The 16-year-old quarterback knows his team is the underdog. Bristol owns a 41-35-3 advantage in the series, including eight wins in a row. The Warriors have earned shutouts the last three games.
Still, Morrisville is coming off a victory over St. George’s Tech (Del.). That game was played on Nov. 1, and Cookson acknowledges that the team hasn’t experienced much hard hitting in practice since then. Coaches have introduced new plays and made practice fun in the last three-plus weeks of game inactivity.
The quarterback is confident that running back Kyle Schnee, a speedy senior, will have a big game in his career finale. He added that the offensive line has improved during the season. Based on watching film of Bristol’s game against Academy of the New Church, he expects the Warriors to blitz a lot.
The Bulldogs can’t wait to get back on the football field.
“We’re all hyped up,” Cookson said. “It’s been cold, but we’re all pumped and excited for Bristol. It’s our rival.”
Flashers and Heaters and Furniture Oh My!
From the BCCT.
Board approves new expenditures for new school
Posted in News on Monday, November 24th, 2008 at 3:16 pm by Joan Hellyer
The Bristol school board agreed Thursday night to let administrators buy $531,628.57 worth of furniture and equipment for the district’s soon to be completed pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school.
The facility is under construction next to the district’s Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School off Buckley Street.
The board also entered into an agreement with Gilmore & Associates to design and construct two 15 MPH school zone flashers for the project. Plus, board members approved temporary heaters at the school for construction workers.
The school is expected to be completed in 2009.
Board approves new expenditures for new school
Posted in News on Monday, November 24th, 2008 at 3:16 pm by Joan Hellyer
The Bristol school board agreed Thursday night to let administrators buy $531,628.57 worth of furniture and equipment for the district’s soon to be completed pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school.
The facility is under construction next to the district’s Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School off Buckley Street.
The board also entered into an agreement with Gilmore & Associates to design and construct two 15 MPH school zone flashers for the project. Plus, board members approved temporary heaters at the school for construction workers.
The school is expected to be completed in 2009.
Shakespeare Already?
"Pearls Before Swine" today, presented in honor of all those English teachers, past and present, who bring us Shakespeare and other "olde litterature" and the parents who get to relive those moments.
Gambling Money Comes Back to Towns
From the BCCT.
Authority awards $2.6 million in casino grants
Lower Southampton will get nearly $800,000. Bristol Township will receive $634,000. This year’s grants are a million more than last year.
By JAMES MCGINNIS
The Bucks County Redevelopment Authority on Monday awarded more than $2.6 million in casino impact grants while setting the stage for even more towns to apply for gambling money.
Bristol, which doesn’t directly border Bensalem or Philadelphia Park Casino, will nonetheless get $350,000 to pay for renovations to its police and fire departments next year.
The gaming act states that grants should go “to the municipalities which are contiguous to the municipality and which are located within the county in which the licensed facility is located.”
Still, Redevelopment Authority Director Bob White said the borough is eligible to receive funds as long as the application is submitted by the county.
“We checked with our solicitor on this and the county can apply for anyone that they want,” White said.
That might come as a shock to officials in Penndel who said the Redevelopment Authority told them they weren’t eligible.
There also was confusion at the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Monday about whether Bristol is eligible. Representatives said they need time to review the law on impact grants before any comment.
Meanwhile, White encouraged applications from Penndel and Langhorne, calling those towns the “doughnut holes” of Lower Bucks. “These towns are surrounded by Middletown and Bristol Township and they can apply,” he argued. “They can clearly argue that they’re affected” by the casino.
Being close to Bensalem certainly had the desired effect for Lower Southampton — the big winner among grant applicants this year. Lower Southampton can expect nearly $800,000 in revenues from the slot machines.
One grant of $192,000 will help pay for upgrades to the intersection of Street Road and Central Avenue while another for $185,000 will pay for equipment that clears intersections during emergency response calls.
Lower Southampton and Feasterville fire companies will receive a combined $240,000 for new generators. Tri-Hampton Rescue Squad will get $72,782 for global positioning communications equipment, and the fire marshal is slated to receive $40,000 for three hybrid vehicles.
There are no hybrids on Bristol Township’s list. Instead, the township is going to buy guns.
A $20,000 grant for Mayor Sam Fenton’s proposed firearms buyback program is just one of $634,000 in grants for the township.
The community is slated to receive $120,000 to fight flooding and another $140,000 to make the township building handicap accessible.
A combined $166,050 will go to renovating the Croydon and Edgely firehouses. Third District Fire Company will get $100,000 for new air packs. Another $88,000 is set aside for emergency generators and traffic signals.
With just one grant this year, Middletown will receive $478,977 to help pay for upgrades to the intersection of Route 213 and Business Route 1.
Nearby, Hulmeville will receive $300,000 for a new borough hall. The borough plans to renovate an old borough-owned school on Main Street into the new borough hall and police headquarters.
Bensalem is slated to receive $275,000 next year, with $150,000 to help clean up graffiti and another $125,000 to pay for extra shifts of ambulance crews. (As a casino host community, Bensalem also receives $10 million a year.)
The authority’s board of directors said it received 42 applications seeking a total of $7.2 million for Lower Bucks County. Last year $2.5 million was awarded in grants.
“It’s not easy choosing these grants,” he said. “We had a lot of really good requests this year. And none of this is going to a study. These are things that will start right away.”
Authority awards $2.6 million in casino grants
Lower Southampton will get nearly $800,000. Bristol Township will receive $634,000. This year’s grants are a million more than last year.
By JAMES MCGINNIS
The Bucks County Redevelopment Authority on Monday awarded more than $2.6 million in casino impact grants while setting the stage for even more towns to apply for gambling money.
Bristol, which doesn’t directly border Bensalem or Philadelphia Park Casino, will nonetheless get $350,000 to pay for renovations to its police and fire departments next year.
The gaming act states that grants should go “to the municipalities which are contiguous to the municipality and which are located within the county in which the licensed facility is located.”
Still, Redevelopment Authority Director Bob White said the borough is eligible to receive funds as long as the application is submitted by the county.
“We checked with our solicitor on this and the county can apply for anyone that they want,” White said.
That might come as a shock to officials in Penndel who said the Redevelopment Authority told them they weren’t eligible.
There also was confusion at the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Monday about whether Bristol is eligible. Representatives said they need time to review the law on impact grants before any comment.
Meanwhile, White encouraged applications from Penndel and Langhorne, calling those towns the “doughnut holes” of Lower Bucks. “These towns are surrounded by Middletown and Bristol Township and they can apply,” he argued. “They can clearly argue that they’re affected” by the casino.
Being close to Bensalem certainly had the desired effect for Lower Southampton — the big winner among grant applicants this year. Lower Southampton can expect nearly $800,000 in revenues from the slot machines.
One grant of $192,000 will help pay for upgrades to the intersection of Street Road and Central Avenue while another for $185,000 will pay for equipment that clears intersections during emergency response calls.
Lower Southampton and Feasterville fire companies will receive a combined $240,000 for new generators. Tri-Hampton Rescue Squad will get $72,782 for global positioning communications equipment, and the fire marshal is slated to receive $40,000 for three hybrid vehicles.
There are no hybrids on Bristol Township’s list. Instead, the township is going to buy guns.
A $20,000 grant for Mayor Sam Fenton’s proposed firearms buyback program is just one of $634,000 in grants for the township.
The community is slated to receive $120,000 to fight flooding and another $140,000 to make the township building handicap accessible.
A combined $166,050 will go to renovating the Croydon and Edgely firehouses. Third District Fire Company will get $100,000 for new air packs. Another $88,000 is set aside for emergency generators and traffic signals.
With just one grant this year, Middletown will receive $478,977 to help pay for upgrades to the intersection of Route 213 and Business Route 1.
Nearby, Hulmeville will receive $300,000 for a new borough hall. The borough plans to renovate an old borough-owned school on Main Street into the new borough hall and police headquarters.
Bensalem is slated to receive $275,000 next year, with $150,000 to help clean up graffiti and another $125,000 to pay for extra shifts of ambulance crews. (As a casino host community, Bensalem also receives $10 million a year.)
The authority’s board of directors said it received 42 applications seeking a total of $7.2 million for Lower Bucks County. Last year $2.5 million was awarded in grants.
“It’s not easy choosing these grants,” he said. “We had a lot of really good requests this year. And none of this is going to a study. These are things that will start right away.”
Monday, November 24, 2008
Student Achievement Billboard
Thanks to the anonymous photographer who provided the picture of the student achievement billboard. The remarkable thing is that it was done without the active support of our elected school board. When it says congratulations to the "superintendent, principals, teachers, staff, and parents" who made it possible, it was not an unintentional error.
In honor of the achievement, this billboard will occupy a place of honor at the top of this blog. Keep up the good work!
In honor of the achievement, this billboard will occupy a place of honor at the top of this blog. Keep up the good work!
Setting An Example: Legislative Pay Raise Next Week
From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Should our elected representatives show some restraint, or do they deserve their raise?
Legislative pay cut in Florida won't fly in Pennsylvania
By Eric Heyl TRIBUNE-REVIEW, Sunday, November 23, 2008
The hogs of Harrisburg appear to be recession-proof.
The nation is experiencing its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Pennsylvania is facing a potential deficit of as much as $2 billion, leading Gov. Ed Rendell to slash spending on many programs and hint strongly that a tax hike is in the offing.
Amid this hurricane-force economic storm, your state legislators should be quickly boarding up some windows. Instead, they are breaking out the tanning lotion while cheerfully whistling "Happy Days Are Here Again."
On Dec. 1, General Assembly members are scheduled to receive their annual cost-of-living adjustment. Their base salaries will jump 2.8 percent to $78,315; those in leadership positions will make as much as $122,000.
That's a bit more than most families bring in annually in the Keystone State. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the median household income in Pennsylvania is $43,714.
State lawmakers never have been particularly sensitive to the dramatic income disparity that exists between them and the people they are elected to pickpocket -- er, I mean represent.
But given the state's dwindling coffers, state Senate President Pro Tempore and Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, suggested Thursday that lawmakers should consider forgoing this year's pay increase.
Expect that to happen when pigs fly. And last time I checked, Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow, D-Lackawanna, wasn't sporting a pair of wings.
Mellow conveyed a counterpoint to Scarnati's proposal that almost certainly will prevail in any legislative debate over the raises. He defended the increase as "modest and the right thing to do."
On Friday, Mellow told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Our members have the same family responsibilities as others."
So do state legislators in Florida. Yet in June, those lawmakers did something that probably left their Pennsylvania counterparts aghast and apoplectic over the terrible example they set.
With the Sunshine State facing a $3 billion revenue shortfall, lawmakers not only eschewed a raise -- they reduced their salaries by 5 percent.
That action is even more impressive when you consider that Florida legislators make about $31,000 annually -- less than half of what your average Pennsylvania porker takes home.
I wanted to ask Mellow why the family needs of Pennsylvania lawmakers seem to be substantially greater than those of their Florida brethren, but calls to his office were not immediately returned Friday.
Perhaps he was getting a jump on his Christmas shopping.
From his remarks, however, Mellow obviously believes state lawmakers should continue indulging their insatiable appetites at the public trough regardless of whether the public can afford it.
Is he right? In a pig's eye.
Legislative pay cut in Florida won't fly in Pennsylvania
By Eric Heyl TRIBUNE-REVIEW, Sunday, November 23, 2008
The hogs of Harrisburg appear to be recession-proof.
The nation is experiencing its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Pennsylvania is facing a potential deficit of as much as $2 billion, leading Gov. Ed Rendell to slash spending on many programs and hint strongly that a tax hike is in the offing.
Amid this hurricane-force economic storm, your state legislators should be quickly boarding up some windows. Instead, they are breaking out the tanning lotion while cheerfully whistling "Happy Days Are Here Again."
On Dec. 1, General Assembly members are scheduled to receive their annual cost-of-living adjustment. Their base salaries will jump 2.8 percent to $78,315; those in leadership positions will make as much as $122,000.
That's a bit more than most families bring in annually in the Keystone State. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the median household income in Pennsylvania is $43,714.
State lawmakers never have been particularly sensitive to the dramatic income disparity that exists between them and the people they are elected to pickpocket -- er, I mean represent.
But given the state's dwindling coffers, state Senate President Pro Tempore and Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, suggested Thursday that lawmakers should consider forgoing this year's pay increase.
Expect that to happen when pigs fly. And last time I checked, Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow, D-Lackawanna, wasn't sporting a pair of wings.
Mellow conveyed a counterpoint to Scarnati's proposal that almost certainly will prevail in any legislative debate over the raises. He defended the increase as "modest and the right thing to do."
On Friday, Mellow told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Our members have the same family responsibilities as others."
So do state legislators in Florida. Yet in June, those lawmakers did something that probably left their Pennsylvania counterparts aghast and apoplectic over the terrible example they set.
With the Sunshine State facing a $3 billion revenue shortfall, lawmakers not only eschewed a raise -- they reduced their salaries by 5 percent.
That action is even more impressive when you consider that Florida legislators make about $31,000 annually -- less than half of what your average Pennsylvania porker takes home.
I wanted to ask Mellow why the family needs of Pennsylvania lawmakers seem to be substantially greater than those of their Florida brethren, but calls to his office were not immediately returned Friday.
Perhaps he was getting a jump on his Christmas shopping.
From his remarks, however, Mellow obviously believes state lawmakers should continue indulging their insatiable appetites at the public trough regardless of whether the public can afford it.
Is he right? In a pig's eye.
The Next Generation
From the (Tucson) Arizona Daily Star. The immediate focus is, not surprisingly, Arizona. The concepts are applicable worldwide. Quotes like, "...infrastructure is what we build today for our children and grandchildren..." and "Are we going to make investments to secure the well-being, quality of life and competitiveness of our children and grandchildren?" need serious consideration.
The Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research has the full series of reports available.
Investing in the future of our children
By Michael M. Crow
Special to the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.24.2008
With demographic projections suggesting the likelihood that within the next quarter-century more than 10 million Americans will call Arizona home, our state must confront unprecedented challenges as it matures and in terms of population becomes one of the 10 largest states in the union — larger than New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois and probably Pennsylvania.
Chief among these challenges is adequate investment in infrastructure — roads, transit, electricity, drinking water, telecommunications, but also health care and public safety and the educational infrastructure of our public schools and the three state universities.
Last Monday Arizona State University was honored to welcome elected policy-makers and prominent leaders from the public and private sectors to the forum "Preparing for an Arizona of 10 Million People: Meeting the Infrastructure Challenges of Growth." The purpose of the gathering, tagged "Arizona 2030," was to address some of the major challenges facing the state's public and private sectors as a result of rapid growth.
While there was broad agreement that our success is contingent on an optimal infrastructure, I would argue that when it comes to reaching the consensus required for policy to advance and investment to be made, Arizonans still lack a sufficient sense of clarity and urgency.
Despite chronic underinvestment in our state's infrastructure, contentious debate over whether or not we should commit to meet the infrastructure needs of the present and future prevents us from acting in our own self- interest.
Perhaps some perspective may be required: Put simply, infrastructure is what we build today for our children and grandchildren. If we look back across the generations who came before us, most were generally well-served by an infrastructure commensurate with the population and needs of the era.
One need only consider the tens of thousands of public schools and the hundreds of great universities that have been built across the country. Railroads operating in the private sector were given massive land grants by the federal government, and canals were advanced through government investment succeeded by private-sector operation.
Throughout our history our success stories have been made possible by government helping to lay down the foundation of the infrastructure and then bridging to the private sector that in turn found some way to prosper.
At the epicenter of our national future — that is the American West — critical decisions regarding the course we take must be made:
● Should we invest in an enhanced quality of life with some sense of collective identity as fellow citizens, or is everybody just out for themselves?
● Can we fathom the extent of our interrelatedness in the global economy and the mounting ferocity of competition from abroad?
● Will we continue to deliberate over infrastructure while most economies in the developed world simply move forward with investments required for success and then engage the private sector?
● Can we find a way to destigmatize and depoliticize concepts like planning and market-driven solutions, and practices like tolls and user fees?
● Can we grasp that infrastructure is not an expense but the basis from which we will attain economic competitiveness?
While the implementation of infrastructure projects may prove challenging, our decision to make a commitment need not be so very complicated after all: Are we going to make investments to secure the well-being, quality of life and competitiveness of our children and grandchildren? Will we lay down the infrastructure they will need so that their market-driven private-sector ambitions can be erected on a platform equal to or greater than that which we enjoyed?
Such deliberation should transcend partisanship. We need to make a decision about whether or not we can find a way to meet today's needs and still invest for tomorrow — for the future of our children and grandchildren.
On StarNet: "Preparing for an Arizona of 10 Million People: Meeting the Infrastructure Challenges of Growth," a study, was done by the Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research at the W.P. Carey School of Business and is available in a database that aggregates growth analysis, opinion and documents. The report is available at: azstarnet.com/special/growthresources
The Arizona State University Office of the President Web site is http://president.asu.edu/
The Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research has the full series of reports available.
Investing in the future of our children
By Michael M. Crow
Special to the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.24.2008
With demographic projections suggesting the likelihood that within the next quarter-century more than 10 million Americans will call Arizona home, our state must confront unprecedented challenges as it matures and in terms of population becomes one of the 10 largest states in the union — larger than New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois and probably Pennsylvania.
Chief among these challenges is adequate investment in infrastructure — roads, transit, electricity, drinking water, telecommunications, but also health care and public safety and the educational infrastructure of our public schools and the three state universities.
Last Monday Arizona State University was honored to welcome elected policy-makers and prominent leaders from the public and private sectors to the forum "Preparing for an Arizona of 10 Million People: Meeting the Infrastructure Challenges of Growth." The purpose of the gathering, tagged "Arizona 2030," was to address some of the major challenges facing the state's public and private sectors as a result of rapid growth.
While there was broad agreement that our success is contingent on an optimal infrastructure, I would argue that when it comes to reaching the consensus required for policy to advance and investment to be made, Arizonans still lack a sufficient sense of clarity and urgency.
Despite chronic underinvestment in our state's infrastructure, contentious debate over whether or not we should commit to meet the infrastructure needs of the present and future prevents us from acting in our own self- interest.
Perhaps some perspective may be required: Put simply, infrastructure is what we build today for our children and grandchildren. If we look back across the generations who came before us, most were generally well-served by an infrastructure commensurate with the population and needs of the era.
One need only consider the tens of thousands of public schools and the hundreds of great universities that have been built across the country. Railroads operating in the private sector were given massive land grants by the federal government, and canals were advanced through government investment succeeded by private-sector operation.
Throughout our history our success stories have been made possible by government helping to lay down the foundation of the infrastructure and then bridging to the private sector that in turn found some way to prosper.
At the epicenter of our national future — that is the American West — critical decisions regarding the course we take must be made:
● Should we invest in an enhanced quality of life with some sense of collective identity as fellow citizens, or is everybody just out for themselves?
● Can we fathom the extent of our interrelatedness in the global economy and the mounting ferocity of competition from abroad?
● Will we continue to deliberate over infrastructure while most economies in the developed world simply move forward with investments required for success and then engage the private sector?
● Can we find a way to destigmatize and depoliticize concepts like planning and market-driven solutions, and practices like tolls and user fees?
● Can we grasp that infrastructure is not an expense but the basis from which we will attain economic competitiveness?
While the implementation of infrastructure projects may prove challenging, our decision to make a commitment need not be so very complicated after all: Are we going to make investments to secure the well-being, quality of life and competitiveness of our children and grandchildren? Will we lay down the infrastructure they will need so that their market-driven private-sector ambitions can be erected on a platform equal to or greater than that which we enjoyed?
Such deliberation should transcend partisanship. We need to make a decision about whether or not we can find a way to meet today's needs and still invest for tomorrow — for the future of our children and grandchildren.
On StarNet: "Preparing for an Arizona of 10 Million People: Meeting the Infrastructure Challenges of Growth," a study, was done by the Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research at the W.P. Carey School of Business and is available in a database that aggregates growth analysis, opinion and documents. The report is available at: azstarnet.com/special/growthresources
The Arizona State University Office of the President Web site is http://president.asu.edu/
Group seeks financial help for district
From the BCCT
Group seeks financial help for district
Donations to the education foundation are tax-deductible.
By MANASEE WAGH
It costs more to educate one child in the Morrisville School District than it does in any other district in Lower Bucks County — including Bristol, Council Rock and Neshaminy.
For that reason, Morrisville’s new Opportunity Educational Foundation is finally taking wing to narrow the gap.
The nonprofit group wants businesses and individuals to help the district financially. While potential donors have already expressed serious interest, the organization’s committee needs more interested participants, said Mark Coassolo at the school board’s Wednesday meeting.
“We’re looking for more people to be on the board of trustees. We’re looking for doers and people who are going to bring money,” he said.
In particular, the group is seeking corporate representation, he said.
At least nine people are necessary to form the board of trustees, which will include a board member, likely Marlys Mihok, a member of the teachers union, the business manager and district Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson.
Funding from the foundation would allow students to participate in more educational opportunities by fostering business partnerships with companies. Mini-grants and other donations would pay for field trips, classroom tools, scholastic projects, or other learning experiences without dipping into tax money.
Pennsbury, Centennial, Neshaminy, Bristol, Bristol Township, Council Rock and Bensalem all benefit from fundraising foundations that bring in many thousands of dollars for educational projects that might otherwise be too expensive.
The average cost of educating a high school student in Morrisville is $14,214, as compared to $10,866 in Bristol, another small district, and $11,711 in the larger district of Bristol Township. Elementary costs are higher, too.
The numbers reflect the fact that Morrisville has about 1,000 students and a little more than 70 teachers, as well as support staff including gifted/instructional support aides and guidance counselors. The average teacher salary last year was $69,000. Teacher contracts are locked in until 2012.
In general, the smaller the district, the higher the cost per pupil because class sizes tend to be smaller, said William Ferrara, the high school principal.
“We’re a small district and we’re not the wealthiest district, so it can only help. Everybody wins, because donations are tax-deductible,” said Coassolo.
If you are interested in joining the future board of trustees, helping financially or would like more information, please contact Mark Coassolo at 215-428-9657 or at markdc32@verizon.net.
Alternatively, call the district business office at 215-736-5933.
Group seeks financial help for district
Donations to the education foundation are tax-deductible.
By MANASEE WAGH
It costs more to educate one child in the Morrisville School District than it does in any other district in Lower Bucks County — including Bristol, Council Rock and Neshaminy.
For that reason, Morrisville’s new Opportunity Educational Foundation is finally taking wing to narrow the gap.
The nonprofit group wants businesses and individuals to help the district financially. While potential donors have already expressed serious interest, the organization’s committee needs more interested participants, said Mark Coassolo at the school board’s Wednesday meeting.
“We’re looking for more people to be on the board of trustees. We’re looking for doers and people who are going to bring money,” he said.
In particular, the group is seeking corporate representation, he said.
At least nine people are necessary to form the board of trustees, which will include a board member, likely Marlys Mihok, a member of the teachers union, the business manager and district Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson.
Funding from the foundation would allow students to participate in more educational opportunities by fostering business partnerships with companies. Mini-grants and other donations would pay for field trips, classroom tools, scholastic projects, or other learning experiences without dipping into tax money.
Pennsbury, Centennial, Neshaminy, Bristol, Bristol Township, Council Rock and Bensalem all benefit from fundraising foundations that bring in many thousands of dollars for educational projects that might otherwise be too expensive.
The average cost of educating a high school student in Morrisville is $14,214, as compared to $10,866 in Bristol, another small district, and $11,711 in the larger district of Bristol Township. Elementary costs are higher, too.
The numbers reflect the fact that Morrisville has about 1,000 students and a little more than 70 teachers, as well as support staff including gifted/instructional support aides and guidance counselors. The average teacher salary last year was $69,000. Teacher contracts are locked in until 2012.
In general, the smaller the district, the higher the cost per pupil because class sizes tend to be smaller, said William Ferrara, the high school principal.
“We’re a small district and we’re not the wealthiest district, so it can only help. Everybody wins, because donations are tax-deductible,” said Coassolo.
If you are interested in joining the future board of trustees, helping financially or would like more information, please contact Mark Coassolo at 215-428-9657 or at markdc32@verizon.net.
Alternatively, call the district business office at 215-736-5933.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Education Coalitions Forming
From the Allentown Morning call. Forging coalitions between teachers and the community that's been left out of the education process...what an interesting idea.
"There's a lot to be said for an organization working independent of the school board."
"Quality education is an issue that affects everybody."
Sounds like change that would benefit everyone.
New coalition flexes muscle in Bethlehem
BASD: Minorities, teachers union join on education issues.
By Steve Esack | Of The Morning Call November 23, 2008
Separately, advocates for teachers and Bethlehem's growing minority community have felt left out of the city's education debate.
Together, under the banner of the newly formed Bethlehem Coalition for Quality Education, they're making themselves heard.
If successful, the coalition, which made school board members take notice at a recent meeting, could turn into the biggest union-backed political movement Bethlehem has seen since the steelworkers union became a power in City Council elections.
''The teaching job today is a very political job,'' said Craig Zieger, teachers union president for 12 years. ''I've probably become the most political president and I am moving the union in that direction. We will be running candidates [for school board].''
The coalition formed in September, comprising the Bethlehem Education Association, Pennsylvania State Education Association, Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations of the Lehigh Valley and the Bethlehem branch of the NAACP. It went public Monday by opposing an administrative proposal to make passing the 11th-grade PSSA tests -- or some other exam -- a graduation requirement. The board tabled the proposal.
Superintendent Joseph Lewis did not respond during the meeting to coalition members' comments. He did not return calls later in the week.
School Board Vice President Judith Dexter said Thursday the coalition swayed her during the meeting with their arguments, among them that a PSSA graduation requirement could increase the drop-out rate and cost the cash-strapped district more than $600,000 for tutoring.
''It was the first time I heard of them,'' Dexter said, ''and I was influenced by the people who took the podium.''
As the Bethlehem Area School Area District grappled with low state test scores, a federal voter discrimination lawsuit, periodic infighting and financial deficits, teachers and minorities have felt relegated to the sidelines. The coalition has given them a stronger voice.
Esther Lee, longtime leader of the Bethlehem branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said she often thought her concerns, especially those about low test scores among minority students, were not being addressed by the board and administration. The union gives her more support, she said.
''The NAACP has on many occasions voiced concern over the PSSA,'' Lee said Tuesday. ''The strength of having Craig Zieger, president of the Bethlehem Education Association, stand up and say 'I can't support this' gave us credence.''
Charlene Koch, the longest-serving school board member, said she does not recall the union ever taking such a political stance and welcomed the input.
''There's a lot to be said for an organization working independent of the school board,'' Koch said.
Political awakening
The 187,000-member Pennsylvania State Education Association has always been part of the political process, said spokesman Wythe Keever. Two years ago, PSEA launched a new initiative of community organizing in Reading and now in Bethlehem.
''We are trying to reach out to minority constituents in those communities,'' Keever said.
The Bethlehem district has had a diversity task force for several years, but Zieger said he was never asked to join. After he found out about PSEA's work in Reading, he sought the union's help in Bethlehem. He said his union needs to be more engaged to bridge communication gaps among races to improve education.
''Teachers can't sit back anymore,'' Zieger said. ''We know what's good for kids.''
Lorenzo Canizares, a former New York City teacher turned community organizer for the PSEA, is leading the effort in both cities. By coming together in an informal setting, he said, more people may get the courage to run for school board.
''We are not here to point fingers at anybody because we have to work together,'' Canizares said. ''Quality education is an issue that affects everybody.''
Sis-Obed Torres, president of the Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, agreed. He said low test scores among minorities is a national issue that cannot be solved unless people work together.
''I'm not sure how this group is going to play out,'' Torres said. ''But we are citizens of this country, we are residents of this city and we have to be engaged.''
Racial issues
Race, politics and education have been sticky issues in Bethlehem. The student population is about 53 percent white, 33 percent Hispanic, 10 percent black, 3 percent Asian, and a mix of other races. The school board is all white.
In the last 15 years, no minority candidate has won a school board election or been appointed to a vacancy. In August, the school board settled a 2006 federal voters rights lawsuit that alleged the district's at-large voting system discriminated against Hispanics.
The settlement created six at-large seats and three geographic seats, one of which will encompass the predominantly Hispanic areas of south Bethlehem and Fountain Hill.
That seat is up for election in May, as are seats currently held by Dexter, a Democrat; Craig T. Haytmanek, a Republican; Irene Follweiler, a Republican; and Charlene Koch, a Democrat.
Haytmanek, who lives in Fountain Hill, said he is undecided if he will seek re-election. He said should he choose to run, he will abide by the coalition's request to run as an at-large candidate to give a Hispanic a better chance of winning the geographic seat.
Zieger said the coalition members will try to meet at least monthly to talk about educational issues and will bring their concerns to the school board.
''We have vast diversity in this community and there is a large group of individuals -- whether they be Latino, African-American or economically disadvantaged -- who feel disenfranchised by the system,'' he said. ''It's a very intimidating system. They need a voice and the coalition will be that voice.''
"There's a lot to be said for an organization working independent of the school board."
"Quality education is an issue that affects everybody."
Sounds like change that would benefit everyone.
New coalition flexes muscle in Bethlehem
BASD: Minorities, teachers union join on education issues.
By Steve Esack | Of The Morning Call November 23, 2008
Separately, advocates for teachers and Bethlehem's growing minority community have felt left out of the city's education debate.
Together, under the banner of the newly formed Bethlehem Coalition for Quality Education, they're making themselves heard.
If successful, the coalition, which made school board members take notice at a recent meeting, could turn into the biggest union-backed political movement Bethlehem has seen since the steelworkers union became a power in City Council elections.
''The teaching job today is a very political job,'' said Craig Zieger, teachers union president for 12 years. ''I've probably become the most political president and I am moving the union in that direction. We will be running candidates [for school board].''
The coalition formed in September, comprising the Bethlehem Education Association, Pennsylvania State Education Association, Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations of the Lehigh Valley and the Bethlehem branch of the NAACP. It went public Monday by opposing an administrative proposal to make passing the 11th-grade PSSA tests -- or some other exam -- a graduation requirement. The board tabled the proposal.
Superintendent Joseph Lewis did not respond during the meeting to coalition members' comments. He did not return calls later in the week.
School Board Vice President Judith Dexter said Thursday the coalition swayed her during the meeting with their arguments, among them that a PSSA graduation requirement could increase the drop-out rate and cost the cash-strapped district more than $600,000 for tutoring.
''It was the first time I heard of them,'' Dexter said, ''and I was influenced by the people who took the podium.''
As the Bethlehem Area School Area District grappled with low state test scores, a federal voter discrimination lawsuit, periodic infighting and financial deficits, teachers and minorities have felt relegated to the sidelines. The coalition has given them a stronger voice.
Esther Lee, longtime leader of the Bethlehem branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said she often thought her concerns, especially those about low test scores among minority students, were not being addressed by the board and administration. The union gives her more support, she said.
''The NAACP has on many occasions voiced concern over the PSSA,'' Lee said Tuesday. ''The strength of having Craig Zieger, president of the Bethlehem Education Association, stand up and say 'I can't support this' gave us credence.''
Charlene Koch, the longest-serving school board member, said she does not recall the union ever taking such a political stance and welcomed the input.
''There's a lot to be said for an organization working independent of the school board,'' Koch said.
Political awakening
The 187,000-member Pennsylvania State Education Association has always been part of the political process, said spokesman Wythe Keever. Two years ago, PSEA launched a new initiative of community organizing in Reading and now in Bethlehem.
''We are trying to reach out to minority constituents in those communities,'' Keever said.
The Bethlehem district has had a diversity task force for several years, but Zieger said he was never asked to join. After he found out about PSEA's work in Reading, he sought the union's help in Bethlehem. He said his union needs to be more engaged to bridge communication gaps among races to improve education.
''Teachers can't sit back anymore,'' Zieger said. ''We know what's good for kids.''
Lorenzo Canizares, a former New York City teacher turned community organizer for the PSEA, is leading the effort in both cities. By coming together in an informal setting, he said, more people may get the courage to run for school board.
''We are not here to point fingers at anybody because we have to work together,'' Canizares said. ''Quality education is an issue that affects everybody.''
Sis-Obed Torres, president of the Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, agreed. He said low test scores among minorities is a national issue that cannot be solved unless people work together.
''I'm not sure how this group is going to play out,'' Torres said. ''But we are citizens of this country, we are residents of this city and we have to be engaged.''
Racial issues
Race, politics and education have been sticky issues in Bethlehem. The student population is about 53 percent white, 33 percent Hispanic, 10 percent black, 3 percent Asian, and a mix of other races. The school board is all white.
In the last 15 years, no minority candidate has won a school board election or been appointed to a vacancy. In August, the school board settled a 2006 federal voters rights lawsuit that alleged the district's at-large voting system discriminated against Hispanics.
The settlement created six at-large seats and three geographic seats, one of which will encompass the predominantly Hispanic areas of south Bethlehem and Fountain Hill.
That seat is up for election in May, as are seats currently held by Dexter, a Democrat; Craig T. Haytmanek, a Republican; Irene Follweiler, a Republican; and Charlene Koch, a Democrat.
Haytmanek, who lives in Fountain Hill, said he is undecided if he will seek re-election. He said should he choose to run, he will abide by the coalition's request to run as an at-large candidate to give a Hispanic a better chance of winning the geographic seat.
Zieger said the coalition members will try to meet at least monthly to talk about educational issues and will bring their concerns to the school board.
''We have vast diversity in this community and there is a large group of individuals -- whether they be Latino, African-American or economically disadvantaged -- who feel disenfranchised by the system,'' he said. ''It's a very intimidating system. They need a voice and the coalition will be that voice.''
Pennsylvania Right to Know Law
From the Altoona Mirror: The new Pennsylvania Open Records Law.
New law puts burden on government to seal records
By Walt Frank, wfrank@altoonamirror.com
» View the new law
The new year will bring a new way of open government in Pennsylvania.
A new Right to Know law will make it easier for the public to request and obtain public records, and places the onus on government agencies to justify why records shouldn't be released. It is a significant legal change from the state's current law, which leaves residents with the burden to justify their requests. In some cases, this burden has allowed government agencies such as school districts and municipalities to ignore public requests until an attorney is hired.
"The new law is based on the presumption of access. The old law did not. Previously, the person making the request had the burden to prove the item was a public record," said Teri Henning, general counsel for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. "Under the new law, all records are presumed to be public unless they are privileged, confidential by law or fall under an exemption under the Right to Know law."
The new legislation also creates the Office of Open Records to assist government officials and the public in complying with the changes.
Terry Mutchler, appointed by Gov. Ed Rendell as the office's first executive director, called this "one of the most significant changes in Pennsylvania law in the last 50 years as related to government access."
The law will force agencies to disclose all records beyond a list of exceptions, rather than the old law's narrow list of public records available.
Revising the Right to Know law became a cornerstone of the Legislature's reform agenda.
For the first time since the Right to Know Law was passed in 1957, it will include the General Assembly and will give citizens the ability to appeal open records disputes to an administrative agency, the Office of Open Records, without the need to file a court action.
The law guarantees access to public records in the possession of government contractors performing "governmental functions" on behalf of an agency, establishes an online, searchable database for state contract information and requires state affiliated universities to make certain financial information public.
The law also shortens agency response time - not to exceed five days under normal circumstances - and increases the civil penalties - up to $1,500 - that can be awarded against an agency acting in bad faith.
For example, community colleges, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency and its related entities are now among the covered agencies.
A key element of the new law is the creation of the Office of Open Records, housed in the Department of Community and Economic Development.
The office will hear most open records appeals, hold hearings, issue orders and advisory opinions and provide training.
"My first role is to get the office up and running to do all the law requires. My other goal is to insure there is proper enforcement of the law," Mutchler said. "My role is to insure this office gets created to be a resource to citizens and government officials so everyone is ready to play ball here once it is set up. My role will be to enforce the Right to Know law, monitor and handle the appeals."
Although local municipalities and school districts say they receive few, if any, requests for public records, Mutchler said those numbers are likely to increase under the new law which now allows requests to be submitted by e-mail.
"Come January, I expect they will see a significant increase around the state as people test the law. Municipalities and school districts should anticipate the number of requests in the beginning from people who claim to be watchdogs will increase. After a while, it will go back to the normal routine," Mutchler said. "In the beginning, we may see more media requests than before. Once they take it out for a test drive, it will go back to the citizens requesting information about their government."
Henning isn't sure what to expect.
"People who are interested will continue to seek reports. It is possible there could be an increase in the number of requests made," Henning said.
Local officials aren't expecting a significant increase in requests but may receive more than usual after the new provisions take effect.
"I wouldn't expect an onslaught. There may be a few more out of curiosity. I may get a few more requests because it is newly implemented, but I don't expect an onslaught," said Brian Toth, superintendent of the Bellwood-Antis School District. "Now, if we get one a year, it's stretching it."
"There may be some more initially. I don't really expect it to be massive. At least in this region, it won't be inundating us," said Mary Beth Whited, Penn Cambria's superintendent.
Jeff Westover, business manager and board secretary for the Glendale School District, doesn't expect to see an increase in the number of requests.
"It may peak some interest for a little bit, but people know they can come in and get what they want. It is not a big deal in our district," Westover said.
"I think that anyone who has an interest in a specific item, that individual will certainly seek out that information,'' said Joe Macharola, Cambria Heights superintendent. "Do I anticipate a wealth of requests? No. Do I anticipate preparedness for those requests? Yes.''
Logan Township Manager Bonnie Lewis and Bruce Nicolls, interim superintendent of the Clearfield Area School District, aren't sure what to expect.
"From time to time, we have had requests. We always try to respond in a timely fashion. We have not had a great many. Sometimes they come in waves,'' Lewis said. "I have no gut feeling on what impact it may have on us, but we will be prepared.''
"I don't know if we will get more requests. I don't think we will,'' Nicolls said. "These requests are more need-driven than availability-driven. If someone really needs these, they will jump through the hoops if they need them. They won't just request them because they are more easily available. Most of us don't have the time to be that curious.''
Most of the 30 municipalities and school districts contacted don't expect to see much of a change in the number of requests, if any.
"I haven't received any requests for public records here and in Woodward Township for the past 10 years. Every once in a while, someone will request a meeting agenda,'' said Kim Caldwell, secretary for Beccaria and Woodward townships in Clearfield County. "I don't think that will change.''
"I am in my second term as a supervisor, and I have never had anybody ask for a public record,'' said Brian Weaver, chairman of the Liberty Township supervisors in Bedford County. "We occasionally get a question about our ordinances or building requirements, but as far as open records or anyone wanting to see our ledgers, no one has requested that.''
Everyone is gearing up for implementation of the new law. They say they have followed the law in the past and will continue to do so.
"To me, it is public information. It is the law and we will do what we need to do. People think school districts hide things. We have so many laws, rules and mandates it is hard to hide things. I want to be as transparent as possible,'' said Royce Boyd, superintendent of the Everett Area School District. "Certain people want certain information. If they want it, they will find a way to get it.''
"Anyone can come in and look. If they want a copy of the minutes, we have never withheld anything from anyone. Some [municipalities] give people a hard time; we have nothing to hide,'' said Vicki Harshbarger, secretary/treasurer of the Smithfield Township supervisors in Huntingdon County.
"Anyone who comes in or calls us can get anything they want, I don't think the new law will do anything. I guess there have been some places where it has been difficult to get what you sought, but I am not aware of anywhere around here,'' said Dan Penatzer, Ebensburg borough manager. "We complied with the law before and will comply with it now. What you want you will get - we don't have a lot of information people want.''
A goal of the law is to make it easy for people to get what they want and need, and Cambria Heights has been doing that, Macharola said.
"We have our minutes online. I also put on an executive summary. We do it as a courtesy, as a professional accounting of the business that is conducted here at Cambria Heights. I believe that's very helpful to our residents and for anyone who wants to know how we conduct our business. We want our information to be accessible to anyone.'' Macharola said. We won't conduct our business in any other way but to be in compliance with the law.''
Jim Foster, Juniata Valley School District superintendent, said requests for public records can be a nuisance.
"I would rather [people] come in and look through the books in person. It takes time out of our normal day. If they need it, that's fine. We will give them everything they need. We comply, what is public is public,'' Foster said.
If all goes as planned, the new law will be a benefit to Pennsylvanians.
"If the law works the way it is supposed to work, government at all levels will be stronger and better,'' Mutchler said.
Mutchler said between now and Jan. 1, she will be busy.
"We will be conducting training for the media, citizens and public officials. When they walk away, they will know what they need to do to be in compliance with the law. Citizens will know their rights,'' Mutchler said. "Our goal is to get everybody on the same page.''
New law puts burden on government to seal records
By Walt Frank, wfrank@altoonamirror.com
» View the new law
The new year will bring a new way of open government in Pennsylvania.
A new Right to Know law will make it easier for the public to request and obtain public records, and places the onus on government agencies to justify why records shouldn't be released. It is a significant legal change from the state's current law, which leaves residents with the burden to justify their requests. In some cases, this burden has allowed government agencies such as school districts and municipalities to ignore public requests until an attorney is hired.
"The new law is based on the presumption of access. The old law did not. Previously, the person making the request had the burden to prove the item was a public record," said Teri Henning, general counsel for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. "Under the new law, all records are presumed to be public unless they are privileged, confidential by law or fall under an exemption under the Right to Know law."
The new legislation also creates the Office of Open Records to assist government officials and the public in complying with the changes.
Terry Mutchler, appointed by Gov. Ed Rendell as the office's first executive director, called this "one of the most significant changes in Pennsylvania law in the last 50 years as related to government access."
The law will force agencies to disclose all records beyond a list of exceptions, rather than the old law's narrow list of public records available.
Revising the Right to Know law became a cornerstone of the Legislature's reform agenda.
For the first time since the Right to Know Law was passed in 1957, it will include the General Assembly and will give citizens the ability to appeal open records disputes to an administrative agency, the Office of Open Records, without the need to file a court action.
The law guarantees access to public records in the possession of government contractors performing "governmental functions" on behalf of an agency, establishes an online, searchable database for state contract information and requires state affiliated universities to make certain financial information public.
The law also shortens agency response time - not to exceed five days under normal circumstances - and increases the civil penalties - up to $1,500 - that can be awarded against an agency acting in bad faith.
For example, community colleges, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency and its related entities are now among the covered agencies.
A key element of the new law is the creation of the Office of Open Records, housed in the Department of Community and Economic Development.
The office will hear most open records appeals, hold hearings, issue orders and advisory opinions and provide training.
"My first role is to get the office up and running to do all the law requires. My other goal is to insure there is proper enforcement of the law," Mutchler said. "My role is to insure this office gets created to be a resource to citizens and government officials so everyone is ready to play ball here once it is set up. My role will be to enforce the Right to Know law, monitor and handle the appeals."
Although local municipalities and school districts say they receive few, if any, requests for public records, Mutchler said those numbers are likely to increase under the new law which now allows requests to be submitted by e-mail.
"Come January, I expect they will see a significant increase around the state as people test the law. Municipalities and school districts should anticipate the number of requests in the beginning from people who claim to be watchdogs will increase. After a while, it will go back to the normal routine," Mutchler said. "In the beginning, we may see more media requests than before. Once they take it out for a test drive, it will go back to the citizens requesting information about their government."
Henning isn't sure what to expect.
"People who are interested will continue to seek reports. It is possible there could be an increase in the number of requests made," Henning said.
Local officials aren't expecting a significant increase in requests but may receive more than usual after the new provisions take effect.
"I wouldn't expect an onslaught. There may be a few more out of curiosity. I may get a few more requests because it is newly implemented, but I don't expect an onslaught," said Brian Toth, superintendent of the Bellwood-Antis School District. "Now, if we get one a year, it's stretching it."
"There may be some more initially. I don't really expect it to be massive. At least in this region, it won't be inundating us," said Mary Beth Whited, Penn Cambria's superintendent.
Jeff Westover, business manager and board secretary for the Glendale School District, doesn't expect to see an increase in the number of requests.
"It may peak some interest for a little bit, but people know they can come in and get what they want. It is not a big deal in our district," Westover said.
"I think that anyone who has an interest in a specific item, that individual will certainly seek out that information,'' said Joe Macharola, Cambria Heights superintendent. "Do I anticipate a wealth of requests? No. Do I anticipate preparedness for those requests? Yes.''
Logan Township Manager Bonnie Lewis and Bruce Nicolls, interim superintendent of the Clearfield Area School District, aren't sure what to expect.
"From time to time, we have had requests. We always try to respond in a timely fashion. We have not had a great many. Sometimes they come in waves,'' Lewis said. "I have no gut feeling on what impact it may have on us, but we will be prepared.''
"I don't know if we will get more requests. I don't think we will,'' Nicolls said. "These requests are more need-driven than availability-driven. If someone really needs these, they will jump through the hoops if they need them. They won't just request them because they are more easily available. Most of us don't have the time to be that curious.''
Most of the 30 municipalities and school districts contacted don't expect to see much of a change in the number of requests, if any.
"I haven't received any requests for public records here and in Woodward Township for the past 10 years. Every once in a while, someone will request a meeting agenda,'' said Kim Caldwell, secretary for Beccaria and Woodward townships in Clearfield County. "I don't think that will change.''
"I am in my second term as a supervisor, and I have never had anybody ask for a public record,'' said Brian Weaver, chairman of the Liberty Township supervisors in Bedford County. "We occasionally get a question about our ordinances or building requirements, but as far as open records or anyone wanting to see our ledgers, no one has requested that.''
Everyone is gearing up for implementation of the new law. They say they have followed the law in the past and will continue to do so.
"To me, it is public information. It is the law and we will do what we need to do. People think school districts hide things. We have so many laws, rules and mandates it is hard to hide things. I want to be as transparent as possible,'' said Royce Boyd, superintendent of the Everett Area School District. "Certain people want certain information. If they want it, they will find a way to get it.''
"Anyone can come in and look. If they want a copy of the minutes, we have never withheld anything from anyone. Some [municipalities] give people a hard time; we have nothing to hide,'' said Vicki Harshbarger, secretary/treasurer of the Smithfield Township supervisors in Huntingdon County.
"Anyone who comes in or calls us can get anything they want, I don't think the new law will do anything. I guess there have been some places where it has been difficult to get what you sought, but I am not aware of anywhere around here,'' said Dan Penatzer, Ebensburg borough manager. "We complied with the law before and will comply with it now. What you want you will get - we don't have a lot of information people want.''
A goal of the law is to make it easy for people to get what they want and need, and Cambria Heights has been doing that, Macharola said.
"We have our minutes online. I also put on an executive summary. We do it as a courtesy, as a professional accounting of the business that is conducted here at Cambria Heights. I believe that's very helpful to our residents and for anyone who wants to know how we conduct our business. We want our information to be accessible to anyone.'' Macharola said. We won't conduct our business in any other way but to be in compliance with the law.''
Jim Foster, Juniata Valley School District superintendent, said requests for public records can be a nuisance.
"I would rather [people] come in and look through the books in person. It takes time out of our normal day. If they need it, that's fine. We will give them everything they need. We comply, what is public is public,'' Foster said.
If all goes as planned, the new law will be a benefit to Pennsylvanians.
"If the law works the way it is supposed to work, government at all levels will be stronger and better,'' Mutchler said.
Mutchler said between now and Jan. 1, she will be busy.
"We will be conducting training for the media, citizens and public officials. When they walk away, they will know what they need to do to be in compliance with the law. Citizens will know their rights,'' Mutchler said. "Our goal is to get everybody on the same page.''
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Morrisville Tomorrow
From the November 14, 2008 Morrisville Times. Anyone have more details on this?
Morrisville Opportunity Educational Foundation
From the BCCT.
The Morrisville Opportunity Educational Foundation needs YOU
Posted in News on Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 2:36 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh
After much work among its founding steering committee members, Morrisville new non-profit education foundation is finally taking wing.
The goal of the newly-named Morrisville Opportunity Educational Foundation is to form relationships with businesses and individuals who can financially help the district improve its education programs and infrastructure.
However, the committee still needs more interested participants to keep the promise of the organization alive, said Mark Coassolo at the school board’s recent Wednesday meeting.
“We’re looking for more people to be on the board of trustees,” he said. The young group is looking for corporate sponsorship, people in education, and any other interested parties to join the venture, Coassolo said.
If you are interested in joining the committee, being on the future board of trustees, or helping financially, or if you would like more information, contact Coassolo at 215-428-9657 or at markdc32@verizon.net.
Alternatively, call the district business office at 215-736-5933.
The Morrisville Opportunity Educational Foundation needs YOU
Posted in News on Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 2:36 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh
After much work among its founding steering committee members, Morrisville new non-profit education foundation is finally taking wing.
The goal of the newly-named Morrisville Opportunity Educational Foundation is to form relationships with businesses and individuals who can financially help the district improve its education programs and infrastructure.
However, the committee still needs more interested participants to keep the promise of the organization alive, said Mark Coassolo at the school board’s recent Wednesday meeting.
“We’re looking for more people to be on the board of trustees,” he said. The young group is looking for corporate sponsorship, people in education, and any other interested parties to join the venture, Coassolo said.
If you are interested in joining the committee, being on the future board of trustees, or helping financially, or if you would like more information, contact Coassolo at 215-428-9657 or at markdc32@verizon.net.
Alternatively, call the district business office at 215-736-5933.
Morrisville received a $500 grant
From the BCCT.
Thank you!
UPDATED November 24 to include link to mv.org.
Morrisville received a $500 grant.
Posted in News on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 4:58 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh
Morrisville Middle/Senior High School recently received a $500 grant from Exxon-Mobil Corporation for its educational service to the community.
Priyanka Tewari, the president and proprietor of the Exxon gas station on West Trenton Avenue, presented a $500 check to Principal William Ferrara through the Exxon Educational Alliance Program. Tewari wrote that she chose the school “because it is an excellent facility known for its innovative spirit and a commitment to the educational advancement of its students.”
Article from mv.org:
Middle Senior High School Receives Exxon Mobil Grant
The Morrisville Middle Senior High School receives $500 grant/donation from Exxon-Mobil corp. for service to community.
As the proprietor of the Exxon, located at 299 W. Trenton Avenue in Morrisville I am pleased to donate $500 through the Exxon “Educational Alliance Program” to Morrisville Middle/Senior High School.
According to an African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”. I believe the youth of our community need our support to realize their full potential so they can prosper and become functional and responsible adults. In these tough economic times it is imperative not to lose our philanthropic spirit and I hope other local businesses feel encouraged to support the endeavors of our educational institutions in shaping our future generations.
I selected Morrisville Middle/Senior High School because it is an excellent facility known for its innovative spirit and a commitment to the educational advancement of its students. It is an honor for me to donate these funds as a token of my gratitude and appreciation of the hard working community, which includes the parents of the students, teachers, and administrative staff at Morrisville Middle/Senior High School. I am thankful for their patronage and for making my family and I feel like members of a wonderful community. I look forward to serving everyone to the best of my abilities.
Priyanka Tewari
President
Thank you!
UPDATED November 24 to include link to mv.org.
Morrisville received a $500 grant.
Posted in News on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 4:58 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh
Morrisville Middle/Senior High School recently received a $500 grant from Exxon-Mobil Corporation for its educational service to the community.
Priyanka Tewari, the president and proprietor of the Exxon gas station on West Trenton Avenue, presented a $500 check to Principal William Ferrara through the Exxon Educational Alliance Program. Tewari wrote that she chose the school “because it is an excellent facility known for its innovative spirit and a commitment to the educational advancement of its students.”
Article from mv.org:
Middle Senior High School Receives Exxon Mobil Grant
The Morrisville Middle Senior High School receives $500 grant/donation from Exxon-Mobil corp. for service to community.
As the proprietor of the Exxon, located at 299 W. Trenton Avenue in Morrisville I am pleased to donate $500 through the Exxon “Educational Alliance Program” to Morrisville Middle/Senior High School.
According to an African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”. I believe the youth of our community need our support to realize their full potential so they can prosper and become functional and responsible adults. In these tough economic times it is imperative not to lose our philanthropic spirit and I hope other local businesses feel encouraged to support the endeavors of our educational institutions in shaping our future generations.
I selected Morrisville Middle/Senior High School because it is an excellent facility known for its innovative spirit and a commitment to the educational advancement of its students. It is an honor for me to donate these funds as a token of my gratitude and appreciation of the hard working community, which includes the parents of the students, teachers, and administrative staff at Morrisville Middle/Senior High School. I am thankful for their patronage and for making my family and I feel like members of a wonderful community. I look forward to serving everyone to the best of my abilities.
Priyanka Tewari
President
Friday, November 21, 2008
Nice Billboard!
Thanks for the emails. Be sure to check out the billboard on Bridge Street near the Elks when entering town from the Superhighway.
Does anyone have pictures?
Who is Morrisville Tomorrow?
Does anyone have pictures?
Who is Morrisville Tomorrow?
Civic illiteracy
From the BCCT, Cal Thomas' column. Here's the report he talks about and the quiz. I got 30 of 33 right. How did you do?
The other deficit: Civic illiteracy drags us down
While Congress spends — and plans to spend — like the proverbial drunken sailor to “bailout” various industries for practices that are largely their fault and the fault of those in Congress who were supposed to provide oversight, another deficit looms which is at least as troubling as the economic one.
For the third straight year, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) has found that a large number of Americans cannot pass a basic 33-question civic literacy test on their country’s history and institutions. The multiple-choice questions ask about the inalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness), the name of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 series of government programs (The New Deal) and the three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial). No, I didn’t peek at the answers. I received a good education.
The random sample of 2,508 American adults, ranging from those without high school diplomas, to people with advanced degrees, revealed a minimal difference in civic literacy between the uneducated and the highly educated. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed could identify Paula Abdul as one of the judges on “American Idol,” but only 21 percent were able to recognize a phrase from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. I had to memorize that speech in high school. What are they memorizing now?
Not much of any use, it appears. Ignorance of America’s history and heritage is a setup for politicians and others who want to manipulate us into a way of thinking that allows them to make decisions that are unconstitutional and unwise. More than repeating phrases and figures, knowledge of the past prepares us for a future based on unchanging principles. That’s why knowledge matters and ignorance endangers our government and threatens our way of life even more than terrorism.
Civic illiteracy in the United States crosses all educational lines, including the vaunted Harvard where, according to the ISI survey, seniors scored 69.56 on the test, or a D-plus. And they were the best. The survey found that up to threefourths of Americans believe teaching America’s heritage is fundamental to a good education and to producing good citizens. So why is it not being done?
Part of it, I think, has to do with the continued embarrassment by the liberal education establishment over America and what it means to be an American. From their guilt about prosperity and our freedoms, to their opposition to “dead white males,” college professors, especially since the ‘60s, have favored the trendy and quaint over the established and proven.
Remarkably, a college degree does not increase civic knowledge. According to the report, “The average score among those who ended their formal education with a bachelor’s degree is 57 percent, or an ‘F’. That is only 13 percentage points higher than the average score among those who ended their formal education with a high school diploma. Only 24 percent know that the First Amendment prohibits establishing an official religion for the United States.” That’s pretty basic information, isn’t it? One might expect the Bill of Rights to be part of any class on government, even as early as elementary school.
Other findings: “Elected officials score lower than the general public,” which tells us all we need to know about Washington. “Television — including TV news — Dumbs America Down,” says ISI. In the midst of important hearings in Washington on the economy and a possible bailout for the big three automakers, one cable channel carried a story about a 44-year-old stripper who is suing for age discrimination.
ISI calls on everyone involved in education, including parents, to re-evaluate curricula and standards of accountability and to emphasize to students the fundamentals about our country. It notes Thomas Jefferson’s admonition: “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free ... it expects what never was and never will be.”
Read the report at www.isi.org and weep. And then demand of yourself and others that something be done to fix the intellectual deficit.
Cal Thomas writes this column for Tribune Media Services. E-mail: tmseditors@tribune.com.
The other deficit: Civic illiteracy drags us down
While Congress spends — and plans to spend — like the proverbial drunken sailor to “bailout” various industries for practices that are largely their fault and the fault of those in Congress who were supposed to provide oversight, another deficit looms which is at least as troubling as the economic one.
For the third straight year, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) has found that a large number of Americans cannot pass a basic 33-question civic literacy test on their country’s history and institutions. The multiple-choice questions ask about the inalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness), the name of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 series of government programs (The New Deal) and the three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial). No, I didn’t peek at the answers. I received a good education.
The random sample of 2,508 American adults, ranging from those without high school diplomas, to people with advanced degrees, revealed a minimal difference in civic literacy between the uneducated and the highly educated. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed could identify Paula Abdul as one of the judges on “American Idol,” but only 21 percent were able to recognize a phrase from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. I had to memorize that speech in high school. What are they memorizing now?
Not much of any use, it appears. Ignorance of America’s history and heritage is a setup for politicians and others who want to manipulate us into a way of thinking that allows them to make decisions that are unconstitutional and unwise. More than repeating phrases and figures, knowledge of the past prepares us for a future based on unchanging principles. That’s why knowledge matters and ignorance endangers our government and threatens our way of life even more than terrorism.
Civic illiteracy in the United States crosses all educational lines, including the vaunted Harvard where, according to the ISI survey, seniors scored 69.56 on the test, or a D-plus. And they were the best. The survey found that up to threefourths of Americans believe teaching America’s heritage is fundamental to a good education and to producing good citizens. So why is it not being done?
Part of it, I think, has to do with the continued embarrassment by the liberal education establishment over America and what it means to be an American. From their guilt about prosperity and our freedoms, to their opposition to “dead white males,” college professors, especially since the ‘60s, have favored the trendy and quaint over the established and proven.
Remarkably, a college degree does not increase civic knowledge. According to the report, “The average score among those who ended their formal education with a bachelor’s degree is 57 percent, or an ‘F’. That is only 13 percentage points higher than the average score among those who ended their formal education with a high school diploma. Only 24 percent know that the First Amendment prohibits establishing an official religion for the United States.” That’s pretty basic information, isn’t it? One might expect the Bill of Rights to be part of any class on government, even as early as elementary school.
Other findings: “Elected officials score lower than the general public,” which tells us all we need to know about Washington. “Television — including TV news — Dumbs America Down,” says ISI. In the midst of important hearings in Washington on the economy and a possible bailout for the big three automakers, one cable channel carried a story about a 44-year-old stripper who is suing for age discrimination.
ISI calls on everyone involved in education, including parents, to re-evaluate curricula and standards of accountability and to emphasize to students the fundamentals about our country. It notes Thomas Jefferson’s admonition: “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free ... it expects what never was and never will be.”
Read the report at www.isi.org and weep. And then demand of yourself and others that something be done to fix the intellectual deficit.
Cal Thomas writes this column for Tribune Media Services. E-mail: tmseditors@tribune.com.
Districts bracing for pension fund hit
From the BCCT. Speak of the devil...here's the school board budget increase mechanism warming up.
Districts bracing for pension fund hit
By GARY WECKSELBLATT
The devastating downward spiral of the stock market may be sickening to stomach but it’s not likely to burden taxpayers with dramatically higher payments to the public school pension system — until the 2010-11 school year.
When the Public School Employees’ Retirement System board meets Dec.12 to determine the taxpayers’ contribution for 2009-10, it will use its investment-performance numbers through June 30, when the fund was flush with $62.7 billion after a setback of only 2.8 percent through the last fiscal year.
But since that time, the S&P 500 index, often used as a baseline for comparison with pension funds, has dropped 40 percent, meaning the PSERS pension fund has likely dropped more than $20 billion.
“I don’t know how you make up for the tens of billions of dollars that aren’t there,” said Jack Myers, business manager for the Bensalem School District. “One has to assume the recession will eventually be over and there will be some sort of rebound.”
PSERS, which assumes an annual return of 8.5 percent for its pension fund, is the 14th largest defined benefit pension fund in the country. It has 264,000 active school employees and 168,000 retirees. Members contribute between 5.25 to 7.5 percent of their salary to help fund their retirement.
During this past year, school districts budgeted 4.76 percent of teacher salaries for the pension fund. That was down from 7.13 percent in 2007-08.
In a letter to school districts last December, John Godlewski, the state department of education’s former director of budget and fiscal management, recommended that districts disregard the lower number and set aside money at the 7.13 percent rate in preparation for future increases.
He called the 2012-13 school year “a pension contribution crisis unless the state takes action soon.”
Changes to PSERS’ funding formulas through state legislation in 2002 and 2004 lowered the employer contribution rate for several years before it is projected to increase sharply to 11.23 percent in fiscal year 2012-13.
The employer contribution rate is an actuarially determined rate that is the percentage of payroll the school employers are required to pay into the state’s pension fund so it has enough money to pay retirees. The Commonwealth reimburses the school districts for approximately half of the employer contribution rate.
Godlewski said the DOE was “optimistic that comprehensive pension reform legislation … can be enacted before July 2008.”
It never was.
Sylvia Lenz, business administrator for the Quakertown School District, said “Our concern has been that the rate is too low. Why is that not being taken care of now?”
Part of the problem might be the state’s own budget problems. Should it legislate to raise the districts’ contribution, it would be on the hook for more money as it compensates the schools.
Robert Reichert, director of business affairs for Hatboro-Horsham, said his district took the advice of Godlewski to set aside more money for pension contributions.
“We wanted to avoid a one-year spike in the rate that would hurt taxpayers,” he said. “I’m a proponent of the leveling strategy.”
These warnings were made well before the pension fund ended the fiscal year down 2.8 percent and before the subsequent market carnage.
Asked if she’d consider putting away more money this year in preparation for a potential catastrophe a year from now, Lenz said “Our auditors have said they’re not comfortable with us doing that.” Districts are limited to carrying no more than an 8 percent fund balance.
In the four years before this year’s 2.8 percent loss, PSERS’ returns had been “phenomenal,” according to spokeswoman Evelyn Tatkovski, earning 19.67 percent, 12.87 percent, 15.26 percent, and 22.93 percent.
“Rest assured that your pension benefit is safe,” he stated. “Your pension benefit is guaranteed by law and will not be affected by the downturn in the financial markets. As a member of a defined benefit pension plan, like PSERS, your pension benefit is based on your final average salary and years of service. The ups and downs of the investment markets do not impact your pension benefit.”
The words may not provide solace to taxpayers, who at some point will need to dig deeper to replenish losses to the public sec tor while their private accounts have been badly damaged.
And it’s not just the bear market taxpayers will be on the hook for. There are also spiking electric rates, increasing medical insurance premiums and volatile fuel prices impacting school district budgets.
“It’s a combination of things that’s very challenging,” Myers said. “I can’t imagine the revenue picture getting brighter time soon.
“The big story is likely to be a year from now.”
Districts bracing for pension fund hit
By GARY WECKSELBLATT
The devastating downward spiral of the stock market may be sickening to stomach but it’s not likely to burden taxpayers with dramatically higher payments to the public school pension system — until the 2010-11 school year.
When the Public School Employees’ Retirement System board meets Dec.12 to determine the taxpayers’ contribution for 2009-10, it will use its investment-performance numbers through June 30, when the fund was flush with $62.7 billion after a setback of only 2.8 percent through the last fiscal year.
But since that time, the S&P 500 index, often used as a baseline for comparison with pension funds, has dropped 40 percent, meaning the PSERS pension fund has likely dropped more than $20 billion.
“I don’t know how you make up for the tens of billions of dollars that aren’t there,” said Jack Myers, business manager for the Bensalem School District. “One has to assume the recession will eventually be over and there will be some sort of rebound.”
PSERS, which assumes an annual return of 8.5 percent for its pension fund, is the 14th largest defined benefit pension fund in the country. It has 264,000 active school employees and 168,000 retirees. Members contribute between 5.25 to 7.5 percent of their salary to help fund their retirement.
During this past year, school districts budgeted 4.76 percent of teacher salaries for the pension fund. That was down from 7.13 percent in 2007-08.
In a letter to school districts last December, John Godlewski, the state department of education’s former director of budget and fiscal management, recommended that districts disregard the lower number and set aside money at the 7.13 percent rate in preparation for future increases.
He called the 2012-13 school year “a pension contribution crisis unless the state takes action soon.”
Changes to PSERS’ funding formulas through state legislation in 2002 and 2004 lowered the employer contribution rate for several years before it is projected to increase sharply to 11.23 percent in fiscal year 2012-13.
The employer contribution rate is an actuarially determined rate that is the percentage of payroll the school employers are required to pay into the state’s pension fund so it has enough money to pay retirees. The Commonwealth reimburses the school districts for approximately half of the employer contribution rate.
Godlewski said the DOE was “optimistic that comprehensive pension reform legislation … can be enacted before July 2008.”
It never was.
Sylvia Lenz, business administrator for the Quakertown School District, said “Our concern has been that the rate is too low. Why is that not being taken care of now?”
Part of the problem might be the state’s own budget problems. Should it legislate to raise the districts’ contribution, it would be on the hook for more money as it compensates the schools.
Robert Reichert, director of business affairs for Hatboro-Horsham, said his district took the advice of Godlewski to set aside more money for pension contributions.
“We wanted to avoid a one-year spike in the rate that would hurt taxpayers,” he said. “I’m a proponent of the leveling strategy.”
These warnings were made well before the pension fund ended the fiscal year down 2.8 percent and before the subsequent market carnage.
Asked if she’d consider putting away more money this year in preparation for a potential catastrophe a year from now, Lenz said “Our auditors have said they’re not comfortable with us doing that.” Districts are limited to carrying no more than an 8 percent fund balance.
In the four years before this year’s 2.8 percent loss, PSERS’ returns had been “phenomenal,” according to spokeswoman Evelyn Tatkovski, earning 19.67 percent, 12.87 percent, 15.26 percent, and 22.93 percent.
“Rest assured that your pension benefit is safe,” he stated. “Your pension benefit is guaranteed by law and will not be affected by the downturn in the financial markets. As a member of a defined benefit pension plan, like PSERS, your pension benefit is based on your final average salary and years of service. The ups and downs of the investment markets do not impact your pension benefit.”
The words may not provide solace to taxpayers, who at some point will need to dig deeper to replenish losses to the public sec tor while their private accounts have been badly damaged.
And it’s not just the bear market taxpayers will be on the hook for. There are also spiking electric rates, increasing medical insurance premiums and volatile fuel prices impacting school district budgets.
“It’s a combination of things that’s very challenging,” Myers said. “I can’t imagine the revenue picture getting brighter time soon.
“The big story is likely to be a year from now.”
Morrisville $70 tax hike
From the BCCT. Here's the cost of a do-nothing make-businesses-go-away borough council.
Wait until the school district hands in their bill.
Budget includes $70 tax hike
By GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Morrisville residents will pay about $70 more a year in borough taxes if the 2009 preliminary budget is finalized.
A 3.5-mill increase is needed to balance the $5.8 million preliminary budget, which was approved earlier this week and is up from this year’s $5.3 million spending plan.
One mill, or about $60,000, of the increase is allocated for public works trucks and equipment; another mill to purchase fire equipment; and 1.5 mills, or about $90,000, for ambulance service. The hike for ambulance service passed by voter referendum earlier this month. The total millage in 2009 would be 39.43.
The $70 tax hike is based on the average residential property assessment of $20,000. So residents would pay about $788 in borough taxes next year.
The borough will pay about $45,000 more in sanitation charges in 2009 due to an increase by the borough’s trash hauler. It also will put out $149,530 more for salaries, insurances and general operating costs with no millage increase, borough Manager George Mount said Wednesday.
A majority of the budget, $1.53 million, would go toward the police department.
The budget has to be finalized by Dec. 31.
The budget is available for public viewing at the borough hall, 35 Union St. For more information, call 215-295-8181.
Wait until the school district hands in their bill.
Budget includes $70 tax hike
By GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Morrisville residents will pay about $70 more a year in borough taxes if the 2009 preliminary budget is finalized.
A 3.5-mill increase is needed to balance the $5.8 million preliminary budget, which was approved earlier this week and is up from this year’s $5.3 million spending plan.
One mill, or about $60,000, of the increase is allocated for public works trucks and equipment; another mill to purchase fire equipment; and 1.5 mills, or about $90,000, for ambulance service. The hike for ambulance service passed by voter referendum earlier this month. The total millage in 2009 would be 39.43.
The $70 tax hike is based on the average residential property assessment of $20,000. So residents would pay about $788 in borough taxes next year.
The borough will pay about $45,000 more in sanitation charges in 2009 due to an increase by the borough’s trash hauler. It also will put out $149,530 more for salaries, insurances and general operating costs with no millage increase, borough Manager George Mount said Wednesday.
A majority of the budget, $1.53 million, would go toward the police department.
The budget has to be finalized by Dec. 31.
The budget is available for public viewing at the borough hall, 35 Union St. For more information, call 215-295-8181.
Keep buck$ in Bucks
From the BCCT. Check out the local businesses in Morrisville. There's a lot of great people out there providing quality products and services.
Keep buck$ in Bucks
That’s the message local businesses want to get out as they ask people to shop closer to home for the holidays.
By CRISSA SHOEMAKER DEBREE
Merchants in Bristol, Morrisville, New Hope and Yardley want residents to celebrate the holidays with their neighbors — and hopefully, spend some money locally.
The four towns, which comprise the Landmark Towns of Bucks County regional economic development initiative, have launched a “Shop Local First” campaign to encourage residents to visit Main Street retailers first.
“It becomes really important for the local residents to reflect on how the local businesses support them throughout the year, and in turn, support the local businesses,” said Donna Boone, regional main street coordinator for Landmark Towns. “Local businesses provide local jobs, they support the nonprofits. They’re the first people you go to when you need help with something. Then, when the holidays roll around, people don’t think of the local businesses.”
Leaders in Bristol, New Hope and Yardley have proclaimed Dec. 7-13 “Shop Local Week.” Morrisville has dedicated the entire month of December to the project.
Fred Eisen, who owns Fred Eisen Leather in New Hope, said some local residents don’t even know his shop exists. Eisen sells leather goods and makes most of his products on site. He also does alterations and repairs.
“I hope we can get people to shop locally,” he said. “If they like the shops that are there, that’s the only way to keep them there.”
Maryanne Lalli, who owns the Cannoli Coffee Bar & Gelateria in Bristol, hopes the promotion will draw people out of their homes to support the local economy. She’s working with other borough retailers to book entertainment for the week.
“Due to the economy, we are thinking of more creative ways to get people into our stores,” she said. “Businesses have to be creative just trying to stay afloat.”
Retailers in the Landmark Towns program aren’t the only ones hoping shoppers’ money stays local.
The American Independent Business Alliance, a nonprofit group that helps people start local business groups, has launched a similar promotion, called America Unchained!, which happens Saturday. Cheltenham in Montgomery County is one of several communities around the country participating in that event.
Area merchants hope to capitalize on what other towns are doing.
Sue Dershin, who owns A Special Gift in Doylestown, said business in her shop, which sells handcrafted gifts, has been “terrible” over the past few months.
“I understand the whole thing of money being tight,” she said. “Shopping locally really does make a difference.”
Keep buck$ in Bucks
That’s the message local businesses want to get out as they ask people to shop closer to home for the holidays.
By CRISSA SHOEMAKER DEBREE
Merchants in Bristol, Morrisville, New Hope and Yardley want residents to celebrate the holidays with their neighbors — and hopefully, spend some money locally.
The four towns, which comprise the Landmark Towns of Bucks County regional economic development initiative, have launched a “Shop Local First” campaign to encourage residents to visit Main Street retailers first.
“It becomes really important for the local residents to reflect on how the local businesses support them throughout the year, and in turn, support the local businesses,” said Donna Boone, regional main street coordinator for Landmark Towns. “Local businesses provide local jobs, they support the nonprofits. They’re the first people you go to when you need help with something. Then, when the holidays roll around, people don’t think of the local businesses.”
Leaders in Bristol, New Hope and Yardley have proclaimed Dec. 7-13 “Shop Local Week.” Morrisville has dedicated the entire month of December to the project.
Fred Eisen, who owns Fred Eisen Leather in New Hope, said some local residents don’t even know his shop exists. Eisen sells leather goods and makes most of his products on site. He also does alterations and repairs.
“I hope we can get people to shop locally,” he said. “If they like the shops that are there, that’s the only way to keep them there.”
Maryanne Lalli, who owns the Cannoli Coffee Bar & Gelateria in Bristol, hopes the promotion will draw people out of their homes to support the local economy. She’s working with other borough retailers to book entertainment for the week.
“Due to the economy, we are thinking of more creative ways to get people into our stores,” she said. “Businesses have to be creative just trying to stay afloat.”
Retailers in the Landmark Towns program aren’t the only ones hoping shoppers’ money stays local.
The American Independent Business Alliance, a nonprofit group that helps people start local business groups, has launched a similar promotion, called America Unchained!, which happens Saturday. Cheltenham in Montgomery County is one of several communities around the country participating in that event.
Area merchants hope to capitalize on what other towns are doing.
Sue Dershin, who owns A Special Gift in Doylestown, said business in her shop, which sells handcrafted gifts, has been “terrible” over the past few months.
“I understand the whole thing of money being tight,” she said. “Shopping locally really does make a difference.”
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Monthly Business Meeting Reminder
It's Wednesday night. You know what that means...
Board of Ed Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Education Committee Meeting
The Education Committee Meeting will be in held the G Hall Conference Room at 6:30PM in the Middle Senior High School.
Site: HS G Hall Conference Room
Time: 6:30PM
HR Committee Meeting
The HR Committee Meeting will be held in the G Hall Conference Room at 7:000PM in the Middle Senior High School.
Site: HS G Hall Conference Room
Time: 7:00PM
Board Meeting
The monthly school board meeting will be held in the LGI room located in the Middle Senior High School at 7:30 p.m. in the LGI Room of the Morrisville Middle Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer Street, Morrisville, PA.
Site: HS LGI
Time: 7:30PM
Board of Ed Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Education Committee Meeting
The Education Committee Meeting will be in held the G Hall Conference Room at 6:30PM in the Middle Senior High School.
Site: HS G Hall Conference Room
Time: 6:30PM
HR Committee Meeting
The HR Committee Meeting will be held in the G Hall Conference Room at 7:000PM in the Middle Senior High School.
Site: HS G Hall Conference Room
Time: 7:00PM
Board Meeting
The monthly school board meeting will be held in the LGI room located in the Middle Senior High School at 7:30 p.m. in the LGI Room of the Morrisville Middle Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer Street, Morrisville, PA.
Site: HS LGI
Time: 7:30PM
Bensalem school theft
From the BCCT.
School secretary charged with theft
By BEN FINLEY
A Bensalem elementary school secretary is charged with stealing $5,000 from the school’s activity fund to pay her rent.
Jeannette DeVuono, 46, of Dunbar Court in Bensalem, is a secretary at Russell C. Struble Elementary School on Bensalem Boulevard, police said.
She was arraigned Tuesday morning on 16 third-degree felony charges, each punishable by up to seven years in prison, according to court records. Those charges include access device fraud, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception and receiving stolen property, court records stated.
Bristol Township District Judge Joanne V. Kline, subbing for Bensalem District Judge Leonard Brown, released DeVuono on her own recognizance.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching DeVuono, also known as Jeannette Lipp, for comment.
The investigation began in October with a call to police from James Lombardo, Bensalem schools superintendent, according to court records. Lombardo told a detective that four checks from the school’s activities account totaling $5,150 were cashed by DeVuono, court records said.
Lombardo talked to DeVuono about the checks, and she allegedly admitted to cashing two of them. When a Bensalem detective talked to her, she admitted cashing all four of the checks, according to court records. She allegedly added: “I want to make full restitution.”
A preliminary hearing to review the charges against DeVuono is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 25 in Brown’s court in Bensalem.
Her employment status in the district is unknown. The school’s Web site, www.bensalemsd.org, lists her as a secretary.
DeVuono is currently on leave from the district, Lombardo said without elaboration.
“We have very good internal and external auditing procedures in place that will discover any transactions that are questionable,” Lombardo added. “And whenever that occurs, we will work in full cooperation with the police.”
School secretary charged with theft
By BEN FINLEY
A Bensalem elementary school secretary is charged with stealing $5,000 from the school’s activity fund to pay her rent.
Jeannette DeVuono, 46, of Dunbar Court in Bensalem, is a secretary at Russell C. Struble Elementary School on Bensalem Boulevard, police said.
She was arraigned Tuesday morning on 16 third-degree felony charges, each punishable by up to seven years in prison, according to court records. Those charges include access device fraud, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception and receiving stolen property, court records stated.
Bristol Township District Judge Joanne V. Kline, subbing for Bensalem District Judge Leonard Brown, released DeVuono on her own recognizance.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching DeVuono, also known as Jeannette Lipp, for comment.
The investigation began in October with a call to police from James Lombardo, Bensalem schools superintendent, according to court records. Lombardo told a detective that four checks from the school’s activities account totaling $5,150 were cashed by DeVuono, court records said.
Lombardo talked to DeVuono about the checks, and she allegedly admitted to cashing two of them. When a Bensalem detective talked to her, she admitted cashing all four of the checks, according to court records. She allegedly added: “I want to make full restitution.”
A preliminary hearing to review the charges against DeVuono is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 25 in Brown’s court in Bensalem.
Her employment status in the district is unknown. The school’s Web site, www.bensalemsd.org, lists her as a secretary.
DeVuono is currently on leave from the district, Lombardo said without elaboration.
“We have very good internal and external auditing procedures in place that will discover any transactions that are questionable,” Lombardo added. “And whenever that occurs, we will work in full cooperation with the police.”
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
New Thomas Barclay Book Unveiled
From the BCCT.
Barclay book to be unveiled
Priscilla and Dick Roberts will unveil the book at the wealthy merchant’s former summer home, historic Summerseat.
BY DANNY ADLER
Thomas Barclay, a wealthy Philadelphia merchant whose summer home in the late 18th century was historic Summerseat in Morrisville, is not particularly well known.
The Irish immigrant left no diaries or personal papers, so information is scarce and scattered, Morrisville’s historical society says. This led two historians from Denver on a search through several U.S. states and to places as far away as Lisbon, Moscow, Tangier and New Zealand in an attempt to discover more about Barclay, a successful diplomat.
Priscilla and Dick Roberts will unveil their new book, “Thomas Barclay 1728-1793: Consul in France, Diplomat in Barbary,” Friday at Summerseat, where they’ll tell tales of Barclay’s life in Revolutionary Pennsylvania, France and Morocco. The 407-page book was published in October by Lehigh University Press with a list price of $62.50.
Standing at Hillcrest and Legion avenues, the home was originally 220 acres. Much of that land has given way to streets, homes, a nearby school and apartment complex. Formed in 1976 to preserve and restore the Georgian mansion, the Historic Morrisville Society calls Summerseat home.
It was built in the 1770s for Barclay’s father-in-law, Adam Hoops. With Barclay as its owner, Gen. George Washington stayed there from Dec. 8-14, 1776, before the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River for the Battle of Trenton, a pivotal turning point of the Revolutionary War.
Later owners would include Robert Morris, the financier of the American Revolution, and George Clymer, both of whom signed the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Barclay book to be unveiled
Priscilla and Dick Roberts will unveil the book at the wealthy merchant’s former summer home, historic Summerseat.
BY DANNY ADLER
Thomas Barclay, a wealthy Philadelphia merchant whose summer home in the late 18th century was historic Summerseat in Morrisville, is not particularly well known.
The Irish immigrant left no diaries or personal papers, so information is scarce and scattered, Morrisville’s historical society says. This led two historians from Denver on a search through several U.S. states and to places as far away as Lisbon, Moscow, Tangier and New Zealand in an attempt to discover more about Barclay, a successful diplomat.
Priscilla and Dick Roberts will unveil their new book, “Thomas Barclay 1728-1793: Consul in France, Diplomat in Barbary,” Friday at Summerseat, where they’ll tell tales of Barclay’s life in Revolutionary Pennsylvania, France and Morocco. The 407-page book was published in October by Lehigh University Press with a list price of $62.50.
Standing at Hillcrest and Legion avenues, the home was originally 220 acres. Much of that land has given way to streets, homes, a nearby school and apartment complex. Formed in 1976 to preserve and restore the Georgian mansion, the Historic Morrisville Society calls Summerseat home.
It was built in the 1770s for Barclay’s father-in-law, Adam Hoops. With Barclay as its owner, Gen. George Washington stayed there from Dec. 8-14, 1776, before the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River for the Battle of Trenton, a pivotal turning point of the Revolutionary War.
Later owners would include Robert Morris, the financier of the American Revolution, and George Clymer, both of whom signed the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Trees Planted at Williamson
From the BCCT
Posted in News on Saturday, November 15th, 2008 at 3:26 pm by Staff Photographer Kim Weimer
Debby Colgan,with the Morrisville Environmental Advisary Council checks to see if a tree she’s planting fits properly, as Scott Sanford holds it in place while planting a crabapple tree in Williamson Park in Morrisville Borough. Through the efforts of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resource’s Tree Vitalize program and local bodies, 50 trees are added to the park along North Delmorr Avenue in the Borough, Saturday. Yardley is also slated for 15 trees that will line Main Street and Afton Avenue in their Borough. Both boroughs are part of the Landmark Towns project that is designed to help small river towns invigorate their downtown business districts.
Posted in News on Saturday, November 15th, 2008 at 3:26 pm by Staff Photographer Kim Weimer
Debby Colgan,with the Morrisville Environmental Advisary Council checks to see if a tree she’s planting fits properly, as Scott Sanford holds it in place while planting a crabapple tree in Williamson Park in Morrisville Borough. Through the efforts of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resource’s Tree Vitalize program and local bodies, 50 trees are added to the park along North Delmorr Avenue in the Borough, Saturday. Yardley is also slated for 15 trees that will line Main Street and Afton Avenue in their Borough. Both boroughs are part of the Landmark Towns project that is designed to help small river towns invigorate their downtown business districts.
Delaware River Tidal Trail
From the Philadelphia Daily News.
Shifting the tide toward Delaware River recreation
By JASON NARK, Philadelphia Daily News Posted on Mon, Nov. 17, 2008
IN A GAME of chicken, an oil tanker always beats a kayak.
On the Delaware River, one of the region's most vital economic assets, local environmental groups are trying to turn both types of vessels in the same direction.
Doing so requires an image makeover, they say, and an admission that industry has hoarded both the river and its shoreline for more than a century, damaging its public perception.
As a result, people have forgotten about the wide, murky river when they head off to launch their boats or canoes at the Jersey Shore or in the Poconos.
"We really cut ourselves off from the river. It became a bit of an eyesore," said Patrick Starr, senior vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's southeast region. "We have a lot of repair work."
Part of that repair work, Starr said, is the creation of a 56-mile Delaware River Tidal Trail Map that details the locations of access points, amenities and historical and cultural sites from the Morrisville/Trenton area south to Marcus Hook.
Expansive, heavily detailed maps can be found at www.tidaltrail.org, a Web site that Starr hopes will spawn social networking for people to talk about the river.
"It's about a core belief of getting people down to the river through public access," he said. "It's about getting people involved with the river and into it."
The maps also feature the various public lands, or greenways, that dot the river's shoreline and could be connected someday, Starr added.
People kayak, canoe, fish and swim in the 330-mile-long Delaware all the time - but most of that takes place north of Trenton, where the river is fit for postcards and bears no resemblance to the deep, tidal stretches of its lower half.
That shallow, rocky river up north is a recreation destination precisely because it has little industrial value, environmental advocates say.
South of Trenton, the river is nothing short of an economic superhighway. Combined, the docks in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware make the river the largest freshwater port in the world that, according to a 2005 government report, brings in close to $20 billion in economic activity per year and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs.
But the river isn't just a superhighway, said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper.
"It's a living, breathing ecosystem," she said.
Van Rossum said most of the important government decisions, whether they relate to dredging the river's channel or building along the waterfront, are based exclusively on economic factors.
She applauded the tidal-trail maps, saying they'll help create "champions of the river."
"People will recognize the value of the river as a natural place," she said.
The recreation business will never compete with the crude-oil and international cargo that come up the river daily, but Starr said a dollar or two could be made.
"We plan on conducting an economic-impact study soon," he said.
New business could consist of canoe or kayak outfitters, guided tours via the water, or simply add-ons at the dozens of marinas and sailing clubs that line both sides of the river and its tributaries.
"We have a beautiful river here that has natural and cultural features," he said. "You don't have to drive 75 miles to see that, you can do it here."
As for the image makeover, Starr is confident that the river isn't the trash can it may have been a half-century ago.
And while he wouldn't go so far as to recommend eating the fish (advisories warn against it), Starr is happy the fish are back in the Delaware.
"It's a lot cleaner now than it ever was," he said. "I think it's safe to go back in the water."
For more information about the Delaware River visit www.delawareriverkeeper.org, www.pecpa.org and www.delawareriver.net.
Shifting the tide toward Delaware River recreation
By JASON NARK, Philadelphia Daily News Posted on Mon, Nov. 17, 2008
IN A GAME of chicken, an oil tanker always beats a kayak.
On the Delaware River, one of the region's most vital economic assets, local environmental groups are trying to turn both types of vessels in the same direction.
Doing so requires an image makeover, they say, and an admission that industry has hoarded both the river and its shoreline for more than a century, damaging its public perception.
As a result, people have forgotten about the wide, murky river when they head off to launch their boats or canoes at the Jersey Shore or in the Poconos.
"We really cut ourselves off from the river. It became a bit of an eyesore," said Patrick Starr, senior vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's southeast region. "We have a lot of repair work."
Part of that repair work, Starr said, is the creation of a 56-mile Delaware River Tidal Trail Map that details the locations of access points, amenities and historical and cultural sites from the Morrisville/Trenton area south to Marcus Hook.
Expansive, heavily detailed maps can be found at www.tidaltrail.org, a Web site that Starr hopes will spawn social networking for people to talk about the river.
"It's about a core belief of getting people down to the river through public access," he said. "It's about getting people involved with the river and into it."
The maps also feature the various public lands, or greenways, that dot the river's shoreline and could be connected someday, Starr added.
People kayak, canoe, fish and swim in the 330-mile-long Delaware all the time - but most of that takes place north of Trenton, where the river is fit for postcards and bears no resemblance to the deep, tidal stretches of its lower half.
That shallow, rocky river up north is a recreation destination precisely because it has little industrial value, environmental advocates say.
South of Trenton, the river is nothing short of an economic superhighway. Combined, the docks in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware make the river the largest freshwater port in the world that, according to a 2005 government report, brings in close to $20 billion in economic activity per year and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs.
But the river isn't just a superhighway, said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper.
"It's a living, breathing ecosystem," she said.
Van Rossum said most of the important government decisions, whether they relate to dredging the river's channel or building along the waterfront, are based exclusively on economic factors.
She applauded the tidal-trail maps, saying they'll help create "champions of the river."
"People will recognize the value of the river as a natural place," she said.
The recreation business will never compete with the crude-oil and international cargo that come up the river daily, but Starr said a dollar or two could be made.
"We plan on conducting an economic-impact study soon," he said.
New business could consist of canoe or kayak outfitters, guided tours via the water, or simply add-ons at the dozens of marinas and sailing clubs that line both sides of the river and its tributaries.
"We have a beautiful river here that has natural and cultural features," he said. "You don't have to drive 75 miles to see that, you can do it here."
As for the image makeover, Starr is confident that the river isn't the trash can it may have been a half-century ago.
And while he wouldn't go so far as to recommend eating the fish (advisories warn against it), Starr is happy the fish are back in the Delaware.
"It's a lot cleaner now than it ever was," he said. "I think it's safe to go back in the water."
For more information about the Delaware River visit www.delawareriverkeeper.org, www.pecpa.org and www.delawareriver.net.
Monday, November 17, 2008
PA State Tax report
Press release from The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.
School board members, Morrisville Borough Council members, Senator McIlhenney and Representative Galloway: What are you doing about this? Why is there such a regressive tax system in place?
New Report Finds Pennsylvania Tax and Spending Levels Moderate and Stable Over Time
Last update: 12:01 a.m. EST Nov. 16, 2008
HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Pennsylvania also has one of the most regressive tax systems in the U.S., with the poor paying 12.3 cents in taxes out of every $1 of income, while the rich pay only 4.3 cents.
Pennsylvania ranks favorably when compared to the nation and to competitor states in overall tax and spending levels, according to a new report from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC).
Pennsylvania state taxes, when measured as a share of state personal income, ranked 32nd among the 50 states in 2005, while state spending ranked 30th. Pennsylvania taxes were 6.3 percent of state personal income, a half-percentage point less than the average of competing states.(1)
But Pennsylvania's tax system is highly regressive, taking a significantly larger share of the incomes of the bottom 20 percent of earners than of the incomes of more affluent Pennsylvanians.
PBPC's new report, The Common Good: What Pennsylvania's Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You, provides a roadmap to state and local tax policy in Pennsylvania, with a focus on whether taxes and spending are fair and appropriate to the state's needs. It can be viewed online at http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_08.pdf.
The report finds that, over the past three decades, Pennsylvania state government taxes have held steady as a share of income, while state expenditures have stayed below the national average for 27 of the last 30 years.
The findings on state taxes and spending fly in the face of myths that Pennsylvania state spending is out of control and needs to be reduced, noted Sharon Ward, director of the PBPC, a non-partisan tax policy research organization.
"State budget discussions in Harrisburg begin with an assumption that state taxes and spending are high and that state spending is a luxury," said Ward. "This report makes clear that Pennsylvania spending and taxes are both competitive and necessary for the state's economy to grow."
Two-thirds of state General Fund spending goes to just three items: education, health care, and public safety. The report argues that investments in public goods, including public and higher education, workforce development, and transportation, make a vital contribution to the state's economy and are critical to economic growth.
The new report's findings have important implications for lawmakers as they contemplate a response to a growing state budget deficit. Ward noted that the deficit is the result of declining state revenue collections resulting from a downturn in the business cycle and national economic forces, not a result of unsustainable spending.
The PBPC study found that Pennsylvania fares less well in two other areas--tax fairness and local tax burden.
The Commonwealth has one of the most "regressive" state and local tax systems in the nation, based on the share of income paid in state and local taxes by poor vs. affluent families. One reason for this is Pennsylvania's flat personal income tax rate. While most states have graduated income taxes that assess higher rates on affluent earners than on middle-class and low-income families, Pennsylvania's Constitution requires all earners (except for the poor and elderly) to be taxed at the same, or "uniform," rate. This prevents Pennsylvania from using a progressive income tax to increase the overall fairness of the tax structure.
"Without a progressive income tax, Pennsylvania's state tax system has no way to offset regressive sales and property taxes," Ward said. "That results in lower-income workers paying a bigger chunk of their paychecks in taxes than wealthier Pennsylvanians."
Pennsylvania also relies heavily on local taxes to fund a variety of services, especially public education.
The state ranks near the bottom in the state share of education spending, in 2005 numbers, with 46 other states providing more state help than Pennsylvania. The heavy reliance on local taxpayers for school funding translates into high tax rates in some lower-income school districts and low tax rates in some high-income districts. Even with high local tax rates, some districts do not have enough wealth and income to fund schools adequately, creating wide gaps in school funding.
PBPC's report also found that property taxes in Pennsylvania, measured against state personal income, are only 95 percent of the national average and lower than most competitor states.
"Pennsylvania has started moving toward greater state funding for public education, but more still remains to be done to put Pennsylvania on par with neighboring states and the national average," Ward said.
AMONG THE REPORT'S MAJOR FINDINGS:
-- State Taxes Are Relatively Low: The personal income tax rate, at 3.07
percent, is the second lowest top rate in the country, while the
6-percent sales tax (7-percent in Philadelphia and Allegheny County) is
in the middle range of all states. The corporate net income (CNI) tax
rate of 9.99 percent is relatively high, although loopholes in the law
(and other factors) mean that 71 percent of companies don't pay any
CNI tax.
-- Pennsylvania state taxes and spending are less than a majority of
U.S. states when measured as a share of state personal income. In
2005, state taxes were 6.3 percent of personal income, ranking the
state 32nd in the nation.
-- Pennsylvania state taxes are less than competitor states. New York
and Ohio had slightly higher rates as a share of personal income,
while Delaware exceeded 8 percent and West Virginia hit 9 percent.
-- Pennsylvania Relies Heavily on Local Taxes: Pennsylvania state and local
taxes combined rank 21st nationally, at 10.7 percent as a share of
personal income, compared to 32nd nationally for state only taxes. This
reflects a heavy reliance on local taxes, and especially on local
property taxes, to fund public services.
-- In 2005-06, local governments and school districts relied on
property taxes to fund 71 percent of services and public education.
-- Local Property Taxes Are Comparatively Low But Contain Significant
Disparities Across Districts: Across the state, property taxes average
3.1 percent of personal income, compared to 3.3 percent nationally, 3.3
percent in Ohio, more than 4 percent in New York, and 5 percent in New
Jersey.
-- At the same time, average property tax rates on residential property
can range from 0.9 percent to 9.7 percent of personal income across
Pennsylvania's 501 school districts. It is not uncommon for
poorer school districts to have higher school property tax rates
than more affluent districts in the same county.
-- Pennsylvania's Tax Structure Squeezes Low-Income Workers:
Low-income Pennsylvanians, living paycheck to paycheck, pay much higher
percentages of their income in taxes.
-- The lowest quintile of Pennsylvanians spends 2.5 percent of their
income on sales tax, while the wealthiest fifth spend 1.5 percent or
less.
-- Overall, the poorest 20 percent pay nearly three times their share
of income in state and local taxes than the richest 1 percent--12.3
cents out of each dollar of income compared to only 4.3 cents for
the richest families (once you take into account that state and
local taxes reduce federal taxable income for most affluent
families). Middle-class families also pay a higher share of their
income in state and local income taxes than the wealthiest 20
percent.
The report proposes that policymakers consider an amendment to the Constitution so that a graduated income tax could be introduced to Pennsylvania. That would tax the income of wealthy earners at a higher rate than lower-income workers.
It suggests the state needs a stable stream of revenue that grows over time to keep up with the cost of services, and highlights challenges to a stable tax system. They include declining corporate tax revenue, the aging population, and a tax system that has not been comprehensively updated and reformed in generations. To address these issues, state policymakers should:
-- Review tax exemptions and tax credits for effectiveness;
-- Close loopholes in the corporate net income tax system that allow
multistate and multinational companies to hide Pennsylvania earnings in
lower-tax jurisdictions. That would generate $616 million a year,
according to the Department of Revenue;
-- Broaden the state sales tax base to include currently exempt luxury
items and expand tobacco taxes to include smokeless tobacco.
Pennsylvania is the only state that does not tax smokeless tobacco.
-- Implement a "severance" tax on the extraction of state
resources from the ground, such as natural gas. Estimates show that such
a levy on natural gas drilling could raise $200 million in new revenue
annually.
The Common Good: What Pennsylvania's Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You is an easy-to-read guide to state and local taxes and Pennsylvania's budget process. It is designed to translate the sometimes esoteric terminology of budget and tax issues into plain language.
"This is a one-of-a-kind publication that will help policymakers, journalists, advocates and all Pennsylvanians navigate the world of public spending and taxes to better understand where their tax dollars go," Ward said.
About PBPC
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) is a non-partisan policy research project that provides independent, credible analysis on state tax, budget, and related policy matters, with attention to the impact of current or proposed policies on working families. To view the new report on state and local tax policy, go to http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_08.pdf.
(1) State personal income measures a state's economic activity. It includes the total of all wages, salaries, employer-contributed pensions and insurance, business earnings, rental earnings, dividends, and interest earned by commonwealth residents.
SOURCE The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_08.pdf
School board members, Morrisville Borough Council members, Senator McIlhenney and Representative Galloway: What are you doing about this? Why is there such a regressive tax system in place?
New Report Finds Pennsylvania Tax and Spending Levels Moderate and Stable Over Time
Last update: 12:01 a.m. EST Nov. 16, 2008
HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Pennsylvania also has one of the most regressive tax systems in the U.S., with the poor paying 12.3 cents in taxes out of every $1 of income, while the rich pay only 4.3 cents.
Pennsylvania ranks favorably when compared to the nation and to competitor states in overall tax and spending levels, according to a new report from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC).
Pennsylvania state taxes, when measured as a share of state personal income, ranked 32nd among the 50 states in 2005, while state spending ranked 30th. Pennsylvania taxes were 6.3 percent of state personal income, a half-percentage point less than the average of competing states.(1)
But Pennsylvania's tax system is highly regressive, taking a significantly larger share of the incomes of the bottom 20 percent of earners than of the incomes of more affluent Pennsylvanians.
PBPC's new report, The Common Good: What Pennsylvania's Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You, provides a roadmap to state and local tax policy in Pennsylvania, with a focus on whether taxes and spending are fair and appropriate to the state's needs. It can be viewed online at http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_08.pdf.
The report finds that, over the past three decades, Pennsylvania state government taxes have held steady as a share of income, while state expenditures have stayed below the national average for 27 of the last 30 years.
The findings on state taxes and spending fly in the face of myths that Pennsylvania state spending is out of control and needs to be reduced, noted Sharon Ward, director of the PBPC, a non-partisan tax policy research organization.
"State budget discussions in Harrisburg begin with an assumption that state taxes and spending are high and that state spending is a luxury," said Ward. "This report makes clear that Pennsylvania spending and taxes are both competitive and necessary for the state's economy to grow."
Two-thirds of state General Fund spending goes to just three items: education, health care, and public safety. The report argues that investments in public goods, including public and higher education, workforce development, and transportation, make a vital contribution to the state's economy and are critical to economic growth.
The new report's findings have important implications for lawmakers as they contemplate a response to a growing state budget deficit. Ward noted that the deficit is the result of declining state revenue collections resulting from a downturn in the business cycle and national economic forces, not a result of unsustainable spending.
The PBPC study found that Pennsylvania fares less well in two other areas--tax fairness and local tax burden.
The Commonwealth has one of the most "regressive" state and local tax systems in the nation, based on the share of income paid in state and local taxes by poor vs. affluent families. One reason for this is Pennsylvania's flat personal income tax rate. While most states have graduated income taxes that assess higher rates on affluent earners than on middle-class and low-income families, Pennsylvania's Constitution requires all earners (except for the poor and elderly) to be taxed at the same, or "uniform," rate. This prevents Pennsylvania from using a progressive income tax to increase the overall fairness of the tax structure.
"Without a progressive income tax, Pennsylvania's state tax system has no way to offset regressive sales and property taxes," Ward said. "That results in lower-income workers paying a bigger chunk of their paychecks in taxes than wealthier Pennsylvanians."
Pennsylvania also relies heavily on local taxes to fund a variety of services, especially public education.
The state ranks near the bottom in the state share of education spending, in 2005 numbers, with 46 other states providing more state help than Pennsylvania. The heavy reliance on local taxpayers for school funding translates into high tax rates in some lower-income school districts and low tax rates in some high-income districts. Even with high local tax rates, some districts do not have enough wealth and income to fund schools adequately, creating wide gaps in school funding.
PBPC's report also found that property taxes in Pennsylvania, measured against state personal income, are only 95 percent of the national average and lower than most competitor states.
"Pennsylvania has started moving toward greater state funding for public education, but more still remains to be done to put Pennsylvania on par with neighboring states and the national average," Ward said.
AMONG THE REPORT'S MAJOR FINDINGS:
-- State Taxes Are Relatively Low: The personal income tax rate, at 3.07
percent, is the second lowest top rate in the country, while the
6-percent sales tax (7-percent in Philadelphia and Allegheny County) is
in the middle range of all states. The corporate net income (CNI) tax
rate of 9.99 percent is relatively high, although loopholes in the law
(and other factors) mean that 71 percent of companies don't pay any
CNI tax.
-- Pennsylvania state taxes and spending are less than a majority of
U.S. states when measured as a share of state personal income. In
2005, state taxes were 6.3 percent of personal income, ranking the
state 32nd in the nation.
-- Pennsylvania state taxes are less than competitor states. New York
and Ohio had slightly higher rates as a share of personal income,
while Delaware exceeded 8 percent and West Virginia hit 9 percent.
-- Pennsylvania Relies Heavily on Local Taxes: Pennsylvania state and local
taxes combined rank 21st nationally, at 10.7 percent as a share of
personal income, compared to 32nd nationally for state only taxes. This
reflects a heavy reliance on local taxes, and especially on local
property taxes, to fund public services.
-- In 2005-06, local governments and school districts relied on
property taxes to fund 71 percent of services and public education.
-- Local Property Taxes Are Comparatively Low But Contain Significant
Disparities Across Districts: Across the state, property taxes average
3.1 percent of personal income, compared to 3.3 percent nationally, 3.3
percent in Ohio, more than 4 percent in New York, and 5 percent in New
Jersey.
-- At the same time, average property tax rates on residential property
can range from 0.9 percent to 9.7 percent of personal income across
Pennsylvania's 501 school districts. It is not uncommon for
poorer school districts to have higher school property tax rates
than more affluent districts in the same county.
-- Pennsylvania's Tax Structure Squeezes Low-Income Workers:
Low-income Pennsylvanians, living paycheck to paycheck, pay much higher
percentages of their income in taxes.
-- The lowest quintile of Pennsylvanians spends 2.5 percent of their
income on sales tax, while the wealthiest fifth spend 1.5 percent or
less.
-- Overall, the poorest 20 percent pay nearly three times their share
of income in state and local taxes than the richest 1 percent--12.3
cents out of each dollar of income compared to only 4.3 cents for
the richest families (once you take into account that state and
local taxes reduce federal taxable income for most affluent
families). Middle-class families also pay a higher share of their
income in state and local income taxes than the wealthiest 20
percent.
The report proposes that policymakers consider an amendment to the Constitution so that a graduated income tax could be introduced to Pennsylvania. That would tax the income of wealthy earners at a higher rate than lower-income workers.
It suggests the state needs a stable stream of revenue that grows over time to keep up with the cost of services, and highlights challenges to a stable tax system. They include declining corporate tax revenue, the aging population, and a tax system that has not been comprehensively updated and reformed in generations. To address these issues, state policymakers should:
-- Review tax exemptions and tax credits for effectiveness;
-- Close loopholes in the corporate net income tax system that allow
multistate and multinational companies to hide Pennsylvania earnings in
lower-tax jurisdictions. That would generate $616 million a year,
according to the Department of Revenue;
-- Broaden the state sales tax base to include currently exempt luxury
items and expand tobacco taxes to include smokeless tobacco.
Pennsylvania is the only state that does not tax smokeless tobacco.
-- Implement a "severance" tax on the extraction of state
resources from the ground, such as natural gas. Estimates show that such
a levy on natural gas drilling could raise $200 million in new revenue
annually.
The Common Good: What Pennsylvania's Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You is an easy-to-read guide to state and local taxes and Pennsylvania's budget process. It is designed to translate the sometimes esoteric terminology of budget and tax issues into plain language.
"This is a one-of-a-kind publication that will help policymakers, journalists, advocates and all Pennsylvanians navigate the world of public spending and taxes to better understand where their tax dollars go," Ward said.
About PBPC
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) is a non-partisan policy research project that provides independent, credible analysis on state tax, budget, and related policy matters, with attention to the impact of current or proposed policies on working families. To view the new report on state and local tax policy, go to http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_08.pdf.
(1) State personal income measures a state's economic activity. It includes the total of all wages, salaries, employer-contributed pensions and insurance, business earnings, rental earnings, dividends, and interest earned by commonwealth residents.
SOURCE The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
http://www.pennbpc.org/pdf/PBPC_Tax_Primer_08.pdf
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