Countdown to April 29 to PERMANENTLY close M. R. Reiter. Ask the board to see the 6 point plan.

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?

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.

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.”

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.

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.”