From BucksLocalNews.com
Council discusses strip club lawsuit
President says burlesque-style theater not in the mix for downtown
By Petra Chesner Schlatter, Posted on Wed, Jan 28, 2009
Morrisville Borough Council's executive session on Jan. 20 dealt with litigation regarding the constitutional right to operate a gentleman's club in Morrisville.
Todd Colarusso, a principal in the New Jersey-based Stockham Interests LLC, is suing the borough, claiming Morrisville zoning ordinances "impose restrictions and prohibitions on First Amendment protected expression."
Neither Colarusso nor his lawyer, Luke Lirot of Tampa, Fla., could be reached for comment.
The site of the club was proposed for Bridge Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in the ailing downtown business district.
The developer wants to put a burlesque-style theater in the . Other proposed uses in the building would be a health club and a restaurant. The Morrisville Zoning Hearing Board unanimously rejected Colarusso's application for a strip club in May 2008.
While adult entertainment use is not allowed in the commercial district, it is permitted in Morrisville's industrial zones.
According to James Downey, borough council solicitor, there are no state regulations or guidelines about how far away an adult entertainment establishment can be situated from a school or church.
The daughter of a local Baptist minister said at the hearing last year that youths would walk by the strip club on their way to and from school. Her father spoke out against adult entertainment in his church's neighborhood.
The pastor of the Catholic school quoted the Bible, stating a man "looks at a woman with lust, he has already committed adultery."
The borough's insurance company is handling the litigation. Initially, the borough filed a motion to dismiss the claim. The federal judge in Philadelphia threw out some of the claims, but let stand the First Amendment challenge.
Solicitor Downey said the normal approach is to take a matter like this to the Court of Common Pleas in Doylestown.
"They didn't do it - they took it straight to federal court," he emphasized.
Morrisville Borough Council President Nancy Sherlock said the Stockham Building is in the center of town. "Our hope was for the revitalization of Morrisville's downtown," she said. "I speak for myself at this time, but I believe it is the consensus of borough council that a burlesque establishment was not in that mix."
Since the 1970s, Sugar and Spice, a local strip club, has existed on South Pennsylvania Avenue, Sherlock noted.
"I think that we struggle with an image," she said. "A lot of people aren't familiar with the bright side of Morrisville. We have beautiful tree-lined streets.
"We have residents, who are very proud of their homes. They take care of their homes. There are many attractive homes in Morrisville," Sherlock noted.
The council president said an issue that needs to be addressed is the fact that a crossing guard stands at the intersection and crosses the children. "I know that Pastor [Gary] Taylor from the Baptist Church was adamant," Sherlock said. "It is close to his church and he said it would be detrimental to his church's members."
Sherlock said she could not comment specifically about the litigation. The matter is discussed in executive session because it is a legal matter.
"We will see what happens," she said.
Council Member Jane Burger explained the that zoning hearing board heard the request. "They denied it for several reasons," she said. "[The developer] failed to show hardship that they could not rent to tenants of any of the types of businesses allowed in the C-2 commercial district," Burger added.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Thanks to the emailer to sent me this information on the Education Policy and Leadership Center at eplc.org. They have a look at Gov. Rendell's 2009-2010 budget from the education point of view.
There's links to other budgets going back to 2003-2004 and a lot of good info to check out.
There's links to other budgets going back to 2003-2004 and a lot of good info to check out.
Rendell wants to consolidate 400 PA school districts
From the Inquirer.
OK. Let's look at consolidations. There's a lot of benefits and drawbacks whichever way we choose to go.
Rendell wants to consolidate 400 PA school districts
By Dan Hardy and Kristen A. Graham Posted on Wed, Feb. 4, 2009
Gov. Rendell wants to slash the number of school districts statewide, eliminating about 400 of the current 501 Pennsylvania public school systems.
The controversial proposal would make a more efficient public education system, he said.
"There is nothing sacrosanct about the need to maintain 500 separate school districts across the state - each with its own staggering, and growing, administrative costs," the governor said in his budget address.
Rendell wants a legislative committee to study consolidation and return recommendations within a year.
The revelation came as Rendell proposed to increase Pennsylvania's public school funding by $265.3 million, a 2.8 increase over last year's budget. That's amid proposed cuts in many other state budget items.
"Even in these difficult times, we must not lose sight of the fact that every additional dollar we allocate to public education will benefit our children even as it helps relieve the burden of local property taxes," Rendell said in his budget address today.
Rendell also hopes to provide $550 million in tuition relief to Pennsylvania students who attend state-system schools or community colleges, an initiative he'd like to fund by legalizing video-poker machines at restaurants, private clubs and corner bars.
For basic education funding - the largest portion of the state education budget - the governor proposes an increase of $300 million.
The total proposed budget for public schools is $9.9 billion, which would make up 37 percent of the proposed $26.6 billion budget - the largest single item.
Special education funding would remain flat; money for charter schools and transportation would increase; most other programs would be cut.
Rendell also proposed relieving the burden of school taxes on local residents by drastically cutting the number of school districts, from 500 to no more than 100. A 12-member commission would develop a consolidation plan within a year, under his proposal, with the legislature voting on which of two proposals to accept. If it turned down both, the Department of Education would decide.
"Full-scale school consolidation provides a very effective way to relieve the local property tax burden all across Pennsylvania," Rendell told the legislature. "There is nothing sacrosanct about the need to maintain 500 separate schools districts across the state - each with its own staggering, and growing, administrative costs."
Last year, Rendell proposed to increase state education funding by $2.6 billion over six years to bring all school district up to the level at which they could provide an adequate education for their students. At the urging of the Rendell administration, the legislature enacted a new funding plan for public schools, based on a state study that established the cost of providing an adequate education for all students. The plan set a goal of ramping up basic education subsidies by enough so that within six years, every school district could provide an adequate education to its students.
Basic education funding was increased by $274 million for this school year, the largest dollar increase since 1991, as the first step toward that objective. The Rendell administration set a goal of increasing the subsidy by $2.6 billion by 2013-14.
The formula established a basic per-student payment, then adjusted it to take into account poverty, the number of limited education students, a district's size and its geographic location. Districts with high tax rates and low wealth received more.
To stay on track for delivering the $2.6 billion increase, Rendell had planned to increase basic education funding in this year's budget by $418 million.
The governor is proposing using the same funding formula this year, but, he said, "sadly, we can no longer afford this level of increase, though the need for this funding is no less compelling than before."
The Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign, a coalition of groups that pushed for state funding increases, said in a statement that it supports the governor's proposal.
"It is an important commitment in light of the current economic climate, cuts in other areas of the state budget, and education cuts in other states," said Ron Cowell, president of the Education Policy and Leadership Center and a member of the School Funding Campaign steering Committee.
OK. Let's look at consolidations. There's a lot of benefits and drawbacks whichever way we choose to go.
Rendell wants to consolidate 400 PA school districts
By Dan Hardy and Kristen A. Graham Posted on Wed, Feb. 4, 2009
Gov. Rendell wants to slash the number of school districts statewide, eliminating about 400 of the current 501 Pennsylvania public school systems.
The controversial proposal would make a more efficient public education system, he said.
"There is nothing sacrosanct about the need to maintain 500 separate school districts across the state - each with its own staggering, and growing, administrative costs," the governor said in his budget address.
Rendell wants a legislative committee to study consolidation and return recommendations within a year.
The revelation came as Rendell proposed to increase Pennsylvania's public school funding by $265.3 million, a 2.8 increase over last year's budget. That's amid proposed cuts in many other state budget items.
"Even in these difficult times, we must not lose sight of the fact that every additional dollar we allocate to public education will benefit our children even as it helps relieve the burden of local property taxes," Rendell said in his budget address today.
Rendell also hopes to provide $550 million in tuition relief to Pennsylvania students who attend state-system schools or community colleges, an initiative he'd like to fund by legalizing video-poker machines at restaurants, private clubs and corner bars.
For basic education funding - the largest portion of the state education budget - the governor proposes an increase of $300 million.
The total proposed budget for public schools is $9.9 billion, which would make up 37 percent of the proposed $26.6 billion budget - the largest single item.
Special education funding would remain flat; money for charter schools and transportation would increase; most other programs would be cut.
Rendell also proposed relieving the burden of school taxes on local residents by drastically cutting the number of school districts, from 500 to no more than 100. A 12-member commission would develop a consolidation plan within a year, under his proposal, with the legislature voting on which of two proposals to accept. If it turned down both, the Department of Education would decide.
"Full-scale school consolidation provides a very effective way to relieve the local property tax burden all across Pennsylvania," Rendell told the legislature. "There is nothing sacrosanct about the need to maintain 500 separate schools districts across the state - each with its own staggering, and growing, administrative costs."
Last year, Rendell proposed to increase state education funding by $2.6 billion over six years to bring all school district up to the level at which they could provide an adequate education for their students. At the urging of the Rendell administration, the legislature enacted a new funding plan for public schools, based on a state study that established the cost of providing an adequate education for all students. The plan set a goal of ramping up basic education subsidies by enough so that within six years, every school district could provide an adequate education to its students.
Basic education funding was increased by $274 million for this school year, the largest dollar increase since 1991, as the first step toward that objective. The Rendell administration set a goal of increasing the subsidy by $2.6 billion by 2013-14.
The formula established a basic per-student payment, then adjusted it to take into account poverty, the number of limited education students, a district's size and its geographic location. Districts with high tax rates and low wealth received more.
To stay on track for delivering the $2.6 billion increase, Rendell had planned to increase basic education funding in this year's budget by $418 million.
The governor is proposing using the same funding formula this year, but, he said, "sadly, we can no longer afford this level of increase, though the need for this funding is no less compelling than before."
The Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign, a coalition of groups that pushed for state funding increases, said in a statement that it supports the governor's proposal.
"It is an important commitment in light of the current economic climate, cuts in other areas of the state budget, and education cuts in other states," said Ron Cowell, president of the Education Policy and Leadership Center and a member of the School Funding Campaign steering Committee.
Lawmakers take a look at spending plan
From the BCCT.
"Morrisville must be absorbed." "Resistance is futile." Pass it on.
Lawmakers take a look at spending plan
By GARY WECKSELBLATT
As he listened to Gov. Ed Rendell give his budget address Wednesday, state Rep. Scott Petri couldn’t help but think back to the old comedy team of Laurel and Hardy.
“Oh, boy, what a fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into, Ollie,” Petri said from Harrisburg, where Rendell unveiled his $29 billion spending plan.
“I just don’t believe he cuts enough to get the job done,” said Petri, R-178. “We have to do what every household is doing right now, tighten our belts as much as we can. That’s not easy, but nothing can be excluded.”
Local legislators reacted to Rendell’s proposal, which comes at a time of a deepening economic recession that has left most states facing spending cuts and hoping for a federal monetary injection.
Pennsylvania is no different, expecting $2.4 billion in stimulus money from Washington to help overcome a shrinking economic base due to rising unemployment.
Among the highlights likely to spark debate:
Rendell would spend $130 million this year to shrink the cost of college education for students who attend the 14 public universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges. For example, a student in a family making $60,000 a year would have tuition dropped from $12,010 to $4,750.
Funding the program could be problematic. Rendell suggests video poker games in bars, taverns, restaurants and private clubs — establishments with liquor licenses.
Rendell would cut $218 million, or 35 percent, for the Community and Economic Development Department that gives grants and aid to local governments, community organizations and businesses.
The governor is also suggesting eliminating 400 of the state’s 501 school districts to make public education more efficient.
While there would be no broad-based tax increases, the state cigarette tax would rise 10 cents a pack to $1.45.
There would be a tax on other tobacco products, including cigars, snuff and pipe tobacco — 36 cents an ounce for smokeless and loose tobacco and 36 cents per 10 cigars or cigarillos.
“He made a lot of very bold and courageous statements today,” said Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, R-10. “He put some stuff out there that’s very valuable and worth looking at.”
State Rep. John Galloway, a Democrat like Rendell, is all for the measure to merge districts. In Galloway’s 140th District is the Morrisville School District. Saddled with worn-out buildings and high taxes, the district has tried to be absorbed by neighboring Pennsbury.
“It’s an idea I fully support,” he said. “We could get down to 200 school districts and save taxpayers billions of dollars. It’s the smart way to go.”
Sate Rep. Paul Clymer, R-145, disagreed. “I’m opposed to it,” he said. “To be bigger is not always better. It would take away community pride. Teachers teach better when they’re in schools they’re accustomed to. I think students will get lost in this process. You lose a sense of history and pride and what you’re about as a community.”
McIlhinney wasn’t ready to commit. He said as Rendell spoke, “I tried to picture how it would work. Could we get to 100 school districts? I don’t know. Do we have some with 600 students that shouldn’t be there? Probably.”
Clymer, a critic of legalized gambling, reserved his real venom for Rendell’s plan to legalize video poker.
Citing 107,000 slot machines in Las Vegas that Pennsylvania can top under Rendell’s guidelines, Clymer said “he’s trying to turn us into Las Vegas. But we’re not a travel destination like Las Vegas. The people who gamble here are from here. The money we’re getting to feed this program is Pennsylvania money.”
Clymer lamented that gambling studies show it’s the poor and less educated who gamble. “Now you have the poor being lured into bars and taverns. The mixture of alcohol and gambling is lethal to begin with.”
A point seconded by Petri.
“In this economy do you want people to go to a bar and come home with no paycheck at all?” he asked. “And what does this do to the gaming industry that was supposed to give us property tax relief? And what does it do to the lottery fund (that pays for senior programs)?
“Every action has a consequence. This is over the top.”
While saying gambling is not a panacea, Galloway said the money should not be used for student aid. “I think it should be used for property taxes to directly affect the people in those municipalities (where the machines are located).
McIlhinney called the tuition plan “rather ambitious, but you can’t dismiss anything on day one. But as I’m sitting here now I’m leaning against it.”
Of cuts to local governments, Clymer said there’s going to be “universal pain. We have to balance the budget and work together as never before.”
Petri, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said in the coming weeks he’ll be “digging through every line item and looking for every savings and dollar I can find. We must expand the base of people who are employed. That’s what our mantra has to be.”
Said Galloway, “It’s my contention we should go even further and fundamentally change the way we do business here. I see this as an opportunity. This could be one of our better days in Harrisburg. We’ve taken our hits here, and rightfully so. Hopefully we’re up to the task.”
McIlhinney represents Falls, Lower Makefield, Morrisville, Tullytown, Newtown, Newtown Township, Upper Makefield, Yardley, 20 municipalities in Central and Upper Bucks, 2 Montgomery County communities. Petri’s district includes Northampton, Wrightstown, Ivyland, portions of Upper Makefield, Upper Southampton, Warwick. Galloway represents Bristol, Morrisville, Tullytown, Falls, 2 districts in Bristol Township, 1 district in Middletown. Clymer represents 14 municipalities in Upper Bucks.
"Morrisville must be absorbed." "Resistance is futile." Pass it on.
Lawmakers take a look at spending plan
By GARY WECKSELBLATT
As he listened to Gov. Ed Rendell give his budget address Wednesday, state Rep. Scott Petri couldn’t help but think back to the old comedy team of Laurel and Hardy.
“Oh, boy, what a fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into, Ollie,” Petri said from Harrisburg, where Rendell unveiled his $29 billion spending plan.
“I just don’t believe he cuts enough to get the job done,” said Petri, R-178. “We have to do what every household is doing right now, tighten our belts as much as we can. That’s not easy, but nothing can be excluded.”
Local legislators reacted to Rendell’s proposal, which comes at a time of a deepening economic recession that has left most states facing spending cuts and hoping for a federal monetary injection.
Pennsylvania is no different, expecting $2.4 billion in stimulus money from Washington to help overcome a shrinking economic base due to rising unemployment.
Among the highlights likely to spark debate:
Rendell would spend $130 million this year to shrink the cost of college education for students who attend the 14 public universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges. For example, a student in a family making $60,000 a year would have tuition dropped from $12,010 to $4,750.
Funding the program could be problematic. Rendell suggests video poker games in bars, taverns, restaurants and private clubs — establishments with liquor licenses.
Rendell would cut $218 million, or 35 percent, for the Community and Economic Development Department that gives grants and aid to local governments, community organizations and businesses.
The governor is also suggesting eliminating 400 of the state’s 501 school districts to make public education more efficient.
While there would be no broad-based tax increases, the state cigarette tax would rise 10 cents a pack to $1.45.
There would be a tax on other tobacco products, including cigars, snuff and pipe tobacco — 36 cents an ounce for smokeless and loose tobacco and 36 cents per 10 cigars or cigarillos.
“He made a lot of very bold and courageous statements today,” said Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, R-10. “He put some stuff out there that’s very valuable and worth looking at.”
State Rep. John Galloway, a Democrat like Rendell, is all for the measure to merge districts. In Galloway’s 140th District is the Morrisville School District. Saddled with worn-out buildings and high taxes, the district has tried to be absorbed by neighboring Pennsbury.
“It’s an idea I fully support,” he said. “We could get down to 200 school districts and save taxpayers billions of dollars. It’s the smart way to go.”
Sate Rep. Paul Clymer, R-145, disagreed. “I’m opposed to it,” he said. “To be bigger is not always better. It would take away community pride. Teachers teach better when they’re in schools they’re accustomed to. I think students will get lost in this process. You lose a sense of history and pride and what you’re about as a community.”
McIlhinney wasn’t ready to commit. He said as Rendell spoke, “I tried to picture how it would work. Could we get to 100 school districts? I don’t know. Do we have some with 600 students that shouldn’t be there? Probably.”
Clymer, a critic of legalized gambling, reserved his real venom for Rendell’s plan to legalize video poker.
Citing 107,000 slot machines in Las Vegas that Pennsylvania can top under Rendell’s guidelines, Clymer said “he’s trying to turn us into Las Vegas. But we’re not a travel destination like Las Vegas. The people who gamble here are from here. The money we’re getting to feed this program is Pennsylvania money.”
Clymer lamented that gambling studies show it’s the poor and less educated who gamble. “Now you have the poor being lured into bars and taverns. The mixture of alcohol and gambling is lethal to begin with.”
A point seconded by Petri.
“In this economy do you want people to go to a bar and come home with no paycheck at all?” he asked. “And what does this do to the gaming industry that was supposed to give us property tax relief? And what does it do to the lottery fund (that pays for senior programs)?
“Every action has a consequence. This is over the top.”
While saying gambling is not a panacea, Galloway said the money should not be used for student aid. “I think it should be used for property taxes to directly affect the people in those municipalities (where the machines are located).
McIlhinney called the tuition plan “rather ambitious, but you can’t dismiss anything on day one. But as I’m sitting here now I’m leaning against it.”
Of cuts to local governments, Clymer said there’s going to be “universal pain. We have to balance the budget and work together as never before.”
Petri, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said in the coming weeks he’ll be “digging through every line item and looking for every savings and dollar I can find. We must expand the base of people who are employed. That’s what our mantra has to be.”
Said Galloway, “It’s my contention we should go even further and fundamentally change the way we do business here. I see this as an opportunity. This could be one of our better days in Harrisburg. We’ve taken our hits here, and rightfully so. Hopefully we’re up to the task.”
McIlhinney represents Falls, Lower Makefield, Morrisville, Tullytown, Newtown, Newtown Township, Upper Makefield, Yardley, 20 municipalities in Central and Upper Bucks, 2 Montgomery County communities. Petri’s district includes Northampton, Wrightstown, Ivyland, portions of Upper Makefield, Upper Southampton, Warwick. Galloway represents Bristol, Morrisville, Tullytown, Falls, 2 districts in Bristol Township, 1 district in Middletown. Clymer represents 14 municipalities in Upper Bucks.
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