August 26, 2007
Thank you for logging on once again this week to The Daily Grit. Since we are coming up on the Labor Day Holiday (where did this summer go?) this week, I thought it may be a good idea to simply solicit for feedback from you, the reader, about issues that may be important to you and also would like your input on what you would like to see more of as we end the summer season. As I have said numerous times, this is a “work in progress” but has great potential to take off now that we have experimented with it this summer season. Your feedback may be as brief as a simple few words or a sentence that could spark even more ideas. The important thing is that you take a few seconds to reply and I know, speaking for this publication, we would be grateful that you did. Those who attended the focus group part of the July 19th meeting at The Gennetti Hotel in Williamsport Identified high taxes as the primary issue/problem facing the state. Okay great!!! Now let’s take all of this to another level: What would you tell your elected representatives to do about it? Be more detailed and specific. For example, you get Steve, Garth or Roger on the phone and identify that the welfare budget is too big and has expanded dramatically since Gov. Rendell took office. You could say that now (July) was the start of the new fiscal year for the state and your idea is that perhaps a coalition of Republicans need to be formed now to block and attemps to increase welfare spending next year. This could include building a strong consensus and laying out an agreed upon action plan that is made public now, putting the liberals on notice and making the accountable. I think you get the idea..
run with it and communicate these ideas and let’s start making people accountable rather than using the excuse “it is out of my control.” But are you at least trying, Mr. Legislator? Other ideas to come out of our focus group discussion was pure economic development (not government contrived), consolidation of government services, transportation, education,excessive regulations, etc.. Hey, sometimes our leaders need to know what the issues are AND what you specifically would do if you were in their shoes. Think about it and let’s hear it. The first two responses over the next 2 weeks will receive a prize!
Sincerely,
Dave Huffman
Editor, The Daily Grit
August 20, 2007
Now that I have your attention, do you honestly believe that more money=better results? Unfortunately, it isn’t happening. Our state continues to rank near the bottom in SAT scores not to mention that only 40% of PA students graduated ready for college in 2002 (even though the graduation rate was reported at 81%). Taxpayer spending on government-run K-12 schools increased from $6.6 billion to almost $22 billion -a 72% increase after adjusting for inflation. As a member of a board of education for a large PA school district, I take pride in our district and the quality of education that it provides but I am certainly NOT proud of the increasing costs. We all deserve more for our investment because the situation is out of control. We can no longer afford it! TO READERS OF THE DAILY GRIT: What do you think can be done to contain costs and still provide a good education for the future leaders of our state and our country? PLEASE RESPOND NOW ON THIS BLOG AND LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS. One thought is that there is not necessarily a strong relationship between spending and performance (there’s a hint for your response!). There is spending and then there is ’spending.’ Not all spending is directly benefiting the children. Is there too much CONstruction (buildings, etc..) and not enough INstruction? Consolidation of school districts in an effort to save money is a widely discussed topic that may have merit. What about our delivery system, redundant programs, state mandates (write those legislators!!!), and curriculum that sometimes does more to meet the district’s needs than the students’ needs? Hopefully this gives you some ideas for a response. Yes, I love education but I love AFFORDABLE education even more! Coming to you from the Little League World Series this week…
Sincerely,
Dave Huffman
Editor, The Daily Grit
August 12, 2007
Yes, it reads like a Hemingway classic but definitely without a happy ending.
In fact, there is no ending. The spending schemes of this Governor never end.
Rather than being accused of raising taxes, why not significantly raise existing
turnpike tolls and start collecting tolls on our interstate highways. That’s only part
of the story. As we read on, we learn that our starting point is not the highways
and byways close to the Governor’s Phillie fan (I don’t mean just baseball) base but rather
the more rural and obscure geography of the northern tier. This is where the tolls not only
toll but “take their toll!”
If we really dig into the story that was such a big part of securing transportation/mass
transit dollars primarily for Philadelphia again and Pittsburgh to some degree, in this latest budget just passed a few weeks ago, we see there was $13 billion borrowed (that’s right, billion with a “b”) until the turnpike raises tolls by at least 25% in ‘09. Reading between the
lines, wouldn’t this be just as bad as a tax increase? In essence, isn’t it the same as a tax increase? WHAT DO YOU THINK? Please comment now………
Also, do you think we should privitize the Turnpike? Why or why not?
Sincerely,
Dave Huffman
Editor
The Daily Grit
Paid for by Dave Huffman | Powered by Churchill Strategies.