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Rendell visits Fort Cherry High School
Saying his plan to balance the budget is the fairest, Rendell admitted he is not happy about it and doesn’t blame Pennsylvanians who are also displeased. But he noted he and everyone in the state inherited the problem.
“It was caused by a couple of greedy Wall Street S.O.B.’s who put this nation at risk,” he said.
Lois Nimal of McDonald stopped Rendell after his talk to ask when the budget will be adopted. The state is entering its third week without a budget. Nimal’s daughter is a state police dispatcher and has not received a paycheck since June 30.
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A mix-up over whether the governor’s visit was open to the public led to a shallow crowd.
Police officers from Mt. Pleasant Township were stationed at the entrance to the school to keep anyone not on a list from entering. Most of those on the list were school board members and other elected officials, one officer said.
But when Mike Smith, a spokesman for the governor’s office arrived, he told officers the meeting was an open one. By then, several people had left school grounds.
It was unclear who had drawn up the list or for what reason, but police at the school said there had been concern that government employees, who have not been paid, would attend and protest.
Speaking in the school library, Rendell said a game has been played for many years in Harrisburg. “It’s called ‘passing the buck,’” he said.
Under Gov. Dick Thornburgh, the state paid 51 percent of the cost of educating a student with another 7 percent aid from the federal government and the local share about 42 percent.
When Rendell took office, the state amount had been reduced to 34 percent, thus forcing local school districts to raise property taxes to make up the difference.
Noting that many of the programs he favors have had to be cut, Rendell said cuts alone will not balance the budget. He has proposed raising the state income tax from 3.07 percent to 3.57 percent.
For a family making $48,500 a year that would result in $4.50 a week increase. And, he noted that senior citizens, people making less than $32,000 a year and unemployed would not pay that increase.
However, any property tax increase will be paid by seniors and the unemployed.
Addressing educators in the room, Rendell noted the proposed Senate Bill 850 would cut $1 billion from education at a time when funds for tutoring and full-day kindergarten have given students a quality education.
“We’ve come so far, why would we turn back now?” he asked.
© 2009 Observer Publishing Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Mixup? What? : 7/11/2009
"A mix-up over whether the governor’s visit was open to the public led to a shallow crowd." Huh? It was in the OR that it was opened to the public and I certainly didn't see anyone turned away. It's just a shame people are not interested in their government and the OR seems to be finding excuses for it. Is this another typical 'green' freelance writer sent?
So.... : 7/11/2009
...by your reports, "several people" were turned away from seeing the governor, and " a group of about 30 people" were at Fort Cherry, isn't the writer really trying to disparage the governor? After all, according to a real newspaper "only 40 people, including three Republican members of the state House, showed up at Rochester High School to hear the governor argue that an increase in the state income tax was the fairest way to finance rising local education costs." Bottom line-anyone that wanted to see the governor was allowed in. It's obvious this freelance reporter wanted her $50 story to appease the OR. I'm sure another one about 'the list' will soon follow knowing this jerkwater paper....
