Governor Wolf please stop playing politics with the state budget. You vetoed about 3 billion for education in December. Why?

Pa. budget problems start at the top with Gov. Wolf (Letter)

http://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/readers/2016/03/09/pa-budget-problems-start-top-gov-wolf/81528916/

This week’s news that the Red Lion Area School District is facing bankruptcy turned a few heads. It is assumed the current state budget funding impasse would first affect smaller and more rural school districts. When a large, suburban district with an enrollment of more than 5,200 students says it plans to begin tapping reserves on April 1, you know the problem is serious.

This should concern every one of Pennsylvania’s more than 12.8 million citizens. I would like to offer the following reminders to those of you who may have forgotten or are unaware of what has happened to this point. Pennsylvania DOES have a state budget –

On Dec. 29, Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law House Bill 1460, the General Appropriations portion of the budget process. Before doing so, he line-item vetoed more than $6 billion from the nearly $30 billion spending plan that was laid on his desk. More than half of the $6 billion was designated for PreK-12 education. This is not political “spin” – the governor had this money right in front of him and turned it aside, leaving schools in the current funding crisis.

There go our property taxes – This is probably the first thing that came to mind for Red Lion homeowners. Please remember that six of the seven House members from York County voted in favor of House Bill 504, which would increase the sales and personal income tax as part of a dollar-for-dollar reduction in school property taxes. The legislation passed with bipartisan support and sits with the Senate Finance Committee.We need pension reform – Pension payments are the No. 1 cost driver in education funding.

Reform legislation (Senate Bill 1) is not perfect, but it moves future state employees, including legislators upon re-election, to a defined contribution plan and is a step toward further changes. Gov. Wolf vetoed it on July 9.This is not Tom Corbett’s fault – The governor is still blaming his predecessor. If you’re in that camp, please contact your local school district superintendent and ask him or her for a copy of the letter they received in 2009 from then-Gov. Ed Rendell concerning the American Recovery and Investment Act.

Federal dollars were distributed to our public schools, at which point the governor told educators, “We will invest these stimulus funds in a fiscally responsible manner that prepares for the disappearance of funding in just two short years.”When Corbett took office following two years of education funding that was padded by the federal government, Democrats expected him to make up the “difference,” something that would have required massive tax hikes. The governor simply and responsibly increased the amount of actual state dollars for basic education.

Principled school district administrators recognized the two-year “gift” they had received and used it for expenses that were not recurring, such aslibrary materials, tutoring and school facility upgrades.Bottom line: Gov. Wolf is attempting to right a wrong that never happened.York County schools need more money – The current funding formula shortchanges growing school districts like those in York County.

In January, the state House passed the Fiscal Code or “operating manual” legislation for the state budget. House Bill 1327 introduces a fair funding formula that will benefit our students and taxpayers by, unlike Gov. Wolf’s plan, sending more money to every Pennsylvania school district. We are waiting on our Senate colleagues to send the bill to the governor’s desk for his signature.Just compromise and get it done – The House Republican caucus has compromised by moving off its original position. 

Republicans agreed to increased overall spending and education funding without raising broad-based taxes. Since taking office, the governor has insisted on raising taxes, and that has not changed. It is the basis for vetoing every piece of budget-related legislation that reaches his desk, and he has already promised to veto any legislation that attempts to atone for his education cut.

Article Three, Subsection B, Section 14 of the Pennsylvania Constitution states, “The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.” If any of our 500 school districts closes its doors for financial reasons, the first call parents in those districts make should be to Gov. Tom Wolf, the one man standing in the way of funding for our public schools.

Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill is a Republican from York Township.
 

Last edited by Common Sense (3/12/2016 1:55 pm)