Gov. Rendell's "Strategic Sourcing"
initiative is intended to reduce government expenditures on products and
services such as office supplies, asphalt, and computers. What should the
governor do with the total projected savings of $100 million?
Spend
the money on other government programs.
Reduce
taxes on all Pennsylvanians.
There
won't be any savings-only
fewer small businesses contracting with the state.
Special interest groups like the
Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania State Education
Association are working hard to prevent taxpayer involvement in your public
schools' financial matters. But as the stewards of your money, Byron Mundy
(a current school board member in a suburban Philadelphia school district)
argues that every school board should be compelled to explain why they want
to increase your taxes-and every taxpayer should be able to vote on it.
Advocates of rail systems argue that such transit removes cars from local
highways, thereby reducing traffic congestion and air pollution, conserving
energy, and improving our quality of life. But while the benefits of rail
transit are touted as intuitive, the empirical evidence demonstrate that
rail transit
has
actually reduced
the "livability" of every urban area that has it.
In a study released by The Commonwealth Foundation and The Center for the
American Dream, nationally recognized urban land-use and transportation
expert Randal O'Toole says that rail transit has reduced-not improved-the
livability of every U.S. urban area in which it has been built, including
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Read the
News Release and the
Study.
If you are an African-American or Hispanic male in a predominantly White
public school in Pennsylvania, there's a good chance you have been labeled
as "Learning Disabled."
In a study by The Commonwealth Foundation, Dr. Matthew Ladner finds evidence
of pervasive racial bias by Pennsylvania public school districts in the
labeling of children as "learning disabled."
Utah considers special education choice for children. Read the story in
The Salt Lake Tribune.
Gov. Ed Rendell recently presented a budget that would raise taxes on
Pennsylvania families and businesses by more than $160 million, increase
taxpayer debt by nearly $3 billion, and increase government spending at a
rate 152% faster than last year's rate of inflation. The most insidious
proposals, however are his so-called "economic development"
programs that would be funded through billions of dollars in taxpayer debt
that will have to be paid be your children and your children's children.
