Good Morning.
Many people on these lists were enraged to read yesterday morning that both
the State House and the State Senate approved a stealth amendment late
Tuesday night that would enable Governor Schweiker to appoint a majority
of the "School Reform Board" that will replace our School Board if
Harrisburg takes over our schools for terms of 5 and 7 years.
This means that if the State does take over our School District, Schweiker
appointees will be running Philadelphia's schools for much of the next
decade--no matter who the next Governor is.
We found out about these amendments late yesterday. I posted alerts last
night, knowing that it was probably too late--which is what the people who
engineered this late-night legislation wanted. So by morning, the damage
had already been done--in both the House *and* the State Senate. That, too,
was an unusual. This was a legislative version of a coup, at least as far
as the City of Philadelphia is concerned.
So they've made their move to take control of our schools--but there's
still time to fight back. This horrific law--Act 46--is just a proposal
until the Governor decides to use it.
Here's a simple, first step you can take to prevent this.
See the "signature" at the bottom of this post--"Mad at Harrisburg?"
Click on "Contact Your State Representative and State Senator." There, you
will find for every State Representative and State Senator from
Philadelphia, with their local phone number, their local fax number, a
Harrisburg number, and an email link that you can use right from the page.
The Republican House members don't post their email addresses--so I include
email addresses for them. But they have phones for them.
So here's how they voted on Tuesday night.
Every State Senator from Philadelphia voted *against* the takeover
amendments but one--State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams from West and
Southwest Philadelphia.
Most State Representative from Philadelphia voted *against* the takeover
amendments.
Six supported them:
John Perzel, the Republican Majority Leader who led the fight for the
amendment;
John Taylor (R);
Chris Wogan (R);
Dwight Evans, (D) who rounded up 16 Democratic votes for the amendments
from around the State;
William Keller (D) from South Philadelphia;
Michael Horsey (D) from West Philadelphia.
Dennis O'Brien (R) didn't vote.
So as for the representatives who supported these amendments; if you lead a
citywide or area organization with people in their Districts--or you
actually live in one of these Districts--and you opposed what they
did--then call them. They all should be back in Philadelphia. So you might
actually reach some of them directly.
Or if you don't have time call, email them--right from the "Mad at
Harrisburg" signature.
But I also think it's important for us to call their Representatives and
State Senators who *opposed* the takeover bills. I've already done it with
State Representative Leanna Washington and State Senatory Allyson Schwartz
(no relation, by the way). I Just thanked them via their staffs. Having
been an elected official myself, I can attest that this is *always*
appreciated. But they'll also get the message that we're *watching*
what's happening, that it matters to us, and that we're just not going to
take this anymore.
And that--more than anything else--is what we need to be conveying right now.
This isn't just about the schools, after all. This is about who gets to
govern Philadelphia--we, the people of the City--or the Governor and a
handful of legislators lecturing us from Harrisburg as if it were an empire
unto itself.
Philadelphia City Council passed a gun safety law. Harrisburg preempted
it--and shot it down.
Philadelphia City Council passed a tough bill against predatory lending.
Harrisburg overrode it.
Harrisburg just took over the Parking Authority. Just a patronage grab,
right? But here's the agency that controls public parking all over the
City. Now it's controlled by people who couldn't care less about what
happens in center city.
And now..this same group of legislators has joined with Governor to take
over our school system. Lock, stock, and barrel.
There's a rumor that PHA is next. Take note advocates of 'affordable housing.'
And where does it end?
Don't you think the billboard industry is plotting right now for some way
for Harrisburg to pass a statewide version of Bill 649?
These are the stakes: not just the schools, but the City itself. And not
just for the next 13 1/2 months until we get a new governor--but for the
forseeable future.
Gun safety, predatory lending, center city parking, now the
schools--they're all being grabbed up by politicians in Harrisburg.
And as far as the schools go: when have any of the people involved
in Tuesday's cabal spoken out on the need for smaller classes,
modernizing school facilities, and closing the gap between the salaries of
Philadelphia teachers and those in the suburbs? Not a peep. They don't want
to face up to the harsh fiscal issues facing our schools: even as they
vote to send tax 'rebates' back wealthy property owners and sit on top of a
huge "rainy day fund"--all of it *our* tax money.
No: they want control--and once they get it, you can kiss good-bye any
concern for what happens to our kids.
So..is it impossible to fight back?
No. It is *possible.*
Those of us who have fought Harrisburg on the much tougher terrain of
welfare reform have won important victories.
People fighting for quality day care have won important victories.
A few years ago, when Ridge vetoed a redevelopment plan for the Navy
Yard, he was lambasted so universally here that he simply *had* to back
the Kverner deal.
So..it's not easy to fight Harrisburg--but it's possible. And the Peter
Hart poll commissioned by ACORN shows that 56% of public school parents
with the greatest stake in the system *oppose* a state takeover and 62% of
all adults oppose turning the schools over to Edison. These are our friends
and neighbors and supporters. We need to give voice to their frustration
and outrage before it's too late.
So..make those calls.
Thank the people who supported us.
Tell those who have voted to turn over our schools to Harrisburg what you
think of these votes.
And then let's see what we can do to get the Governor and these legislators
to back down from ever implementing this ludicrous scheme before it's too late.
There's an old adage told about resistance to the Nazis that many of you
probably know--but it's worth remembering here.
When they came for the Communists, I didn't protest, because I wasn't a
Communist.
When they came for the gypsies, I didn't protest, because I wasn't a gypsy.
When they came for the university professors, I didn't protest because I
wasn't a university professor.
When they came for the Jews, I didn't protest because I wasn't a Jew.
And now they're coming for me--and there's nobody left.
Gun safety.
Predatory lending.
The Parking Authority.
Now the schools.
What's next?
Who will be left?
Call. Or send email. Today.
Ed Schwartz
Mad at Harrisburg? Don't Mourn. Organize
<http://www.phillyneighborhoods.org/Organizing-Phila/Officials-Phila/Harrisburg/harrisburg.html>Contact
Your State Representative and State Senator
Ed Schwartz, Institute for the Study of Civic Values
http://phillyneighborhoods.org
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