--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], Dan Hoffman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Subject: Weekly Message -- EDUCATION
> Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 15:17:18 -0400
>
> HOUSE DEMOCRATIC WEEKLY MESSAGE
>
> October 26, 2001
>
> Rep. H. William DeWeese, Democratic Leader
Rep. Mike > Veon, Democratic Whip
>
>
>
> CAN YOU SAY TOTALITARIANISM ?
>
>
>
> Just for the record, and despite all the spinning coming out of Rep.
John
> Perzel s office, here s what happened in Tuesday evening s
legislative
> session: Gov. Mark Schweiker, in complete opposition to his previous
> mouthings about working with the mayor of Philadelphia, enlisted
House and
> Senate Republicans to help him in a partisan power grab to wrest
control of
> the Philadelphia school system.
>
>
>
> With no notice, the GOP pushed through an amendment that gave the
governor
> appointment power over four of five commission members, gave those
> commissioners a tenure well into the next governor s term, and gave
the
> commission the power to fire the school board, privatize services,
impose a
> city tax and do it all without any accountability to the people of
> Philadelphia.
>
>
>
> This stealth maneuver, devoid of all public notice and input, came
about one
> week before the governor was to provide a plan of action to Philly
Mayor John
> Street. The mayor, who was blindsided by the legislation, vehemently
opposed
> it.
>
>
>
> The Philadelphia Daily News said of the Republican actions that it s
the
> height of arrogance to ram through a proposal that the public has
> specifically opposed, at least it is before negotiations begin.
Worst of all,
> none of this does anything to improve either the Philly schools or
any other
> school in Pennsylvania.
>
>
>
> SEVEN YEARS OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
>
>
>
> While we acknowledge that the Philadelphia school system needs help,
we are
> also concerned about the financial, physical and academic condition
of all of
> the school districts in Pennsylvania. Republicans, who control the
executive
> and legislative branches, have had seven years to address the needs
of our
> struggling school systems. And they ve had seven years of huge
budget
> surpluses with which to do it. What we got was seven years of missed
> opportunities.
>
>
>
> We also got property tax increases to the tune of $1.4 billion as
communities
> made up for the lagging state support. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania ranks
43rd in
> the nation in the education attainment level of its work force, and
rank 45th
> in technology in the schools. We must do better by our children all
our
> children, not just those residing in Philadelphia. We must reduce
class
> sizes, provide textbooks for every child and give all students
access to
> computers. We know what we need to do. The question is, does the
Republican
> leadership in Harrisburg know what it needs to do?
>
>
>
> If you or anyone you know would like to receive the Weekly Message,
please
> contact Tracy Yates (<mailto:tyates@p...>[EMAIL PROTECTED]) at
> 717-783-4267 or Kurt Knaus (<mailto:kknaus@p...>[EMAIL PROTECTED]) at
> 717-772-2006.
>
--- End forwarded message ---
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