Day: November 10, 2010

Fed Street Sign Mandate To Affect Springfield

Springfield (Delaware County, Pa) Township Manager Michael LeFevre describes the new federal street sign mandate as “a doozy”

The Federal Highway Administration, last year, mandated that  street name signs throughout the nation be upper/lower case. The white letter on black background signs in Springfield are in all capital letters.

The township has until 2018 to replace them.

“The cost to buy a sign face is $50,” he said. “We install them with our own staff. If you look around town there are quite a few street signs.”

The feds feel that older people can read upper and lower case easier.

LeFevre says the township is still awaiting some final directions from the feds.

“We have no plans on beginning major changes at this time,” he said.

If the over-burdened Springfield taxpayer wants to try and find a bright sign to this bit of Washington whimsy he can consider that the mandate is expected to cost New York City $27 million.

Poll Shows Pa. Warming To School Choice

A poll released by Commonwealth Foundation , Nov. 9, shows that 50 percent of Pennsylvanians support using “education vouchers which help parents pay the cost of the school of their choice” with only 30 percent opposed.

If the wording is changed from “education vouchers” to “tax-credit scholarship funds”  the support drops to 46 percent with the opposing remaining the same and those saying “not sure” rising to 24 percent.

The poll of 500 likely voters was conducted Nov. 1 by Public Opinion Research.

Republicans supported the voucher question 63 to 21 percent while independents supported it 38 to 32 percent. Blacks, who overwhelmingly vote Democrat, supported it 69 to 7 percent.

Democrats, in total, supported it 45 to 31 percent.

Men supported vouchers 54 to 27 percent while woman supported it 46 to 32 percent.

Those with children at home supported it 48 to 31 percent percent while those without supported it 51 to 29 percent.

Significantly different results garnered by the “tax-credit” worried included independents expressing opposing to the idea 37 to 34 percent, with support from those with children at home growing to 56 with just 27 percent in opposition.

Hat tip to GrassrootsPa.com