RTM Plans New School, Residents Should Plan For New Pain

RTM Plans New School, Residents Should Plan For New Pain — This gentle warning has been passed to us that you are about to be again robbed by the Rose Tree Media School District.

Pennsylvanians would save a lot, and we mean a lot, more money if education funding followed students and not systems. If we learned anything from the pandemic it’s that Pennsylvania schools are way fat.

More importantly, though, education would be greatly enhanced and parents would be greatly empowered.

Your little boy is being taught he should be a little girl? Fire the fools and find a new school.

If vouchers are too radical for you, rescinding the prevailing wage law would save 20 percent of the cost of this looming boondoggle. Just sayin.

Anyway here is how the heist is starting:

I want to provide you with an update on the progress towards our new elementary school. We understand how critical selecting the location for our new elementary school is — a decision we do not take lightly. Over the last several months, our Project Oversight Committee (POC) and Core Design Group (CDG) for the new elementary school has been working extremely hard to reach this point. We are very excited and proud to announce the location of our new elementary school in Edgmont Township! 

Prior to this decision, the POC and District administration completed several decision worksheets, narratives, and a full site comparison analysis including anticipated costs, facilitation sessions, and several conversations with the School Board and local city and municipal regulatory agencies. Understanding the locations of new developments and our existing students within each elementary’s school’s boundaries, the team sought to minimize impact and costs when selecting the new site. In addition, key priority drivers for this decision included: 

  • Location, size, and cost of the property 
  • Site attributes including accessibility, entry points, utilities, drainage, soils, environmental integration, etc. 
  • Transportation impacts: time spent on the bus for students, the number of buses needed, staff impacts, etc. 
  • Timeline to develop property
  • Other unique attributes such as a redistricting plan, community goals, housing developments, and logical locations

Over 23 sites were vetted as potential options during the last two years. Sites in Middletown Township and Edgmont Township were shortlisted, but ultimately the property in Edgmont Township was selected and the sale finalized for the new facility. Local, community schools have been a keystone of our District for many years, and the selection of the current site reflects our ongoing commitment for neighborhood schools.

Currently, we are working on finishing the Schematic Design Phase of the project. We invite you to join us next Tuesday, June 29 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. for a Public Presentation that will outline the work and progress completed so far. This will include a 30-minute presentation and a 30-minute Q&A section. You can attend either in-person at the Penncrest High School Auditorium or virtually via Microsoft Teams. The link to join the meeting virtually will be posted at 6:00 p.m., 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting, on our Room to Learn Room to Grow website, our District’s website, and social media. 

I encourage you to visit RoomtoLearnRoomtoGrow.org/pre-design-phase for ongoing updates to our progress. We’re very excited to provide our students with room to learn and room to grow!

Regards, 

Dr. Eleanor DiMarino-Linnen

RTM Plans New School, Residents Should Plan For New Pain
RTM Plans New School, Residents Should Plan For New Pain

Jenn O’Mara Birthday Greeting

Jenn O’Mara Birthday Greeting –– A few days ago was my birthday, and in the evening I got a call from my state rep Jenn O’Mara wishing me a happy one. At first I thought it was a robo but as the conversation continued I realized it was live.

Jenn O'Mara Birthday Greeting
Thank you, Jenn O’Mara

I was impressed. Granted, if my birthday was in June and this was an off-year election perhaps I wouldn’t have been so honored but I was still impressed.

So thank you Jenn, you made my night. I will be voting straight R, Nov. 3, which means for Bob Smythe in Pennsylvania’s 165th House District but what you did was very nice and you seem like a nice person.

If you want to get my vote push for ending prevailing wage. It would have made the cost of Springfield’s new white elephant high school about 20 percent less. Single parents, newlyweds with diabetic kids and the elderly are paying for it you know, and the extra money doesn’t help the trades unless you happen to be the one running the union.

Don’t sweat it though. I doubt Smythe will try to end it either.

Jenn O’Mara Birthday Greeting

Charlton Opponent Submits 900 Signatures

Charlton Opponent Submits 900 Signatures
Regina Scheerer, retired teacher

Charlton Opponent Submits 900 Signatures — Regina Scheerer, the retired teacher who is taking on incumbent State Rep. Alex Charlton, delivered nominating petitions containing nearly 900 signatures, Friday, to the  Pennsylvania Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation.

Only 300 signatures are needed.

Unless there are some bizarrely major issues (shenanigans), expect to see Mrs. Scheerer’s name on the ballot for the May 15 Republican Primary.

Charlton was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 165th District in 2016 replacing long-time incumbent Bill Adolph.

Since then, he has time and again poked his constituents in the eye. He has opposed commonsense reforms aimed at curtailing vote fraud. He has endeavored to maintain the corrupt system that lets money be automatically deducted from the paychecks of public employees to pay for politicking. This politicking often involves supporting things that the employee opposes.

He has refused to fight for pension reform. Did you know that there is someone in this state getting a $477,591 public pension for which you are on the hook? Alex certainly should.

Alex has avoided the fight to abolish the Prevailing Wage mandate which could  shave $25 million off the price of the $125 million Springfield High School project. Why does Alex want to inflict this burden on his elderly neighbors living on fixed incomes?

The final straw for Mrs. Scheerer, though, came Dec. 12 when Alex voted against limiting abortions to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy rather than the existing 24. He was one of six Republicans to do so. Civilized people understand that failing to protect weak and helpless life lead to nihilism and despair. Most of Western Europe bans abortion — with some strict exceptions — at 12 weeks.  Note, this would be 12 weeks gestational age which would be about nine weeks after conception.

Even hip, progressive Sweden and Norway ban them at 18 weeks gestational age.

Alex, however, who ran as a pro-lifer, thinks that’s too oppressive.

The 165th District has 63, 769 residents as of 2011 and consists of Morton Borough;  Springfield Township except for the 2nd precinct of the 3rd Ward; Marple Township except for the 5th Ward; and the 4th and 6th wards of Radnor Township along with 1st Precinct of the 1st Ward, the 1st Precinct of the 3rd Ward and the 2nd Precinct of the 5th Ward.

For the record, Mrs. Scheerer says she will not take the legislative  pension.

Charlton Opponent Submits 900 Signatures

 

 

 

Prevailing Wage Ban All Gain No Pain

Prevailing Wage Ban All Gain No Pain — President Trump minutes ago signed significant reforms that he points out will significantly improve our health care system while costing the taxpayer nothing.

Sort of like what would happen if Pennsylvania repealed its prevailing wage law.

The 1961 law  requires labor cost to be be paid at a rate set by the state for most public construction projects.

It is estimated  to increase the cost of these projects by 20 percent.

In other words, a new high school costing $150 million under the prevailing wage law would cost $120 million without it. In other words all gain and no pain just by crossing out some words on a piece of paper.

Are you listening Springfield residents? Alex Charlton? Tom McGarrigle?

Prevailing Wage Ban  All Gain No Pain

Prevailing Wage Ban All Gain No Pain

 

West Virginia Goes Right To Work

West Virginia Goes Right To WorkWest Virginia Goes Right To Work — Legendary labor powerhouse West Virginia — the land of  Matewan and the UMWA — just went “right to work”.

“Right to work” means it is illegal to make as a condition of employment joining a union or paying union dues. One can still join a union, of course, or pay dues. He just can’t be fired if he chooses not to do so. Maybe he doesn’t like his hard-earned, involuntarily taken money being used for his local’s leader’s  $277,000 salary. Or perhaps, he’s really mad that it winds up as donations to politicians who support unrestricted immigration, closing refineries, and Planned Parenthood while opposing letting him have the means to defend himself if he should feel the need.

Polling shows that 74 percent of U.S. voters support “right to work”.

West Virginia follows in the footsteps of legendary labor powerhouses Michigan and Indiana which went RTW in 2012, and Wisconsin which did so last year.

West Virginia’s law was enacted yesterday, Feb. 12, when the state House and Senate overrode Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s veto.

West Virginian also, yesterday, repealed its prevailing wage law which is a law that mandates workers on public projects be paid at a rate set by the government rather than the market.

Pennsylvania also has a prevailing wage law. It is estimated that it adds 20 percent to the cost of public works. This means that a new high school that cost $130 million with prevailing wage would cost $104 million without it. It would be almost as if the community magically found $26 million.

If reforms such as these could happen in West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin, there is no reason to think they couldn’t happen in Pennsylvania.

West Virginia Goes Right To Work and ends prevailing wage.

 

 

Bill Adolph Tribute

Bill Adolph TributeBill Adolph Tribute –Bill Adolph has announced that he will not seek re-election which will mean that come 2017 the 165th District in the Pennsylvania State House will have a new face for the first time since 1989.

The 165 District consists of all of Morton Borough, most of Springfield and Marple Townships and a large part of Radnor. Specifics can be found here.

Since this blog came into existence, we’ve probably been harder on Bill more often than not — actually we have been seriously hard on him at times — but we will never deny he cares deeply about his community. A Springfield resident, he has lived in the same house off Springfield Road for as long as we can remember, and the same can be said about his accountant’s office on Saxer Avenue. He was easy to find and easy to approach and if he wanted to hold the seat for another 28 years we  suspect he’d have no problem doing so.

And he’s done a lot of good things too, most recently doing yeoman’s work in keeping Gov. Wolf from dumping a brutally crushing new tax burden on his constituents.

So Godspeed Bill. Hopefully you stay in Springfield and stay active on the political scene.

Now, regarding those who seek to replace him regardless of party registration, we have your issue.

The (non-partisan) Springfield School Board has approved a new high school with an estimated cost of between $118 million and $140 million. The Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act of 1961 requires wages to be paid at an amount set by the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance. This law inflates the cost by perhaps up to 40 percent albeit 20 percent seems to be the consensus. Using the lowball estimates, simply repealing the law — and it doesn’t have to be replaced with anything — would save the Springfield taxpayers $23.6 million on this project alone.

And of course, other communities would save in the same proportions for all county, school and municipal projects.

Repeal should really be a no-brainer.

And so there you have a winning issue, candidates for the 165th District.

Bill Adolph Tribute

Scott Wagner Warns Ship Going Down

Scott Wagner Warns Ship Going Down
State Sen. Scott Wagner (right) with Joe Gale who is a candidate for Montgomery County Commissioner

State Sen. Scott Wagner (R-28) compared Pennsylvania to the Titanic with disaster just ahead at tonight’s (April 6) meeting of the Delaware County Patriots.

About 100 persons attended the event which was held at the Knights of Columbus hall in Newtown Square.

“The ship is going down and we got to do something about it,” Wagner said.

He was referring to Pennsylvania’s fiscal crisis driven by out-of-control state pensions and spiraling property taxes.

He blamed the cause on corruption giving special scorn to those on his side of the aisle. Wagner, who started three successful businesses in York County that now employ 600 persons, described how GOP leaders would hit him up for money at campaign time and that he would write ever bigger checks. Yet, he noted, the simple things that should have made life easier for himself and his employees never seemed to happen.

“They weren’t taking care of you,” he says. “They were taking care of themselves.”

This inspired him to seek office and in a special election on March 18, 2014, he ran a write-in campaign to fill the remainder of the term left vacant by late State Senator Mike Waugh.  It was the first time a write-in candidate won a state senate seat. Wagner got 10,595 votes (47.7 percent), while the endorsed Republican nominee received 5,920 votes and Democratic nominee got 5,704.

He won an election to a full-term in November.

Wagner notes that in the private sector pensions rarely reach 40 percent of the working pay. He said in the public sector in this state it is approaching 80 percent. He notes that average pay for a teacher in his school district is $88,000 for 180 days of work and they can look forward to getting $75,000 per year for the rest of their life upon retirement. This would be  at age 60 after 30 years, or earlier after 35 years.

He said that it angers him to see soldiers coming home from overseas in wheelchairs missing limbs knowing they could look forward to $800 per month in benefits when retired teachers would be getting over $6,000.

He said if things don’t change benefits and wages would soon be dollar for dollar.

“If Pennsylvania could file for bankruptcy, I’d be the first to prepare a bill,” he said.

Wagner proposed specific solutions. He said abolishing the prevailing wage mandate that requires wages for public works projects be set by the union-dominated Department of Labor and Industry rather than the market would save school districts between $200 million and $300 million annually.

He said he will not vote for a state budget unless the state gets rid of prevailing wage.

Wagner is also pushing to turn the state pension programs into 401K defined contribution types rather than the existing defined benefit packages.

He said he is also working on ways in which force give-backs in the existing benefits package.

A related issue that he is also trying to address is the cause of the corruption that led to this crisis.

He noted that he has been targeted by Pennsylvania AFL-CIO leader Rick Bloomingdale for his push for paycheck protection for union members. He said that about $750 annually is automatically deduction from each union member’s paycheck with the members having little say for which causes the money should be used.

The state’s AFL-CIO has about 800,000 members, so that’s about $600 million that winds up supporting not-so-pro labor causes like opening borders and stopping pipelines.

Wagner pointed out that Bloomingdale’s salary is over $300,000.

Wagner mentioned that he had a recent lunch with presidential hopeful Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker who was notably successful in stopping union corruption in his state. Wagner said the big difference between Wisconsin and Pennsylvania is that unlike in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin Republicans did not get any union money.

“Eighty percent of Republicans take money from unions,” Wagner said.

Wagner said he is far from making an endorsement but that he likes Walker

Wagner said  that he is pushing for the sale of the state’s liquor stores.

“State liquor stores aren’t making the kind of money people think they are,” he said.

In a bit of irony, Wagner is now running the Senate Republican Campaign Committee which so bitterly fought him a year ago. He said that he has his eye on several Democrat seats in the western part of the state and expect to flip four or five to the GOP in 2016. The Republicans now hold a 30-20 lead in the body but Wagner notes that four or five from the Philadelphia suburbs often end up supporting the Democrats.

It was rather daring that Wagner would make his speech on his adversaries’ turf.

Wagner did have some nice things to say about Dominic Pileggi (R-9) who he was instrumental in removing as Senate Majority Leader earlier this year.

“I think he’s a brilliant guy,” he said.

He said Pileggi’s weak spot was that his training as a lawyer kept him from seeing the steps needed to save the state.

Pileggi is running for election as a Common Pleas Court judge this fall and would leave his senate seat if he should win as expected. Wagner said he expects a more conservative senator to replace Pileggi.

Wagner got some grief in the question period regarding his support for SB 76, a bill that was tabled last fall and would have replaced the property tax with either an income or sales tax to fund schools. Many members in the audience said they feared it would mean the end of local control of schools. Wagner said the bill was not perfect, is not likely to pass as is, and needs further work.

He said property tax relief is desperately needed, however, and SB 76 gets things moving.

Wagner said he does not expect a state budget to be passed until October. He said any claims that the government is going to shut down are “bullshit” a word he repeated several times. He noted that the state is still going to be collecting taxes whether the budget is passed or not.

Also at the meeting was Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Paul Panepinto who was seeking support for his independent run as a state Supreme Court judge. Judge Panepinto needs 17,000 signatures by July to get on the ballot. He recently made headlines for fining lawyer Nancy Raynor $1 million for her behavior during a medical malpractice case.

Wagner gave him a ringing endorsement calling him the “real deal”.

Scott Wagner Warns Ship Going Down 

 

 

 

 

 

Springfield High School Project Funding

Here’s a thought about funding the proposed Springfield High School project regardless of the option picked: treat it holistically.  Springfield High School Project Funding

Consider other savings in the school budget to be part of funding for the new (or repaired) school.

Ending the prevailing wage mandate would cost the district nothing and still save money. School Director Doug Carney, Feb. 4, said he did not feel the savings would be that much concerning the high school project. Suppose, however, it was just a mere $100,000. Or even $10,000. One suspects if the district could get $100,000 (or $10,000) for naming rights to a classroom — one of the out-of-the-box suggestions being considered for funding — the district would be very happy.

One is pretty confident that if the proposed money-raising foundation got a $10,000 donation, the district would be happy.

And that’s not even considering savings in other projects — school, municipal or county — ending the prevailing wage mandate would garner. All tax dollars at all levels ultimately come from the same source, after all, whether it be via a purchase, a property or a paycheck.

So a strong public push to end this mandate would be perfectly logical in the context of building the high school project.

For what it’s worth, Commonwealth Foundation pegs the cost of the prevailing wage mandate at 20 percent for public projects.

Let’s consider the mandate for school districts (and counties and townships) to pay for advertisements in newspapers of general circulation when announcing meetings and seeking bids and such. The cost statewide was $26 million in 2006. This is just a straw on the back of the Springfield taxpayer but one less straw is one less straw.

It would cost nothing for the school board — and the township commissioners and County Council — to pass a resolution calling for its end.

The most damning thing about this mandate is that it actually inhibits good government. Changing the mandate to one where public notices are placed on a searchable government website would make the process far more transparent than the status quo besides being a lot cheaper.

And then let’s get the teachers involved in the matter. Would they be willing to forgo a salary increase in their next contract to help pay for the project? If a resident surviving on Social Security or who has just seen his unemployment expire asks them to, does that mean the resident is anti-child?

Just a thought.

Springfield High School Project Funding

Unions Fund GOP State Senators

Pennsylvania Independent  reports that state senators Pat Browne (R-16), John Rafferty (R-44) and Tommy Tomlinson (R-6) received a massive union cash dump shortly before yesterday’s (Nov. 4) election with Browne getting $37,000 from 10 groups including $10,000 from the PSEA (public school teachers) and  $500 from 1776 PAC UFCW (state stores); Rafferty getting $7,000 broken down as $5,000 from the PSEA, $1,000 from the Professional Firefighters Association PAC and $1,000 from Steamfitters Local 420; and Tomlinson getting $22,000 from seven groups including $10,000 from PA SEIU (government workers) and $1,000 from 1776 PAC UFCW.

It’s a pretty good bet that this trio will vote with Democrats in opposing legislation such as selling the state stores, effective pension reform and making education more effective but less burdensome on the average Joe and Jill.

Hat tip Keystone Report

Unions Fund GOP State Senators

Unions Fund GOP State Senators

 

Springfield High School Project Town Halls

Regina Scheerer has sent us the schedule for the six town halls that will be held for the proposed Springfield High School (Pa.) project the cost estimate of which is $150 million.

The first meeting is 7 p.m., Oct. 16 at the Springfield High School Auditorium, 49 W Leamy Ave, Springfield, PA 19064.

The schedule of meetings can be found here.

Note if  state law is changed the cost will drop by $30 million over night.

Springfield High School Project Town Halls

Springfield High School Project Town Halls