School Spending Transparency Coming?

Pennsylvania earned a “C+” for providing citizens information on how public schools spend money, according to a recent report from the Cato Institute titled “Cracking the Books”.  While the report ranks Pennsylvania 9th among states, our mediocre grade and comparison to “A” states shows opportunity for improvement.

We should strive to provide the most comprehensive and user-friendly tool for parents, teachers, researchers, and taxpayers to know how public schools are spending money.

Legislation (HB 1411) pending in the General Assembly would do just that.  In 2011, state lawmakers passed, and Gov. Corbett signed, legislation which put state spending—including budgets, payments to vendors, and employees’ salaries— online.  That website, PennWATCH, has already proven to be a useful tool for tracking state spending.  HB 1411 would mirror this success, creating SchoolWATCH to put public school spending data (including charter schools) into a searchable website.

There are ways to improve SchoolWATCH from its present form.  Because Commonwealth Foundation has run OpenPAGov.org—a transparency database letting users find school district spending, performance, tax, and salary data acquired from the Department of Education—for the past four years, we have some suggestions. Some of these have already been proposed as amendments to HB 1411.

SchoolWATCH should include school performance data already being collected by the state Department of Education.  Being able to link spending with performance is an important tool for parents and researchers.  Such information will allow education advocates to identify successful schools and develop best practices for what works and is cost-effective.

SchoolWATCH should include collective bargaining agreements.  Putting these union contracts online provides a resource for teachers, parents, advocates, and members of the media—particularly during contract disputes and strike situations.

SchoolWATCH should include individual salary information for all employees.  Salary information is public record and is already collected (and provided on request) by the state Department of Education.  Moreover, salary information for state workers is currently available on PennWATCH. It would be inconsistent to treat public school employees different than state workers.

Commonwealth Foundation already provides individual school employee salary information on OpenPAGov.org—in fact, that is our most popular search.  Newspapers have also posted this information from state data.  If SchoolWATCH is to be the most comprehensive tool for school financial information, it should include data already being provided on external databases like ours.

In the past, transparency has been a bi-partisan issue. Lawmakers should be able to work together once again to enhance our ability to get good information from state government.

Mr. Benefield’s original column can be found at Commonwealth Foundation

School Spending Transparency Coming?

Pennsylvania Assembly Revamped Website Online

Pennsylvania Assembly Revamped Website Online -- Pennsylvania General Assembly revamped website went online last week. It allows residents to follow the activities of the House and Senate says state Rep. Jim Cox (R-129). The new website includes information about all members of both chambers, a search engine for all legislation, a record of all votes taken in both chambers, a searchable database of laws and information about the state Constitution. Pennsylvania General Assembly revamped website went online last week.  It  allows residents to follow the activities of the House and Senate says state Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

The new website includes information about all members of both chambers, a search engine for all legislation, a record of all votes taken in both chambers, a searchable database of laws and information about the state Constitution.

To check it out, click here.

Pennsylvania Assembly Revamped Website Online

Diet Soda Bad Bad Bad

Diet soda has been linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, headaches, bad teeth, bad bones and depression.

Oh, and it actually causes weight gain. Researchers in Texas found that over a decade diet soda drinkers had a 70 percent greater increase in waist circumference than non-drinkers. Apparently in the artificial sweeteners confuse the body.

And don’t use it to mix drink as those sweeteners are absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly than sugar hence will get you drunk faster.

And diet soda has absolutely no nutritional value.

Here’s the link that spells everything out.

Diet Soda Bad Bad Bad

New Hunting Law Protects Landowners

New Hunting Law Protects LandownersAs the Pennsylvania hunting seasons get into full swing, the Commonwealth has a new law ensuring that property owners are not held responsible for hunting violations committed by those who are granted permission to hunt on their land, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

The old law could be interpreted to mean landowners could be held liable for the actions of hunters who committed violations of hunting law on their property.

The House amended the bill to protect against liability unless the landowners aid, abet, assist, attempt or conspire in the commission of any unlawful act committed on their land.

New Hunting Law Protects Landowners

Veteran Demographics

Veteran DemographicsHere are some facts about veterans courtesy of the United States Census Bureau:

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation. A national ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Veterans

21.5 million

The number of military veterans in the United States in 2011. Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S2101>

1.6 million

The number of female veterans in 2011.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21001>

2.3 million

The number of black veterans in 2011. Additionally, 1.2 million veterans were Hispanic; 264,695 were Asian; 153,223 were American Indian or Alaska Native; 27,469 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 17.2 million were non-Hispanic white. (The numbers for blacks, Asians, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, and non-Hispanic whites cover only those reporting a single race.)
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21001B>
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21001D>
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21001I>
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/C21001C>
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21001E>
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21001H>

9.2 million

The number of veterans 65 and older in 2011. At the other end of the age spectrum, 1.8 million were younger than 35.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21001>

When They Served

7.5 million

Number of Vietnam-era veterans in 2011: 5.1 million served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present); 1.8 million in World War II (1941-1945); 2.4 million in the Korean War (1950-1953); and 5.4 million in peacetime only.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21002>

51,079

Number of living veterans in 2011 who served during the Vietnam era and both Gulf War eras and no other period.

Other living veterans in 2011 who served during three wars:

  • 43,942 served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam era.

Living veterans in 2011 who served during two wars and no other period:

  • 876,663 served during both Gulf War eras.
  • 205,205 served during both the Korean War and the Vietnam era.
  • 129,972 served during both World War II and the Korean War.

Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21002>

Where They Live

3

Number of states with 1 million or more veterans in 2011. These states were California (1.9 million), Florida (1.6 million) and Texas (1.6 million).
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S2101/0400000US06|0400000US12|0400000US48>

14.0%

Percent of people 18 and older in Alaska who were veterans in 2011. The percent of the 18-and- older population who were veterans was 12 percent or more in Maine, Montana, Virginia and Wyoming.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/DP02/0400000US02|0400000US23|0400000US30|0400000US51|0400000US56>

Education

26.3%

Percent of veterans 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree in 2011. In comparison, 28.5 percent of the total population had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S2101>

92.3%

Percent of veterans 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher in 2011, compared with 86 percent of the population as a whole.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S2101>

Income

$35,821

Annual median income of veterans, in 2011 inflation-adjusted dollars, compared with $25,811 for the population as a whole.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S2101>

On the Job

9.1 million

Number of veterans 18 to 64 in the labor force in 2011.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/C21005>

Disabilities

3.5 million

Number of veterans with a service-connected disability rating. Of this number, 810,245 have a rating of 70 percent or higher. Severity of one’s disability is scaled from 0 to 100 percent and eligibility for compensation depends on one’s rating.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B21100>

Voting

15.8 million

Number of veterans who voted in the 2008 presidential election. Seventy-one percent of veterans cast a ballot in the presidential election.
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008
<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/index.html>

12.4 million

Number of veterans who voted in the 2010 congressional election.
Fifty-seven percent of veterans voted in the 2010 congressional election.
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2010
<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/index.html>

Business Owners

9%

Percentage of all U.S. nonfarm firms that are majority owned by veterans. Veteran-owned firms comprised an estimated 2.4 million of the 27.1 million nonfarm businesses nationwide in 2007.
Source: Survey of Business Owners: 2007 <http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo>

75%

Percentage of veteran owners of respondent firms who were 55 or older in 2007. This compares with 37 percent of all owners of respondent firms. Similarly, in 2007, 56 percent of veteran-owned respondent firms with employees reported that their businesses were originally established before 1990. This compares with 39 percent of all employer respondent firms.
Source: Survey of Business Owners: 2007 <http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo>

8%

Percentage of veteran owners of respondent firms who were disabled as the result of injury incurred or aggravated during active military service.
Source: Survey of Business Owners: 2007 <http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo>

Veteran Demographics

Pat Toomey Describes Fiscal Strategy

Pat Toomey Describes Fiscal StrategySen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa) has made this statement regarding the recent partial government shutdown and the fiscal state of the nation.

If you followed the recent goings-on in Washington this past month, you are aggravated. I understand. This has been a frustrating time for me, and for anybody who wants to see our country on a sustainable fiscal path.

After almost three weeks in shutdown mode, Congress extended government funding and raised the debt ceiling by several hundred billion dollars with nothing to show for it –  no reforms that rein in our country’s deficits and debt, no spending constraints, no changes whatsoever.

While this result is disappointing, I hope we will see a more fruitful outcome in December as members of the House and Senate meet over the next two months to iron out a budget. I will serve as a member of this conference committee. While the chances of us reaching an agreement are uncertain, I will be adamant about the need for fiscal discipline.

We need to keep the 2011 bipartisan spending caps in place. However, I’d like to give the administration and agency managers greater flexibility to prioritize, fund, or cut programs under these caps. Finally, to ensure that we do not face another shutdown in the future, I will be working to pass legislation that will keep the government funded if Congress does not pass appropriations bills.

We must stop lurching from crisis to crisis. Our country needs less spending, not more. Washington needs more commonsense governing, not less. Most of all, the American people need leadership. I believe we can take real steps to avert future fiscal cliffs and shutdowns while holding fast on modest spending restraints. Finding common ground on reining in spending, without sacrificing principles, is possible. I will work with members of both parties to achieve it.

Pat Toomey Describes Fiscal Strategy

Good Senator Supports Bad Bill

Good Senator Supports Bad BillPat Toomey (R-Pa) was among the senators who voted for the Employee Non-Discrimination Act,  yesterday, Nov. 7, and the bill that would  make it a federal crime to discriminate against employing gays is now before the House.

Hopefully, it dies a quick death. It’s a bad bill. In the current form, the bill does not exempt religious institutions that hold homosexuality to be sinful but even with such an exemption it would still be a bad bill.

Senator, you are a good guy but the only thing anti-discrimination laws do with regard to hiring and firing is to screw things up for the “protected category”.

The source of all anti-discrimination laws regarding employment is the civil rights movement that freed blacks from Jim Crow. Even those, while understandable, were still bad ideas.

The black experience differed from the Irish/Italian/Japanese/Jewish/everybody-whose-ancestors-did-not-come-on-the-Mayflower experience not in the existence of job discrimination but in the existence of government oppression which included acts of terror. And those other ethnic groups would go on to thrive despite the discrimination, and that would have likely happened with blacks as well once the government oppression was ended.

As it is now the protected category makes it less likely for a black to be hired. Ask yourself this: if you are an employer would, everything being equal, be more or less inclined to hire the guy you can’t easily dismiss?

And gays certainly don’t need protection with regard to hiring.

In fact, if gays do become protected by civil rights laws, I envision a whole lot of bad employees suing their employers for disciplining them who care not a whit about their sex lives. Ironically, this will make employers much more, well, thoughtful, about hiring gays.

To Toomey’s credit he attempted to add an amendment that would have exempted religious institutions. To his discredit, he voted aye anyway even though the amendment was rejected.

“I voted for final passage to help move the legislative process forward. I hope that – should the House consider this bill – it will move to improve and strengthen this measure so we can both advance equality in the workplace and protect religious liberty,” he said.

As we noted, it’s still a bad bill even with the amendment.

Good Senator Supports Bad Bill

Toomey Fights Holder, Defends Children

Toomey Fights Holder, Defends ChildrenThe Louisiana Scholarship Program, launched three years after Hurricane Katrina, grants poor children the opportunity to escape failing public schools and attend a different school chosen by their parents, according to Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).  Last year, the program helped over 5,700 needy children (91 percent of whom are minorities) and raised test scores – all while saving taxpayers $18 million.

Attorney General Holder’s Justice Department is suing to return 570 of these children to failing schools, on the grounds that it is more important to preserve a school’s racial make-up than help children, Toomey says. For example, the Justice Department argues that six African-American children should be returned to a failing elementary school, to change the school from 29.2 percent to 30.1 percent African-American. If these six children were white, the Justice Department would not be trying to deny them a better education.

Toomey wants to know why and is demanding an explanation.

“Our children are not statistics,” he said. “They are young minds that deserve every opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty and violence through a good education. The fact that Attorney General Holder would block any child from obtaining a good education is bad enough. The fact that he is doing so based solely on the children’s race is inexcusable. These 570 kids deserve to know why they are not entitled to the best education possible. The American taxpayers deserve to know why their money is being spent to undermine their learning.”

Toomey Fights Holder, Defends Children

Free Medicare Counseling Available

Free Medicare Counseling AvailableThe Pennsylvania Department of Aging is reminding Pennsylvania’s senior citizens who are reviewing their Medicare plans about assistance available through the APPRISE program, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

APPRISE is a free, unbiased health insurance counseling program designed to help older residents and caregivers with answers to questions about Medicare. Counselors provide objective, easy-to-understand information about Medicare, Medicare supplemental insurance, Medicaid and long-term care insurance. The department has nearly 600 trained APPRISE volunteer counselors who work through local Area Agencies on Aging to address questions and concerns of older adults.

Most Area Agencies on Aging offer enrollment events where older adults can receive guidance on Medicare health and prescription programs.

To learn more,  contact APPRISE at 1-800-783-7067 or visit the Pennsylvania Department of Aging website.

Free Medicare Counseling

Toomey Demands EPA Follow Law

Toomey Demands EPA Follow Law
Jobs would be less endangered at places like Delta Airline’s Trainer Refinery with saner EPA regulations.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lessen the renewable fuel standard (RFS) that refiners must meet when manufacturing gasoline – and to do so in a timely manner.

According to federal law, every November, the EPA must announce a sensible RFS mandate for the upcoming calendar year.

“Unfortunately, the EPA failed to meet this responsibility last year when it ignored the deadline and increased the RFS mandate on gasoline manufacturers,” Toomey said. “This led to increased compliance costs for many Pennsylvania employers, including refineries located in Southeast Pennsylvania.”

Toomey said that the EPA’s failure to follow the law last year put many good-paying jobs in Southeast Pennsylvania in jeopardy.

“I urge the EPA to follow federal law and announce the RFS for 2014 in a timely manner,” he said. “Additionally, I encourage the EPA to establish standards that ease unnecessary burdens on employers and consumers across our commonwealth. The RFS requires fuel suppliers to blend millions of gallons of biofuels – most often corn ethanol – into the nation’s gasoline supplies. It drives up gas prices, increases food costs, damages car engines, and harms the environment. This Washington mandate is anything but sensible.”

Toomey supports repealing the RFS and has co-authored a bipartisan bill and offered an amendment in efforts to eliminate the costly mandate.

Toomey’s letter to the EPA can be found here

Toomey Demands EPA Follow Law