Big Win For School Choice In Pa.

Gov. Tom Corbett signed Saturday, June 30, a bill that creates a new school choice program and expands Pennsylvania’s popular existing one.
The enabling language was found in HB 761, the Omnibus Tax Reform Code and increases funding by $25 million to $100 million for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) while adding $50 million for the new Education Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (EISC).
“This bill is a landmark victory for parental choice in Pennsylvania,” said Otto V. Banks, executive director of the REACH Alliance & Foundation.  
Both programs use corporate tax credits for funding.
The EISC  will fund scholarships for children from low and middle income families who reside in low-achieving school areas. A low-achieving school is considered a public school that ranked in the lowest 15 percent of its designation as an elementary school or a secondary school based on combined mathematics and reading scores from the annual assessment administered in the previous school year and for which the Department of Education has posted results on its website.
The passage marks the culmination of a two-year effort led by Sen. Jeffrey Piccola (R-15) and Sen. Anthony Williams (D-8) whose SB 1 this session provided the parental choice framework of statewide EITC expansion coupled with targeted funding for children in low achieving schools, REACH said.  SB 1 passed the Senate 27-22 last fall, marking the first voucher legislation clearing a chamber in 20 years.
Rep. Tom Quigley introduced HB 1330, which would have increased EITC funding to $100 million in the 2011-12 school year, increasing to $200 million in 2012-13. HB 1330 passed the House by a 190-7 vote.
 This month, Rep. Jim Christiana introduced HBl 2468, the bill that provided much of the legislative language included in the passage of this school choice victory.
“This victory would not have been possible without the leadership of Governor Tom Corbett, Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley, Speaker of the House Sam Smith, Representatives Mike Turzai, Senator Dominic Pileggi, House and Senate leaders, Senator Jeffrey Piccola, Senator Anthony Williams and Representative Jim Christiana,” said Banks.   
  

Extreme Weather Forecasts Moves Independence Day Tea Party Indoors

This year’s Independence Day Tea Party will be moved inside to the Independence Visitors Center Ballroom, 6th and Market streets, due to forecasts of extreme heat and thunderstorms, according to Teri Adams of the Independence Hall Tea Party which is sponsoring the event.
Reservations and a $10 fee — $5 for children 12 and under– is now being requested as space is now limited. The fee covers the event which is 1-3 p.m. and the after party which ends at 4:30 p.m. There will be refreshments. For reservation information contact teriaa222@yahoo.com

Pa. Has A Budget

Gov. Tom Corbett signed the state budget at 11:30 p.m., June 30 just a half hour before the deadline expired.  

The budget calls for $27.656 billion in General Fund spending over the next fiscal year which is an increase of  $395 million according to the State House Republican Caucus.
The budget enacted June 30, 2011, however, called for $27.150 billion in General Fund spending according to the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget which would make the increase $506 million.
Also, the General Fund accounts for less than half the spending by the state. Commonwealth Foundation noted that its total operating budget in FY 2011-2012 was $63.4 billion taking into account $4.3 billion in special funds, $22.1 billion in federal funds and $9.8 billion in other funds.
Did you know that the state gasoline tax and motor vehicle registration fees do not go into the General Fund? No, they are dumped into the Motor License Fund which is one of the special funds. Money gained by the Pennsylvania Lottery also has a fund of its own and is not included with the General Fund. Here is a primer.
The House Republicans note that in this year’s budget “all 500 school districts will be funded at the same level or greater than 2011-12.“

Will Email Go The Way Of The Cassette Tape?

Businesses are looking to abandon email according to MacWorld.Com.

The reason is the time wasted in deleting the irrelevant communiques much less actually reading them.
“People who read email changed screeds twice as often and maintained heart rates in a steady ‘high alert’ state,” according to a study this year by U.C. Irvine and the U.S. Army. Those removed from removed from email for five days experienced more natural, variable heart rates.”
Replacement technology ranges from subscription services like Socialtext that has a $5,000 per starting price; to things that start free like Dropbox, which, by the way also makes a great off-site back up system; to things that are free such as company blogs and wikis.

Openings Available At Roving Nature Camp

Friends of the Grange Inc. is again partnering with The Roving Nature Center Inc. to present specialized nature camps during the weeks of July 16 and July 30 at the Historic Grange Estate,  143 Myrtle Ave., Havertown, Pa. 19083

The Roving Nature Center is a private organization engaged in environmental education to stimulate awareness and understanding for children ages 4 through 10.

The fee for the five-day session is $85 for township residents, $95 for non-residents.

Sessions with spaces available are: 

Week 1 — Junior Natural Forces Discovery Team, 1-3:30 p.m., July 16-July 20, for ages 6-10.

Week 2 — Catey the Caterpillar’s Incredible Journey, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Monday, July 30 through Friday, Aug. 3, for ages 4-6; and Life of the Skies, 1-3:30 p.m., July 30-Aug. 3, for ages 6-10.

For more information or to obtain registration forms, call Elizabeth at 610-446-4958; email grangeest@verizon.net or visit www.thegrangeestate.org.

class=”p1″>Hat tip Cathy Martin

Biz Journal Takes Top Web Honors From PPA

The Philadelphia Press Association bestowed the 2011 best website honor on the Philadelphia Business Journal at its awards banquet, last night, June 29 at the Bala Golf Club.

BillLawrenceOnline.Com took second place followed by CBS Philly.
BillLawrenceOnline won for best news writing for “Springfield Committee Shows Burdens of Budgeting A Public School” and for best editorial for “Would SB1 Have Helped Nadin Khoury?“
The Grand Award for Public Service went to Jennifer Carboni and Eric Smith of Chester County’s Daily Local News for “Battling Bullying: School of Intimidation.”
Delaware County’s media had a very good night. Phil Heron of the Daily Times swept the editorial comment daily division category with “Silence From Sunoco Executives Is Deafening,” “Paterno, Spanier Should Step Down,” and “Violence Puts Chester at Crossroads” coming in one, two, three.
Regarding the winning editorial, he said his paper will continue to look out for the workers at the shuttered Marcus Hook refinery.
Phil also swept the headline writing daily awards and won the column writing daily category.
Daily Times photographer Eric Hartline took first and second in sports photography daily and first in feature photography daily.
Peg DeGrassa of Town Talk won editorial comment weekly for “Thanksgiving 2011: Offering Sincere Gratitude for the Bushels of Apples” She also took third place in the public service weekly division for “Delco Deals” and was part of the Delco News Network team which also included Anne Neborak, Rich Crowe and Marguerite DeGrass that took second place in that category for “Greetings To Our Troops”. The category was won by South Philly Review for “Unlitter Us Inititive”.
Pat Delsi did his normal excellent job as master of ceremonies.
A complete list of winners can be found here.

Delco Patriot A Betsy Ross Winner

Lisa Esler of the Delaware County Patriots is among those who will be receiving the Besty Ross Activist of the Year Award at the 4th Annual Independence Day Tea Party, 1-3 p.m. on Independence Mall, 5th and Market streets, Philadelphia.

The event is sponsored by the Independence Hall Tea Party Association. The theme is American Exceptionalism.

Lisa won election to the Penn Delco School Board and has been making a mark for herself most recently by coming out vocally against the state’s tax-slurping prevailing wage law which is estimated to add between 10 and 30 percent to the price of public construction projects.
Also getting the award are John Radell of Faith and Freedom of Delaware; Cort Rosholt of New Jersey who is with the Independence Hall Tea Party and Lin DeCesare of Pennsylvania who is also with the Independence Hall Tea Party.
The Patriot of the Year award will be given to Ryan Manion Borek founder of The Travis Manion Foundation while Rich Davis, founder of American Sheepdogs will get the George Washington Leadership Award.
This year’s speakers will be WPHT talk show host Dom Giordano, Republican Senate candidate Tom Smith, Pamela Geller, Sher Valenzuela and Brendan Posner.
Music will be provided by Madison Rising and 286 Band. The event is family oriented and will feature balloon twisters and face painters for children.
Last year’s celebration featured speakers Herman Cain and John Bolton, and drew a crowd of 2,000.
Independence Hall Tea Party President Teri Adams warned that Occupy Wall Street groups will also be on the mall and disruptions may be possible.

Honor Flight Philly Has First Bucks County Trip

Two busloads of World War II veterans spent a day of honor in Washington D.C.,  June 22 courtesy of Honor Flight Philadelphia and Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-8).
All expenses including meals were covered for the vets.
It was the hub’s third trip since being chartered a year ago  and the first from Bucks County. leaving and returning from the Spring Mill Country Club in Ivyland.
“I credit Marie Martinelli and Patrick Carberry for making this event come together,” said hub President Andrew Schiavello.
Honor Flight is a national non-profit organization founded in 2005 to give aging or terminally ill veterans a day of honor in Washington D.C.
Honor Flight Philly Has First Bucks County Trip

Time For A Revolution?

Reader Steve L. has made it clear he wants a revolution noting in an email that “(the Presdient) just taxed us with the biggest tax in American History.”

There are a lot of people out there who are feeling like Steve as they see their wealth and freedom siphoned away by those whom they trusted to represent them.
The go-along-to-get-along-to-a-nice-pension types who fill our legislative bodies and courts ought to be put on notice.

Tonight’s Meal

Tonight’s meal was a grilled London broil, one half of which was  marinated overnight in a pepper sauce with other getting the treatment via a simple Italian dressing. It was served with a vegetable medley of grilled broccoli, carrots, onions and bell peppers, along with cauliflower covered with melted cheese and mustard.

The repast began with a watermelon salad featuring grated cheese, onions and black olives.
The wine was a homemade merlot.