No, Tom Wolf Can’t Govern Pennsylvania

[cephas]

thought this was a pretty good read.
http://timesleader.com/opinion/colum...ats-no-garbage
"Unfunded pension debts that now surpass the $50 billion mark and which will swallow 43 cents of every new tax dollar."

[free]

"Unfunded pension debts that now surpass the $50 billion mark and which will swallow 43 cents of every new tax dollar."

This is why deficit spending for compensation is so bad. Eventually, the obligations will just eat you alive.

Public tax money should not be used to make guarantees about future compensation for public employees. All compensation earned should be paid in full at the time earned. If their futures do not turn out like they hope, either through poor planning or misfortune, too bad.

[phillyd2]

And yet there he sits in Harrisburg thanks to some of the biggest complainers on this very forum.

Anyways, it's not like any teacher, cop, state worker, etc. would stand by while any of their pension and health care is cut in any meaningful way. Hell, they are outraged if the rate of growth is reduced.

[pyld]

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh put Wolf in office, the rest of the state did not vote for him, he should be recalled.

Looks like more than just philly and Pittsburgh. Your location is beaver: and you have some explaining to do.

[free]

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh put Wolf in office, the rest of the state did not vote for him, he should be recalled.

Who keeps supporting a system where people can "vote" for leaders? This is the outcome you get.

[phillyd2]

Looks like more than just philly and Pittsburgh. Your location is beaver: and you have some explaining to do.

These maps are meaningless unless dirt gets to vote too.

[dkf]

I don't buy more money is needed for education when a typical education budget is 72 percent goes to teachers pay, benefits and pensions and around 14 percent for the curriculum. The private sector hasn't had a raise since 2009, the middle class is continually dropping. But the teachers continue getting raises and it's only fog
getting union votes.

All the employees for the schools are lumped into the salary and benefits figures, not just teachers. The amount of employees other than those that teach are quite large per district. Regardless I completely agree with you that NO more money is needed for education.

[free]

The amount of employees other than those that teach are quite large per district.

Also a problem.

If we're going to have "public schools" at all, I think the model should work this way:

• Facilities are owned by private companies, responsible for their upkeep and maintenance - and taxed, just like any other property owner
• Companies building such facilities are entitled to issue tax-free bonds, to reduce costs
• These companies are responsible for staffing all non-academic, non-school administration positions (janitoral, secretarial, lunch room, etc.)
• Contracts with the companies are on a cost-plus basis, with a SALARY CAP, based on the number of students attending the school
• Contracts are for a reasonable period of time (say, 10 years)
• Districts are required to schedule FULL USE of these facilities, 12 months per year, minus modest breaks. No more capital facilities sitting virtually unused all summer. They can either go to a year-round system, or put students on a rotating schedule (so that at no time is the facility not being used).

Companies can compete for business based on the facilities they provide vs what districts will pay for, are guaranteed a reasonable return on investment (a utility model) and non-teaching costs are controlled. No more taxpayer-funded govt bonds for building these palaces or taking land off the taxrolls.

[JenniferG]

Throwing more money at schools has been proved to be nothing more than a payback for unions. It does nothing to improve the quality of education the chilren gets.

[thebearpack]

And yet there he sits in Harrisburg thanks to some of the biggest complainers on this very forum.

Truth. Any time a Republican does the slightest compromisy thing, lots of folks take their ball, vote third party, and bitch about how we keep moving further left.