Act 72 The Solution Turns Into The Problem

For an excellent view on some of the many things wrong with Act 72, read the column in todays Philadelphia Inquirer Schools will reject Pa.'s Act 72 . Act 72 is part of the misguided Slots For Tots and Property Tax Relief program of Governor Rendell. School boards have until May 31st to opt-in to this program or be forever banned. If they do opt-in they can't reconsider for four years.

"It's not a master plan. It's more of a Rube Goldberg contraption that's now
morphed itself into a solution to a problem," said Kirk Soxman, a resident of
the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District and Act 72 critic.
An apt description.

Follow this scenario, if you can: By May 30, every school district
in Pennsylvania (except Philadelphia's, which is exempt) can opt into Act 72 by
passing a resolution. The resolution would require either a 0.1 percent
earned-income tax on residents or a referendum on whether a portion of the
property tax should be replaced by an income tax. The referendum, however, is
not on whether to opt into Act 72; even if voters reject the the ballot
question, the school district already has opted in.

While it may at some time in the future provide some unknown property tax relief it will definately harm public education in Pennsylvania. All school boards should send a message to Harrisburg, by refusing to particpate in this charade, so they will be forced to go back and lick this calf over again. How schools are funded needs to be reformed, both for schools and the taxpayers. Act 72 only gets in the way of any meaningful tax reform. If the Governor wants to set up his cronies in the gambling business then just do it. Don't try to justify by saying it is for the children and the senior citizens, when it hurts one and does very little, if anything, for the other.

Act 72 The Solution Turns Into The Problem

For an excellent view on some of the many things wrong with Act 72, read the column in todays Philadelphia Inquirer Schools will reject Pa.'s Act 72 . Act 72 is part of the misguided Slots For Tots and Property Tax Relief program of Governor Rendell. School boards have until May 31st to opt-in to this program or be forever banned. If they do opt-in they can't reconsider for four years.

"It's not a master plan. It's more of a Rube Goldberg contraption that's now
morphed itself into a solution to a problem," said Kirk Soxman, a resident of
the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District and Act 72 critic.
An apt description.

Follow this scenario, if you can: By May 30, every school district
in Pennsylvania (except Philadelphia's, which is exempt) can opt into Act 72 by
passing a resolution. The resolution would require either a 0.1 percent
earned-income tax on residents or a referendum on whether a portion of the
property tax should be replaced by an income tax. The referendum, however, is
not on whether to opt into Act 72; even if voters reject the the ballot
question, the school district already has opted in.

While it may at some time in the future provide some unknown property tax relief it will definitely harm public education in Pennsylvania. All school boards should send a message to Harrisburg, by refusing to participate in this charade, so they will be forced to go back and lick this calf over again. How schools are funded needs to be reformed, both for schools and the taxpayers. Act 72 only gets in the way of any meaningful tax reform. If the Governor wants to set up his cronies in the gambling business then just do it. Don't try to justify by saying it is for the children and the senior citizens, when it hurts one and does very little, if anything, for the other.

Find A Perv.

Megan's Law Web Site: "Pennsylvania's legislature has determined that public safety will be enhanced by making information about registered sex offenders available to the public through the internet. Knowledge whether a person is a registered sex offender could be a significant factor in protecting yourself and your family members, or those in care of a group or community organization, from recidivist acts by registered sex offenders. "

Refliections on the Longswamp Meeting

The Longswamp officials attempted last night to put the best light on the subject of the recent rezoning in the township. There is some needed relief as over 350 homes in Mertztown and other areas have waste problems.

They stated that they haven’t approved any development plans from Grande Construction just rezoned the area the way the company asked. Maybe the construction permits is not a done deal but they seemed to have already spent the 30 pieces of silver that was offered.

Their justification for the high density housing was 1) Help defray the cost of sewage treatment. 2) The location of the school making housing more desirable in the area then industry. 3) Would leave more open green space and not have “cookie cutter lots spread lots spread out over the township.

They have a point with the sewage but there are sewage units for locations that don’t require massive treatment plants and having everyone forced to pay to join up. For the locations that need treatment offer to buy some of the lots and use the land to put in some treatment faculties. Now they are effectively asking someone in the further reaches of District Township to pay more in school taxes because somebody in Mertztown has a sewage problem.

Blaming it on the school board for placing a school there is ludicrous especially when you consider that some of the same people instrumental in choosing the site are now also planning for Longswamp future. Industry today doesn’t have to be noisy large plants belching out toxic fumes. There are all types of businesses that could go on that location paying taxes and having well paid employees compatible with a school. They said the infrastructure was not available. There is better infrastructure there for business then there is for supporting all those people buying these proposed homes trying to come and go every day. Not many will be traveling by rail. Who is more likely to complain about the noise and other nuisances that go with a school a business or people packed in right next door.

And just what is wrong with 1-2 acre cookie cutter lots. The houses only consume 2-5% of the land. The other 95-98% is owned and maintain by people with a vested interested in maintaining it. Who is going to be responsible for maintaining the nice sounding green space surrounding the ant hill villages they are proposing? If it is public land then you could assume that public money will go to its upkeep. What is exactly wrong with a person owning a small piece of the American Dream, with room to raise a family peruse their hobbies, turn their stereo up full blast and take a wiz out the back door if they have a mind to, without disturbing their neighbors. Robert Frost said “Good fences make good neighbors”, well large lots make even better ones. Building compacted housing is cheaper for the developer and more efficient for the township to control. People on the larger lots would have no need for the proposed public sewer system.

This is supposed to be the United States of America. Freedom is not efficient or cheap. If the founding fathers had wanted an efficient government George Washington would be the First Lord Protector not the President ruling over a quarrelsome people that thought they had as much sense and the same rights as he did.

Don't Mess With The Kids

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".
************
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
***********
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."
***********
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"
************
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up
and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, he's a doctor.'
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, she's dead. "
************
A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face." "Yes," the class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary positions the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."
************
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples.
The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want - God is watching the apples.

Longswamp Township Meeting

Last night meeting of the Longswamp supervisors was well attended. The crowd was disappointed when upon advice of counsel the supervisor were told not to comment on the issue because of pending litigation from both the Tax Payer Association and the Berks County Commissioner office.

Here is what it all boils down to:
1) Longswamp has to have a sewage system for around 350 homes.

2)The cost currently will be paid for by the effected home owners.

3)Grande has offered to help defray the cost with his developments which will also spread out any additional cost.

4)They have now solved their sewage problems but at the expense of more students in the school system. It gets them off the hook and now it is the school board's problem.

5)Supervisors meeting will go back to normal with nobody bothering them and everyone will go back to yelling at the school board.

6) From their view point all is good.

So now everyone in Rockland, District, Topton and Longswamp will be forced to pay more in school taxes to meet the new demands so that some can have cheaper sewage treatment. At the same time they are taking off the table a location that could be used to help offset residential taxes.

You got to love it education in this district will suffer because certain people around here have brown eyes because they are so full of sh**.

There is a real article in today's Reading Eagle. At least the Kutztown's mayor vs the borough council battles makes this district look halfway sane.

County Commissioner Meeting

The county commissioners discussed further action against the Longswamp zoning change at their discussion meeting today. Their lawyer is meeting with members of Longswamp officials and county planner tomorrow to review all the information and make recommendations before preceding. They have until the 28th of this month to bring legal actions. Various citizens of Longswamp and the Taxpayer's association spoke out against the development plan. School board members Robert Lowry and Michael Sacks were also in attendance. Commissioner Mark Scott made an excellent point in saying that the school district brought on some of this problem. By placing the new High School in a commercial area it then made the adjoining property more conducive to residential development. The gift that keeps on giving.

To clear up some of the controversy on the number of students and the capcity of the different buildings here are the latest numbers in the district.

Passing Thought on a Rainy Day

Does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington. They also tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them all a cow when they enter the country.

Good Advice

Also in todays Reading Eagle in the Ask Herb section something that every parent and soon to graduate student should consider.

My son wants to major in philosophy when he goes off to college next year. I told him that major would doom him to low pay for the rest of his life. How can I save him from that?
If you want to judge a major by average income of those graduating, you would be forced to tell him to be a chemical engineer or accountant. But I doubt if someone who wants to major in philosophy is going to go for either of those majors. But here's another way to give him some guidance. No matter what his major, the important result of an educational process is learning the skills that will be valuable in life and valuable to employers. Regardless of major selected, you want to pick up such critically important skills as writing, working with others, the ability to analyze and solve problems, the ability to think mathematically and understand computations, and the ability to use the new tools of the information age, such as computer skills, word processing, and so forth.
Another bit of good advice is to prepare yourself to work at something that you love. If you like what you're doing, you're likely to be good at it, compared with doing something you hate.
I'd rather have a happy philosopher than a depressed accountant. What's more, the happy philosopher may go off to law school after graduation,and be both a happy and rich philosopher.

Always best if your vocation can also be your avocation. Besides the world could use more philosophers and less engineers.

Longswamp In The News

Todays Eagle has more from the Longswamp rezoning in an article by Diane E. Robinson. So glad former board members have helpful suggestions for the current members.

...
Even with the rezoning, Grande's plans need approval from the state, the township planners and ultimately the supervisors. Tuesday night, township engineer Jill L. Smith told the planning commission that even with plan approval, construction
cannot begin until a public sewer system for the development is built. Smith said that although the township is investigating the best way to connect to a public system, it could be several years before a solution is found.

...

Planner Bruce Godfriaux, a former school board member, said the district may see a strain as enrollment increases, but a number of options would be available to ease problems. For example, he said, the district could create a junior high school by oving ninth-grade classes to the middle school, which would decrease the number of tudents at the high school by about 25 percent.

Earlier Tuesday, County Commissioner Mark C. Scott suggested that the county take legal action against the township to reverse the rezoning decision that would allow the development. He said the land would be better used for industry, which would elp take the tax burden off residential property owners. Commissioners Chirwoman Judith L. Schwank said the board may vote on the issue today.

Thanks

Thanks to all the people that used Amazon over Christmas the site almost breaks even for the year.

Kind of neat you can shop the world and at least some of the money stays home. Amazon can now almost be forgiven for patenting the "one-click" check out. The U.S. Patent Office still should have it charter revoked for approving it and other patents in the high tech biz.

Speaking of the world and money there is a link at the bottom to give through Amazon money for the tidal wave victims (can't spell and refuse to learn the other word. Judging by how everone else spells it they can't either. Why waste a perfectly good "T" if you are not going to use it.) . If the Ad says Hi Your Name, that information comes from an Amazon cookie stored on your computer not this site. They seem to think it adds a personal touch.

Top Headlines for 2004

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says [What was the tip off?]

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers [Sounds like poetic justice but maybe a little too extreme]

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over [what a guy! Maybe if he buys her an expensive bamboo dinner with some nice rice wine]

Miners Refuse to Work after Death [Typical union workers always finding some reason not to work.]

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant [Would cut down on prison expenses]

War Dims Hope for Peace [I can see where it might have that effect!]

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile [you think?!]

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures [Did Al Gore see this?]

Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide [they may be on to something!]

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges [In PA it is duct tape]

Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge [he probably IS the battery charge!]

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group [weren't they fat enough?!]

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft [Maybe Beano should replace Tang]

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks [Taste like chicken?]

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half [Somebody get Mr. Thermenos a saw or under NCLB regulations will that make twice as many.]

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors [Boy, are they tall!]

Scott opposes Longswamp rezoning

Great now we may have county sueing Longswamp, with the money coming for the lawyers coming out of the same already picked pockets. In today's Reading Eagle an article by Mary E. Young.

Berks County should wage a legal battle against Longswamp Township to reverse
rezoning that would allow 742 houses to be built on prime industrial land, Berks
County Commissioner Mark C. Scott said Tuesday.

Scott said a 100-acre tract along the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks next to Brandywine Heights High School would be ideal for a business with high-quality jobs. Instead, 94 acres of that tract and another 126-acre tract to the east are destined to be the site of the 742-house development, he said. That would bring about 1,500
students to Brandywine Heights School District, which already has the highest tax rate in the county, Scott said. The rate is 26.15 mills. If the property
were developed for industrial use, it would generate taxes that would help
offset the need to increase taxes on residential owners, Scott said.
“They (Longswamp officials) closed that option for development and placed the burden on home owners,” he said.

After about 30 supporters applauded Scott's comments, Commissioner Judith L. Schwank, board chairwoman, said the commissioners would discuss the issue with County Solicitor Alan S. Miller and vote at their meeting Thursday. “It sounds like you have a vote of approval out there, and you have it from us as well,” Schwank told Scott.

After the meeting, Commissioner Thomas W. Gajewski Sr. said he is inclined to support Scott's request but wanted to hear from Miller before committing. Longswamp Supervisors Donald C. Siegfried and Bruce E. Hall adopted the zoning changes in late December at the request of Fiorino Grande of Sinking Spring-based Grande Construction. Supervisor Troy Fairchild voted against it. The changes would allow Grande to build houses on the two tracts after securing state and township approval of the development plans.

Contacted after the commissioners meeting, Siegfried said the supervisors would have to discuss the course they would take if the commissioners take legal action against them. He said about 60 people, or roughly 1 percent of the township's population, have been protesting the zoning changes.

Robert J. Tercha, a township farmer, said he is concerned the development would deplete the groundwater supply. Joan and Floyd Falcone of Rockland Township and their daughter Alane M. Falcone of Topton all members of the Taxpayers Association of Brandywine Heights asked the commissioners to do whatever they could to help taxpayers.

Mike Sacks, a Brandywine Heights School Board member, said the district
would have to build a new elementary or middle school in addition to the
recently built $31 million high school if the housing development
proceeds. (Article)

Someone just posted this on the discussion board from WFMZ ONline.

A BERKS COUNTY COMMISSIONER IS CONSIDERING LEGAL ACTION... THAT';S IF LONGSWAMP TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS REFUSE TO RE-THINK A ZONING DECISION. AT THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE? TAXES FOR HOMEOWNERS. WFMZ'S CHERYL BUTLER EXPLAINS

New Longswamp Developments

There was a meeting today at the county commissioner office regarding the rezoning in Longswamp. Seems they are not to happy that they spent a load of money for the two year study and then it gets thrown in the trash. Should be something on the news tonight.

What The Board Was Up To

All of the, actually most of them, 2004 agendas are available here in pdf format.

Humor Math Style

American Mathematical Society_ has a round-up of math humor

Q: What's brown, furry, runs to the sea, and is equivalent to the Axiom of
Choice?
A: Zorn's lemming.

Q: What's yellow, linear, normed, and complete?
A: A Bananach space.

Q: What does an analytic number theorist say when he's drowning?
A: Log-log, log-log, log-log,...

Q: How many number theorists does it take
to screw in a light bulb?
A: This is not known, but it is conjectured to be a
prime number.

Q: How many light bulbs does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One, if it knows its own Goedel number.

Q: Why did the chicken cross the Moebius strip?
A: To get to the same side.

Q: What's huge, white, swims in the ocean, and has only one side?
A: Moebius Dick.

***Excuses for not doing math homework:
---I accidentally divided by zero and my paper burst into flames.
---I could only get arbitrarily close to my textbook, I couldn't reach
it.
---I have the proof, but there isn't room to write it in this margin.

Set-theoretic campfire song:
Aleph-null bottles of beer on the wall
Aleph-null bottles of beer,
You take one down and pass it around,
Aleph-null bottles of beer on the wall...