The Morning Call reports that last night school board members running for re-election gave the voters more than they expected, or perhaps can really afford. The candidates voted for both a zero tax hike, and adding more positions than sought by the school administration. Also running, but certainly not pandering, Scott Armstrong addresses the decision by his fellow board members.
Pandering politicians and the Pawlowski effect
At tonight’s ASD board meeting politics was on full display. Directors who never saw a tax hike they didn’t like ignored the administration’s recommendation for a 3.6% increase and embraced with full vigor a zero tax increase for next year’s budget. Then with total abandon they engaged in bidding war on how many positions to restore until finally agreeing on the number of 30.
So after four years of a fiscal crisis that involved tax increases of $500.00 on the average household and staff reductions of over 20% just to balance budgets, tonight, four days before a primary, prudence was put aside. This evening priorities were more personal. To get their names in the paper as advocates for the taxpayers and the children these directors took the leap of faith that zero tax increases and 30 new hires will not put the ASD right back into the dire position that previous responsible choices had just extricated the district from. In short it was a very depressing night. Can one draw from this that the mayor’s influence is not already being felt ?
Scott Armstrong
Armstrong needs to go this election and will.
ReplyDeleteMM,
ReplyDeleteanother edited out news worthy weekend is upon us¿ Your story today I think is about more taking advantage of the disadvantaged¿
First would be the indigent independent elderly populus of allentown that still posess single family homes¿ Than there would be the innocent indigent childrens children educational experiance that will be lacking for a higher price in the end¿
There is no explination or words needed other than political parasitism for freinds and family advertised posative development that is tax exgemt because it is supposidly for the populus¿
redd
patent pending
b mentor@6:47, someone recently wondered if you were currently in the employ of pawlowski/fleck? although they may find your hate useful this week, i doubted that even they would want to be associated.
ReplyDeletein my opinion, not only does armstrong need to stay, he should be cloned for several more seats.
The BEST government includes 'checks and balances.'
ReplyDeleteWithout that, you get today's Washington, DC. Good luck, Scott!
Fred Windish
The board voted 8 to 1 to pass 0 tax increase,and add 30 positions.The administration proposed 24 positions,the board added 6 positions,2 middle school pe positions,and 4 elementary positions.one of the boards goals is providing arts ,music,pe for our students.The number per position the administration was using was 80,000 a position,I think to high,but let's use it anyway.Increase of 480,000. As of today there will be 19 positions retiring,not the final number,but a savings of 437,000 that will go toward new beginning positions.43,000 will come from fuel savings.I am not even bringing up the extra 1.4 million se.browne gave us,or the extra funds we are getting from state.we cannot do this every year but the finace chairs mr. Zimmerman and myself know we can do this.no pandering here just giving back to our tappers and students.
ReplyDeleteDays before an election the "arts are restored" by 4 of the 5 candidates seeking reelection. The timing is very odd, no?
ReplyDeleteThe progress train is now leaving the station, boys. You can either climb aboard or you can watch it go without you, but you aren't going to derail it.
ReplyDeleteMr Smith,
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it bother you that your vote to go along with all the extra positions put the other Republican on the board seeking re-election in the very awkward position of being the only candidate to vote no?
I received a mean spirited mailer on Saturday calling Armstrong a "right wing extremist". The irony of scoundrels like Charlie Thiel calling Armstrong names like this is that the ads were paid for by rich white guys from the suburbs! (probably right wing extremists in their private lives). I can assure you that Charlie Thiel is being promised either a City Council seat bought and paid for by NIZ developers who owe Pawlowski favors or even the Mayor job if and when Pawlowski leaves.
ReplyDelete