Capital Rants

Lacrosse: Another slap in face for taxpayers

By MARK FRANKLIN

So, do you feel like coughing up your hard-earned tax dollars so kids can play on school-sponsored lacrosse teams next spring?

Well, that’s about to happen in at least seven York County districts based on budgets school boards adopted for 2008-09.

That’s right, folks. Your energy costs are soaring. So are your food prices. Your home probably wouldn’t sell for as much as it would have a year ago. Your 401K fund is taking a hit.

With taxpayers facing all those pressures, your friendly local school board — at least in Central York, Dallastown, South Eastern, South Western, Southern, Spring Grove and York Suburban — has decided you should foot the bill for a new sports program.

And, in the next breath, officials in those districts will tell you they tried to be as frugal as possible when crafting their budgets and settling on a tax increases for next year.

Is that the punch line to a cruel joke?

Look, if I’m putting together an alphabetical list of budget priorities for a school district during tough fiscal times, lacrosse — or any new sport — would check in at “Z.” (Except in South Eastern, of course, where it might check in at “Y,” ahead of that $97,000 grand piano.)

And the only way I’m going to vote in favor of a new school-sanctioned sport is if: 1) another sports program with declining interest and a similar price tag is cut to compensate, or; 2) taxpayers aren’t paying the bill.

None of the districts listed above opted for option number one. To their credit, school officials in Northern, Red Lion and West York have picked option number two. But shame on West York for already agreeing to foot the cost of lacrosse beginning in year two.

Let’s remember, unlike South Eastern’s grand piano, this isn’t a one-time expense. While the lacrosse bill is small compared to a multi-million school budget, this is an expense taxpayers will be footing year after year after year. And the cost of officials, coaches and busing the team to away games will certainly rise over time.

State Rep. Stan Saylor, R-Windsor Township, held a town meeting last week. Property tax relief was a primary topic of discussion.

As state lawmakers study ways to provide that relief, the lacrosse issue is a wonderful reminder that they also need to address the issue of school spending and greater accountability to taxpayers.

Meanwhile, take heart, taxpayers. You might not be able to afford your food bill or your mortgage as the economy sours. But a lacrosse game at your local high school will offer a cheap entertainment option … if you can afford the gas to get there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prediction: Tantrum free July in Pa.

By MARK FRANKLIN

Last year, I suggested folks might be wise not to schedule vacation time at a state park in early July 2008.

We were fresh off Gov. Rendell Throws a Tantrum Day — a one-day shutdown of some state government functions because the good governor wasn’t getting his way in budget negotiations.

So he furloughed 24,000 “non-essential” state government workers for a day. That included park employees. And that meant campers who had reserved time in state parks were told to pack up and leave, many just as they were beginning a week’s vacation.

Hey, folks, welcome to Pa.’s parks.

But you know what? On second thought, I think vacationers should feel free to visit this July.

That’s not because the governor sounded optimistic after a meeting with state legislative leaders Monday.

That’s because of two factors.

First, the governor isn’t seeking any major tax hikes in this year’s budget. There’s a pitch for a 10-cent per pack cigarette tax hike, which pales in comparison to the $1 per pack tax Maryland approved last year. But no discussion of a sales tax hike, an electricity surcharge or a tax on oil company profits.

Second, and every bit as important, this is an election year.

Everyone came out of last year’s government shutdown with a black eye, and legislators suffered every bit as much as the governor. More, in fact.

Quinnipiac University periodically polls Pennsylvania residents about their feelings on state government issues. The poll from last August indicated an approval rating of 30 percent for the state Legislature. That was a two-year low and has since rebounded.

The approval rating last August for the man who shut down state government: 53 percent.

Think lawmakers are willing to risk that kind of hit on their approval rating in a year when half of them have to face voters. I doubt it.

Does that mean a budget will be completed from July 1? Not necessarily. After all, that hasn’t happened yet during the Rendell regime.

But it does mean lawmakers are likely to take a more compromising tone into this year’s budget discussions. Same for the governor. After all, many of those lawmakers up for re-election are Democrats.

So go ahead and plan your visit to a Pa. park this July.

If you can afford the gas to get there.