Reader's View - A Second Look At 'Do No Harm'

By Larry Lavenberg

Back at the end of February this year I wrote indicating that the congress and state legislature should, as they work on their respective financial responsibilities, “first do no harm.”

The Pennsylvania legislature has led the charge stripping state educational system funds from kindergarten to higher education in one halting stroke.  This maneuver has changed the educational course of individuals as well as the five hundred school districts in the state.  

Locally, the Octorara School District dipped into the fund balance to lighten the blow to property taxes this year as well as eliminate staff members across the board. 

Unfortunately, left unsaid is the $1.2 million dollars from the fund balance that will lead to higher property taxes in the future.   

That future may be next year, and might amount to about a 1.4 mil increase to reestablish the fund balance.  What that means is a home assessed at $100,000 could expect an increase of about $148 as part of replenishing the fund balance plus what the district might need in a normal increase to balance the budget. 

The normal increase after all the exceptions allowed by the state education department may amount to 3 or 4 percent on the budget.  At a minimum, this could add another 1.4 mil to the property tax bill that would balloon to almost a $300 increase or close to a 9% increase in one year.

The Corbett promise holds true! No new state taxes.  

Disappointingly, the new tax burden shows up at the local level with the school district under continued pressure from the state and the local level. By far the pressure from the state level will be a drive to allow vouchers while disregarding its responsibility for properly fund education under the state constitution.

At the federal level, the past few weeks are reminiscent of bull elephants fighting only to end wrecking everything in sight and fixing nothing.  

This writer’s concludes we are inadequately and badly served, and that every elected representative, to the last person, should be recalled.   

No matter what the political strip it should be self evident that the county has problems and with the weeks of rancid speech only the vast under represented United States public got hurt.              

Whether one looks at the state or federal government outcomes, the question must stand.

Did our governments “FIRST DO NO HARM?”  

Note: Larry Lavenberg is a resident of Atglen.  He is a past member of the Octorara School Board and currently serves as Vice-president of Atglen's Borough Council.