BCT Editorial – 12/7/06

This page was last updated on December 11, 2006.

Track record; Editorial; Beaver County Times; December 7, 2006.

Remember this editorial the next time an editorial cries crocodile tears about “local control.”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Inaction by state officials is largely to blame for Midland/Western spat

“As the Midland and Western Beaver school districts try to untangle their tuition agreement, let’s not forget who ultimately is responsible for the mess - the state.

“If state lawmakers and governors, past and present, had done their jobs instead of shirking their responsibilities, the current dispute would have been avoided.

“When Midland’s Lincoln High School closed in 1986 because of declining enrollment, lawmakers and Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. did nothing.”

[RWC] Gov. Casey didn’t take office until January 20, 1987, so blaming him for something that happened before he took office seems out of line. Yet again an editorial fails to get a historical fact correct. I wonder if other factual errors exist in this piece.

“When Midland’s tuition agreement with Beaver Area came to an acrimonious end in the early 1990s, lawmakers and Casey did nothing, as did Tom Ridge when he followed Casey in the governor’s chair.

“When no school district would merge with Midland and it signed a tuition agreement with East Liverpool, Ohio, lawmakers and Ridge did nothing.

“That left Midland to improvise and innovate, with the resulting success or failure (depending on one’s point of view).”

[RWC] In summary, Midland had a problem and found a solution without the assistance of the commonwealth. Oh the humanity!

“At the time Midland was struggling to educate its children, state lawmakers freely acknowledged that the situation, while unique, was not out of the ordinary. They knew that Pennsylvania has far too many small school districts. Yet they did nothing.”

[RWC] The disdain the Times shows for local government is a logical outgrowth of liberalism. Just as liberals believe individuals are incapable of living without the constant infusion of “wisdom” from government, they believe the bigger the government, the better. That’s why liberals believe government is better than individuals, state government is better than local government, the federal government is better than state government, and the UN is better than the U.S. government.

“Just as they have done nothing in regard to the commonwealth having too many municipalities, too many planning and zoning commissions, and too many water and sewage authorities.”

[RWC] Who determines what is “too many?” Why not do away with local government altogether and turn Pennsylvania into a city-state?

“The track record is clear. Over the last 20 years, state lawmakers have done little of significance to merit their high salaries and outrageous benefits. It’s time for Pennsylvania residents to start demanding a fair day’s work for a great day’s wage.”

[RWC] Not surprisingly, I have a different opinion. I believe we should cut the size of the General Assembly and turn the positions of representatives and senators into part-time jobs. The less time our reps are at “work,” the less trouble they will cause.