BCT Editorial – 8/15/10

The editorial says, “In terms of student enrollment, overall population and economic growth, the Ellwood City and Riverside school districts will never be what they once were.”  Just over four years ago the Times made a similar comment regarding municipality consolidation.  In my critique of “Fading away” I wrote, “One last point.  The editorial never gets into why ‘too many small municipalities … are withering away.’  We do know, however, it can’t have anything to do with economic decline caused by taxation.  After all, we have numerous Times editorials (examples are here and here) telling us PA taxes are OK.  Don’t you love it when people focus on a symptom instead of the underlying disease?”

The editorial concludes with “By voluntarily merging, Ellwood City and Riverside would control their fate and not have one imposed on them from Harrisburg.”  This is at least the second time a Times editorial made that assertion.  In my critique of “Mergers ahead” I wrote, “What exactly leads the Times to believe the state would leave ‘voluntary’ mergers intact?  For example, what guarantee is there the new Central Valley district (Center Area plus Monaca) eventually won’t be forced to merge with adjacent districts like Beaver, Hopewell, Rochester, et cetera?”