It’s supposed to be Forever…

When traditional public services get privatized, taxpayers typically end up paying more, public accountability diminishes, and access to quality services often erodes. 

One obvious example of the link between privatized public services and the Pennsylvania taxpayer burden came to light this week, when we learned that nearly three dozen charter schools, funded in the same manner as public schools, showed up on the list of beneficiaries of the federal PPP loan program intended to forestall layoffs during the COVID emergency.

But why? Just like public schools, PA charter schools were guaranteed their funding for every school day, and there was no credible indication that funds were at risk for the upcoming year—yet, the operators of these privatized public schools tapped millions in federal funds that they may have wanted, but didn’t appear to need or deserve.

Traditional public schools, as units of the government, were disqualified for PPP funding because they are entirely funded by tax dollars. But there’s the rub—charter schools are entirely funded by tax dollars too.

Talk about taxpayers paying more and accountability diminishing!

What about diminishing access to service? We need look no further than the scheme to privatize the U.S. Postal Service.

In the primary election, 1.4 million Pennsylvanians mailed in their ballots and in PA where the state covered the postage costs, the delivery cost 55 cents, a bargain to sustain our democracy. But our postal service, of course, powers so much more.

As we wrote in March, this year’s census was critical for children as the census is the tool used to allocate government spending, including $800 billion in school funding, early learning, health insurance, food and housing assistance.    

For the past decade, an estimated 10% of children were unaccounted for in the last census, meaning these programs were short funded and communities lost out on vital resources—thus PCCY joined the push to count all kids.

For poor families without internet access, mailing is the best, most cost-effective way for the government to collect completed census forms and make sure all kids get counted.

Any diminished access to postal services would hinder census efforts, harming children by reducing federal support and funding for the programs they need, just as any increase in the cost of voting by mail will negatively impact the number of ballots cast.

Finally, as an advocacy organization, we unreservedly attest to how much more weight, figuratively and literally, actual letters from constituents carry than emails, which is why it has been, and hopefully always will be, a favored tactic to affect the changes children need to thrive.  

Today, as the USPS verges on collapse, private carriers and their allies are pushing Congress to uncap postal rates, which could send the cost of mailing in your census forms (or vote) soaring to $8.50, the rate Fed-Ex charges.

Neither of the PA U.S. Senators have yet to add their name to a bill that could save the USPS, Senate Bill 2965, which would repeal a costly and unnecessary budgeting mandate. This while each of their PA counterparts in the U.S. House are already co-sponsors of the companion bill HR 2382.

These days one could argue that we can learn most everything on the internet. Our government learns best from us when we mail in that letter, send in our ballot, and complete the census–without a strong, accessible public postal system, those democratic privileges and our children will suffer. 

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Tell Senator Bob Casey و Senator Pat Toomey to act now and protect our postal service!