Our Declaration for Children and Teens
Monday is shaping up to be a beautiful day weatherwise for the 4th of July. It’s the day we celebrate ending the tyranny of the Crown of England that extracted taxes from his subjects in the new land while refusing to provide any services in exchange. The king’s greed sowed the seeds of the great American revolution.
This year, it’s especially ironic that many of the self-anointed kings in Harrisburg are sitting on $12 billion of our tax dollars while refusing the people the tools and resources needed to keep our democracy alive. Sound familiar?
As the fireworks start to pop on Monday, it is likely that the powers-that-be in the State Capitol will announce a compromise that defines how much of that heaping surplus will be spent and how. Here’s how you can decide if their plan demonstrates that the fight for independence succeeded or if we simply traded one king for another.
1. Does the budget buttress democracy, or does it provide corporate tax cuts that exceed the value of new funding for public schools? John Dewey said it best – “Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.” With $1.75 billion in additional funds, the state can begin to enable schools to do their part in preserving our democracy. See the evidence here.
2. Does the budget increase the freedom to work by solving the child care shortage? Tens of thousands of parents who want to go to work can’t because of the child care shortage. With $115 million, the shortage can be abated. Watch this brief news clip to learn all about the alarming shortage of child care.
3. Does the budget conserve taxes by expanding pre-k? Only a third of kids who should be in pre-k are, yet it’s proven that giving kids access to pre-k boosts their lifetime outcomes and reduces tax burdens. Take a look at this Pre-K for PA fact sheet.
4. Is every child afforded the right to health care? Nine states and our nation’s Capital extend public health insurance to every child, including kids who don’t have legal citizenship papers. Learn about this simple public health measure that protects the health freedom of all – 点击这里.
5. Do special interests or taxpayers win? Any rhetoric about conserving the state’s surplus for a potential recession cannot ignore the fact that Pennsylvanians’ taxes are paying $1 billion a year to wasteful, expensive, and failing cyber schools. Failure to put in rational controls on these schools is a win for special interests at the expense of taxpayers and children. Our press conference tells you all about it.
We’d love to wish you a Happy Fourth of July, but given what’s a stake for children in Harrisburg, without the facts on how state lawmakers will spend our $40+ billion, it’s simply too early to celebrate. |
