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It is a given that an investment in equitable education is by far the best economic development tool. Think tanks, corporations, universities and governments proclaim this through countless studies. It is the foundation and surpasses infrastructure, technology, regulations, financing, trade, natural resources, government and inclusivity. It develops human capital, increases earnings and tax revenues, reduces societal costs, creates economic growth and jobs and, most importantly, fosters equitable growth. It is a no-brainer.
Why then don't we do it? Let's take Pennsylvania as an example. It is notorious for underfunding its public schools. This "underfunding" has been an issue for decades.
To make things right, an expenditure of $6 billion -- in 2023 -- would be necessary. That is a lot of money. Fortunately, at that time, Pennsylvania had a surplus of $12 billion from which it earned $780 million in interest. In July of 2025 the state of Pennsylvania enjoys a $14 billion surplus. Beware greed, stupidity, cowardice and misplaced priorities.
As usual, Gov. Shapiro and the Legislature did not prioritize the constitutional rights of students. They did not recognize the overwhelming consensus that equitable education is the most powerful economic development tool in the tool box. Instead they chose to follow habitually failed strategies while operating within a structural deficit. The simple translation is "you spend more than you take in."
Pennsylvania governors and legislatures have a history of acting unconstitutionally. For decades they ignored or misinterpreted Section 127 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, which guarantees citizens significant constitutional rights regarding clean air, pure water, etc. As noted above, some of the same geniuses were hustled into Commonwealth Court for schooling about the unconstitutional paradigm used for school funding. Now these same "leaders" use debt maneuvers in a manner that goes against specific language in the Pennsylvania Constitution regarding debt. This will go to court also as it appears to be illegal.
Depending on who you ask, there are varying figures for Pennsylvania's 2024-25 structural deficit. The truth lies somewhere between $3 and $5 billion. Left-wing crackpots, right-wing crackpots and centrist crackpots -- that is how they refer to each other -- all point to billions of dollars of "corporate welfare." Oil and gas, movies, horse racing, land and waterfront development, etc., etc. Look it up. These are all entities that do NOT need to have their hands in taxpayers' pockets. They are already wildly successful but enough is never enough. Additionally, Pennsylvania is rife with tax avoiders, evaders and fraud to the tune of $1 to $2 billion. Throw in the Delaware loophole, LERTA and scores of other generous "corporate welfare" programs and you start looking at real money.
Beyond balancing a budget, these monies should fund equitable schools as well as libraries, parks, clean water, sanitation, homeless shelters, food pantries, etc., etc. You get the picture.
Don't expect our local representatives to voluntarily pick up this advocacy. They are part of a circular redundancy. We must demand that they do it, if we can find them.
MICHAEL SAUERS
Bloomsburg
Submitted by mail