Gov. Tom Corbett was a busy guy yesterday.
He rolled out a budget package that attacks the monstrous unfunded liablility in the state’s two large public employee pension plans, called for a transportation plan that might lead to higher prices at the pump, and again holds the line on the state sales and income taxes.
Of course, his critics are saying that his move to uncap the Oil Company Franchise tax will likely mean higher prices at the pumps, just about the last thing anyone wants to hear right now as prices skyrocket near the $3.70 mark.
But there is still one more very controversial area we’ll zero in on tonight on our ‘Live From the Newsroom’ live-stream broadcast.
The governor yesterday reiterated his call to get the state out of the booze business, selling off 600 state stores and auctioning as many as 1,200 licenses to sell wine and spirits to private stores, supermarkets and other private entities.
But here’s the interesting part. Corbett is dangling a carrot to the Legislature in an area that is always a sore point. The governor says he will take that $1 billion windfall and plow it into education.
Tongight we’ll be joined by two people very close to this situation to talk about it.
Larry Feinberg is a member of the Haverford School Board and head of a statewide watchdog group, the Keystone State Education Coalition. Feinberg is a longtime critic of the way Pennsylvania funds public education. But is skimming money off the sale of state stores the way to go?
Not if you ask Wendell Young IV. He’s the boss of the United Food and Commercial Workers union that represents all those workers. He’ll also join us and again offer his argument against privatization.
If you have a question on this crucial issue, or something you’d like either Feinberg or Young to answer, email it to me at editor@delcotimes.com. I’ll ask the panel. Then join us at DelcoTimes.com tonight at 7 and take part in our live chat.
You know where I stand. I want Pennsylvania out of the liquor business. If it helps education, that’s fine by me, too.
How about you? Where do you stand? Join us tonight at 7.
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