On Monday, we joined the newspapers and websites of our fellow Digital First Media properties in Pennsylvania in calling for a special year-long focus on what we referred to as the 'Keystone' issues, education funding and property tax reform.
We did not have to wait long to hear from the governor.
The embattled Republican Tom Corbett will deliver his last budget address before he goes before the voters in December.
We urge all of you to pay close attention to what the governor has to say. If you want to check it out live, you can view a live-stream of the speech here.
It appears as if Corbett is going to call for an increase in education funding, after three years of very tough budgets that held the line or reduced education spending.
The governor has been clear that he has not cut education funding, that the brutal cuts have been because of the absence of federal stimulus funds.
That position has not exactly win him a lot of fans.
Today we will see candidate Corbett, with this budget address serving as something of an official kickoff to the gubernatorial campaign. There are are least eight Democrats jockeying for the nomination to oppose him.
The early word form Corbett is that he will propose a 3.6 percent boost in spending in the $29.4 billion plan, while still holding the line on taxes.
There also is more money headed for education, in particular a $340 million block grant program for schools, as well as $20 million in new money for special education.
After you hear the governor's plan, why not join our discussion. We'll be following up with the second in our "Keystone" editorials later this week in response to the governor.
But we'd like to hear what you have to say as well. Write letters, flood Sound Off.
Join us in making education spending and property tax reform the No. 1 issue in this campaign.
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