Financial matters are on the agenda for the NE Borough Council meeting. They will be discussing the proposed 2026 budget, the 2026 tax ordinance and their plans to join the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust (PLGIT). PLGIT was created in 1981 to meet the short-term investment needs of local governments, school districts, municipal authorities, and […]
Rural PA Schools Make Big Changes to Address Declining Enrollment But Not NE
A recent article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette details the situation across northern PA where rural and small school districts are facing declining student enrollment and smaller budgets. The schools have taken several actions to deal with the issues, among them sharing services and merging districts, even sharing a superintendent. The North East School District […]
Trump Fixes Broadband Access Program to Now Include All Technologies
If you recall, I’ve written several times on the government’s effort to expand broadband access to everyone, especially to those living in rural areas where no cable or fiber is available. In the previous Biden administration, the program focused on providing fiber connections which requires lots of installers and technicians, stringing fiber on poles or […]
Government Wasting Money and Time on Broadband and Computers – Just Do It Yourself for Big Savings and No Waiting
Broadband access to the internet is a hot button issue right now and has been for some time. The government “solution” is always the same, spend more of your money and the result is always the same, nothing gets done. Answers are available now, no government programs necessary and there’s a lot you can do […]
LEEDCO Icebreaker Lake Erie Wind Turbines Halted as Backers and Money Run Out
In a huge win for everyone interested in saving Lake Erie itself from industrial development, the LEEDCO Icebreaker wind turbine project proposed for the waters off of Cleveland, Ohio has finally been cancelled. The Department of Energy has begun the process of revoking the remaining portion of the $50 million it had granted the project […]
North East School District to Hold Meeting for Bond Issue
North East School District Notice is hereby given that the Board of School Directors of North East School District will hold a public voting meeting on June 16, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the Elementary Center Board Room, 50 East Division Street, North East, PA and consider enactment of a resolution of which this notice […]
Governor Wolf Playing Political Word Games in Budget Impasse
In Tuesday’s press conference addressing the PA budget, Governor Wolf spent considerable time attacking the GOP and even former Governor Tom Corbett with his “draconian Corbett budgets,” but what draconian cuts is he accusing the former governor of making? During his campaign, Wolf accused Corbett of cutting $1 billion from education and his reference in […]
Governor Wolf Allows Emergency School Funding and Essential Services
Governor Tom Wolf began a Tuesday press conference by calling the budget presented to him before Christmas “garbage,” while calling for spending increases as outlined in the $30.8 billion budget he prefers. He is allowing emergency funds to go out to schools and state agencies to keep them from closing. He called on the legislature […]
PA Budget Fight Raising State Borrowing Costs
The six month budget impasse is already costing residents of Pennsylvania because investors are demanding higher rates of return on PA debt that reflects the higher risk of those investments. The higher interest rate PA must pay for borrowing dollars means the state is spending more dollars without getting any more services in return. A […]
PA Senate Passes Budget to End Deadlock so Schools Can Stay Open
The PA Senate passed a $30.3 billion budget and sent it on to the Governor who has 10 days to sign it. No tax increase is required and if signed, state funding for schools and other services will become available. Republicans are generally in favor, Democrats generally less so, unfortunately, neither this $30.3 billion version […]