Saccone+and+Dunbar+Picketed+by+TEACH

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= Parents, Students, Teachers Picketed Two GOP = == = Legislators Who Show a “Callous Indifference” To Their Constituents! =

=As the state legislature considers a budget that would strip over $1 billion from education, on 6/23/11 the T.E.A.C.H. Group picketed two local Republican legislators who’ve continually voted against the needs of their constituents.= ==

=State Rep. Rick Saccone (R-Jefferson Hills) and George Dunbar (R-Penn Township) both serve districts with schools that rely heavily on state funding to survive. Both legislators proudly voted for House Bill 1485 that takes a disproportionate amount of funding from poorer districts like Saccone’s Clairton City Schools and Dunbar’s Jeannette City Schools.=

=We wondered what they would do if given a chance to vote again on a budget amended by the Senate?= = Did they need a second chance to make the right decision? =



media type="youtube" key="0kX8H2NG2OU" height="510" width="853" =If you're having trouble viewing this video, please click [|HERE].=

= = =Under the GOP plan, each Clairton student will lose $1,480 .= =That’s one of the highest funding reductions in the state!= = = = Jeannette students will lose $915 each - the biggest per pupil reduction in Westmoreland County!= =If you compare that to the per pupil funding reductions in districts like Upper St. Claire, Norwin and Mt. Lebanon, you see poor kids are being made to shoulder a much larger burden than more affluent kids.=

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=Approximately 40 people from various walks of life got together to picket these politicians. Many met at McKeesport High School and then formed a convoy of cars going to Dunbar's North Huntingdon office and Saccone's Jefferson Hills office. Some met us along the way, picketing at only one location.= = = = = =The people who joined us on this outing came from an even broader range of locals than the previous TEACH picketing event. A partial list would include Jeannette, North Huntingdon, Clairton, Woodland Hills, Jefferson Hills, Elizabeth Forward, South Allegheny, West Mifflin, Duquesne, McKeesport and Steel Valley.= = =

=At each legislator's office we sent a delegation of two or three to enter the building, ask to be heard and take our message to the lawmaker. (Both legislators, as expected, were in Harrisburg for budget talks.) In both cases the long-suffering secretary took down our names and message. At Saccone's office an aide tried to debate us on the issue but soon feel quiet when confronted with facts like those below.=



=At each office, TEACH Organizer Steven Singer took to the bullhorn and lead the chanting and message. The following is a rough transcript of our message - two tailor made messages for Dunbar and Sacone. NOTE: text in red was chanted by the group:=

= Dunbar: = =George Dunbar! Rep. George Dunbar! We’ve come for you, Dunbar!= =We think the people’s representative should represent the people in his district.=

=Represent your constituents!= = Represent your constituents! =

=What do you have against Jeannette?= = What do you have against Jeannette? =



=You voted for House Bill 1485 - even after we begged you not to. You voted to strip more money from the children of Jeannette than any other public school children in all of Westmoreland County!=

=How could you do that, Dunbar?= = How Could you? =

=Under HB. 1485, poorer districts like Jeannette will receive disproportionate funding cuts than richer ones.= = = = = =Each Norwin student loses $443= = No! = =Each Penn Trafford student loses $482= = No! = =Each Jeannette City School student loses $915= = No! = =That’s double the Norwin funding cut!= = No! = =That’s nearly double the Penn-Trafford funding cut!= = No! = = = = = =How could you do that, Dunbar?= = How Could you? =



=Even if it were necessary to cut over $1 billion from education statewide - which it’s not - but even if it were necessary, the equitable thing to do would be for every student to lose the same amount of funding. Whether you’re a kid from Norwin, Penn-Trafford or Jeannette, you’d have the same funding reduction.=

=But you voted to punish your own constituents!= = No! = =You voted to penalize the voters of Jeannette!= = No! = =You voted to penalize the children of Jeannette!= = No! =

=And why? Maybe because they didn’t vote for you in the last election. Yeah, that’s right. They voted for Jim Casorio. But they’re still your constituents! When you were elected, you swore to represent them, too!= = = = = =What do you have against Jeannette?= = What do you have against Jeannette? = = = = = = = =When we came to talk to you on May 19 and 20, you said you wouldn’t mind increasing education funding but you didn’t have the courage to stand against the other members of your own party. And now it is the children of Jeannette who will suffer for your cowardice!=

=Think of the children!= = Think of the children! =



=Gov. Corbett promised no new taxes. Well guess what? Like many struggling districts in Pennsylvania, Jeannette will raise taxes by 1.68 mills this year!= = No! = =AND deplete it’s fund balance by $700,000= = No! = =AND not replace 10 retiring teachers= = No! =

=That’s because of YOU Dunbar!=

=What do you have against Jeannette?= = What do you have against Jeannette? = = = = = =Represent your constituents!= = Represent your constituents! = =



= = Saccone: = =Rick Saccone! Rep. Rick Saccone! We’ve come for you, Saccone!= =We think the people’s representative should represent the people in his district.=

=Represent your constituents!= = Represent your constituents! =

=What do you have against Clairton?= = What do you have against Clairton? =

=You voted for House Bill 1485 - even after we begged you not to. You voted to strip more money from the children of Clairton than almost any other public school in the state! Only abut three other districts in the state would suffer more severe funding cuts. Duquesne is the only district with a bigger budget cut in all of Western Pennsylvania!=

=How could you do that to Clairton? How could you do that to a district you’re supposed to represent, Saccone?= = How Could you? =



=Under HB. 1485, poorer districts like Clairton will receive disproportionate funding cuts than richer ones.=

=Each West Jefferson Hills student loses $286= = No! = =Each South Park student loses $415= = No! = =Each Elizabeth Forward student loses $553= = No! = =Each Ringgold student loses $695= = No! = =Each Clairton student loses $1,480= = No! = =That’s more than double the Ringgold funding cut!= = No! = =That’s two and a half times the Elizabeth Forward funding cut!= = No! = =That’s three and a half times the South Park funding cut!= = No! = =That’s more than five times the West Jefferson Hills funding cut!= = No! =

=How could you do that, Saccone?= = How Could you? =



=Even if it were necessary to cut over $1 billion from education statewide - which it’s not - but even if it were necessary, the equitable thing to do would be for every student to lose the same amount of funding. Whether you ‘re a kid from West Jefferson Hills, South Park, Ringgold, Elizabeth Forward or Clairton, you’d have the same funding reduction.=

=But you voted to punish your own constituents!= = No! = =You voted to penalize the voters of Clairton!= = No! = =You voted to penalize the children of Clairton!= = No! =

=What do you have against Clairton?= = What do you have against Clairton? =



=Your opinion on education funding is like a ping pong ball, Saccone.= =After HB 1485 was passed, you were interviewed on television and said how proud you were for voting for the measure that strips over $1 billion from public schools. When we came to talk to you a few days later on May 27, you said you would support increasing education funding. When we talked to you in Harrisburg on 6/14/11 you had changed your tune again saying you wouldn’t support increasing education funding.= =It’s the children of Clairton who will suffer for your indecision and cowardice, Saccone!=

=Think of the children!= = Think of the children! =



=Because of your callous indifference to the needs of your constituents, Clairton is planning to furlough 16 employees!= = No! = =AND may have to end full-day kindergarten= = No! = =AND may have to increase property taxes= = No! = =Elizabeth Forward will furlough 12.5 teachers and eliminate 22 positions= = No! = =South Park will eliminate full day kindergarten= = No! =

=That’s because of YOU Saccone!=

=What do you have against Clairton?= = What do you have against Clairton? =

=What do you have against your constituents?= = What do you have against your constituents? = =Represent your constituents!= = Represent your constituents! = =



=At this point, we followed the same script Singer had written for our previous picketing event. To read that, please click HERE.==



=TEACH takes message to lawmakers= = = =News= =home=