Picketing+on+the+Road

=Our fourth stop was an all out road trip across Western Pennsylvania to visit the following legislators all in a single day:=







= = == = = =media type="youtube" key="yehXL9AC6Uk" height="510" width="853"= =If You're having trouble viewing this video, please click [|HERE].=

=[|Channel 4 Coverage of the Event Plus Thoughts on Banning Teachers' Strikes]= =TEACH makes case to 5 GOP legislators= =Daily News Editorial About T.E.A.C.H.=

= = == = = =The T.E.A.C.H. Committee payed a visit to five local legislators on Thursday, 6/9/11, one after the other, to impress upon them the need to increase education funding in the state budget.= = = =Approximately 40 people of various ages and walks of life either boarded a school bus or followed along in a five-car convoy and traveled from one end of the Pittsburgh area to the other and back again.= = = =They went to the local legislative offices of State Senators Elder Vogel, John Pippy and Jane Orie. They also visited State Representatives Mark Mustio and Eli Evancovich.=

=At each location, the group circled the office with protest signs - some held our standard message "Gov. Corbett's Budget Equals All Children Left Behind." Others were hand-written for the occasion with messages such as:= = = = Restore Education Funding =

= Increased Prison Spending + Decreased Education Spending Equals Republican Budget =

= Don't Support Corbett's $2 billion WAM Fund =

= Delaware Loophole's open - School's Closed =

= Got Shale? Tax it =

= Tutoring Isn't a Waste of Money, All-Day Kindergarten isn't a Waste of Money, Our children Aren't a waste of money =

= Why Cut Funding for Black and Hispanic Children more than for White ones? =

= Gov. Corbett, enjoy your raise! =

= Public School Credo: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free. =





=At each location, TEACH was met with goodwill and support. People came out of the woodwork to shake our hands, honk their horns and even silently join our ranks at particular offices. Many asked for their own TEACH yard signs and we provided as many as we could - especially to business owners whose offices were in close proximity to Republican legislators.=

=At each legislator's office we went a delegation of two to enter the building, tell the lawmaker we were there and ask to be heard. In all cases but one, we were politely refused with excuses ranging from "He's in a meeting" to "He's out of the office," and the long-suffering secretary took down our names and message. Only at State Sen. John Pippy's office did we receive a passive aggressive reply - in short, you're on private property and we could call the police, but we won't unless the other businesses complain. At Pippy's office, the secretary refused to write anything down saying she knew who we were and had us "on file."=



=The event was covered by both Channel 4 and 11 news. Sheldon Ingram of Channel 4 even did a special piece on it including questions about proposed legislation to ban teachers' strikes. An article is forthcoming in the McKeesport Daily News on Friday, 6/10/11. It's unfortunate that the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and other news outlets didn't include coverage, as well.=



=At each office, TEACH Organizer Steven Singer took to the bullhorn and lead the chanting and message. The following is a rough transcript of what he told the politicians who were "in a meeting." NOTE: text in red was chanted by the group:=

= = = WE. ARE. TEACH. = = = = ALL CUTS HURT! =

=What do we want?= = = = Education funding! = = = =When do we want it?= = = = NOW! = = = = = =You say cut back!= = = = We say fight back! = = =

= = = House Bill 1485 = =On May 24, the House made a mistake. They voted to pass a budget that cuts education by more than $1 billion while there’s a projected $1 billion of surplus revenues!= =Gov. Corbett wants to put that surplus into a “rainy day” fund?= = = = = =Call & response: What do you think?=

= It’s raining now! =

=All Democrats and two Philly Republicans voted against it. But 109 members of the Grand Old Party thought it was a great idea (including (Rep. Name) ). What do you think, NAME?= = =

= Hey, Hey! = = Ho! Ho! = = This Here Budget's Got to Go! =



= Effects: = =When you mess with your future, when you cut down your children, when investing in education is seen as “wasteful”, your future as a nation is pretty grim.=

=As the Bible says, “He who troubles his own household shall inherit the wind.” Proverbs 11:29=

=All 500 Pennsylvania school districts were surveyed a few weeks ago on how the budget cuts will affect them.= =If, as expected, 31% of districts boost taxes beyond the inflation rate...=

= WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = =If 71% cut instructional programs= = = = WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = =If 64% eliminate tutoring= = = = WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = =If 86% increase class size= = = = WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = =If 51% end summer school= = = = WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = =If 31% end all-day kindergarten= = = = WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = =If 66% lay off teachers= = = = WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = =If 70% lay off non-instructional staff= = = = WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = =If we don’t invest in our children, our future..= = = = WE SHALL INHERIT THE WIND! = = = == = = = Racism = = = =Under House Bill 1485, students funding is not cut evenly by district, socioeconomic status or race. The average low-income student will suffer a funding reduction that is one-third greater than other students. The average Hispanic student will be cut 103 percent more and the average African-American student will be cut 164 percent more than the average white student.=

=The average cut per student overall: $509=

= NO! = = = =Low-income student cut: $715= = = = No! = = = =Hispanic student cut: $781= = = = No! = = = =African American student cut: $1,018= = = = No! = = = =White student cut: $385= = = = No! = = = =Call & Response: HB 1485 is what?= = = = RACIST! = = = =Cutting poor kids more than rich kids is what?= = = = Unfair! = = = =Cutting black kids more than white kids is what?= = = = Racist! = = = =Cutting hispanic kids more than white kids is what?= = = = Unfair! = = = =HB 1485 is what?= = = = Racist! =



= Restore Funding/Pileggi: = = = = = =State Sen. Dominic Pileggi, leading Republican in the Senate, says “I don’t think the house did enough for K through 12 education. I think that’s where our primary responsibility is and we should try to do more there.” Philly Times=

=Even Gov. Corbet, in University City on 6/6/11 in his address to charter school graduates said that state legislators are meeting to find ways to restore funding initially cut in his March budget proposal. Even the Gov. thinks we can restore funding to k-12 education!=

=Do you hear that (NAME)? Two of the most senior Republicans wants to restore funding to education! How about you?=

=Call & Response: Are you with us?=

= Or are you against us? = = = ==

= Constitution =

=House Bill 1485 strips $1.2 billion from education and Senate Bill 1 proposes using hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize private and parochial schools.=

=Consider this:=

=The Pennsylvania Constitution says,= =B. Education Public School System= =Section 14= =The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.=

=Public School Money Not Available to Sectarian Schools= =Section 15= =No money raised for the support of the public schools of the Commonwealth shall be appropriated to or used for the support of any sectarian school.=

=When you were sworn into office, NAME, like all Pennsylvania legislators you promised to uphold the state Constitution. Therefore, regardless of party affiliation, as an elected official in the state of Pennsylvania you are required to support public education. That means you cannot cry poor when it comes to our state's children while giving hundreds of millions in tax breaks to corporations. That means you cannot support a voucher bill that will take taxpayer money and divert it to private and religious schools and "dismantle" community-based public schools.=

=Call & Response: NAME, you took an oath!=

= Remember your oath! =



= Revenue Streams: = =The state of Pennsylvania funds public schools by only 36% while the national average is 48%!= =Maybe that’s why we rank 5th in the nation for highest local taxes to support education! The state isn’t paying it’s fair share, and now THEY WANT TO PAY EVEN LESS!=

=But, teachers, we’re broke, according to Gov. Corbett and the Republicans.=

=Where’s the money come from to pay for all this?=

=Should we raise taxes?=

= NO! = = = = = =Should we cut important programs like hospitals, higher education, senior’s health care and welfare?= = = = = = NO! = = = = = =Should we increase prison funding by $2.68 billion while cutting education by $1.2 billion?= = = = = = NO! = = = = = =Should we have a new $2 billion WAM fund for the governor - the Liberty Loan fund?= = = = = = NO! = = = = = =Should we give the shale drilling industry a tax free pass - making us the only state in the union not to tax them?= = = = = = NO! = = = = = =Should we keep the Delaware tax loophole open costing Pennsylvania $900 million annually?= = = = = = No! = = = = = =Should we cut education by $1.2 billion while all these other revenue streams remain untapped?= = = = = = No! = = = ==

=May we make a few “fiscally conservative” suggestions, NAME?=

=Should we decrease prison spending to increase our investment on our youth to keep them out of prison?= = = = = = Yes! = = = = = =Should we slash Gov. Corbett’s $2 billion Liberty Loan WAM?= = = = = = Yes! = = = = = =Should we tax our Marcellus shale like every other state - even Texas!?= = = = = = Yes! = = = = = =Should we close the Delaware tax loophole?= = = = = = Yes! = = = = = =Should we invest in our future, in our kids?= = = = = = Yes! = = = ==

=NAME, we’re watching you. We’ll know how you vote! The taxpayers will know! The voters will know! The parents will know! The children will know!=

=When Gov. Corbett announced his budget, he called it a “day of reckoning.”= =A day of reckoning is coming, NAME. It’s called election day.=

=If you don’t vote to restore education funding, we will know!=

=What do we want?=

= Education funding! = = = = = =When do we want it?= = = = = = NOW! = = = = = =You say cut back!= = = = = = We say fight back! =

=The event was made possible through a generous donation of $500 from State Rep. Marc Gergely - a longtime supporter of education.= = =

= = =home=