Now’s the
time to
lower tax
i “Now is not the time to reduce
: taxes,” Pennsylvania State Educa-
} tion Association (PSEA) President
3 Nancy M. Noonan said recently in
response to Governor Thornburgh’s
call for a tax reduction.
“It is the time to fulfill the state’s
responsibilities to the people and the
students in Pennsylvania’s schools.
“According to a public survey
conducted last summer for PSEA
by a private polling company, the
Commonwealth’s citizens believe
that the state should use surplus
"monies to fund state government
and its required functions.
“Funding the public schools is a
priority function and any effort to
cut taxes will limit the state’s abil-
ity to provide aid to schools.
“Education is the state’s most
valuable product. There is nothing
more positive for the preservation
of Pennsylvania’s economy than to
t make certain the revenue-base for
subsidizing the public schools is
maintained.
“The heart of most communities
is the public school system and the
state’s responsibility is to provide
equal educational opportunity for all
children.
“But it is not happening. School
districts are not being funded equi-
tably. Many school districts are
receiving only 80 percent of their
instruction subsidy entitlement.
“The state’s share of instruction
funding has dropped and there is a
divergence of nearly $2,500 per pupil
in instruction expenditures for the
highest and lowest income districts.
“Since there is a surplus and the
state has the money, it’s time to
protect the future by funding the
schools now.
® “The impact on the quality of
education is severe.”
According to a statewide study of
school effectiveness conducted by
PSEA by Penn State University, as
school district resources increase:
1. Salaries become more competi-
tive
2. Community support increases
3. There are more adequate
instructional resources
4. There are more programs for
exceptional children
5. Curriculum is rated more effec-
tive
6. Professional development of
teachers is more effective
7. Individual attention to students
increases.
‘‘Increasing teachers’ salaries
also is a top priority that the state
Ww must face,”” Noonan pointed out.
‘The average starting salary for
teachers in Pennsylvania is $15,588
for 1985-86. This is not competitive
\ Mg with starting salaries in‘other states”
J and therefore makes Pennsylvania
"less than a competitive market for
the teaching profession.
A ‘Other states are doing what
! Pennsylvania should have done last
year and that is to mandate better
salaries for teachers.
p {
A “New Jersey recently enacted an
ie $18,500 minimum salary for teach-
red ers and the Governor’s Commission
in Connecticut has proposed a $19,-
300 starting salary and doubling all
teachers’ salaries within 14 years.
“Just as with inequities in state
funding of schools, the inequities in
salaries between wealthy and poor
! districts is becoming more severe
N each year.
hati | “It’s time for Pennsylvania to
come to grips with this issue.”
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CORNER CAREY and
- MAIN STREETS
The holiday season can be a
joyous occasion, but it can also be a
time of overindulgence and over-
spending. That is why we have New
Year's resolutions.
Every New Year, we promise
ourselves we are going to drop bad
habits, get more exercise, keep in
touch with friends more or get our
financial affairs in order. Of all the
New Year’s resolutions, the one
most important for today’s con-
sumer is getting and keeping one’s
financial affairs in order, according
to the Pennsylvania Credit Union
League, an association of credit
unions in the Commonwealth.
“We all wish we could manage
our money better,” noted Michael J.
Judge, president of the League,
which is involved in promoting
thrift among the state’s two million
credit union members.
The following financial resolutions
are good ones to consider for the
person who never seems to have
enough money for the things he or
she needs, is constantly over-
whelmed with bills and does not
have an adequate system of record-
keeping.
1. “I will adopt a monthly budget
once and for all.” This resolution is
the first basic step for anyone seri-
ous about getting their financial
affairs in order. A monthly budget
shows where the money is being
spent and, therefore similarly,
where expenses can be cut. A
monthly budget can help assure that
there is enough money to meet
necessary expenses.
2. “I will save 10 percent right off
the top of every paycheck.” A good
budget system will have a category
for savings. Direct deposit is an
excellent way to save for those
tempted to spend all of their pay-
checks. Most credit unions and
some banks offer payroll deduction
to make it easy for workers to
deduct a percentage of their pay
into a savings account.
3. ‘I will organize my vital
records.” Quick and easy access to
vital records such as birth certifi-
cate, investment records, marriage
license, insurance papers, deeds,
etc. can save a person many a
headache when tax time comes
around, when an insurance claim
needs to be processed or a property
is being sold. Vital records should
be kept in a safe place and a list
made of where they are for fast
retrieval.
4. “I will prepare (or update) my
will.” A will lets a person decide
where accumulated possessions will
go after death. Without such a
document, this determination will
be made by strangers.
5. “I will finish paying for the
motorcycle before I buy the boat.”
It is a good idea to finish paying for
old discretionary purchases before
taking on new ones. Affordable
loans are available to most people
for necessary items (car, home,
major appliances) and discretion-
ary items (vacation, television,
stereo), but credit unions discour-
age people from borrowing to pay
for more than one discretionary
item at a time.
‘“Adopting even one of these reso-
lutions can start a person on the
road to financial security,” said
Judge, adding ‘‘the key to making
resolutions into realities lies in the
planning.
“Often, the reason we fail to keep
a resolution is that we don’t make a
corresponding plan,” Judge said,
“It will help if a plan is adopted
along with the resolution.”
That plan should include a series
of small steps to be completed, and
an accompanying timetable that
sets dates for their completion. For
instance, the simple task of gather-
ing together all receipts and bills
may be an important first step to be
taken when actually establishing a
regular monthly budget.
‘Stress’ —
a word
“Stress.” It’s a household word
which has made headlines in publi-
cations that range from medical
journals to newsstand tabloids.
Stress, the body and mind’s reaction
to tension and pressure, can help
people perform their best in difficult
situations. When the stress level is
too high, however, it can impair a
person’s ability to perform daily
tasks well.
For people with physical disabili-
ties such as arthritis, stress can be
a special problem, increasing the
pain and frustration they already
experience. The Arthritis Founda-
tion has produced a booklet titled
Coping With Stress to help people
handle the double problems of
stress and arthritis.
“People with arthritis often must
adapt to change in their job status,
hobbies, energy levels or body
image,” said Michael Kirby, Public
Relations Director of the Eastern
Pennsylvania Chapter of the Arthri-
tis Foundation. ‘‘None of these
adjustments is easy - and all can
JANUARY
produce a stress. In addition, stress
creates muscle tension, which can
increase the pain of arthritis. A
vicious cycle of stress, pain and
depression can develop - stress cre-
ates pain, pain leads to depression,
-and depression adds to stress. It is
important that people with arthritis
learn how to manage stress and
break the cycle.”
Arthritis refers to more than 100
different rheumatic diseases which
are chronic and can be serious.
Managing stress can help a person
with arthritis have less pain and
feel healthier. For more information
about stress management for people
who have arthritis, contact the
Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of
the Arthritis Foundation and ask for
a copy of the booklet, Coping With
Stress. Write Arthritis Foundation,
311 South Juniper Street, Philadel-
phia, PA 19107 or call 215-735-5272.
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