Dave's Place |
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| Posts from March 2012 |
Hoodies Aren't New
by Dave Barger
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posted Mar 29 2012 8:37AM
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Not everyone is afraid of a hoody
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Geist Harrisburg Corruption Isn't New
by Dave Barger
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posted Mar 28 2012 12:58AM
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Rick Geist a 33 year Harrisburg politician casually talks about corruption in the Legislature during an interview with WHTM-TV. "It isn't new and ten years from now people will be talking about something else." It is disconcerting to see that Geist seems comfortable with the Harrisburg culture of corruption. Is this what 33 years in Harrisburg does to one's moral compass?
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Geist Won't Debate His Record
by Dave Barger
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posted Mar 26 2012 2:27PM
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Ain't No Debaitin'
Representative Rick Geist campaign suggested that they were concerned that a debate would not be handled fairly by the Blair County Chamber of Commerce. Others see it as an acknowledgement that his 33 years in the State legislature would be found lacking if he were to engage his opponent Dr. John McGinnis.
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Pennsylvania State & Local Government Debt
by Dave Barger
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posted Mar 22 2012 8:59AM
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Commonwealth Foundation[1] states the following:
Pennsylvanians owe $121 billion in state and local government debt. This equates to more than $9,400 for every person, and almost $38,000 for the average family of four in the commonwealth—an increase of $10,300 since 2002.
The total represents debt in the form of government bonds, but excludes unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities for government workers, borrowing for unemployment compensation, and short-term tax anticipation notes, which add tens of billions more in obligations for Pennsylvania taxpayers.
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Pennsylvania State & Local Government Debt |
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Debtor |
Debt Outstanding |
Per Person |
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Total State |
$45,020,310,000 |
$3,533 |
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State |
$10,356,710,000 |
$813 |
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State Agencies & Authorities |
$34,663,600,000 |
$2,720 |
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Total Local |
$75,759,706,000 |
$5,945 |
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School Districts |
$26,618,928,378 |
$2,089 |
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County/Municipal/Twp/Other |
$49,140,777,622 |
$3,856 |
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Total |
$120,780,016,000 |
$9,478 |
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Sources: Governor's Executive Budget (http://www.budget.state.pa.us) December 2011 data; PA Dept of Education (http://www.pde.state.pa.us) June 2010 data; U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/govs/www/estimate.html) 2009 data |
State Debt
Since 2002, total outstanding state general obligation debt increased 54%, from $6.8 billion to $10.3 billion.
Annual debt payments on general obligation bonds increased from $349 million in FY 2002-03 to $1.1 billion in the proposed FY 2012-13 budget, an increase of 198% in annual debt payments in nine years.
State Agencies' & Authorities' Debt
More than three-fourths of Pennsylvania's state-level borrowing is done by off-budget state agencies and authorities, like the Turnpike Commission and the Commonwealth Financing Authority, which issue their own debt to the extent authorized by the legislature.
Debt held by state agencies and authorities increased from $16.8 billion in 2002 to nearly$34.7 billion in 2011—an increase of 106%.
Total Pennsylvania state and state agencies' and authorities' debt increased from $23.7 billion to more than $45 billion in the last nine years—representing a total state-level increase of 90%.
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Pennsylvania State, State Agencies' & Authorities' Debt |
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Debtor |
Debt Outstanding 2002 |
Debt Outstanding 2011 |
Increase |
Change |
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State |
$6,805,184,000 |
$10,356,710,000 |
$3,551,526,000 |
52% |
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State Agencies & Authorities |
$16,848,800,000 |
$34,663,600,000 |
$17,814,800,000 |
106% |
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Total State |
$23,653,984,000 |
$45,020,310,000 |
$21,366,326,000 |
90% |
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Sources: Governor's Executive Budget (http://www.budget.state.pa.us) December 2011 data |
School District Debt
Pennsylvania taxpayers are also experiencing an increase in debt at the school district level.
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According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, school district debt increased from $19.4 billion in 2002 to $26.6 billion in 2010—an increase of 38%.
County, Municipal, Township, & Special District Debt
Other local government debt—debt held by counties, cities, townships, boroughs, and special districts—represents more than 40% of all taxpayer debt in the Commonwealth.
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau's most recent data (2009), county, municipal, township, and special district debt increased from $45 billion in 2002 to $49 billion in 2009—an increase of 9%.
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Pennsylvania School District, County, Municipal, Township, Special District Debt |
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Debtor |
Debt Outstanding 2002 |
Debt Outstanding 2010 |
Increase |
Change |
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School Districts |
$19,351,014,152 |
$26,618,928,378 |
$7,267,914,226 |
38% |
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County/Municipal/Twp/Other |
$44,943,251,000 |
$49,140,777,622 |
$4,197,526,622 |
9% |
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Total Local |
$64,294,265,152 |
$75,759,706,000 |
$11,465,440,848 |
18% |
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Sources: PA Dept of Education (http://www.pde.state.pa.us) June 2010 data; U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/govs/www/estimate.html) 2009 data |
For more information check these sources:
Sources: Governor's Executive Budget (http://www.budget.state.pa.us) December 2011 data; PA Dept of Education (http://www.pde.state.pa.us) June 2010 data; U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/govs/www/estimate.html) 2009 data
(ONE OTHER DEBT WE HAVE: We owe Representative Rick Geist a debt of gratitude for helping us get into all this debt. db)
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