UCF moves forward with 2.88% budget plan

No residents attend two-hour hearing; pensions biggest growth area By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — It appears that Dancing With The Stars is a lot more popular than Budgets with The Board. No residents attended Monday night’s Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education budget hearing (technically, this reporter is a resident and did attend as the lone media representative on...

Is Wolf angling to make a deal with GOP legislators?

With his base secured, a deal on liquor privatization, pensions could be in play By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Depending on who is reading the tea leaves, Gov. Tom Wolf is either drawing a line in the sand — and guaranteeing four years of abject gridlock, or he’s securing the base with the idea that he’s going to have to make deals in the coming weeks and months that won’t be popular with...

Will Corbett stand up to the legislature on pensions?

How the governor plays this issue could decide the Nov. elections By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times A wise attorney once told me, “never ask a question in court if you don’t know what the answer will be.” It appears that Gov. Tom Corbett failed to adhere to that maxim when he hinted he would not sign the new $29.1 billion state budget passed by both houses of the legislature — unless the legislature...

Pennsylvania deserves better than Kick-The-Can

To The Editor, We have a pension crisis in Pennsylvania. It was created by Governor Ridge and the legislature, when the passed Act 9 of 2001, then kicked down the road by Governor Rendell and the legislature for the 8 years that he was in office. In 2011 the pension crisis was addressed by Act 120, a balanced bipartisan solution to a long-term problem that moves the state toward paying off the bill.  ...

Is there hope for a pension fix in the legislature?

New proposal could form framework for at least a partial fix By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Is it possible that a small glimmer of hope toward finding a real, workable solution to public pension mess is inching forward in the state legislature? As you’re probably aware, spiking contributions to state worker and teachers’ pension funds have hamstrung the state and local school districts,...

As Philly goes, so goes Chester County?

In this week of HS graduations, why you need to be concerned about Philly’s schools By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Out here in Chester County, we’ve been relatively insulated — we think — from the collapse of the Philadelphia Public Schools. Maybe you’ve seen some of the recent discussion about all extra curricular activities, even sports, being cut from the public schools....