 Betting on the wrong horse
The consequences of chronic underfunding of public education in the Commonwealth abound. They include faltering academic achievement, ever-increasing property taxes, and crumbling school infrastructure.
It’s the latter that’s dominated the news in recent months, with scores of reports of old school buildings with exposed asbestos, lead paint chips falling from classroom ceilings, and leaking roofs causing mold and mildew.
In Philadelphia, it’s a full-blown crisis that has compelled a major rally in Harrisburg on December 18 to protect students.
The fight for education funding renews every budget season but the funding increases don’t come close to keeping pace with rising pension costs, special education demands, let alone the most basic repairs.
We’re told every year there’s no money—but if that’s true why are legislators taking hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars every year and betting it all on the track?
Sadly, this isn’t hyperbole. For the past 12 years, wealthy horse owners, private race tracks, and racehorse breeders have received 10% of Pennsylvania’s slot machine revenue to prop up the dying horse-racing industry through a little-known state subsidy called the Race Horse Development Fund (RHDF).
In 2017, that amounted to $239M. Since the inception of RHDF? Well over $2.6 billion.
The fund pays for 90 percent of the cash prizes given to race winners, much of it to out-of-state millionaires.
Philadelphia’s Rivers Casino (formerly Sugar House) kicks in more than $17M of their slot machine take annually to the fund. To put that in context, $17M in annual dedicated revenues for repayment could yield a bond for $280M for desperately needed repairs, conservatively speaking, the School District of Philadelphia told PCCY.
Is that really the best use of taxpayer money?
We say neigh. And we’re not the only ones.
In 2014, State Rep. Todd Stephens proposed legislation to raid the piggish corporate handout to no avail—and no surprise.
The RHDF is the largest fund that could be redirected, according to Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, as reported by the Inquirer.
“It is amazing to me the political power [the horse-racing industry] wields in the Capitol,” said Sen. Corman. “Anytime we even bring it up it gets shot down in about half a second.”
With due respect to Leader Corman, legislators actively surrender that power (bestowed unto them by voters) to the horse lobby. Our students are struggling to learn in hazardous school buildings—that’s why we need you to join us in Harrisburg on December 18th for the Rally to End Toxic Schools.
Click HERE to learn more or to reserve your free seat on the PCCY bus, leaving 440 N. Broad Street at 7am. Or, meet us in the Main Rotunda at the Capitol at 10am.
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