To the Editor:

Another year and another school property increase, compliments of the Whitehall-Coplay School Board. No need to worry, the taxpayers will cover the increase of the unfair tax on homeowners.

In the interim, the tax and spending will continue unchecked. Never mind that many families, and especially retirees, are burdened by these increases. Who cares?!

The school board tells me this is a funding issue from Harrisburg. I do not fully buy that excuse. The spending can and should be reduced. If Harrisburg is unable to fund the operation, then there should be a bare-bones budget.

This would entail eliminating all of the wants disguised as needs. There are many areas where cuts need to be enacted, and I am sure there is plenty of low-hanging fruit. Cadillac benefits, health care and retirement plans need to be reduced; they are simply too expensive.

Most business and industries began reducing these types of benefits 40 years ago. Its time for the union to be fair to all parties affected.

One would say go to the school board and voice your concerns and opinion. At Whitehall, the public is granted three minutes to speak and then you must shut up and sit down, with no followup. If you ask a question, it remains unanswered. Any dialogue is one way, from the school board that holds the power in the meetings.

This leaves the taxpayer frustrated and with a sense of being disrespected. It appears to me the board will listen, as it goes in one ear and out the other.

In 2021, I wrote the school board and did not receive a response. In 2022 and 2023, I attended in person during the spring budget cycle public meetings to speak. Those meetings left me to think that I completely wasted my time and effort.

Regarding Harrisburg and funding: The last few years, I attempted to contact my state representative. This past February, I decided to contact our new state senator via the tool provided on the webpage.

After weeks of not hearing back, I phoned and spoke with someone at the office and requested a response. After more weeks passed, I phoned a second time and got the same result. I specifically asked for a response or a meeting to discuss.

As I write this, still no response. That’s our representation in Harrisburg. The citizen doesn’t matter, but the party, big donors and special interests do. Harrisburg continues to fail the citizens.

School funding needs to be moved away from property taxes to more equitable sources. Will this ever be accomplished? We all know the answer. Why should they? They work part time, are overpaid and have the same Cadillac benefits and retirement benefits.

Voting out ineffective legislators and term limits might help, but we all know this answer, too. Washington and Harrisburg are unfixable.

Finally, the only thing I can close with is the community needs to be involved if they truly do care, otherwise the board and administration will continue on the same path. This past spring in our primary elections, other school districts citizens formed slates of alternative candidates for school boards running against the status quo. That may be needed in Whitehall, as we cannot continue or sustain the path we are on.

After all, the administration and board should be held accountable for their decisions and votes.

Bruce D. Charles

Whitehall