This week, in a rare show of non-partisan Republican politics in Delaware County, many top elected officials commended Governor Rendell’s highly diversified tax education plan. The governor’s tax package includes, among others, property tax reform and an income tax increase in order to bolster our state’s weakened public school system. These changes reach far beyond Delaware County. Strengthening our schools is vital to the entire commonwealth, and such change is long overdue. State Representatives Mario Civera and Nicholas Micozzie, both Republicans representing districts in Upper Darby, defended Rendell’s comprehensive plan, noting "No other governor has come to this point." This is significant praise considering public education suffered its sharpest decline in Pennsylvania under Republican Governors Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker.

Delaware County Republicans are not entirely united in their support, however. Representative William Adolph, whose district includes areas of Springfield, Marple, Radnor, and Morton, strongly disagrees with this non-partisanship. Adolph, himself a product of a first-class private education, does not support Governor Rendell’s plan to strengthen our public schools. In his criticism of the governor, Adolph questions the timing of the tax plan: "Expanding educational programs at a time when funding for public education is struggling in certain areas is not what I expected." Adolph has not considered all aspects of the governor’s plan. Two of Rendell’s revenue generating proposals are expected to collect over $1 billion for the state by fiscal year 2005-2006 alone. With more than enough money being offered to cover the costs of education, one must question Representative Adolph’s commitment to our state’s entire public school system.

Bill Adolph’s counter plan to the governor’s tax package mirrors the exact platform Mike Fisher campaigned and was soundly defeated on. After all, 65% of Delaware County voted for Ed Rendell and his education tax plan. An even higher percentage of voters support the governor’s effort to strengthen our public schools, including Representatives Civera and Micozzie.

Adolph refuses to endorse any facet of the education tax plan, including one so important and one as non-partisan as mandatory pre-school for our children. Pennsylvania is one of only nine states without a state funded pre-school program, and Representative Adolph wants to keep it that way. In fact, Bill Adolph wants Delaware County to remain exactly as it was in 1988 when he was first elected. Bill Adolph works to maintain the status quo in his district and in Delaware County. As the Fisher campaign taught us, fresh ideas always prevail over political stagnancy. The citizens of this county and of Representative Adolph’s district deserve more than rank partisanship. Bill Adolph is a man fearful of fresh, exciting ideas and changing times. Such change threatens Adolph’s position in the General Assembly which is why he refuses to embrace the governor’s highly touted education tax plan.

Do not be fooled by Bill Adolph’s rhetoric. He does not want each district to decide such issues as property tax, mandatory pre-school, and class size any more than he wants to hand his job over to a Democrat. Adolph does not support any of these measures because he does not support change. Unfortunately, this all comes at the expense of his constituents, the state of Pennsylvania, and worst of all, our children.

Dustin Gettel

President, Delaware County Young Democrats