If you are not already familiar with them, try Myron Orfield's Metropolitan Area Research Organization at http://www.metroresearch.org/index.html. They specialize in the problem of inter-municipal differences in both need for services and the capacity to provide them, and are very good at depicting these differences using maps. Orfield has a new book out, _American Metropolitics_. I take it you are looking at a rebalance in state-municipal financing while I think Orfield focuses more on fiscal capacity within metro areas. However, I think the general issues are similar,
Bill Burgess At 03:29 PM 25/12/01 -0800, you wrote: >Hi everyone, > >My name is Mitch Chanin, and I'm a community organizer in >Philadelphia. I've been hoping to find someone who could help me >with some research for an organizing effort > >I'm writing to ask whether or not you might be able to help with >some research for an important community organizing effort that >I've been participating in for the past few >months. > >For several years, activists in Philadelphia and around the state >have been working to change the way the Pennsylvania state >government funds public education. PA has one of the most >inequitable approaches to funding public schools of any state in >the country -- it pays only about 35% of public school expenses, >leaving local governments and school districts to depend on local >property taxes for much of their funding. Districts with large >tax bases are able to provide adequate funding for their schools, >and other districts are not--some affluent suburbans districts >near Philadelphia spend close to twice per pupil what the Philly >school district is able to spend each year. Year after year, >districts like Philadelphia's, including school districts in poor >towns, suburbs, and rural areas throughout the state, are are >desperately short of resources. Community groups and education >advocates have been working through law suits and through >legislative action to get the state to change its funding >formula, and recently a new statewide, grassroots network called >Good Schools Pennsylvania has come together to take on this >campaign. I've been volunteering with Good Schools PA for several >months, and I feel like there's real potential for a major change >in policy over the next couple of years. > >The reform that's been discussed the most often involved >increasing the state income tax, reducing local property taxes, >and through a somewhat complicated formula, redistributing the >increased state revenue to school districts around the state so >as to insure that each school has an adequate amount of money to >spend. A Republican state legislator from the Philly suburbs has >recently introducted a proposal along these lines. > >In order to for us to advocate effectively for this kind of >change, I think it would be extremely useful for us to have a >clear picture of how the tax burden would be distributed, and I >haven't so far been able to find that information. How would >people in different income brackets and different kinds of >households be affected? Who will pay more, and who will pay less? >My sense is that the largest portion of the new revenue will come >from the wealthiest people, and that at least some low-income and >middle-income people will end up paying less in taxes. I'm not >sure, though, how this kind of change would affect middle-income >people overall, low-income renters, senior >citizens living with their families or in institutions, etc.. As >far as I know, no one has done a comprehensive analysis--I've >talked with people from the Pennsylvania School Reform Network, >which is one of the main proponents of this change, and also with >a couple of local economic policy institutes. Conservative >legislators are arguing against the proposal by saying that it >would be "unfair to young workers," or that "middle class >families" will suffer. The more we know about how the benefits >and losses from this kind of bill would be distributed, the >easier it will be for us to answer these claims or to come up >with changes to the proposal to make it better. > >If anyone knows of a research institute, and individual reseacher >or student, or a college class of some kind that might be able to >do an analysis of this stuff, please let me know. I'm considering >taking this on myself, and if I do, I'd be extremely grateful for >an advice or help anyone could provide. > >I'm forwarding you a longer request for assistance that I wrote >up a while ago, along with some background information. If you >have any questions or need more information, please feel free to >call me at 215-698-2422. > >Thanks very much, and I hope everyone is doing well. Have a great >holiday, > >Mitch > >-- > >Michael Perelman >Economics Department >California State University >Chico, CA 95929 > >Tel. 530-898-5321 >E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
