Emrick Seeks Education Funding Reform

, R-137th, has a phrase: "Bringing government to your door."

In this case, he brought it to a diner.

Emrick held his in his district at the early Friday, focusing on everything from the to to welfare fraud to drilling to .

Here's what he said:

"I will not support any new tax increase. I signed a no-new-tax pledge. We have a spending problem that has to get under control."

Emrick, speaking before 20 people, touted the fact that the state's budget was approved on time for the first time in nine years and that $1 billion was cut, only the third time in 40 years, he said, that the current budget is less than the previous one.

But he said there's still plenty of fat to be trimmed.

One main area is education.

Emrick, a former teacher for 18 years, criticized some decisions by the to drive up the taxpayer burden.

"When I see the Nazareth School District build a huge Taj Mahal , I might be able to give them the benefit of the doubt," he said. "But what put it over the top for me was the debate over building a $5 million swimming pool. That was completely unnecessary. It's decisions like that."

Emrick also said he was unhappy with the district spending $1 million for AstroTurf on the football field. "Football should be played on grass," he said. "That's another unnecessary expense."

The legislator believes that schools should be funded on a level per-pupil formula.

He said it isn't fair that some districts in western Pennsylvania receives 70 percent funding from the state and that Philadelphia receives 56.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Emrick said, growth districts in the Lehigh Valley aren't getting enough.

He said the Bangor Area School District gets 37.5 percent from the state, Easton Area School District gets 28.8 percent and the Nazareth Area School District gets 26.7 percent.

While education makes up 40 percent of the state budget, so does welfare, another area that needs an overhaul, Emrick said.

"We know there's rampant abuse," he said. "We need to fix flaws in the system."

Emrick said Gov. Tom Corbett recently signed a bill that provides for a 19-point checklist to determine income eligibility.

Another issue for the Commonwealth centers around natural gas drilling.

While that resource isn't available in the Lehigh Valley as it is in other parts of the state, Emrick wanted to make it quite clear that the shale industry is taking care of its tax burden to the tune of $1 billion in state taxes since 2006, according to a report from the state Department of Revenue.

"There are a lot of unknowns, there's a lot of misinformation," he said. "We do not have shale here. We will not benefit from it. The industry will create a financial boom for our state, but we must make sure that the environment is protected."

Emrick also covered issues on, the privatization of liquor stores, "Right to Work" legislation and vouchers for charter schools.

Emrick updated residents on his plans to regulate the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, presenting legislation that would allow the governor to veto any toll increases.

Emrick had previously pushed for a toll hike moratorium, but his plan was ignored.

"Now that the budget is done, I can't imagine the governor being opposed to that," he said.