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Sentinel Morning Update: South Middleton fights state police protection bill
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A Thursday hearing in Harrisburg had state lawmakers weighing the impact of legislation that would require 21 communities across the state–including South Middleton Township–to pay for state police protection.
House Bill 2563, introduced by Rep. John E. Pallone, D-Westmoreland and James Casorio Jr., D-Westmoreland, would apply to all communities with more than 10,000 residents but no municipal law enforcement agency to either establish a local police force or pay an annual fee of $100 per resident for state police protection.
Under current census figures, it would produce more than $31 million from 21 townships in 12 counties.
But the bill has opponents.
“This approach looks to me like a state mandate, and it looks like an unfunded mandate,” said Rep. Will Gabig, R-Cumberland.
Opponents who testified at the House Judiciary Committee hearing warned it could be financially devastating and could push townships that don’t want their own police forces to establish one anyway.
“Why would any municipality or its residents pay an additional $1 to $4 million annually in taxes for state police coverage without receiving any additional benefits,” asked Lester Houck, second vice president of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, which represents 1,455 townships statewide. “We expect these communities will instead choose to provide local police services so their residents are receiving a benefit for their additional tax monies.”
Houck said while the state police are currently the primary responder in many communities, they do not enforce local ordinances.
Along with the rest of this story from Sentinel reporter Andrea Ciccocioppo, here's what else to look for in today’s print and on-line editions:
Officials debate legalization of marijuana
Dickinson College was the site of a debate Thursday night on the legalization of marijuana in the commonwealth.
Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed debated Allen St. Pierre, executive director or the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a public-interest lobby that believes the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana should no longer be a crime.
Students and professors crammed into the Stern Center great room, which could not hold the throng of attendees who overflowed into another part of the building.
Daniel Kenney, a Dickinson College professor of political science, moderated the debate which was sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues. Marijuana state laws have recently been altered in 11 states, including New York and Ohio.
St. Pierre said that despite 71 year of illegality “marijuana is a huge public policy issue in the United States.”
He said that his organization does not advocate the abuse of the drug and continued that the drug is not harmless. St. Pierre claimed the true debate was about “liberty and personal responsibility.”
Freed said that despite popular belief, casual users of marijuana are not “languishing in prison” for years.
The average size of a sale of marijuana in Cumberland County is a quarter of an ounce, Freed said.
“I don’t decided what’s criminal and what’s not,” Freed said. “I decide what to prosecute.”
Freed said that marijuana is a gateway drug that “begets addiction, poor choices and crime.”
Responsible use of marijuana is a “myth” Freed said.
Carlisle approves plans for dog park on Royer Road
Carlisle area dogs have something new to wag about courtesy of some hard-working humans.
The borough parks and recreation board Thursday approved the concept of locating a dog park on 2.5 acres along Royer Road just west of the borough.
Council could consider the recommendation from the advisory board at its next regular monthly meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 11.
The Carlisle Area Dog Parks Association wants to develop the fenced-in park on the former PP&L tract adjacent to Interstate 81.
Features could include a double-gated entrance, covered trash cans, pooper-scooper stations with plastic bags and separate fenced areas for small and large dogs.
An ad hoc task force considered nine possible locations before settling on the Royer Road tract as the best place for an area dog park, CADPA board member Vern Graham said.
He explained how the Royer Road tract can accommodate parking and is close enough to allow a lot of area dog owners to take advantage of the location.
There is currently no designated use for the tract located near a proposed linear park, Graham added.
Recreation Director Andrea Crouse said the borough could convene a public hearing in October or November on possible uses for the park. “A dog park ties in nicely with it,” Crouse said.
McCain wows delegates at convention
John McCain delivered for us.
We were anxious to learn more about Sarah Palin, but with McCain we knew what to expect. He never realized how much he loved his country until he spent five-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war. The story of his life was amazing.
It was just such hardship. It was really horrible. When they say country first, it isn't just a slogan. It's really a code of honor.
It wasn't as exciting as Sarah's speech, but it was still enthusiastic. It's like he talks right to you. McCain knows what needs to be done.
The whole week was leading up to this. When McCain finished, Sarah Palin and her family came out and joined them on stage. The celebration was so big, I've never seen so many red, white and blue balloons. It was like a grand celebration.
We were right in front of the podium by this runway they have set up for McCain. They changed the stage so it's like a runway that a model would walk down.
The atmosphere was electrifying in the hours leading up to the speech. There was so many cameras here. When I turned around to look at all those cameras focused on the runway, it looked like something from outer space.
I was sitting beside a Secret Service person because I we were so close. We used these yellow towels that said "We're Not Bitter," a response to Obama's comments about Pennsylvanians. It was very, very crowded.
Morning Update
The Sentinel Morning Update runs every weekday by 8 a.m. to take a look at what we have planned for our newspaper and Web site. Feel free to offer any suggestions, questions or feedback to jpratt@cumberlink.com
