Political gridlock is alive and well in Washington, D.C.

            There are plenty of things going on, but don't expect any of the current laundry list of controversies to be settled soon.

            Too lengthy to list all of them here, but certainly including the recent halt to people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from coming into the United States; the boycott by Democrats on voting for several cabinet appointments by the President; and who's being blocked from the White House Press Room.

            Protest and controversy have become the norm and there's no end in sight.

            Political gridlock is alive and well in Harrisburg.

            There are plenty of current topics to think about in our Commonwealth's capital, as well. 

            Among them is property tax reform in the shape of Senate Bill 76, which is back on the legislature's agenda.  In short, the bill would shift about $14 billion in taxes from property owners to consumers and workers through sales and personal income taxes. 

            That's well and good, but people need to be assured, in solid figures, that the money will be there for education.  Back-patting and trusting gazes won't sell it to the people.  Few want to see Senate Bill 76 pass only to go into emergency revenue gathering mode later when lawmakers realize that their homework wasn't completed properly. And, we know who gets hammered first (taxpayers) when that happens. You can almost hear them say, "Um, we need to bring back a small property tax to get us out of this pickle – but don't worry because it's only for two years."  Yea, right.

            Also, Pennsylvania legislators need to be more careful about passing mandates that force school districts (read local tax payers) to pay.  A careful look at how funding is shared with school districts across the state would be a good thing, too.

            According to PennLive, Pennsylvania's current budget deficit is about $500 million and is expected to balloon to about $3 billion by 2021.  What's the plan (if there is one) to get us out of that mess?

            Protest and controversy have become the norm and there's no end in sight.

            Political gridlock is alive and well in the Upper Perkiomen Valley

            Locally, we have our own issues to deal with.

            The verbal fisticuffs between East Greenville and Pennsburg officials over the future of the Upper Perk Police District just won't go away – or be settled.  Residents are frustrated at the back-and-forth that has kept this battle from reaching a just and sensible ending.  

            A proposed, new middle-school has brought taxpayers to a heightened level of concern over what the actual cost will be to them, and over how many years.  Heightening their concern is how the cost of the new school will add up alongside other normal operating expense increases required in a normal budget (salaries, books, computers, other facility maintenance, etc.)  They seek answers for the big picture, not just the big building.  A 2 percent annual impact can become a 12 percent impact real quick when you're forget to add everything together.

            Protest and controversy have become the norm and there's no end in sight.