Now is the time when families across the country are loading up their minivans with swimsuits, toys, sand pails, folding chairs, sunscreen, and enough DVDs to get everyone in the backseat through an eight-hour car ride.
With so many of you taking to the highways for summer vacation, we figured this is a perfect time for a MOMS MATTER 2012 road trip! That's right, ladies. I'm going to be taking a crew out on the road to find out which issues matter most to you.
And if you live in Florida, Ohio, or Pennsylvania, we want to meet and talk with you!
Click through for the exciting details.
We will be driving through Ohio and Pennsylvania the week of July 9 through 12, covering issues like unemployment, the pros and cons of fracking, the effects of the economy on America's small towns, and the toll our faltering economy is taking on public education. We're also particularly interested in talking to moms who are undecided in the November election.
If you live in or around Pittsburgh, Steubenville, OH, Reading, PA, or Philadelphia and one of these issues resonates with you, we'd love to hear from you.
The next week, July 17-20, we'll be traveling through Florida, focusing on military moms, Latina voters, immigration reform, Florida's voter registration law, and the effect of the economy and gas prices on tourism. Once again, we'll also be looking for moms who are undecided in the upcoming election.
If you live in or around Pensacola, Tallahassee, Tampa, or Orlando and one of these issues is near and dear to your heart, please contact us! We want to talk to you!
This is your chance to make your voice heard far and wide, moms. You can contact me directly at lferrier@cafemom.com.
I can't wait to hear from you!
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
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Comments 24
My family lives in a town with a school district that has not been effected by the economy but there are a few other towns that are having cuts left and right. It's devastating. Elementary schools without art teachers or gym teachers. Terrible. A lot of my family and friends have been giving my husband and I a very hard time about moving to a town with $10k yearly taxes, but I keep telling them to look at the school districts in the surrounding towns. Upper Darby, Chichester, Chester, Aston are all in SERIOUS danger of losing everything. I grew up in the Wallingford/Swarthmore school district and I thank God everyday I did because that public school gave me opportunities I never would have gotten if my parents had gotten fed up with high taxes and moves to the neighboring town. The things I'm hearing about Upper Darby are just terrible.
I live in Ohio but you are 2 + plus hours from me. So I won't be able to make it. Would have loved to come though!
I live in PA but not near where you are going.
I don't believe the ecomony has as much to do with the downfall of public education as does poor administration. I live in a school district where this past year our school district budgeted over what the amount of money they had coming in but finished out the school year with a surplus. Our administration has chosen to close down our three rural elementary schools-one of which my children attend, added onto the intermediate school to accomodate the increase of kids coming from the closed schools, raise our taxes to the max allowable by state law and then proceeded to give themselves a 2% raise that was written into their contracts and only gave our teachers a 1% raise. All the time they're spouting off about how the state isn't giving them more money and how Governor Corbett is cutting school funding.
Here is a link for you; http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/7234/p/1100265
Our school district is still getting money-to a tune of $350K over last year, that's a 3.29% increase. Sure it may not seem like much but it better than they are telling taxpayers.
Oh and what is the school doing with the now closed schools? Nothing. They won't even turn them over to the towns they are in to be used, instead they'll sit empty and slowly fall apart.
I have learned how to live within the budget that I have and it's time the school districts also do.
I am in About 20 Minutes from Philly!
MKH: Dont forget Ridley in there, they just posted their cuts last week! Almost 44 jobs!
I used to live in Pensacola.
I live 1.5 hrs north of Pittsburgh Pa and would love to meet with the roadtrip crew!!! I am very focused on health care, unemployment, effects of small towns-I live in a small city and see businesses and see businesses shutting down all the time and empty buildings and it is sad for it is a nice looking little city but not so looking with all the empty buildings. I am also concerned about public education. I don't know much about fracking.
1. Huffington Post?!? LOL!!!
2. Google is your friend:
"Pennsylvania Public School Spending Continues to Grow ... Pennsylvania school districts spent more than $14000 per student in the 2009-10 "
First off, suggesting that one mismanaged school district is somehow indicative of education funding in general is simply a fallacy. Second, it has nothing to do with the economy. Third, by any measure that district is very well funded.
Now, what does that have to do with OWEbama going outside of his Constitutional authority and issuing "waivers" to the No Child Left Behind Act? Question for you, do you think that action improves or diminishes school performance?
I live in Tampa the East side and would love to talk to you!