Gov. Wolf Visits CCAC As Part Of 'Schools That Teach' Tour
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - With restoring state funding to local community colleges in mind, Gov. Tom Wolf toured Community College of Allegheny County's West Hills campus where all ages are trained with skills needed for today's jobs.
Accompanied by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Pa. Sen. Jay Costa, Wolf toured computer and automotive facilities, including a jeep like one he drives to work.
CCAC President Dr. Quentin Bullock said the visit was important.
"It means a lot," Bullock told KDKA political editor Jon Delano. "It shows the important role our community colleges are providing across the Commonwealth as it relates to workforce development, responding to the needs of business industry workforce needs and training."
Wolf wants to restore $15 million cut from community colleges under his predecessor, including $2 million from CCAC.
"This is an amazing place. How many students do you have? Fifty thousand students -- they graduate between 2,000 or 3,000 students a year. The need is great," said Wolf.
"Just here in the western part of the state, we have 25,000 jobs that require the skills that come out of a place just like this," he added. "That's a testament, a reflection of how important the investment we need to make is."
For more information on Gov. Wolf's plan, click here: http://www.schoolsthatteach.com/
But that takes money, so Wolf's plan includes a hike in the state's personal income tax and sales tax, while cutting school property taxes.
"What I'm talking about is a big, big holistic program here that makes our tax system fairer," says Wolf.
In exchange for an increase in income and sales tax, noted the governor, "Allegheny County alone is going to get a 70 percent cut in the homeowners and farmstead property tax."
But saying it doesn't make it so. To win legislative support, Wolf is hosting dinner at his residence for Republican and Democratic leaders later this week.
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