I arrived at the McFarland Student Union building with more than hour to spare before Lt. Governor James Crawley would introduce the Corbett administration's most recent round of crippling budget cuts to the Kutztown community. The building's perimeter had been well secured by a small force of local deputies, whose presence provided an appropriate backdrop for an evening in which oppressive government proposals would be the topic of discussion. It was revealed almost immediately that university officials were in no mood for rabble-rousers—members of the Occupy Kutztown movement had been stripped of their anti-fracking signs before I could find my way to the registration table, where stone-faced men with wide ties watched the growing crowd of young dissidents gathering in the second floor lobby.
Despite warnings of limited seating and a request for a prompt RSVP, the registration sheet provided by the Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce contained the names of less than two-dozen attendees (non-administrative) for the March 1 meeting. "I am disappointed more students didn't show up to address their concerns in a mature manner," said Kutztown student Nick Imbesi in response to the shameful turnout. The few individuals who did decide to attend did not have to wait until the Republican lawmakers took the stage to witness the evenings first act—Kutztown student and Occupy Kutztown organizer, Sean Kitchen, perhaps still bitter as a result of the university's aversion to the practice of free speech, proceeded to interrogate a noticeably uncomfortable President Javier Cevallos on the university's ethics, while a cohort captured the moment on film. Kitchen's actions would prove to set the tone for the political spectacle that would follow.
investment income loss of nearly 30% in 2008, in addition to the state's willingness to allow employer pension contributions to stagnate over the same aforementioned fifteen-year span. Furthermore, Cawley's admitted "commitment to charter and home schools" may signify the administration's alignment with the religious Right, which has for years lobbied state and federal lawmakers to cut public education spending in favor of educational training based on religious principles.
Meuser, whose plan to address environmental damage resulting from natural gas drilling amounted to nothing more than, "energy reform, it's essential," expressed the administration's commitment to "engage in education reform," but failed to explain his, or the administration's reformations in any detail.
Following the evening's discussion, which failed to offer a viable solution for curbing the state's deficit (with the exception of bleeding the DPW), Cawley and Meuser agreed to participate in a question and answer session with members of the Kutztown community. When Berks Gas Truth member Karen Feridun asked the speakers if the "administration supported drilling on or near college campuses to lower overhead costs," her question was met with an answer that would bring Sean Kitchen back into the spotlight, ensuring the evening would end as it began—with Kitchen playing the agitator.
"It is a careful balance—an ongoing effort to maximize the economic development and job creation potential of the industry, while minimizing the risk," said Cawley, who agreed to extend the presentation to allow Kitchen to express his concerns.