Pay it Back Rick - Get Santorum to pay PA for Kids Cyber School

PENN HILLS, PA – After hearing complaints from state taxpayers, the Allegheny County Democratic Party announced its “Pay It Back, Rick” grass roots campaign to call on Rick Santorum to reimburse all Pennsylvania taxpayers for improper personal expenses. The campaign calls on Santorum to pay back $55,000 for misleading all state taxpayers into paying the bill for his family members’ tuition expenses.

Please see the link for video from the press conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTMAap3WJxk

Santorum recently acknowledged on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he only lives “maybe a month a year” in Pennsylvania, but still gets Pennsylvania taxpayers to pay his children’s cyber-school expenses. “The ‘Pay It Back, Rick’ campaign calls on Rick Santorum to stop sneaking off with Pennsylvania taxpayers’ money when he doesn’t even live here” said Jim Burn, Party Chair. “With us it’s not just about Penn Hills anymore, it’s about all Pennsylvanians – Rick Santorum isn’t shooting straight about living in Pennsylvania, and state taxpayers shouldn’t be funding his personal expenses.”

As part of its campaign, the Party will debut a website, www.pay-it-back-rick.com (also available at www.payitbackrick.com) that offers additional details on Santorum’s absence from Pennsylvania and will include an on-line petition telling Santorum to reimburse the Penn Hills School District for the total amount taxpayers paid for Santorum’s children’s cyber-schooling in Virginia. In addition to the website, the campaign will soon have available yard signs and bumper stickers calling on Santorum to do the right thing and return the Pennsylvania taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

When running against then-incumbent Rep. Doug Walgren in 1990, Santorum hypocritically ran televised campaign advertisements attacking Walgren and his family for living in Virginia, calling it a critical character issue. A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial this past Monday stated that “f Mr. Santorum is true to the principled and honest image he tries to project, he must not allow taxpayers to cover his debts. He must pay his penance to Penn Hills.”

then his wife and children should stay in Pennsylvania so that his children receive the same education as his constituents.

He doesn't work that far from his "home" that he can't go back every weekend to spend time with the family. If not then he should resign and find a job that allows him to spend time with the family.

Hills. Although I disagree that the Pa. taxpayers should have to pay this from ANY funds, isn't this situation settled now?

Especially since the taxpayers of PA had to pony up $55,000 to Penn Hills School District because it was claimed Penn Hills took too long to file. Penn Hills still lost probably about $17,000 they had to shell out for Ricky's kids cyber school. Also little Ricky is using his kids in a campaign ad trying to say Casey people are criticizing Ricky for wanting to be with his kids. I think the ad is actually blowing up in his face since most people in Pittsburgh area know the cyber school story.

Sen. Rick Santorum's newest ad features unconventional surrogates - his six children - defending his parental judgment amid criticism of his use of Pennsylvania taxpayers' money to pay for their education.

"My dad's opponents have criticized him for moving us to Washington so we can be with him more," 13-year-old Johnny Santorum says in the opening of the 30-second spot, which was filmed last spring in the house that Santorum and his wife own in the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills.

Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth says her father, the Senate's third-ranking Republican, "votes in Washington almost 40 weeks some years," while Peter, who is about to turn 7, says his dad spends much of his other time traveling "all across Pennsylvania."

Summing up, 8-year-old Sarah Marie says, "Being our dad is the most important job he'll ever have."

The ad, which was filmed in the spring, is being aired only in the Pittsburgh area, said Santorum campaign spokeswoman Virginia Davis.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/nation/15477694.htm

The school board last night voted unanimously to accept $55,000 from the state Department of Education to settle a dispute over money withheld from the district to pay for the children of U.S. Senator Rick Santorum to attend a cyber charter school.

At issue was whether Senator Santorum and his wife, Karen, live in Penn Hills and whether they were eligible for the tuition payments the school district must pay for any of its students who attend charter schools. They own a small house on Stephens Lane in Penn Hills, next to Mrs. Santorum's parents, but live in a much larger house in Virginia.

About $72,000 was withheld from Penn Hills to pay for tuition for five of Mr. Santorum's six children to attend Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. Several of the children were enrolled during the 2001-02 school year and others during the 2003-04 school year. Once the controversy surfaced, the children were withdrawn from the cyber school and were then home schooled.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06256/721451-56.stm