Some believe the money belongs here.
Their argument is that the $60 million that Penn State owes the NCAA will be paid out of football reserve funds and much of that money was generated by the state, so it should stay within Pennsylvania.
The fine money is one aspect of the sanction package that Penn State President Rodney Erickson accepted from the NCAA on behalf of the university last July out of fear that the football program would otherwise receive the death penalty. The sanctions stipulate the fine money must be used for child abuse programs.
The NCAA has said it plans to use 75 percent of the $60 million, or $45 million, for prevention programs outside Pennsylvania, according to the Associated Press.
Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, introduced new legislation two weeks ago to require funds to stay within state borders.
In a press release, he said that every dollar will go to a worthy organization, but “this way, the connection between Pennsylvania resident funds and Pennsylvania benefits will be clear.”
That reasoning is selfish.
Child abuse is not a problem isolated to Pennsylvania, so the fine money should not be isolated within our state’s borders.
Nationally, 44 percent of the 200,000 sexual assaults that occur each year involve a girl or boy under the age of 18, according to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
Child abuse occurs in every corner of the United States, not just Pennsylvania, so why would the money need to stay within the state?
If the best prevention programs are in Tennessee and Nevada, the money should go there.
If the best programs are in Alabama, Connecticut and Hawaii, that is where the money needs to go — so it benefits the most people. It seems odd that even 25 percent of the fine money must stay here to help local people when the goal of this money is to help prevent child abuse, not just help residents of Pennsylvania.
A 10-member task force was given the responsibility of determining where the funding will be allocated. This task force must be tactful in its decision-making and dedicate enough time and resources in its selection.
It might be beneficial for the task force to solicit applications from programs and then determine which organizations should be allocated the funding.
Sixty million dollars — the entire gross revenue of a football season at Penn State — is a lot of money and can help a lot of people who really need it.
