House Republicans Surrender to Special Interest Groups
The House Republicans stalled the vote for property tax relief. They announced a delay on the property-tax rebate plan passed by the Senate and endorsed by Governor Rendell until at least next month.
The Republicans declare" we can do better in the form of a property-tax reform bill"
This is an amusing assertion because the Republicans have been in the majority in Harrisburg for years, yet in all that time, they have done nothing for homeowners.
They are trying to sell the idea that their actions are in the best interests of the taxpayers.
Perhaps, another view of events is that this inaction is due to the lobbying power of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the Pennsylvania School Board Association.
House Bill 39 has a referendum feature which both the teachers and the school board members hate.
Referendums give the public an opportunity to vote on school budgets. The teachers see this as a threat to their salaries, benefits, and guaranteed pensions and the school boards don't want to share power.
In a matter of days, these groups appear to have mustered a campaign of fear in the minds of the politicians if they passed a bill with any spending controls.
The amount lobbying by these special interests against referendums speaks volumes as to the effectiveness mandated controls would have on moderating school property taxes.
We now have a situation where the same politicians who have done nothing all these years are doing what they have done in the past, promising.
Contact your local House representative, and tell them they heard from the people who feed from the trough, now they are going to hear from the taxpayers.
We want property tax relief now, not more promises.
If you don't get a response, you might send a message with your vote in the May primaries.
The Republicans declare" we can do better in the form of a property-tax reform bill"
This is an amusing assertion because the Republicans have been in the majority in Harrisburg for years, yet in all that time, they have done nothing for homeowners.
They are trying to sell the idea that their actions are in the best interests of the taxpayers.
Perhaps, another view of events is that this inaction is due to the lobbying power of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the Pennsylvania School Board Association.
House Bill 39 has a referendum feature which both the teachers and the school board members hate.
Referendums give the public an opportunity to vote on school budgets. The teachers see this as a threat to their salaries, benefits, and guaranteed pensions and the school boards don't want to share power.
In a matter of days, these groups appear to have mustered a campaign of fear in the minds of the politicians if they passed a bill with any spending controls.
The amount lobbying by these special interests against referendums speaks volumes as to the effectiveness mandated controls would have on moderating school property taxes.
We now have a situation where the same politicians who have done nothing all these years are doing what they have done in the past, promising.
Contact your local House representative, and tell them they heard from the people who feed from the trough, now they are going to hear from the taxpayers.
We want property tax relief now, not more promises.
If you don't get a response, you might send a message with your vote in the May primaries.
19 Comments:
Here we go again. Back to square one. Zackon and his buddies must have been on the phone all day yesterday talking to Harrisburg along with the other districts that had fear put into them that maybe finally the taxpayers would have a say as to tax increases or not. We will continue to do what is right for the people of this district and we will make the board held accountable for the way they are handling our money. HEY HECKMAN LISTEN UP: NO TAX INCREASE THIS YEAR!!!!
Give the state the bulk of the blame for property taxes soaring and the legislature again fails to give ANY relief. Blame Mike O'Pake who has been in Harrisburg since the 1960's and NEVER cut taxpayers a break. Two years ago in his re election cmpaign he was taking credit for 1 BILLION dollars of property tax relief from the casion gambling scheme that to this day has not delivered one CENT and will not for possibly years to come. O'Pake was one that voted for the 2AM huge pay and pension increase that they had to give-up on only after the public showed some outrage. The state is governed by thieving self centered politicians who DO NOT care about real working class taxpayers. Support the Caucus Plan for eliminating property tax.
"Give the state the bulk of the blame for property taxes soaring.."
The school board gives this same excuse before passing another tax increase.
Over 70% of school budgets consist of salaries and benefits. It is the school board giving gold standard contracts not the state.
Also the school board not the state determines the grandeur of buildings.
The new, $1,300,000 synthetic track is a perfect example of how the school board spends educational money on a non-educatioal, non- mandated extravagance.
"and the legislature again fails to give ANY relief"
The school boards lobby against relief.
The boards want more power to tax more sources of local revenue.
"Blame Mike O'Pake who has been in Harrisburg since the 1960's and NEVER cut taxpayers a break. "
True, but the inaction of the Republicans make them no better than O'Pake.
"Two years ago in his re election cmpaign he was taking credit for 1 BILLION dollars of property tax relief from the casion gambling scheme that to this day has not delivered one CENT and will not for possibly years to come."
This is a testimony to the lobbying power of the gambling industry.
Both parties signed onto Act 72, so both parties are culpable.
"O'Pake was one that voted for the 2AM huge pay and pension increase that they had to give-up on only after the public showed some outrage."
Republicans and Democrats were involved in the feeding frenzy on taxpayer dollars.
"The state is governed by thieving self centered politicians who DO NOT care about real working class taxpayers."
They have lost contact with Pennsylvanians.
They have become career politicians, more interested in salary and benefits, rather than serving their constituency.
"Support the Caucus Plan for eliminating property tax."
The Caucus Plan is good, but will never be passed in its present form.
Politicians would lose a lot of their taxing power.
In effect, citizens would vote on budgets with their purchases rather than being forced to pay for the whims and fancies of those who use tax dollars to get elected.
If the Caucus Plan ever does get passed it will be so watered down that it will not be much different than what we pay now.
We had the opportunity to begin the process of tax relief, if the Republicans had voted for HB 39, but they decided to listen to voices opposing tax reform, teacher unions and school boards.
They developed a backbone to say no not because they suddenly had a conscience, but because out of fear.
Tax reform to the special interest groups is more taxation not less taxation.
I would invite any member of the Oley School Board to join in this conversation.
It would be interesting to hear their input.
I contacted my House representative, before and after the legislative session,and I THANKED him for being responsible, and not passing the buck to my grandchildren. I also sent an email to Senator O'Pake and the Governor telling them of my disappointment in pandering for votes.
I got out my old Monopoly game board. Then, with skill and determination, changed all of the properties to one owner. I figured, why wait?
Why do you think they are building so many storage facilities in our area? It's not like the folks that lose their homes won't first be selling everything they have on Ebay.
When the homeowners have to move why can't they at least keep something out of the home. You want them to loose the home and all the materials in it. You are a heartless person. Maybe one day you will be in the same company as these poor folks. In the meantime do what is right and stop raising our taxes, OK CAPPA!!!!
I think Dr. Cappa is a nice man and he was always good to me and my family. I was disappointed when he left his practice.
Does Dr. Cappa have his family now writing on his behalf? If not he must be paying somebody off to write nice things about him. Anyone that I met that knows him does not have anything nice to say and tell's me horror stories about his Doctor Days. And if you can see him in action now at board meetings, on Main St. the way he acts is quite different then any doctor I have been in contact with.
He is pretty scary, and I am glad I did not have any Dr. patient contact with him. Thank God for small favors!
That was kind of hard to believe, wasn't it?
Anybody who thanks politicans for not providing tax relief is a teacher or a school board member.
Right on!!! They all are a bunch of snakes, let us get rid of them this year, changes are coming!!
While they're at it, how about if they thank politicians for midnight raises.....
If the average citizens worked the schedules that the politicians and school teachers worked.....we would ALL lose our homes.
Come to this Wednesday's meeting at 6pm, May 10th. This is a very important meeting regarding the budget and our future. It is very important that we have a large community presence.
uh...hello?
So how did the protest go? I did not see anything about it in the Eagle or Mercury?
Wish I could've been there if I didn't have to work night shift.
The protest went very good. It is in today's Reading Eagle. The Eagle did not put all the information in. What else is new!! Come if you can to 6/14 and 6/21 meetings. Thanks for at least being concerned about what the board is trying to do to the public.
More and more citizens of this district are now coming to the board meetings and seeing first hand how this board does business. It is not a nice place to come to and I thank all the new folks that are now showing up. Your support and concern's are great.
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