18 September 2007
Dear Friends,
The seven House Finance Committee dog-and-pony-show hearings on House Bill 1600 are finally completed and pretty much worked against the sponsors of this useless legislation. The lawmakers who are promoting this measure received mostly negative comments from both taxpayers and those who testified at the hearings, with many of the hearings turning raucous because of loud taxpayer discontent with this old, tired, valueless “solution” to the property tax crisis. On September 6 a Reading Eagle editorial hammered the Committee because they turned deaf ears to the taxpayers’ wishes: http://internetservices.readingeagle.com/blog/editorials/archives/2007/09/voices_of_the_v.html
If you’re unfamiliar with HB 1600, it’s another temporary property tax “relief” scheme similar to the Act 1 referendum that will permanently raise the state sales and income taxes to finance a small homestead rebate (average $414) that will quickly be eaten away by continually rising property taxes. Further, it does absolutely nothing to address the underlying problems with education finance; it is simply another fraud being perpetrated on Pennsylvania homeowners. More details about HB 1600 are available in the August 24 PTCC update available here: http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/arc082407.htm
In a related matter, the Associated Press reported over the weekend that property tax reform faces opposition from legislators who do not want to vote to raise other statewide taxes to pay for it and that they claim the defeat of the Act 1 referendum proves their point. These uninformed, misguided lawmakers fail to understand that taxpayers DO NOT OBJECT to raising other statewide taxes if school property taxes are COMPLETELY ELIMINATED. We object strenuously only to raising taxes for fake TEMPORARY “relief” such as HB 1600.
Now that the hearings have delivered the first blow to the sponsors of HB 1600, we need to hit them again – hard - to permanently knock this fraudulent measure out of contention.
Please call, write, or e-mail your district’s Representative to let them know that you do not want HB 1600 in any manner whatsoever and that you will hold them accountable if they support this bill. Further, let them know that you DO NOT CARE if a statewide tax such as the sales tax is raised as long as it ELIMINATES school property taxes. Debate on property tax reform will begin soon and we must get these messages to the legislators NOW!
If you do not know your Representative’s contact information it is available by Zip+4 at http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm.
It is notable that two co-sponsors of HB 1600, Rep. Carl Mantz (Berks) and Rep. Stan Saylor (York) have withdrawn their co-sponsorship of this bill. We send our heartfelt thanks to them for the courage and integrity they exhibited by doing this. Please feel free to offer your thanks and encouragement to them.
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New PTCC Blog
There’s a new blog site for the PTCC! This blog is for anyone who cares to read it and EVERYONE is welcome to post comments. The blog information is identical to the PTCC updates and was started so concerned folks can have an outlet to post their own thoughts and suggestions. This is still a work in progress with a lot more information to be added (including links), so please don't be too critical. Feel free to add your own comments about property tax elimination, personal tax horror stories, anything that pertains to this subject! With enough comments it might make very interesting reading for lawmakers. http://pataxpayers.blogspot.com/
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New PCTA Member
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA) is very pleased to welcome a new member group to the organization. The Oley Concerned Citizens group (Berks County) joined the PCTA last week; they will be a terrific addition to the PCTA and a huge help in furthering our goals. Please welcome them - it's great to have them on board! http://oleyconcernedcitizens.blogspot.com/
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Thank You!
Finally, many of you have been taking a great deal of initiative in helping to spread the word about the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 by making posters, tear-offs, and other promotional materials, and by sending e-mails to friends and relatives. A large number of you have sent me copies of your letters to legislators and their sometimes mealy-mouthed replies. As I’ve said before, the more grassroots participation we have the better chance we have at achieving our goal of school property tax ELIMINATION, so keep on working at recruiting others to join our effort. Thank you very much for keeping me informed on your activities and for working so hard on this issue. It is truly appreciated and your efforts WILL help to make a difference.
Please write to me at pataxpayers@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.
NOW is the time to eliminate school property taxes and we WILL get this done!
David Baldinger
PTCC Administrator
http://www.ptcc.us
Action Item
06 September 2007
Dear Friends,
The Pennsylvania General assembly will be re-convening on September 17 and we need to encourage the House leadership to begin action on the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.
** ACTION ITEM **
As soon as possible, please call or write to Representative William DeWeese (House Majority Leader) and Representative Keith McCall (House Majority Whip) and urge them to issue a co-sponsorship letter for the bipartisan School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 (SPTEA) and to introduce the bill as quickly as possible. The letters should be respectful and non-threatening, and should voice your wholehearted support for the SPTEA and for those who help to have the bill enacted. Thank them for their efforts! Please do not use form letters, but instead write a personalized letter and – this is important - use business titles with your signature if applicable.
If you have first-hand knowledge of any of the recent HB 1600 hearings, please don’t be afraid to mention that you have seen the negative reactions to HB 1600 and that you do not support it in any manner. If you need more information about HB 1600 it is available here: http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/arc082407.htm
Contact information for these two Representatives is below. A letter from the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA) to these leaders is also copied below for your reference.
The PTCC and PCTA cannot express enough the urgency of this item, so please help if you can and encourage as many of your friends as possible to do so as well.
My thanks in advance for all of your help.
Please write to me at pataxpayers@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.
NOW is the time to eliminate school property taxes and we WILL get this done!
David Baldinger
PTCC Administrator
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Hon. H. William DeWeese
222 Elm Drive
Suite 101, P.O. Box 832
Waynesburg, PA 15370
(724) 627-8683
Fax: (724) 627-6043
wdeweese@pahouse.net
Hon. Keith R. McCall
162 West Ridge Street
Lansford, PA 18232
(570) 645-7585
Fax: (570) 645-9526
kmccall@pahouse.net
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04 September 2007
Dear Representatives DeWeese and McCall,
This morning on the Feedback show on WEEU, Reading, Representatives Thomas Caltagirone, Sam Rohrer, and David Kessler were guests to discuss property taxes.
Representatives Caltagirone and Rohrer both were adamant about school property tax elimination while Representative Kessler insisted that HB 1600 was preferable and another "first step". The result was as definitive as it was predictable: Without exaggeration, fully one hundred percent of the callers supported elimination while many disparaged both HB 1600 and Representative Kessler’s support of this measure.
The results of the House Finance Committee hearings on HB 1600 last week in Berks and Bucks Counties were similar. Both hearings had a large turnout of voters and witnesses who favor elimination, with very few, if any, supporters for HB 1600.
As a spokesperson for the twenty-one member groups of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA), I am respectfully requesting on behalf of the PCTA that you issue a co-sponsorship memorandum for the bipartisan School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 as soon as possible so that the bill may be introduced in a timely fashion for the beginning of the September session of the House of Representatives.
The PCTA and our more than fifteen thousand members fully support the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 and, further, will also fully support any House member who will help to advance this legislation.
In recent newspaper articles and in e-mail releases by the House Democratic Caucus you both, as leaders, have indicated your support for school property tax elimination. Please continue to maintain this support and to do all that is possible to aid the passage of this bill for the benefit of all Pennsylvania homeowners and schoolchildren.
The courtesy of a reply would be appreciated.
Very truly yours,
David Baldinger
Administrator, Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition
Member, Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations
Dear Friends,
The Pennsylvania General assembly will be re-convening on September 17 and we need to encourage the House leadership to begin action on the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.
** ACTION ITEM **
As soon as possible, please call or write to Representative William DeWeese (House Majority Leader) and Representative Keith McCall (House Majority Whip) and urge them to issue a co-sponsorship letter for the bipartisan School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 (SPTEA) and to introduce the bill as quickly as possible. The letters should be respectful and non-threatening, and should voice your wholehearted support for the SPTEA and for those who help to have the bill enacted. Thank them for their efforts! Please do not use form letters, but instead write a personalized letter and – this is important - use business titles with your signature if applicable.
If you have first-hand knowledge of any of the recent HB 1600 hearings, please don’t be afraid to mention that you have seen the negative reactions to HB 1600 and that you do not support it in any manner. If you need more information about HB 1600 it is available here: http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/arc082407.htm
Contact information for these two Representatives is below. A letter from the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA) to these leaders is also copied below for your reference.
The PTCC and PCTA cannot express enough the urgency of this item, so please help if you can and encourage as many of your friends as possible to do so as well.
My thanks in advance for all of your help.
Please write to me at pataxpayers@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.
NOW is the time to eliminate school property taxes and we WILL get this done!
David Baldinger
PTCC Administrator
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Hon. H. William DeWeese
222 Elm Drive
Suite 101, P.O. Box 832
Waynesburg, PA 15370
(724) 627-8683
Fax: (724) 627-6043
wdeweese@pahouse.net
Hon. Keith R. McCall
162 West Ridge Street
Lansford, PA 18232
(570) 645-7585
Fax: (570) 645-9526
kmccall@pahouse.net
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04 September 2007
Dear Representatives DeWeese and McCall,
This morning on the Feedback show on WEEU, Reading, Representatives Thomas Caltagirone, Sam Rohrer, and David Kessler were guests to discuss property taxes.
Representatives Caltagirone and Rohrer both were adamant about school property tax elimination while Representative Kessler insisted that HB 1600 was preferable and another "first step". The result was as definitive as it was predictable: Without exaggeration, fully one hundred percent of the callers supported elimination while many disparaged both HB 1600 and Representative Kessler’s support of this measure.
The results of the House Finance Committee hearings on HB 1600 last week in Berks and Bucks Counties were similar. Both hearings had a large turnout of voters and witnesses who favor elimination, with very few, if any, supporters for HB 1600.
As a spokesperson for the twenty-one member groups of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA), I am respectfully requesting on behalf of the PCTA that you issue a co-sponsorship memorandum for the bipartisan School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 as soon as possible so that the bill may be introduced in a timely fashion for the beginning of the September session of the House of Representatives.
The PCTA and our more than fifteen thousand members fully support the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 and, further, will also fully support any House member who will help to advance this legislation.
In recent newspaper articles and in e-mail releases by the House Democratic Caucus you both, as leaders, have indicated your support for school property tax elimination. Please continue to maintain this support and to do all that is possible to aid the passage of this bill for the benefit of all Pennsylvania homeowners and schoolchildren.
The courtesy of a reply would be appreciated.
Very truly yours,
David Baldinger
Administrator, Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition
Member, Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations
More Useless Property Tax "Relief" Legislation
24 August 2007
Dear Friends,
It has been a delightful summer and I hope that all of you have enjoyed your time in the warm weather.
There has not been too much that has been newsworthy about property taxes over the past months, although a lot has been happening behind the scenes. It’s time now to get back to work on this issue.
Some good news from the past month
In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on July 23, House majority whip Keith McCall said: “We are committed to making property tax reform the pre-eminent issue come this fall".
And an e-mail newsletter issued by the House Democratic Caucus on August 10 stated this about the fall agenda: “What can you look forward to? How about a revolutionary new bipartisan plan to eliminate school property taxes for homeowners?”
This is very good news. There is only one plan currently in the House that meets the above criteria of “bipartisan” and “elimination” – the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, the former Plan For Pennsylvania’s Future, the school property tax measure supported by the PTCC. Now it will be up to us to ensure that these lawmakers will make good on their pronouncements.
Our chances for significant school finance reform are greater now than at any time in the past. We must be prepared over the next few months to do what is necessary to achieve our goal: school property tax ELIMINATION.
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PCTA Meeting
Representatives from the twenty-one member groups of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA), the PTCC’s statewide umbrella organization, met on August 19 to develop plans and strategies to support the introduction of the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 during the fall session of the legislature. It was a very spirited meeting and I’ll be sharing these strategies with you over the next few weeks.
During the meeting, the PCTA approved a resolution to the Pennsylvania General Assembly that demonstrates unequivocal support for the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007. You can read the resolution here: http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/resolutions.htm.
Following the meeting the PCTA issued a press release about the meeting and the PCTA’s scathing opposition to a new, useless property tax “relief” bill, HB 1600. The press release is available here: http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/pressreleases.htm.
One of the speakers at the meeting was a former lobbyist who spoke to the PCTA about grassroots campaigns. An interesting fact that he related was that it can take as few as ten letters from constituents to change a legislator’s vote on an issue. For those of you who ever had doubts about the effectiveness of contacting your legislator, this should change your opinion!
Again, I’ll be sending more information in future newsletters about the PCTA’s efforts and how you can help to support the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.
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Problem Legislation - IMPORTANT
On July 17, Representative David Levdansky (D-39, Allegheny/Washington) introduced House Bill 1600, another valueless, fraudulent property tax “relief” measure.
Already being advertised as a “good first step” (how many times have we heard THAT?!), HB 1600 is exactly the same as the Act 1 referendum that was resoundingly thrashed at the polls in May. It imposes a 0.5% increase in the sales tax and a .22% increase in the state income tax in return for an approximate $525 homestead exemption. The legislators who support this bill are telling us that it will offer an average 40%-50% reduction in property taxes, but this is simply more smoke and mirrors to try to gain taxpayer acceptance and is patently misleading.
HB 1600 is based on EXACTLY the same principle as the Act 1 tax shift. It imposes new, permanent taxes in exchange for minimal temporary “relief” that will quickly be eaten up by relentlessly rising property taxes. HB 1600 will not only leave taxpayers with their same burdensome property tax bills plus additional new taxes, it also will do nothing to address the antiquated, crumbling education finance system, the cost of education, or equitable funding for public schools. It is another valueless band-aid approach that will again leave Pennsylvania homeowners without true, effective property tax reform. Further, unlike the Act 1 referendum where voters had a voice in rejecting the measure, this bill can be enacted and jammed down our throats with no input whatsoever from taxpayers.
I am astonished at the arrogance of these legislators who think that they can again regurgitate the same old plan that has failed three times in the past and still expect us to fall for their charade. Their utter disregard for the intelligence of Pennsylvania taxpayers is incomprehensible and they must be told unequivocally that we WILL NOT tolerate any more of their misguided halfway measures.
The biggest concern with HB 1600 is that if it is enacted the legislature will tell us that they have given us property tax relief and nothing more will be done for the foreseeable future. As much as they like to tell us that this is another “first step”, we know that if HB 1600 passes it will be the last step towards true education finance reform for a very long time.
We MUST fight this measure in any way possible.
First, I would ask all of you to please contact your Representative and ask him or her to support property tax ELIMINATION when the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 is introduced. Further, request that they absolutely reject House Bill 1600 as another inadequate attempt at property tax relief. If you do not know your Representative’s contact information it is available by Zip+4 at http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm.
Second, and more importantly, please attend one of the hearings that are being held for HB 1600 by the State House Finance Committee. A hearing will be held in Bucks County on August 27 and in Berks County on August 29; information is below. If you live in either of these counties or the counties surrounding them, PLEASE make an effort to attend one of these hearings to voice your displeasure with House Bill 1600. A huge attendance by concerned taxpayers can make a significant impression on these legislators.
MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2007
1:00 PM FINANCE COMMITTEE Public hearing on HB 1600 - Property Tax
(Hosted by Rep. Chris King)
Falls Twp. Building
Community Room
188 Lincoln Highway
Fairless Hills, PA (Bucks County)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2007
10:00 AM FINANCE COMMITTEE Public hearing on HB 1600 - Property Tax
(Hosted by Rep. David Kessler)
Oley Fair Center
26 Jefferson Street
Oley, PA (Berks County)
Other hearings will be scheduled later in various parts of the state; I’ll pass along the information when it’s received.
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In closing, I want to thank all of you for your support of our efforts to achieve honest, equitable school finance reform. Please work to enlist the help of others in this campaign so we can have an even larger base of support for the benefit of all Pennsylvania taxpayers and schoolchildren. The more hands, the better!
Your questions and concerns are always welcome – please write to me at pataxpayers@gmail.com.
David Baldinger
PTCC Administrator
http://www.ptcc.us/
Dear Friends,
It has been a delightful summer and I hope that all of you have enjoyed your time in the warm weather.
There has not been too much that has been newsworthy about property taxes over the past months, although a lot has been happening behind the scenes. It’s time now to get back to work on this issue.
Some good news from the past month
In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on July 23, House majority whip Keith McCall said: “We are committed to making property tax reform the pre-eminent issue come this fall".
And an e-mail newsletter issued by the House Democratic Caucus on August 10 stated this about the fall agenda: “What can you look forward to? How about a revolutionary new bipartisan plan to eliminate school property taxes for homeowners?”
This is very good news. There is only one plan currently in the House that meets the above criteria of “bipartisan” and “elimination” – the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, the former Plan For Pennsylvania’s Future, the school property tax measure supported by the PTCC. Now it will be up to us to ensure that these lawmakers will make good on their pronouncements.
Our chances for significant school finance reform are greater now than at any time in the past. We must be prepared over the next few months to do what is necessary to achieve our goal: school property tax ELIMINATION.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PCTA Meeting
Representatives from the twenty-one member groups of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA), the PTCC’s statewide umbrella organization, met on August 19 to develop plans and strategies to support the introduction of the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 during the fall session of the legislature. It was a very spirited meeting and I’ll be sharing these strategies with you over the next few weeks.
During the meeting, the PCTA approved a resolution to the Pennsylvania General Assembly that demonstrates unequivocal support for the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007. You can read the resolution here: http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/resolutions.htm.
Following the meeting the PCTA issued a press release about the meeting and the PCTA’s scathing opposition to a new, useless property tax “relief” bill, HB 1600. The press release is available here: http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/pressreleases.htm.
One of the speakers at the meeting was a former lobbyist who spoke to the PCTA about grassroots campaigns. An interesting fact that he related was that it can take as few as ten letters from constituents to change a legislator’s vote on an issue. For those of you who ever had doubts about the effectiveness of contacting your legislator, this should change your opinion!
Again, I’ll be sending more information in future newsletters about the PCTA’s efforts and how you can help to support the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Problem Legislation - IMPORTANT
On July 17, Representative David Levdansky (D-39, Allegheny/Washington) introduced House Bill 1600, another valueless, fraudulent property tax “relief” measure.
Already being advertised as a “good first step” (how many times have we heard THAT?!), HB 1600 is exactly the same as the Act 1 referendum that was resoundingly thrashed at the polls in May. It imposes a 0.5% increase in the sales tax and a .22% increase in the state income tax in return for an approximate $525 homestead exemption. The legislators who support this bill are telling us that it will offer an average 40%-50% reduction in property taxes, but this is simply more smoke and mirrors to try to gain taxpayer acceptance and is patently misleading.
HB 1600 is based on EXACTLY the same principle as the Act 1 tax shift. It imposes new, permanent taxes in exchange for minimal temporary “relief” that will quickly be eaten up by relentlessly rising property taxes. HB 1600 will not only leave taxpayers with their same burdensome property tax bills plus additional new taxes, it also will do nothing to address the antiquated, crumbling education finance system, the cost of education, or equitable funding for public schools. It is another valueless band-aid approach that will again leave Pennsylvania homeowners without true, effective property tax reform. Further, unlike the Act 1 referendum where voters had a voice in rejecting the measure, this bill can be enacted and jammed down our throats with no input whatsoever from taxpayers.
I am astonished at the arrogance of these legislators who think that they can again regurgitate the same old plan that has failed three times in the past and still expect us to fall for their charade. Their utter disregard for the intelligence of Pennsylvania taxpayers is incomprehensible and they must be told unequivocally that we WILL NOT tolerate any more of their misguided halfway measures.
The biggest concern with HB 1600 is that if it is enacted the legislature will tell us that they have given us property tax relief and nothing more will be done for the foreseeable future. As much as they like to tell us that this is another “first step”, we know that if HB 1600 passes it will be the last step towards true education finance reform for a very long time.
We MUST fight this measure in any way possible.
First, I would ask all of you to please contact your Representative and ask him or her to support property tax ELIMINATION when the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 is introduced. Further, request that they absolutely reject House Bill 1600 as another inadequate attempt at property tax relief. If you do not know your Representative’s contact information it is available by Zip+4 at http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm.
Second, and more importantly, please attend one of the hearings that are being held for HB 1600 by the State House Finance Committee. A hearing will be held in Bucks County on August 27 and in Berks County on August 29; information is below. If you live in either of these counties or the counties surrounding them, PLEASE make an effort to attend one of these hearings to voice your displeasure with House Bill 1600. A huge attendance by concerned taxpayers can make a significant impression on these legislators.
MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2007
1:00 PM FINANCE COMMITTEE Public hearing on HB 1600 - Property Tax
(Hosted by Rep. Chris King)
Falls Twp. Building
Community Room
188 Lincoln Highway
Fairless Hills, PA (Bucks County)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2007
10:00 AM FINANCE COMMITTEE Public hearing on HB 1600 - Property Tax
(Hosted by Rep. David Kessler)
Oley Fair Center
26 Jefferson Street
Oley, PA (Berks County)
Other hearings will be scheduled later in various parts of the state; I’ll pass along the information when it’s received.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In closing, I want to thank all of you for your support of our efforts to achieve honest, equitable school finance reform. Please work to enlist the help of others in this campaign so we can have an even larger base of support for the benefit of all Pennsylvania taxpayers and schoolchildren. The more hands, the better!
Your questions and concerns are always welcome – please write to me at pataxpayers@gmail.com.
David Baldinger
PTCC Administrator
http://www.ptcc.us/
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