Pennsylvania Tax Relief Plan Rebuffed (Fast Eddy "enormously frustrated")

Phillyburbs.com/AP ^ | 5/26/2005 | PETER JACKSON

[MarcusTulliusCicero]

"Critics of the plan say it hamstrings the boards by giving local voters the power, through referendums, to block property-tax increases."

Hmmm......can't have those pesky taxpayers have any control over how much we decide needs to be confiscated on a year to year basis. Next thing you know they might think that since they are footing the bill they might be entitle to influence things like our curriculum.

[sgtbono2002]

The Governor should have enough political acumen to know that school boards never get enough. You simply cant give a school board all they want, they just keep wanting more for doing less.

[kx9088]

Well, as much as I dislike Rendell, the casino legalization was a good idea.

[Balding_Eagle]

The first-term Democratic governor now feels snookered and says it was a mistake to give school boards the power to stop the tax cuts from being passed along to homeowners.

Seesh, there are TEN MILLION EXAMPLES of this happening over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and ............

See my tagline.

[T Lady]

Somehow I just can't picture any Democrat supporting any legislation that produces tax relief...Rendell must be ill.

-Regards, T.

[MarcusTulliusCicero]

Well, technically it isn't. The property tax would be reduced but participating school boards would be required to institute local income taxes in addition to the 6% state income tax (7% in Philly and Pittsburg to pay for the blackmail stadiums). It's just typical smoke and mirrors of just taking the same level of money out of different pockets. And of course, the teachers unions must be just salivating at this. As soon as it goes into effect they are going to want a cut of the pie. You'll hear about the casino's obscene profits versus the poor pittance of teacher salaries (in my area they easily hit 50-60,000 per year). And of course, the politicians get to broker the sweetheart deals deciding who is allowed to open the actual casinos....and who gets appointed to the regulatory committees to determine whether they meet license requirements and get to stay in business.

[T Lady]

Ah ha! I just knew there was some sort of catch to it.

Thanks for clearing the smoke.

-Regards, T.

[2banana]

The idea behind the tax relief plan was not only to shrink homeowners' tax bills but also to reduce school dependence on property taxes. To qualify for a share of the gambling revenue, school boards that decide to participate must raise local income taxes and agree to seek voter approval for future property-tax increases that exceed inflation.

Pennsylvania, with a Philly governor, is the only place in the Union where you can say "We have to raise taxes in order to cut them" with a straight face and be taken seriously...

[Born Conservative]

Just another "Fast Eddy Bait and Switch".

[pepsi_junkie]

Pennsylvania, with a Philly governor, is the only place in the Union where you can say "We have to raise taxes in order to cut them" with a straight face and be taken seriously...

Oh, you can be sure that this was to work thusly. The property tax relief comes in the form of a rebate check, signed by the governor, in late October. Mere days before the election. Oh boy, look at this big money the governor sent me! Better vote for him!

This is how it works in New Jersey's Homestead Rebate program.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

You forgot New Jersey.

[WakeUpAndVote]

The original plan was to ELIMINATE property taxes.

Then after fast eddy was put in power, it was property tax reduction not elimination. They figured that they have to fund the schools somehow, so property taxes had to stay in place.

Fast eddy and the taxocrats were hot to get slot machines in the comunistwealth so, to get him out of an election promise and get gambling in the state, acts 71 and 72 were born. The acts have NOTHING to do with tax relief. It is a so called "reduction of inflation on future taxes". They are based on PROJECTED earnings from slot machines that are not in place yet. The libs are waving money in the faces of property owners and looking for them to bite and give support to the acts.

It is all smoke and mirrors. There are no hard numbers to work with, so how in the hell can they give school districts the figures they need to project budgets that balance out for the next two fiscal years?!!?

Fast eddy has FAILED! The school districts are not buying into the lie of acts 71 and 72. Property owners though, only see the money that the state and the libs are waving around.

If you live in Pennsylvania, do not be fooled! This is only a scam to get gambling into the state and to show voters in November that he coming though on a campaign promise.

LIES LIES LIES!

[Dr. Scarpetta]

What school district are you in? My district, Northampton, voted against it.

[MarcusTulliusCicero]

He's also a big proponent of taking money from wealthier districts and moving it to sinkholes like the Philadelphia school system. It would be easy to reduce Philly school taxes - just fire 90% of the administrators and you'd probably halve the tax burden!

[WakeUpAndVote]

Northeastern, York County.

[FredZarguna]

Well, technically it isn't. The property tax would be reduced but participating school boards would be required to institute local income taxes in addition to the 6% state income tax...

Not sure who your accountant is, but the PA personal income tax is 3.07% for 2005. Your point is valid, otherwise.

One thing a number of people overlook is that a large part of this measure is an attempt to transfer revenues collected locally (like the property tax) to revenues collected by the state. This amounts to a sneaky way of putting extra cash in the coffers of the Philadelphia schools, which are bankrupt.

[T Lady]

'This amounts to a sneaky way of putting extra cash in the coffers of the Philadelphia schools, which are bankrupt.'


...That sounds just like the pension fund debacle we're dealing with out here in the city of San Diego.

-Regards, T.

[freedomcrusader]

One minor correction: it's the sales tax that is 6% statewide and 7% in Philly and Pittsburgh.

Our Republican legislature bowed to the governor and gave him an increase in the state income tax from 2.8 to 3.07% or something close to that. At least it's a flat tax.

If your teachers are only making $50-60K, they're paupers compared to teachers in some of the wealthy school districts in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh, who are easily pulling down $80-90K and higher.

[PJammers]

I live in NEPA. They only way we as property owners can prevent school boards from raising taxes via referendum. I'm tired of three people on a school board being in my back pocket. Using my kids as ransom to fund bloated teacher retirement plans is just plain wrong!



My local school board just seized land via eminent domain. Also, one of the teachers is pretty famous here. She was on Unsolved Mysteries for being sent human excrement in envelopes. Turns out she was the one doing it. She still works here! They are completely out of control.

I also disagree with pimping our kids at book sales and other fund raisers. Where exactly does that money go? That's another can of worms.

v/r