Monday, December 31, 2007

Russ Diamond: Why the "Year of Reform" Wasn't

Last year at this time, Pennsylvanians were filled with hope for big changes in state government coming to pass in 2007. Who could blame them? After replacing an astonishing 55 legislators, all signs pointed to movement in the direction of reform. But the great "Year of Reform" turned out to be mostly a bust.

Admittedly, there was some progress. Internal rules changes were made in both chambers of the General Assembly. The Senate performed the task rather effortlessly while the House took a few months of deliberation. Those rules can be suspended, however, and as soon as it's expedient for members to do so, they will be suspended.

An effort was made to craft a new open records law, a process that is not yet complete. The House and Senate versions differ, which means that those differences must be hammered out, likely in a conference committee. Pennsylvanians should play very close attention, as a conference committee is where good bills can be transformed into bad bills (think: pay raise). Even without any shenanigans, the proposed legislation is barely better than what we had before in some areas and falls short of giving us the most transparent government in the nation.

Nothing else has been accomplished on the reform front, though. Newspaper editors, pundits, journalists and citizens are asking: Why? The answer is quite simple: There has been no movement on serious structural reforms in Harrisburg because elected folks don't want serious structural reforms. They like things just the way they are.

We can't blame the freshman class entirely. Although some of them appear to have been sucked into the Incumbent Protection Plan and business-as-usual, most of them are still wet behind the ears and frustrated. And let's not forget that there are only 55 of them, hardly a majority among 253 members.

We can't entirely blame leadership, either. Their job is to do what the rest of the membership wants them to do. If they don't follow the will of the membership, they won't be in leadership for very long. If a majority of members were actually pushing for reform, leadership would certainly be obliging them.

In the legislature, most of the blame lies at the feet of those who have been there for a few terms but are not yet in positions of leadership. If they really wanted reform, we'd have it already. They could have bridged the gap between freshmen and the leadership to point Pennsylvania in the right direction. But they haven't.

The Governor dropped the ball as well. Although at one time he touted a reform agenda, he's been silent on the issue ever since. One would think that a governor in his second term would understand that creating a better system of government is a positive legacy that could last for decades to come.

Some have claimed that 2008 will be a better year for reform. Considering it's an election year for over 90 percent of the General Assembly, however, it's hard to believe that systemic reform will be at the top of anyone's agenda. Let's face it: For many legislators, this is the best job they've ever had and they will focus most of their energy on keeping it.

Perhaps, though, that is the key to obtaining actual reform. If legislators consider getting re-elected their primary objective, then the people of Pennsylvania should make structural reform an election issue. Whether our favorite reform is term limits, the size of the legislature, part-time status for members, redistricting or the holy grail of structural reform - a constitutional convention - Pennsylvanians should begin extracting promises now from candidates seeking elective seats in 2008.

Additionally, those legislators who promised reform as part of their electoral bid in 2006 should be asked what they have done to make it happen. How many reform bills did they introduce or co-sponsor? How many meetings did they have with colleagues on reform issues? How many phone calls did they make on behalf of reform? What will they do for reform if re-elected? Exactly which particular reforms do they support?

It truly is a simple equation: When the people clamor for reform via phone calls, letters, visits to their legislators and electoral pressure, candidates who wish to get elected will also support reform. Once elected, continued pressure will make it happen.

Pennsylvania will only get structural reform when Pennsylvanians demand it. It didn't happen in 2007 because the people didn't focus on specific changes during the 2006 election cycle. Demanding specific reforms in 2008 is the only way to move us closer to actually getting those reforms.

Permission is hereby granted to reproduce text from this article with attribution to PACleanSweep.

Constitutional Footnote #1
Article II Section 4 of the Pennsylvania Constitution mandates that the General Assembly "shall meet at twelve o'clock noon on the first Tuesday of January each year." In 2008, the first Tuesday falls on January 1st. How many legislators do you suppose will show up? That may be our first indicator of which legislators care about constitutional rule and systemic reform.

Constitutional Footnote #2
Two and one-half years after the pay raise, many legislators are still collecting per diems just for showing up for work, receiving extra pay for service on committee, benefiting from lavish health care plans, driving taxpayer-funded cars and building comfortable pensions, despite Article II Section 8's specific language allowing only "salary and mileage for regular and special sessions as shall be fixed by law, and no other compensation whatever, whether for service upon committee or otherwise."

In addition, quite a few never returned the money received through "unvouchered expenses," despite the Supreme Court's finding of the practice as unconstitutional. Go figure.

About PACleanSweep
PACleanSweep is a non-partisan effort dedicated to reforming state government in Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit
www.PACleanSweep.com.

For More Information:
Russ Diamond
717.383.3025

chair@pacleansweep.com

Russ Diamond

Russ Diamond is the founder of PACleanSweep and an avid believer that government should do what's best for all citizens, not just the privileged few.

Copyright © 2008, Pennsylvania Order of Liberty Blog; All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST; All Rights Reserved.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Tim Potts: Help us Ring in the New Year with Good Government

Dear Friends of Democracy Rising,

We've made some New Year's Resolutions for Pennsylvania state government.
  1. Enact the best open records law in America.
  2. Best lobbying control law in America.
  3. Best campaign finance law in America.
  4. Best election laws in America.
Democracy Rising PA is resolved to make Pennsylvania the best of all fifty states in every category of good government. This isn't wishful thinking on our part. We've already nailed legislators on their secret salary hikes. We've called them on the millions of tax-payer dollars they've spent on partisan polling, and the appalling lack of "openness" in their proposed open records legislation. We've exposed lots of other infractions, too, all fueled by the fact that our government currently has the worst quality laws on matters of public integrity than any other state in America.

Now is the ideal time to make the most of this momentum for change. You've seen our emails about our year-end fund-raising campaign. Since starting our campaign, we have raised close to $30,000. If we raise $100,000 by December 31, we'll get matching funds, ponied up by donors across the political spectrum. That's serious money that can have a serious impact on our ability to make 2008 the year of integrity, value, transparency, and citizen confidence in government.

With just 4 days left to meet this $100,000 challenge, every contribution counts. If you haven't already donated, we urge you to do so now. Click donate to double the impact of your donation.

Working together, we can ring out the rampant corruption and waste in our current legislature, and ring in the New Year with the promise of good government.

Thank you for your support!

- Tim Potts

P.S. At the risk of overstating what we've already overstated - time is running out fast on our year-end $100,000 challenge. Click
donate before December 31, and double the impact of your donation!

P.P.S. Democracy Rising PA is a 501© (3) organization, so your contributions are tax-deductible.

Tim Potts
Co-Founder & Chair
Democracy Rising Pennsylvania

© Democracy Rising Pennsylvania 2001-2008. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2005-2008, Pennsylvania Order of Liberty Blog; All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Can the Montgomery County Republican Party be saved from itself?

Over the next two weeks, we'll find out the answer to an important question. Is the Republican Party in Montgomery County bigger than three men? Who is in charge of the party? The voters, the elected committee members, the financial contributors? Or is the party owned by three men who have their own agenda?

This message is for Republicans, specifically those living in Montgomery County. Will you allow the party to be hijacked by three men?

I see the actions of Jim Matthews, Ken Davis and Bob Asher as no different from those of playground bullies. They want their way. They're willing to step on anyone to get what they want. They think nothing of mortally wounding the Republican Party that gave these men their power in the first place. They’ve spit on the Republican Party Committee members who helped Matthews get elected as a county commissioner, helped Davis win two terms as the county party chairman and helped Asher, a convicted felon, get elected as a national committeeman.

It's time for the GOP faithful —- all 247,000 — to put this trio in its place.

The revolt from the rank-and-file is already brewing.

Here's what a Montgomery County Republican Party committeeman said in an e-mail: "Matthews' enmity for Bruce must be stronger than his desire to succeed, and he's thrown away all his work over the last several years, and will never be elected to any office again. But more than that, if we think about the future dynamics for the next four years, what Republican will listen to him, or respect him as a leader? And what Democrat will care about an ineffective turncoat Republican. In effect, Matthews will doom himself to a position with no power — indeed the emperor will have no clothes."

Here's what one Republican Party committeewoman said in an e-mail: "There has and will always be some power struggles within the party. But, in the past these issues were settled by the county chairman and never in public. That is where the problem starts and ends. Mr. Davis, in my opinion, as chairman has never demonstrated any leadership and has only won re-election by appointing new committee people at the 11th hour. This is despite his repeated promises to change the by-laws. He is and will always be a puppet for Mr. Asher, who by the way has lost all is sound political wisdom. Mr. Davis has led the Republican Party down the tube and now with his blessing Mr. Matthews will do the same to county government. The Matthews/Hoeffel team was not chosen to lead our county, but I agree Mr. Matthews must never have passed Politics 101. Mr. Asher, at one time, was a sound thinking politician who served well as county chairman. It is a known fact he does not like Bruce Castor for whatever reason. And, the look on his face when Bruce won the endorsement said it all. However, Mr. Asher has always found a way to get even and the Matthews/Hoeffel team is it. Thank goodness for the wisdom of the Montgomery County voters when they elected Bruce Castor. At least there will be one sound thinking voice on the board."

Can the Montgomery County Republican Party be saved?

It can if Republican voters by the thousands tell Matthews, Davis and Asher that the party is bigger than the egos of three men. If Matthews, Davis and Asher aren’t willing to do what the voters decided Nov. 6 — entrust Montgomery County government to a Republican majority headed by Bruce Castor — then the trio has to step aside.

If that doesn't happen between now and Jan. 7, when the Montgomery County Commissioners hold their reorganization meeting and select a chairman and vice chairman, then the Republican Party must sever all ties with Matthews, Davis and Asher. They've left the party by their renegade actions. It’s time for 247,000 registered Republicans to walk away from them.

Without your votes, your willingness to volunteer for the party's candidates and your financial generosity, there is no Montgomery County Republican Party. Matthews, Davis and Asher are nothing without you.

If you want to send them a message, here's how to contact Matthews, Davis and Asher. (And you might want Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Rob Gleason to know that Montgomery County will not be part of a Republican Party that has been hijacked by three megalomaniacs.)

Contact Jim Matthews at Jmatthew@montcopa.org or call the commissioners’ office at 610-278-3020

Contact Ken Davis at kdavis@dmga.com or kdavis@montcogop.org

Contact Bob Asher at rbasoud@aol.com

Contact Robert A. Gleason, chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, at the party’s Web site, http://www.pagop.org/ or call 717-234-4901 ext. 126

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: GOP backstabbers: Matthews, Davis, Asher

"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murder is less to fear."
— Marcus Tullius Cicero,Roman orator, statesman 42 BC


George Washington had his Benedict Arnold. Julius Caesar had his Brutus. Bruce Castor has his Jim Matthews.

Matthews, a Montgomery County commissioner in suburban Philadelphia who ran as a Republican in November, stunned political observers by announcing a pact with Democrat Joe Hoeffel to form a voting majority on the three-member Board of Commissioners.

The odd man out of the equation is Castor, the top vote-getter in the Nov. 6 election. More than 85,000 voters supported Castor and his efforts to keep Republican control of the board.

Matthews slapped every one of the 85,000 voters in the face Tuesday when he outlined his deal with the devil.

Matthews is the brother of Chris Matthews of MSNBC's "Hardball" program and was the unsuccessful candidate for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor with Lynn Swann in 2006.

When the new commissioners' board takes office in January, Matthews will serve as chairman and Hoeffel, a bust as county commissioner in the early 1990s, will serve as vice chairman. Tradition and the spoils of politics dictate that the majority party holds chairman and vice chairman titles.

Matthews decided his own lust for power supersedes the wishes of the voters.

How is Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman Ken Davis going to explain this one? Your party wins control of the commissioners' board and you now hand power to the minority party? There is no place for Matthews, Davis (and their puppet-master, GOP financier Bob Asher) to hide. Asher is also a national Republican committeeman, which might help explain why the GOP is in such trouble.

Montgomery County voters made it very clear last month they want the Republican Party to continue running the county, as it has for the past 138 years. Matthews' decision to elevate Hoeffel to vice chairman negates the results of the election. It countermands the will of the people.

This is bigger than Matthews, whose legacy is now one of a political traitor. The county, state and national Republican Party have to intervene because this is an assault on the political process.

Voters need to have some sense that the people they elect will attempt to stand behind their promises. When you vote Republican, you want Republicans to hold power, not hand it to the election losers on a silver platter.

Matthews may think he’s won something by giving Hoeffel a say in county government, but Matthews has lost what little credibility he had with voters. He has also set in motion the Democratic takeover of county government in four years. Matthews will never win another election — in Montgomery County or anywhere else. Voters simply can't trust this guy.

You don't make a deal with Democrats when your party wins majority control. This is Politics 101 and Matthews has flunked. We’re dealing with liberal Joe Hoeffel, Ed Rendell's pal. Hoeffel ran on a platform of big government and higher taxes.

During the campaign, Matthews accused Hoeffel of "picking your pockets with higher taxes." In one campaign ad, Matthews said "Hoeffel is proud he raised our taxes." What's going to happen when Hoeffel wants to raise taxes? Will Matthews provide the second vote?

And didn't Joe Hoeffel accuse Matthews of influence-peddling and corruption? What does that say about Hoeffel's character if he’s now willing to work with Matthews?

It appears Matthews and Hoeffel were made for each other. Career politicians without a shred of integrity between them.

The only person dealing with a full deck in this latest Matthews-Davis-Asher debacle is Castor.

"The consequences to the (Republican) Party would just be devastating," said Castor, noting that residents had placed control of county government in Republican hands with their votes, not a Republican and a Democrat. "It would just be insanity."

It's time for rank-and-file GOP to step in and save the Republican Party from the enemy within.

Matthews, Davis and Asher should be drummed out of the Republican Party. They want to get into bed with a liberal Democrat? Fine. Let them change their party registration. Don't pretend you're Republicans. The trio has already insulted 85,000 Republican voters by making the deal with Hoeffel.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: More promises of tax relief by Rendell

Excuse me if I don't jump up and down at the news that Gov. Ed Rendell's budget secretary says there is enough revenue coming in from casinos to begin offering property tax cuts in 2008 or 2009.

We've heard these promises before.

In 2002, Rendell, candidate for governor, promised to cut everyone's property taxes by 30 percent standing on his head.

In his first year in office, Rendell developed amnesia about property taxes. Instead, he increased the state income tax by 10 percent.

In 2004, Rendell promised property tax relief when he signed Act 72 into law. It didn't happen.

In 2005, Rendell developed amnesia again, but he did impose the $52-a-year payroll tax on just about every worker in the state.

In 2006, Rendell promised property tax relief when he signed Act 1 into law. Act 1 would have raised the income tax in return for lowering property taxes. Voters didn't buy into the tax-shift scheme. Another failed attempt at tax relief.

Here we are at the end of 2007 — five years into Rendell's term — and not one penny from gambling has been returned to Pennsylvania residents as property tax cuts.

The Legislature, which has House Bill 1275 (the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007) before it, failed to act on it before adjourning for its 32-day Christmas vacation.

Now we have a prediction from Rendell's budget chief that some homeowners will see property tax cuts at the end of 2008 or sometime in 2009 because gambling revenues have reached the minimum level to trigger tax cuts.

The operative word here is minimal. The state's six operating slot parlors have kicked in $506 million so far into a fund set up for property tax relief. The fund needs to reach $570 million by April in order for the state to begin distributing money to homeowners.

But Rendell promised $1 billion in tax relief when he signed the bill bringing casino gambling to Pennsylvania.

It will take several more years to reach that level. And we're talking about a few hundred dollars in tax reduction. So if you pay $3,000 in property taxes each year, you might get back $300. In the meantime, there's nothing to prevent your local school district from raising property taxes by hundreds of dollars ... year after year.

So pardon me if I don't do a jig. The promise of property tax cuts through gambling revenues is a mirage.

The only way to reform Pennsylvania's antiquated property tax system for funding public education is total elimination, which is what House Bill 1275 proposes.

Only 44 legislators (mostly Republicans) in the 203-member House of Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors of HB 1275 so far.

If you live in any of the following Southeastern Pennsylvania counties, you might want to ask these legislators why they won't support the elimination of property taxes. None of the following are listed as co-sponsors of House Bill 1275:

BERKS COUNTY — David Kessler (D-130); Doug Reichley (R-134); Tim Seip (D-125)

BUCKS COUNTY — Paul I. Clymer (R-145); Gene DiGirolamo (R-18); John T. Galloway (D-140); Chris King (D-142); Anthony J. Melio (D-141); Bernie O’Neill (R-29); Scott A. Petri (R-178); Marguerite Quinn (R-143); Katharine M. Watson (R-144)

CHESTER COUNTY — Thomas Killion (R-168); Duane Milne (R-167); Chris Ross (R-158); Carole Rubley (R-157

DELAWARE COUNTY — William F. Adolph Jr. (R-165); Mario J. Civera Jr. (R-26); Robert C. Donatucci (D-185); Thomas H. Killion (R-168); Thaddeus Kirkland (D-9); Bryan R. Lentz (D-161); Nicholas A. Micozzie (R-163); Ron Raymond (R-162); Greg Vitali (D-166); Ronald G. Waters (D-191)

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Lawrence Curry (D-154); Michael Gerber (D-148); Robert Godshall (R-53); Kate Harper (R-61); George Kenney Jr. (R-170); Daylin Leach (D-149); Kathy Manderino (D-194); Jay Moyer (R-70); Thomas Murt (R-152); Josh Shapiro (D-153); Rick Taylor (D-151); Mike Vereb (R-150)

For more information about HB 1275, visit the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition Web site at
http://ptcc.us/

If you want to see genuine property tax relief in Pennsylvania, you have to pressure your state legislators (especially the Democrats) to support House Bill 1275.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Matthews caves in

Somebody must have knocked some sense into Jim Matthews.

Less than 24 hours after a prominent Montgomery County attorney and longtime Republican Party activist switched his voter registration from Republican to Democrat to protest what he called vindictive behavior on the part of the Montgomery County commissioner, Jim Matthews caved.

The dispute centers on a planned transfer of Marcy Toepel, Montgomery County Clerk of Courts first deputy, to a new post in the county Recorder of Deeds office.

Toepel lost the race for Clerk of Courts in November and was going to be out of a job once Ann Thornburg Weiss, the incoming Democrat who won the election, is sworn in.

Toepel was hoping to move into a new job in the Recorder of Deeds office, which is still controlled by Republicans.

But Matthews removed Toepel's name from a list of approved job transfers under review by the county salary board, which includes the three county commissioners.

Insiders said Matthews was pissed at Toepel because she would not support his bid for reelection to the Board of Commissioners.

That prompted Norristown lawyer John I. McMahon Jr., who is the solicitor for the Clerk of Courts office, to send a letter to Matthews calling his tactics "vindictive" and "ruthless."

It didn't hurt that the letter found its way into the hands of veteran Norristown courthouse reporter Margaret Gibbons, who wrote a story about the infighting within Montgomery County Republican circles.

Matthews and McMahon sat down Tuesday for a meeting and apparently resolved their differences. Matthews will not object to Toepel's transfer when the commissioners meet next week, according to Gibbons.

After talking with Matthews on Tuesday, McMahon said all is forgiven.

"He (Matthews) has indicated to me that Ms. Toepel's removal from the salary board list was an 'inadvertent mistake' on his part," McMahon said in a letter he sent to Gibbons. "Accordingly, to the extent that this statement is true, I believe my strong words directed to Commissioner Matthews may have been overly harsh."

Spoken like a true lawyer.

Although they've kissed and made up, McMahon said his decision to switch his party registration to Democrat will not change. Hmmm.

That does not bode well for Matthews or his handlers, Montgomery County Republican Chairman Ken Davis and moneyman Bob Asher, the de-facto party boss.

Davis and Asher have worked hard over the past four years to divide the Republican Party. As a result of their political bungling, five Democrats were elected to Montgomery County row offices on Nov. 6.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Jim Matthews plays hardball with GOP

For a man who barely won re-election last month, Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews is turning into Hugo Chavez.

Matthews came in third place for three open seats on the Montgomery County commissioners' board, but he's acting like a dictator in the final days of 2007.

He's playing political hardball within his own party. Somebody should remind Jim Matthews he's not his brother, Chris Matthews, the loudmouth MSNBC TV host.

Jim Matthews has been accused of going after a longtime county worker who did not support his re-election effort. Matthews, as a member of the county salary board, does have a say in who gets hired or transferred within county government.

GOP foot soldier Marcy Toepel, a Republican who lost the race for county Clerk of Courts last month, is trying to hold on to a county job by seeking a transfer to the Recorder of Deeds office, which is still controlled by Republicans.

Under the leadership of Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman Ken Davis and his benefactor, Bob Asher, the GOP lost five county row offices in the Nov. 6 election, which has left many Republicans scrambling to find new jobs. Row offices are used by both sides to reward party faithful.

Matthews decided to get Toepel back by taking her name off the transfer list at a recent salary board meeting. (Courthouse insiders say that Toepel is a hard worker and would bring a wealth of experience to the recorder of deeds office, so there's no question that she is qualified to do the work.)

Matthews' action has angered many Republicans. One prominent GOP attorney, John I. McMahon Jr., who has worked for the party and raised thousands of dollars on behalf of GOP candidates in past 30 years, was so incensed by Matthews' vindictiveness that he switched his party registration to Democrat on Monday.

"Your own vindictive and ruthless actions in removing her name from the salary board, thereby blocking her from maintaining employment in the courthouse after her recent election upset in the clerk of courts' race, speaks volumes about your leadership," McMahon said in a letter fired off to Matthews.

"Your actions clearly highlight yet another example of the sickening political infighting and personal agendas which has characterized the leadership of the Montgomery County Republican Party in recent years," McMahon said in the letter. "It only gets worse!"

Matthews, who is controlled by Ken Davis and Bob Asher, has already alienated half the Republican Party members in Montgomery County. He's not exactly bosom buddies with the other GOP Commissioner-elect, Bruce Castor, who is a longtime critic of Davis and Asher.

Let's not forget that Matthews failed to deliver Montgomery County for the GOP when he ran as lieutenant governor on the Lynn Swann ticket in 2006. Matthews has aspirations for statewide office, but that's not going to happen when he's becoming a political pariah in his home county.

What will Matthews do in January when the new commissioners' board is sworn in? Will he make a deal with Democrat Joe Hoeffel?

If Matthews continues to burn bridges within his own party, how can Castor support Matthews for the influential post as commissioners' chairman? Will Matthews work out a secret power-sharing deal with Hoeffel, the liberal Democrat who finished second in the voting behind Castor?

Is that why Montgomery County voters kept Republicans in control of county government for another four years? To give Joe Hoeffel more a role? Would voters support Matthews had they know he'd settle old scores against his own party and possibly give Hoeffel a bigger role in county government?

When will Montgomery County Republicans realize that the Matthews-Davis-Asher wing of the party is leading the GOP over a cliff?

Read the full story on the growing GOP rift in today's edition of The Mercury at
http://www.pottsmerc.com/

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Rendell threatens to hold doctors hostage

Somebody should put a call into SWAT. Gov. Ed Rendell is planning to take hostages again.

Rendell is threatening to withhold state aid to help doctors pay for malpractice insurance unless the Legislature approves the governor's plan to offer government-subsidized health insurance for the state's 800,000 uninsured residents.

Rendell's "Cover All Pennsylvanians" proposal has been languishing in the Legislature since the governor first floated the idea in February. Lawmakers refuse to consider Rendell's 3-percent payroll tax on employers who do not provide health insurance to fund health coverage for the uninsured.

Rendell always has something up his sleeve. When the Legislature balked at leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private company to help raise money to bail out mass transit, Rendell went to Plan B: Making Interstate 80 a toll road.

The governor now wants the Legislature to use part of the projected $500 million surplus in the state's medical malpractice fund (known as MCare) to pay for the uninsured. That won't cover all the costs of providing health coverage to 800,000 people. The rest of the money would come from an additional 10-cents-a-pack tax on cigarettes and taxing cigars and smokeless tobacco.

This is not the first time Rendell has threatened to hold hostages to get his way. He did it earlier this year when he threatened state workers. And we all know how well that worked out.

It just five months ago when Rendell and the Legislature could not agree on a $27 billion General Fund budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year, which began July 1.

Rendell's bargaining chip was 24,000 "non-essential" state workers. Rendell went ahead with the furlough, but when the Legislature wouldn't budge and public sentiment turned against Rendell, he brought the workers back the next day (and ended up paying them for the extra vacation day). That little stunt cost Pennsylvania taxpayers about $3 million.

As I said back in July when I wrote about Rendell's bully tactics, when you take hostages, you have to be prepared to follow through with the threat to harm them. Rendell blinked on the furlough of state workers and lost the fight over the budget. He didn't get his health insurance plan or any of the $2.5 billion in new or expanded taxes Rendell wanted to include in the 2007-08 budget.

Taking the state's doctors hostage is an even dumber move on the governor's part. Unlike state workers, doctors have more resources at their disposal. They are a powerful lobbying group that can do a lot of harm to politicians. Doctors like having the state pick up part of their malpractice payments and are not going to give it up without a fight.

Rendell and the lockstep Democrats in the House have overreached several times in 2007. Pennsylvania residents want lower taxes, not more taxes and expanded government control of health care, transportation and energy.

In a story published by the Allentown Morning-Call, state Rep. Mike Sturla, a Democrat from Lancaster County, was quoted as saying he is willing to shake down Pennsylvania taxpayers even more to get the governor’s initiatives passed.

"I don't care if we stand people on their heads and shake pennies from their pockets," Sturla said. "All I want to do is make sure Pennsylvanians have access to health care in a reasonable, rational manner."

What a pleasant site. Rendell and Sturla holding an elderly Pennsylvania taxpayer upside down and shaking him until every penny falls out of his pocket.

Ask Sturla's constituents in Lancaster County if they'd like to pay more in taxes to people in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh can get health insurance. I think not.

Sturla may have talked his way out of a job when he faces re-election next year.
Let's say Rendell gets enough votes in the Legislature to raid the MCare fund.

Rendell is notorious for spending every dime that comes his way. What happens when the MCare fund is drained down to zero?

Where will Rendell get the money to replenish the MCare fund? The basic economic concept that Rendell has operated under is "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul."

Peter is tired of giving and Paul is in no mood to give anything back.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Pa. economy in the dumps

I've learned not to trust any economic news released by Gov. Ed Rendell since he is notorious for twisting and turning numbers into something unrecognizable.

I consider information from third parties more credible, especially when the source is a group like the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association, which has a vested interest in the condition of the state's economy. The group's motto: "Business in Pennsylvania Is Our Business."

The latest edition of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association Bulletin, available online this week, offers a sobering look at how sluggish the state's economy is under Gov. Rendell. Pennsylvania ranks 44 out of 50 states in economic growth.

I guess it's safe to conclude that higher taxes and corporate welfare is not the way to go to stimulate the state's economy. But that's been Rendell's strategy since taking office in 2003.

You can't blame the state's sad-sack economy entirely on Rendell. The Pennsylvania Legislature has turned into a doormat when it comes to economic stimulus.

House Democrats are kept on a short leash by Rendell and Republicans (especially in the Senate) have a short attention span. They can't concentrate long enough to make a convincing case that the state is headed in the wrong direction.

The four-page PMA Bulletin features these headlines:

2006 PA ECONOMIC GROWTH ONLY HALF OF U.S. RATE

Ranked 44th in Gross Domestic Product growth; Pennsylvania loses out on $7.25 billion

"This is price all Pennsylvanians are continuing to pay for Harrisburg’s misplaced priorities," says David N. Taylor, executive director of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association. "All of the state government policies that make Pennsylvania less business-friendly than our competitor states – whether it's chronic overspending, high business taxes, rampant lawsuit abuse, or regulatory overkill – are robbing our citizens and undermining our quality of life."

To read the Bulletin online, visit
http://www.pamanufacturers.org/

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Paterno salary defines open-records debate

The world now knows how much Joe Paterno makes as head football coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

My life hasn't changed since I found out that Paterno earns $512,664 a year. I graduated from Penn State but I wasn't the least bit curious how much Paterno made when I attended school in State College or in the years since I left Happy Valley.

Paterno's salary was one of the best-kept secrets in Pennsylvania, a state where keeping the public in the dark is one of the primary missions of government. Pennsylvania ranks 49 out of 50 states for having the worst open-records law in the country.

The State Employees' Retirement System released Paterno's salary a week after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that his salary and those of other top Penn State officials are public information.

How much the 80-year-old coach makes isn't as important as the fact that so many government and university officials worked so hard for so long to keep the information out of public sight.

The revelation that Paterno makes $512,000 was almost anti-climatic. Most people were under the impression that Paterno was making more than $1 million a year based on his longevity at Penn State and the success he has brought to the school’s football program.

"I'm paid well. I'm not overpaid," Paterno told reporters. "I got all the money I need."

What a refreshing statement from a public figure in a state where greed has become the norm. Pennsylvania legislators, already among the highest paid in the country, voted themselves pay raises of 16 percent to 54 percent during a middle-of-the-night session on July 7, 2005. Gov. Ed Rendell signed the pay grab into law. It took a backlash from Pennsylvania residents to get the Legislature to rescind the pay raise.

And let's not compare Paterno's salary to that of some other coaches who run big-time football programs. Alabama's Nick Saban is the highest paid coach at $4 million a year. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops makes $3 million. Ohio State's Jim Tressel, Florida's Urban Meyer and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier each make $2 million annually.

Paterno, the second winningest college football coach ever, is "underpaid" compared to other coaches. Paterno is Penn State. His value to the school cannot be measured in dollars and cents. And it's common knowledge that Paterno and his wife have donated $4 million to Penn State over the years.

It's hard to argue that Paterno isn't worth every dollar Penn State pays him. The salary revelation should put renewed focus on the current debate in the Pennsylvania Legislature over open records.

The reason the Harrisburg Patriot-News had to fight so hard in the courts to get the salary information is because Pennsylvania law presumes that all government and quasi-government agencies are entitled to keep secrets.

The public, through newspapers and other media outlets, have to persuade courts that the information should be public. This presumption is backwards. The burden should be on the government to show why information associated with how it spends the public's money or conducts the public's business should be kept from the public.

Political commentator Lowman Henry has an interesting take on the Paterno salary disclosure:

"Why then would Penn State's power brokers fight so hard to keep such information confidential? In a word: arrogance. It has become apparent they simply believe, despite the fact PSU receives hundreds of millions of tax dollars each year, We The People have no right to know what they are doing with our money. Clearly the Paterno salary is not untoward, and the university is generally perceived as one of the finest in the nation. Why then the secrecy?"

The Paterno salary story, which made the front page of every newspaper in the state, should be a wake-up call to Pennsylvania residents. They need to be engaged in the current debate about revising the state's open-records laws. This is not about giving newspapers special access. This is about giving the people of Pennsylvania the right to know how their elected officials are conducting the people's business.

A vote on revisions to the open-records law could come any day now. Make sure your elected representatives know you’re paying attention and will not tolerate any more secrecy.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Legislators abandon property tax reform

Only 43 members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have publicly supported House Bill 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.

The vast majority of the 203 House members have yet to be heard on HB 1275, which was introduce by state Rep. Sam Rohrer and is supported by more than two dozen citizen taxpayer groups across Pennsylvania. The bill would eliminate school property taxes for all Pennsylvania homeowners.

Below is a list of legislators who represent districts in Southeastern Pennsylvania (all or parts of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties) conspicuously absent from the list of HB 1275 co-sponsors. (I won't bother with state reps from the City of Philadelphia since they don't consider themselves part of Pennsylvania except when they're looking for handouts and bailouts from the rest of the state's taxpayers.)

If you recognize any of the names below, you need to contact them today and ask them what's more pressing in Harrisburg than the elimination of school property taxes?

Find out why your representative won't stand with Pennsylvania taxpayers.

And remind them that you will not be voting for them when they stand for re-election in 2008.

The following state representatives are AWOL on property tax relief:

BERKS COUNTY
David Kessler (D-130)
Doug Reichley (R-134)
Tim Seip (D-125)

BUCKS COUNTY
Paul I. Clymer (R-145)
Gene DiGirolamo (R-18)
John T. Galloway (D-140)
Chris King (D-142)
Anthony J. Melio (D-141)
Bernie O'Neill (R-29)
Scott A. Petri (R-178)
Marguerite Quinn (R-143)
Katharine M. Watson (R-144)

CHESTER COUNTY
Thomas Killion (R-168)
Duane Milne (R-167)
Chris Ross (R-158)
Carole Rubley (R-157

DELAWARE COUNTY

William F. Adolph Jr. (R-165)
Mario J. Civera Jr. (R-26)
Robert C. Donatucci (D-185)
Thomas H. Killion (R-168)
Thaddeus Kirkland (D-9)
Bryan R. Lentz (D-161)
Nicholas A. Micozzie (R-163)
Ron Raymond (R-162)
Greg Vitali (D-166)
Ronald G. Waters (D-191)

MONTGOMERY
Lawrence Curry (D-154)
Michael Gerber (D-148)
Robert Godshall (R-53)
Kate Harper (R-61)
George Kenney Jr. (R-170)
Daylin Leach (D-149)
Kathy Manderino (D-194)
Jay Moyer (R-70)
Thomas Murt (R-152)
Josh Shapiro (D-153)
Rick Taylor (D-151)
Mike Vereb (R-150)

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Impeach Rendell

It appears my role as the leading critic of Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has been usurped by two other political commentators. I don't mind. It's about time others figured out that Rendell is the worst governor in the country.

Over the weekend, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist
Colin McNickle made a convincing case that Gov. Rendell has repeatedly trampled the Pennsylvania Constitution.

"The governor and his corporatist cronies regularly violate Article VIII, Section 8, with each new corporate wealthfare scheme," McNickle writes. "Never mind that such lending of the commonwealth's credit -- guaranteed by the taxpayer swag -- is expressly verboten."

McNickle also cites Rendell's efforts to enact gun control measures as a way to stem the murder rate in Philadelphia as another example of ignoring the Constitution.

"Mr. Rendell is spitting and stomping on the state Constitution again. The governor went before the state House Judiciary Committee last week to plead his case for passage of four gun-control measures, ostensibly to reduce handgun violence," McNickle writes.

Lowman Henry, writing at
Lincoln Blog, goes a step further, calling for Rendell's impeachment.

Citing the governor's testimony before a House committee, Henry says Rendell has crossed the line in calling for disarming Pennsylvania residents.

"Last week Governor Rendell did more than question that right, he took the extraordinary step of appearing before a state House committee to argue in favor of taking away the rights of citizens to bear arms."

Henry continues: "That is a clear cut violation of the constitution which he has sworn to uphold. That is an impeachable offense. This being just the latest and greatest blatant disregard for the constitution the time has come to decide whether or not the constitution actually means anything. If it does, he should be removed from office. If it is merely a dusty document having no bearing on the present day affairs of state government, then the latest transgression should be ignored."

I got one too. How about impeaching Rendell for lying about property tax relief? He promised to dramatically reduce or eliminate property taxes in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Hasn't happened yet.

Now there's talk of a stealth tax increase because the Rendell administration has depleted the fund used to clean up damage from leaking underground fuel tanks.

Rendell wants all Pennsylvania motorists to pay an additional penny for every gallon of gas purchased at the pump. Pennsylvanians already pay one of the highest gasoline taxes in the country.

"We're disturbed that the administration would propose what amounts to a $50 million increase in the gas tax without apparent justification," Joe Pittman, the chief of staff for Sen. Don White, R-Indiana, the Banking and Insurance Committee chairman, told The Associated Press.

Rendell's people argue that the increase would mean about $9 more for the average household, but this governor has nickel-and-dimed Pennsylvania families to the poor house over the past five year.

Maybe impeachment is the way to go.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2008, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Another legislative pay raise

The gift that keeps on giving ...

Yes, it's that time of year. The Pennsylvania Legislature is on its 12-day Thanksgiving holiday. (I don't know about you, but I was lucky to get Thanksgiving Day off this year.) The latest break comes after a two-week recess around the Nov. 6 election, so the Legislature has been in session for about 45 minutes so far in November.

What has the most expensive state legislature in the country ($320 million annual operating costs) accomplished so far in 2007? Let's review. Property taxes? Nothing. Health care reform? Nothing. Open records reform? Nothing. Energy independence? Nothing. Transportation. Other than agreeing to toll Interstate 80, nothing to solve the long-term problems of the state's crumbling infrastructure and its bloated, inefficient mass transit systems. School funding reform? Nothing.

That means the 253 members of the largest and most expensive state legislature in the country will have to work extra hard in December before taking a one-month holiday recess.

This is on top of the two months the Legislature took off for the summer. It would have been longer, but their summer vacation was cut short by 16 days because the Legislature and Gov. Ed Rendell couldn't agree on a state budget until 16 days into the new fiscal year.

For all the hard work this Legislature does, the members will be rewarding themselves on Dec. 1 with another pay raise.

According to Jan Murphy of The Harrisburg Patriot-News, the automatic cost-of-living-adjustment enacted by the Legislature in 1995 will kick in Dec. 1 when the base salary of a Pennsylvania lawmaker will jump to $76,163, up $2,549 from last year. This does not include the $152 a day "per diem" lawmakers collect for just showing up for work in Harrisburg.

The increase is based on the cost-of-living index in Philadelphia, which is much higher than the rest of the state. Nothing but best for our Pennsylvania lawmakers.

The 3.5 percent pay raise the Harrisburg Hogs are giving themselves is much higher than the 2.3 percent COLA adjustment Social Security recipients will receive in their monthly checks next year.

The same 1995 law provides automatic pay raises for members of the executive and judicial branches of Pennsylvania government. Those raises begin Jan. 1.

At the high end, Gov. Ed Rendell will earn $170,150 in 2008, or an increase of $5,754. Speaker of the House Dennis O'Brien and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati will collect $3,980 next year, bringing their salaries to $118,896.

Ron Castille, the next chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, will earn $186,582 in 2008. Murphy notes that Castille's salary will be $6,246 higher than outgoing Chief Justice Ralph Cappy, who set the whole 2005 pay raise debacle in motion by complaining that judges weren't paid enough.

That led to a deal between Gov. Ed Rendell, then-Speaker John Perzel and GOP leaders in the Senate to enact the middle-of-the-night pay raise on July 7, 2005.

We all know how well that deal went over. See Russ Diamond's
new book "Tip of the Spear" for a blow-by-blow account of the pay raise and the aftermath. There are 55 new Legislators thanks to the pay raise vote and four of the seven seats on the state Supreme Court have turned over since the pay raise vote.

And let's not forget that all 203 members of the state House and 25 members of the state Senate will face re-election next year. The pay raise. The bonus scandal. The PHEAA mess. Ghost workers collecting taxpayer-paid salaries. Secret leadership accounts. It just goes on and on.

Other than giving its members annual pay raises and the best perks and benefits other people's money money can buy, the Political Class has done nothing to benefit Pennsylvania taxpayers.

Read the rest of Murphy's story, including some excellent comments from citizen activists about politicians' pay, at www.pennlive.com

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: GOP chairman leads party off a cliff

Today's word is leadership, as in "an act or instance of leading, guidance, direction." Our second word of the day is teamwork, as in a "cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause."

Leadership and teamwork are two words not in Ken Davis' vocabulary. Davis is chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party, a position he has held for the past three years. His tenure was been marked by dissension, discord and a noticeable decline in the once dominant Republican Party in Montgomery County.

Under Davis' rule, the party has lost seats in the state Legislature and failed to deliver Republican votes for the governor's race or U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, who wins Berks and Chester counties, but loses the Montgomery County portion of his 6th Congressional District.

Under Davis, the Republican Party has allowed Democrats to narrow the voter registration gap and the all-important money gap. This is why the race for Montgomery County commissioner was much closer than it should have been.

Under Davis' helm. the GOP lost five county row office contests on Nov. 6. All five have been held by Republicans for as long as anyone can remember, but in January there will be five Democrats hanging out at the Montgomery County Courthouse, planning their next political run while collecting a paycheck from taxpayers.

You can thank Davis for giving the Democrats new life in Montgomery County.

Based on the results of the row office fiasco and Davis' pitiful record over three years, you'd think Davis would have stepped down by now. Or at the very least offered a plausible explanation of why the Republican Party has fallen so quickly during his tenure.

Instead, Davis spent the days after the election pointing fingers.

Davis put the blame for losing the five countywide races — clerk of courts, prothonotary, coroner, register of wills and controller — on Bruce L. Castor Jr., the current Montgomery County district attorney who ran for county commissioner.

Castor did what he said he would: Keep the commissioners' board where it has been for 138 years — in Republican control. Castor finished with 84,735 votes and helped keep the GOP majority by getting Jim Matthews re-elected.

Davis didn't want Castor to head the GOP ticket. He supported Matthews and the other incumbent county commissioner, Tom Ellis. That says a lot about Davis' lack of political savvy. A Matthews-Ellis ticket would have guaranteed Democratic control of the county commissioners.

Castor not only had to face two tough Democratic opponents in Joe Hoeffel and incumbent Ruth Damsker, and take the lead in the Matthews-Castor ’07 campaign, but he also had to contend with Davis' constant sniping and backbiting.

Inexplicably, but no doubt with Davis' support, Matthews ran his own side campaign for commissioner and conveniently left Castor’s name off most of his mailings. An informed source tells me Matthews spent $300,000 on his own campaign, syphoning money that could have helped the entire Republican team.

Davis said Castor is responsible for the five row offices going to Democrats. Castor's coattails should have carried every Republican candidate to victory, according to Davis. Last time I checked, Davis was still the party chairman. When Republican candidates lose, the chairman has to look in the mirror before placing blame.

When you lose a battle, you don't blame the soldiers. You look at the general and his plan of attack. When your favorite team loses, you look at the coach and his game plan.

Davis should have gotten on his hands and knees the day after the election and thanked Castor for keeping Montgomery County in GOP control for another four years.

If you take a look at the political mailings authorized by Matthews-Castor '07, you'll find references to the "Republican Team" and profiles of all 11 GOP candidates who ran for county office, including the five row offices that ended up in Democratic hands.

Contrast that with Matthews' campaign literature, where there's no mention of anyone else on the "team." It's all about Matthews. And by extension, it's all about Davis and the man who pulls his strings, Bob Asher, a big-time GOP fundraiser and national GOP committeeman.

Asher is another party leader with a lousy track record. Republicans lost most of the statewide judicial races this year, which followed a disastrous 2006 when Pennsylvania Republicans lost control of the state House and turned over four Congressional seats to Democrats.

Davis promised to unite the party three years ago. He failed to deliver. And as party chairman, the loss of the five row offices rests squarely on his shoulders.

The Montgomery County Republican Party needs unity and leadership, especially with the presidential election year approaching.

Davis has shown repeatedly he's not a leader or someone who can put his own interests aside and be part of a winning team.

It's time for county Republicans to cut their ties with Davis and Asher.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Lawmakers AWOL on property tax relief

Previously I listed 42 members of the Pennsylvania House who are co-sponsors of House Bill 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.

Since there are 203 members of the House, the vast majority of lawmakers have yet to be heard on HB 1275, which is endorsed by more than two dozen taxpayer groups across the state.

Below is a list of legislators from my neck of the woods (Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties) who are conspicuously absent from the list of HB 1275 co-sponsors.

If you recognize any of the names below, you need to contact them today and ask them what's more pressing in Harrisburg than the elimination of schools property taxes? Check the
previous list of co-sponsors to see if your legislator is on your side.

Find out why they are not standing with Pennsylvania taxpayers. And remind them that you will not be voting for them when they stand for re-election in 2008.

Here are The Missing lawmakers who represent districts in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties:

BERKS COUNTY
David Kessler (D-130)
Doug Reichley (R-134)
Tim Seip (D-125)

CHESTER COUNTY
Thomas Killion (R-168)
Barbara McIlvaine Smith (D-156)
Duane Milne (R-167)
Chris Ross (R-158)
Carole Rubley (R-157

MONTGOMERY
Lawrence Curry (D-154)
Michael Gerber (D-148)
Robert Godshall (R-53)
Kate Harper (R-61)
George Kenney Jr. (R-170)
Daylin Leach (D-149)
Kathy Manderino (D-194)
Jay Moyer (R-70)
Thomas Murt (R-152)
Josh Shapiro (D-153)
Rick Taylor (D-151)
Mike Vereb (R-150)

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Freshman lawmakers turn backs on taxpayers

A couple more members of the Pennsylvania House have added their names to the list of co-sponsors for the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 (House Bill 1275).

The latest sponsors are Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) and Rep. Mark Mustio (R-Allegheny), bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 42.

I posted the full list of 40 original sponsors at this site on Monday.

Is your state representative on the list? If not, why not? Call or e-mail your local legislator and demand that he or she stand with Pennsylvania taxpayers in support of House Bill 1275, which would eliminate school property taxes.

Also note that many of the freshman lawmakers elected in 2006 on promises of reform are not on the list of HB 1275 sponsors. The biggest reform Pennsylvania residents want to see is the elimination of property taxes. Make sure these new lawmakers keep their promises or you can make them one-term legislators in 2008.

A programming note:

On Monday, Nov. 19 at 7:00 PM, Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), the prime sponsor of HB 1275, will be on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) Call-in Program to discuss property taxes. Appearing with him will be Rep. David Levdansky, the prime sponsor of HB 1600, the fraudulent property tax "relief" plan that is actually a tax increase in disguise and is strenuously opposed by the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition and the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers Associations.

Taxpayer groups are urging their members to call the program to voice your support of HB 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, and especially to let Rep. Levdansky know that Pennsylvania homeowners will no longer tolerate more valueless, recycled approaches like HB 1600.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: 33 Republicans, 7 Democrats stand with Pa. taxpayers

Some good news on the property tax front.

The School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, the only measure endorsed by the two dozen active citizen taxpayer associations in Pennsylvania, has been introduced in the state House of Representatives.

House Bill 1275 has received the backing of 33 Republican and 7 Democratic members of the House. My first question: Why isn't your state legislator supporting this effort to eliminate property taxes? A bill needs a majority of 102 votes to pass the House.

Now is the time to get your lawmaker on the record when it comes to property tax relief. Find out where he or she stands on House Bill 1275 so you can decide if they deserve re-election 2008.

Is there a more pressing issue facing Pennsylvania than property tax reform? Don't settle for half-measures (House Bill 1600) pushed by House Democrats. That bill offers a temporary reduction in property taxes and a permanent increase in other taxes to make up the difference. Homeowners will end up worse off under this so-called tax relief plan.

The only solution is elimination of property taxes, which is the goal of House Bill 1275.

According to David Baldinger of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition, the following 40 House members have co-sponsored House Bill 1275.

Rohrer (R-Berks)
Argall (R-Berks/Schuylkill)
Quigley (R-Montgomery)
Cox (R-Berks)
Yewcic (D-Cambria/Somerset)
Denlinger (R-Lancaster)
Phillips (R-Northumberland/Snyder)
Stern (R-Blair)
Baker (R-Bradford/Tioga)
Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware)
Bastian (R-Bedford/Somerset)
Caltagirone (D-Berks)
Cappelli (R-Lycoming)
Creighton (R-Lancaster)
Everett (R-Lycoming)
Gabig (R-Cumberland)
Gibbons (D-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence)
Gillespie (R-York)
Goodman (D-Schuylkill)
Harris (R-Juniata/Mifflin/Snyder)
Hennessey (R-Chester)
Hershey (R-Chester)
Hess (R-Bedford/Fulton/Huntingdon)
Kauffman (R-Cumberland/Franklin)
Mackereth (R-York)
Mahoney (D-Fayette)
Mantz (R-Berks)
McIlhattan (R-Armstrong/Clarion)
Mensch (R-Montgomery)
Moul (R-Adams/Franklin)
Perry (R-Cumberland/York)
Pyle (R-Armstrong/Indiana)
Readshaw (D-Allegheny)
Roae (R-Crawford)
Rock (R-Franklin)
Santoni (D-Berks)
Saylor (R-York)
Schroder (R-Chester)
Steil (R-Bucks)
Swanger (R-Lebanon)

If your state representative is not on this list, get on the phone or e-mail today to find out why they won't stand with Pennsylvania taxpayers.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Mixed results for Montgomery County GOP

Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. delivered on his promise to maintain Republican control of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners but he's on the receiving end of verbal jabs from the county party chairman.

Castor gave up his high-profile job as the county's top law enforcement officer to run for commissioner because he saw a genuine threat by Democrats to take control of the commissioners' board for the first time in 130 years.

Castor was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's election, attracting 84,929 votes and carrying sad-sack Jim Matthews on his shoulder to keep the GOP majority on the three-member board.

Apparently that wasn't good enough for Ken Davis, the politically-challenged chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party. Davis is blaming Castor because five other Republicans lost county row offices on Tuesday.

Hey, how much water does Castor have to carry for the party? Castor was not only facing a well-funded Democratic ticket in Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker, but also had to carry Matthews, who was a liability, and deal with constant sniping from Ken Davis and the guy who pulls Davis' strings, Bob Asher.

Castor had to constantly watch his back.

The day after the election, Davis is giving interviews to newspapers blaming Castor for the Republican Party's inability to hold on to the row offices. Davis told veteran political reporter Margaret Gibbons of The Norristown Times-Herald that his candidates "did not get the help they thought they would from Bruce (Castor.)"

Cry me a river, launch a boat and row yourself down downstream, Ken.

Way to take one for the team, Davis. What was that they said about the buck stops here?

Row office contests feature nameless, faceless party workers. The public doesn't know the candidates and for the most part, doesn't care who fills those seats. It's up to the parties to make sure they get out the vote for their people. This is where Davis fell flat ... again.

Row offices is where party chairman show their political acumen. In the case of Montgomery County, Davis couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat.

If it wasn't for Castor, Democrats would not only hold the five row offices, but they'd be in charge of the commissioners' board. Davis originally backed Matthews and the other incumbent commissioner, Tom Ellis. That would have been the worst ticket since Carter-Mondale.

Castor responded to Davis' whining with class:

"This is exactly the type of finger-pointing that needs to stop if we are going to continue to be successful," Castor said. "Our party needs to move forward together and that is what I am committed to doing."

If Davis cared at all about the Republican Party in Montgomery County, he would have resigned over the row office debacle on Nov. 7.

The longer Davis remains as chairman, the worse things will get for the party. His term expires in 2008, but he's done enough damage already.

The future for the party is under Castor's leadership.

"It is my belief that a leader understands that when we win, we win together and when we lose, we lose together," Castor said. "That is how I intend to move — forward."

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Another black eye for PHEAA

Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse for the state's embattled student-loan agency comes the revelation that PHEEA spent more than $2 million on trinkets with the agency's name on it.

The full story was published by The Harrisburg Patriot-News.

According to the newspaper, PHEAA spent $2.2 million over the past five years to place its logo on such promotional giveaways golf balls, pencils, clothing and reusable glowing ice cubes. Huh? What the hell is a reusable glowing ice cube?

I've seen private companies put their logos on knick-knacks. But a state agency that is supposed to provide loans and grants to students to cover the rising cost of college doesn't need to promote itself on ash trays and dish towels.

Wouldn't you think that the $2.2 million could have been better spent?

Some of the more unusual items with the PHEAA logo, according to The Patriot-News, were 150 brass clocks at $22 each, $30 L.L. Bean jackets, 3,000 peppermint candies with its logo on the wrapper and $3,400 worth of gummy brains candy.

Keep in mind that 16 of the 20 members of the board of directors charged with overseeing PHEAA are elected members of the Pennsylvania Legislature, no stranger to wasteful spending.

The best quote about the latest PHEAA scandal came from Rep. John Shapiro, D-Montgomery County: "Gummy brains? The officials at PHEAA must have gummy brains if they were willing to waste scholarship money on these types of wasteful expenditures."

Shapiro promised legislation to limit PHEAA's spending on promotional items.

In case you haven't been keeping track of all the hijinks at PHEEA, the agency spent $900,000 on trips to resorts and spas for its employees, executives and board members. PHEAA then spent $400,000 in legal fees to prevent newspapers from gaining access to those spending records.

PHEAA approved more than $7.5 million in bonuses for its top executives. Some of those executives have decided to retire and will be collecting six-figure pensions.

And let's not forget that PHEAA spent $108,000 on employee passes to HersheyPark to give those stressed-out workers some time to unwind.

One of the clueless lawmakers who serves on the PHEAA board, state Sen. Sean Logan, D-Allegheny, who also happens to be vice chairman of the PHEAA board, defended the $2.2 million for promotional trinkets.

Logan told The Patriot-News that the student-loan agency's promotional giveaways helped advertise it to students and clients in a competitive marketplace.

And you need any more reasons why the cesspool in Harrisburg needs to be drained?

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: The $2M race for Montgomery County commissioner

Money makes the political world go around.

Running for public office these days is not the faint of heart or those light in the wallet.

The latest example of how out-of-control political races have gotten is the contest for Montgomery County Commissioner.

Veteran political reporter Margaret Gibbons reported Tuesday that the two major parties have raised more than $1.5 million in the past four months.

The big money so far has been pouring into the coffers of Democrats Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker, who reported raising $867,145 between June and mid-October.

Republicans Bruce Castor and Jim Matthews reported taking in $521,431 in the same time period, but Matthews is also raising money on his own. He took in $237,225.

Counting money raised earlier in the year, the Democrats have collected more than $1 million. That's four times what the Dems raised for the last county commissioners' race four years ago.

At least $30,000 in campaign money for the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign came from Gov. Ed Rendell, who wants to turn at least one Southeastern Pennsylvania county to the Dark Side (I meant to say Democrats) in preparation for next year's presidential elections.

With Berks and Delaware counties looking safe for the GOP, Rendell is targeting Chester, Bucks and Montgomery counties as a base of operation for the Hillary Clinton onslaught to come in 2008.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Mixed news for Montgomery County GOP

A new poll shows the Republican candidates for Montgomery County commissioner keeping county government in GOP hands for another four years. But voter registration numbers show the Democratic Party making inroads in what had been a Republican stronghold.

First the good news for Montgomery County Republicans.

A Newhouse/Public Opinion Strategies poll has the Republican candidates for Montgomery County commissioner rising, while their Democratic challengers are sinking.

The poll shows Republican Bruce L. Castor Jr., the Montgomery County district attorney, leading the pack with 52 percent, followed by Joe Hoeffel, a former Congressman, at 44 percent. The big news is the rise of Jim Matthews, an incumbent Montgomery County commissioner. Matthews, at 43 percent, has pulled to within one percentage point of Hoeffel. Trailing the field is incumbent Ruth Damsker, with 34 percent.

This is a much-watched race that could set the stage for the 2008 presidential race. Whoever wins Southeastern Pennsylvania will win Pennsylvania. And whoever wins Pennsylvania could be the next president of the United States. Having control of county government is essential for political parties.

If the poll numbers carry through Election Day, the commissioners' board will consist of Castor, Matthews and Hoeffel, with the two Republicans holding the majority.

The recent criminal charges filed against the campaign manager for Hoeffel and Damsker may have something to do with the Democrats' falling popularity.

Joanne C. Olszewski, a county party leader and co-chair of the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign, recently resigned as Montgomery County jury commissioner when she was implicated in an illegal video machine gambling probe. Olszewski quit the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign, but she is holding on to her county party post.

An earlier Newhouse poll had Matthews ahead of Damsker by six percentage points. He's now pulled ahead by nine points and could overtake Hoeffel to finish in second place.

That would leave Hoeffel and Damsker to battle it out for the final seat.

In addition to the bad publicity the Hoeffel-Damsker team has received, voters may also be realizing how expensive things will get if the liberal Democrats take control of county government.

According to veteran Montgomery County Courthouse reporter Margaret Gibbons of the Norristown Times-Herald, Hoeffel-Damkser have proposed more than $100 million in new spending during their campaign. Somebody has to pay for all the growth in government. Taxpayers are in no mood to pay more taxes.

Although the Hoeffel-Damsker team doesn't appear to be catching fire, Democrats are doing a much better job of attracting voters than their GOP counterparts.

Of the 6,992 newly registered voters since the May primary elections, 3,208 registered as Democrats, while 1,958 registered Republican, according to The Times Herald in Norrstown.

That pattern has been repeated in Montgomery County for most of the past decade.

The number of registered Republicans in Montgomery County is 247,766, compared to 217,052 Democrats.

Montgomery County GOP Chairman Ken Davis could offer no explanation for the continuing resurgence of the Democratic Party under his watch other than to blame President Bush.

"We will have to live with this for another year," Davis told The Times Herald.

Davis is in his third year as party chairman. He told the newspaper he needs more time to turn things around. A few more years under Davis' leadership and the Republican Party will be the minority party in the county. There was no mention in The Times Herald article of Bob Asher, who pulls Davis' strings.

Read the full story by reporter Margaret Gibbons at the newspaper's Web site,
www.timesherald.com

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: RendellCare will sink Pennsylvania businesses

Gov. Ed Rendell's grandiose scheme to force Pennsylvania businesses to pay higher taxes to provide health insurance to all uninsured residents would ruin the state's economy, according to an independent assessment by an advocacy group for small business.

Rendell's payroll tax to fund his "Cover All Pennsylvanians" plan would cost the state at least 167,000 jobs over the next five years, according to a study released by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Of those losses, 103,000 jobs could come from small employers (those with fewer than 100 workers). Rendell's tax-and-spend policies over the past five years have severely crippled Pennsylvania's small businesses. The health care tax would put many small firms (the backbone of Pennsylvania's economy) out of business.

"The 3 percent payroll tax on employers who presently cannot afford to provide health insurance to their employees would hit roughly 50 percent of all small employers in Pennsylvania," said Bruce Phillips, a researcher who compiled the report for NFIB. "That tax, along with insurance premiums and accounting costs, will cost small-business owners in Pennsylvania an estimated $1.9 billion annually."

Kevin Shivers, the Pennsylvania state director for the NFIB, said he was not surprised surprised to learn the added costs could cripple many Pennsylvania employers, as many small job providers are already struggling.

"Small-business owners are already struggling with an increasingly competitive global economy and rising energy bills and other costs -- a whopping new payroll tax could put many of them out of business permanently," Shivers said.

Shivers is also concerned the Rendell proposal would do little to address the fundamental problem of affordability, but could exacerbate the problem by expanding the size and scope of state government with a payroll tax on those who can least afford it.

(Rendell has been promising property tax cuts in Pennsylvania for the past five years, but has failed to deliver. Rendell has also vetoed a Republican measure to reduce the state income tax, which is also paid by business owners.)

Rather than focusing on building a larger role for state government in health care, Shivers suggests "legislators focus on measures to expand consumer choices and improve quality of services at a lower cost."

"Providing more options and greater flexibility for employers to provide health care to their employees ought to be our goal -- not creating a vast and costly bureaucracy that in many cases will do more harm than good for struggling small-business owners."

For more on the study, visit
www.nfib.com

Republican state lawmakers have offered their own plan (The Real Prescription for Pennsylvania) to fix the state's failing health care system. To read more, go to
www.HealthCareForPaFamilies.com

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Lawmakers answer to teachers' union

Pennsylvania leads the nation in teacher strikes. Pennsylvania has recorded twice as many teacher strikes as any other state since 2000. Three school districts in Pennsylvania are on strike this week.

Thirty-seven states have already outlawed teacher strikes. The rationale is similar to laws preventing police officers and firefighters from walking off the job. These are essential public services. Since the government mandates a minimum number of days for students to attend school, why should teachers be allowed to disrupt the education system?

After years of lobbying lawmakers, a grassroots organization called Stop Teacher Strikes Inc. has persuaded a few courageous lawmakers to introduce a bill to ban teacher strikes in Pennsylvania.

Opposition to the ban is coming from the powerful teachers' union, which contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds to politicians to keep them voting the way the union wants.

We already know where Gov. Ed Rendell stands on the issue. Rendell, who received $500,000 from the Pennsylvania State Education Association's PAC for his re-election bid last year, said through a spokesman that a teacher strike ban is a "radical response." In other words, the governor is owned by the teachers' union.

So far, 25 state lawmakers have added their names to the teacher ban bill introduced by Rep. Todd Rock, a Republican from Franklin County. All 25 co-sponsors are Republicans, which says a lot about how much control unions have over the Democratic Party. That leaves another 228 lawmakers sitting on the fence (many of them counting the money they've received from the teachers' union.)

It's time for Pennsylvania residents to remind their elected lawmakers that they represent the people, not the unions.

Stop Teacher Strikes Inc. has posted the names of all 253 Pennsylvania legislators on its Web site and how much money the lawmakers have received from the state's largest teachers' union, the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

"What we're trying to do is rally the public," Stop Teacher Strikes Inc. founder Simon Campbell told The Associated Press.

Pennsylvania's 116,000 public school teachers are already among the highest paid in the nation (average salary of $54,027 in the 2005-06 school year, the most recent figure available). Under the current system, they can walk out on their jobs when they don't get their way and get paid for the time they walk the picket line because school districts are forced by the state to keep students in school for 180 days.

Regardless of how long teachers are on strike, the days will be made up. The only people inconvenienced are students and parents, who often have to make costly day care alternatives when their kids are forced to stay home by a teacher strike.

Rep. Rock's bill would force teachers to forfeit two days' pay for each day of a strike, fine individuals $5,000 for inciting a strike, and require nonbinding arbitration to resolve contract disputes within a certain time frame.

In other words, teachers will get hit where it hurts, in the pocketbook.

An actual ban on teacher strikes requires a change to the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Constitutional amendments must be approved by lawmakers in two consecutive legislative sessions and by voters in a referendum. That's a long and complicated process, but it's actually a good thing because changing the Constitution does not require the governor's approval.

Clearly Rendell dances to the teachers' union tune and would never side with Pennsylvania taxpayers on banning teacher strikes.

The Associated Press reviewed strike records over the past seven years and found that of the nearly 140 teacher strikes that occurred nationally between 2000 and 2007, 60 percent took place in Pennsylvania.

Much of the research about teacher strikes has been conducted by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy in Pittsburgh, which opposes strikes by public-sector unions in "vital sectors" such as mass transit and education, institute president Jake Haulk told the AP.

"The only way you get (support for a ban) is a massive uprising on the part of the taxpayers who say, 'Enough is enough,'" Haulk said. "That hasn't happened yet."

The teachers' union has used the threat of strikes and the willingness to walk off the job as bargaining tools to hold the state's 501 school districts hostage to its demands. School districts don't have much leverage in the bargaining process, which is one reason property taxes are so high. The teachers get pay raises and top-of-the-line benefits, including lifetime pensions, all paid by the Pennsylvania taxpayer.

It's time to level the playing field by taking away the teachers' ability to strike.

Let your state lawmaker know that your vote is what keeps him or her on the job, not the payoff money they get from the teachers' union.


Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Empty promises on tax relief

What do Rep. John Perzel's "Older Pennsylvanian Property Tax Elimination Act" and Rep. Jay Moyer's "Senior Property Tax Freeze Bill" have in common?

Both measures are the latest attempts by elected officials to fool senior citizens (who are the most consistent voters) into giving Pennsylvania lawmakers another free pass on the property tax issue. The shell game has been going on for 30 years.

Lawmakers promise to tackle property tax reform in Harrisburg, but break their promises to the voters as soon as they get into office. When voters start threatening to kick out the career politicians, the legislators come up with various schemes to address property taxes.

It's a vicious cycle that can only come to end with the passage of the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 or the ouster of the majority of the current Legislature.

Perzel's plan would eliminate property taxes for Pennsylvania residents who are 65 or older and earn up to $40,000 a year (that's about 600,000 people). Moyer's plan would freeze property taxes senior citizens pay on their homes at current levels.

If you were under the impression that Gov. Ed Rendell and the Legislature tried to appease senior voters the same way last year, you have a good memory. Special Session Act 1 of 2006, signed into law by Rendell on June 27, 2006, was a ruse to buy Rendell and the Legislature more time. That worked. Rendell and most incumbents were re-elected in November 2006, after which they promptly shoved property tax relief on the back burner.

Voters are starting to make noise again and politicians are coming up with plans to attack the problem.

It's all part of the endless cycle of broken promises from Harrisburg.

Read more about the waiting game on tax relief in this editorial
from
The Mercury in Pottstown.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.