Guest Column: PA House Democrats Throw Women Under the Bus

By Lowman S. Henry

The Left has become adept at using various issues as a wedge to gain political advantage with women voters. They have been particularly effective in using so-called “reproductive rights,” mischaracterizing the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision as having taken away those supposed rights even though the court merely returned the issue to the states where it properly belongs.

But, as the saying goes, they are “all hat, and no cowboy” when it comes to protecting actual women. Here in Penn’s Woods Pennsylvania House Democrats have been particularly brazen in throwing women under the bus if acting on their behalf in any way threatens their tenuous hold on legislative power.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has been a chamber virtually evenly divided since the beginning of the current session. Capitalizing on the most egregious Gerrymandered set of district lines in the Commonwealth’s history, Democrats seized a one-seat majority in the 2022 elections.

Plagued by one death and multiple resignations the chamber has periodically fallen into a 101-101 tie. This has prompted Democrats to use various tactics including the snookering of several Republicans to vote for a supposed “non-partisan” temporary House Speaker to hold the chamber in recess for months using the flimsy excuse of fixing a leak in the chamber ceiling.

The latest example of Democrats’ prioritizing political power over protecting women occurred last week when Speaker Joanna McClinton allowed State Rep. Kevin Boyle to vote even though he was on the lamb hiding out from law enforcement seeking to execute a warrant for his arrest for allegedly violating a protection from abuse order. McClinton and House Democrats showed no concern for the female victim who filed the protection from abuse order, feeding instead their lust for legislative power. 

A variety of excuses were forthcoming. Rep. Boyle, who was recently involved in a drunken rant at a local bar, was said by defenders to be suffering from mental health issues. If indeed that is the case, then Mr. Boyle should be given the appropriate medical care. 

But there are larger issues here. First and foremost: is his flight from the law in any way imperiling the safety of the woman who filed the protection from abuse order? Second, should a fugitive from justice be permitted to cast a vote – or have someone else vote for him – in Pennsylvania’s legislative body? 

Realizing the optics of the situation House Democrats decided to propose new rules for expelling a member. Getting back to our analogy theme that is the equivalent of closing the barn door after the horse has escaped. Time will tell if any action will follow.

Sadly, this is not the first time House Democrats have placed power over people. Last Spring, their majority still teetering by one vote, House Democrats obfuscated as then-Rep. Mike Zabel of Delaware County stood accused of sexual harassment by a labor union lobbyist. It took pressure from female Republican House members to force Zabel’s resignation.

Likewise, Gov. Josh Shapiro has placed political expediency over the protection of women. One of his top aides, former Secretary of Legislative Affairs Mike Vereb, was forced to resign in the wake of sexual harassment allegations lodged by a female staff member. Vereb remained on the job for months while a taxpayer-funded monetary settlement of $295,000 was negotiated and paid to the victim. The issue only gained traction when state Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward and other female legislators forced it into the public spotlight. As did his colleagues in the state House, Shapiro placed power and perception over the protection of women.

There has been much ado made over the fact House Speaker Joanna McClinton is the first woman to occupy that leadership role. While that is indeed an accomplishment you would think she would use that position to further the protection of women. Instead, she has prioritized the protection of her political majority. It is a choice that will tarnish what should otherwise be a shining legacy.

(Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute and host of the weekly Lincoln Radio Journal and American Radio Journal. His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org.)

Senate Republican Leadership Statement: Massive Spending Increase in Shapiro Budget Raises Concerns

Senate Republican Leadership Statement: Massive Spending Increase in Shapiro Budget Raises Concerns - Pennsylvania Senate Republicans: The massive $3.2 billion increase in state spending in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024-25 state budget raises concerns for Senate Republicans, said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-39), Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin (R-13).

Guest column: Pennsylvania's Lone Wolf

By Lowman S. Henry,
Columnist

Governor Tom Wolf has followed a go it alone approach in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic since it burst upon the scene back in early March. He has been unyielding in insisting, with the possible exception of state Health Secretary Dr. Rachael Levin, that he and he alone knows what is best for all Pennsylvanians.

He has attacked and criticized those who do not submit to his every decree, even when he himself violated his own orders. The degree to which he is willing to profess his omnipotence came in late July when he got into a spat with the General Assembly over the new Right to Know law.

Having come into office pledging to run the most transparent administration in history, the governor has instead emerged as a lone voice against ensuring transparency during an epidemic.  Among the first state offices closed in March was the Office of Open Records, thus denying the news media, lawmakers and taxpayers the ability to access the very information on which decisions were being made that have affected the daily lives of every Pennsylvanian.

The governor's go-to attack on anybody defying his will has been to accuse them of partisan politics while urging the voters of Lebanon County to vote out elected officials who defied his shut-down orders.  That tactic, however, could not be used in justifying is opposition to the Right to Know law.

That is because something almost unheard of happened under the Capitol dome in Harrisburg: the law passed both chambers of the General Assembly unanimously.  Every single Republican, every single Democrat, and the one independent in the Senate were united in support of the Right to Know law.

Wolf disagreed and threatened to veto the legislation.  But, with a veto override a certainty he allowed the bill to become law without his signature.  In the process, however, he penned a political screed saying he was doing so despite his supposedly better judgment.

The unnecessary kerfuffle over the Right to Know law was the apex of Governor Wolf's go it alone approach.  Throughout the pandemic he has exercised dictatorial powers confining people to their homes, closing businesses, implementing restrictions all with little to no consultation with stakeholders and generally with little advance notice.

This pattern of unilateral decision-making was set early in the pandemic when Wolf abruptly closed the state's public schools.  Administrators in the state's 500 school districts were caught off guard and given just hours to close and no time to put alternate plans into place to educate students.

Then, again acting without consulting affected state-holders his know-it-all administration ordered so-called non-life sustaining businesses to close.  The order resulted in mass confusion as critical supply chains, some which produced the very medical supplies needed to combat the pandemic, were disrupted. To this day, defying even a subpoena issued by the state Senate, information on the business closure process and resultant contradictory and inconsistent wavier procedures have yet to be fully revealed.

Wolf even managed an amazing feat: triggering lay-offs in the health care sector during a public health crisis.  His blanket ban on elective surgeries, which remained in place until a revolt by providers, decimated hospital budgets and sent workers to the unemployment line.  He even ordered a halt to construction of medical facilities -- preventing the development of capacity that would have been critical had the worst-case predictions of the pandemic been realized.

Wolf has vetoed bi-partisan legislative efforts to re-open segments of the state's economy and has turned a deaf ear to county and local leaders who have argued his statistics and metrics, which frequently changed, did not accurately reflect actual circumstances.

This brings us to the current situation. After saying he would allow county officials to deal with localized spikes in COVID-19 cases as the economy reopened, he has instead placed statewide restrictions on the bar and restaurant industry.  Dr. Levine claims there is data indicating they have been the source of the spread, but she has adamantly refused to release the data that lead to that conclusion to the news media.

And so Tom Wolf continues to rule Pennsylvania by executive fiat, unrestrained by a compliant state Supreme Court that allowed his emergency powers to remain in effect.  At least until next May when voters will have the opportunity to amend the state constitution giving the legislature the clear authority to end those powers Pennsylvania will be governed by a Lone Wolf.

(Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute and host of the weekly American Radio Journal & Lincoln Radio Journal. His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org.)

Guest Column: What is wrong with property taxes?

The right to personal property sets the United States apart from other nations. Outside the United States, the rights to property have long been subject to the realm of kings and queens — a feudal society of sorts.

There is a tremendous anger surfacing due to the relentless loss of property and our government’s explosive spending binge. Ravenous government spending mortgages ourselves, our children, and our property to an unrelenting assault by a government which is out of control.

The major negatives with property taxes relates to these very issues:

• Property taxes are fixed expense with no regard to the person’s ability to pay.

• One’s property serves as collateral for potential unlimited government spending.

• Taxes on property value reduce the incentive to maintain property

• The regressive nature of the property tax makes home ownership that much more elusive for much of the population.

Taxes on property have been debated incessantly for decades. What started out as an “innocent” means of raising taxes has blossomed into a perceived unlimited source of funds by which government can make promises of future benefits to a select few to the detriment of the remainder of us. Property owners have the choice of either paying the taxes dictated for them by politicians or risk losing their property through foreclosure and tax sale.

Contrary to popular belief, the property tax system started in the United States dates at the time of the founding of our nation. At that time however, it is important to remember the historical context in that only the gifted few owned property. Only property owners at the time of the founding of our nation were permitted to vote.

The evolution of our republic has allowed the opportunity for owning property and of voting rights to expand to most of the population. As such, the antiquated notion of the property tax may negatively impact the very people who are now just beginning to enjoy the American dream evolving in the great experiment of the United States.

The negative impact of a property tax system is that your property serves as collateral for government promises. Ever increasing property taxes have allowed municipal governments and schools to make promises that they could not possibly keep if they did not have such a reservoir of potential funds at their disposal.

These “promises” have precipitated a record number of bankruptcy filings of municipalities since 2010. The settlement of these bankruptcies will most certainly raise the level of debate of property taxes to unparalleled heights. The outcome of this battle will most decidedly determine whether or not American citizens have the right to own property.

With the rapid rise in property taxes needed by most jurisdictions to cover their promises and with lower pay and higher unemployment of taxpayers throughout the nation, the property tax is now forcing millions of Americans to reassess where they live, how they live, and if they can ever retire let alone own their home.

The U. S. Constitution addresses and protects property rights in so many ways: Source: “The Constitution and Property Rights”

“The Founders were worried that Congress might use the tax system to loot property owners in some states for the advantage of other states. Accordingly, they required that direct taxes (mostly importantly property and income taxes) be apportioned among the states (Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 and Article I, Section 9, Clause 4).

They granted the federal courts jurisdiction over interstate land claims and interstate debts to limit the extent to which state courts could discriminate against the property rights of out-of-staters (III-2-1 and III-2-2).

They added the Full Faith and Credit Clause (IV-1) partly to require state courts to honor property records in other states.

The Founders gave Congress an unlimited power to dispose of public land (IV-3-2), but only limited power to acquire or hold land (I-8-17 and certain incidental powers). This was because they wanted most publicly-owned land to be transferred to the private sector.

They also inserted a number of other checks and balances, designed partly to protect minorities from unfair property confiscations.”

Today, threats to property, particularly your home, are at epic levels and the battle will shape the landscape of our nation forever.

The American dream of home ownership and the liberty inherent in property are at risk.

Ending property taxes will begin to restore the American dream to those most negatively affected by such an antiquated system as a property tax.

For those who are just getting involved, this article is the second in a series explaining the basis behind our property tax elimination bill. The other articles in this series can be found on our website at www.repfrankryan.com.

Frank Ryan, CPA, USMCR (Ret) represents the 101st District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He is a retired Marine Reserve Colonel, a CPA and specializes in corporate restructuring. He has served on numerous boards of publicly traded and non-profit organizations. He can be reached at fryan1951@aol.com.

GUEST COLUMN: Time to eliminate property taxes in Pennsylvania

By Rep. Frank Ryan
Guest columnist

There have been discussions about eliminating property taxes for decades.

In November 2017, a constitutional amendment passed by substantial margin to allow for the elimination of property taxes. With that amendment, it would only be necessary for legislation to be enacted to rid the Commonwealth of this regressive tax.

The question then becomes what is the status of the bill to eliminate property taxes?

In December 2018, I circulated a co-sponsorship memo in the PA House for a bill which will eliminate property taxes 100% for all properties if enacted. The objective of the bill is simple — to eliminate all property taxes. The tricky part is the replacement tax.

That very simple statement will be the subject of eight detailed articles I intend to write explaining the issues in detail to solicit your feedback and to allow the best possible solution to come about as quickly as possible.

The eight articles will include:

1. Critical economic reasons for eliminating property taxes.

2. Problems with the existing property tax system.

3. Unfunded pension liabilities.

4. Funding formulas for school districts under current laws.

5. Property tax elimination and impact on senior citizens.

6. Property tax elimination and impact on working families.

7. Property tax elimination and impact on schools and teachers.

8. Proposed property tax elimination bill.

Eliminating the property tax is critical to the economic survival of the Commonwealth and our citizens!

In my 40+ years as a certified public accountant and expert in helping organizations avoid bankruptcy, I can think of no more complicated problem to the financial survival of the Commonwealth than eliminating property taxes.

The reason this is so complicated is because our current system of taxation and funding schools is so fundamentally flawed that even minor fixes to peripheral elements of the system may have significant unintended consequences.

For example, the funding formulas for the schools result in Palmyra Area School District receiving $1 Million less per year than it would receive under a newly enacted funding formula which will take almost 20 years to fully implement. This means that Palmyra School District must fund that shortfall from the state by either cutting spending and or with property tax increases.

The Independent Fiscal Office five year outlook provides an insight into Pennsylvania’s stagnant growth and substantial budget shortfalls over the next five years. When combined with declining population for citizens under age 60 and significantly increasing population for citizens over 65, the trends continue to be negative for the Commonwealth.

If we take decisive action now to reform our tax policies for working families, seniors, businesses, and school districts with the fundamental shift in the elimination of property taxes we can reverse these negative trends. I am extremely optimistic if we take the problem seriously.

Efforts in the past to eliminate property taxes have not been successful because of a whole bevy of reasons.

The primary reasons for the failure of prior efforts revolve around the following:

A. The proposed replacement taxes involve funds going to the Commonwealth rather than to local control.

B. The impact of property tax elimination on people who rent rather than own their homes.

C. The perceived lack of stability in school funding under the replacement formula.

D. The expansion of the sales tax base was a problematic for some powerful stakeholders.

E. The proposed replacement taxes were directed predominantly at working families.

The system that I am proposing will address these issues and provide for an orderly phase in so that the schools and the community are able to adapt to a new system with no major disruptions to the educational opportunities of our students.

I cannot emphasize enough how severe the problem is with property taxes. The funding formula itself which is a separate issue is equally problematic and leads to the difficulty in solving this problem. It is critical however that everyone understand that if we do not resolve this problem together the probability of surviving the next economic downturn is limited.

Our financial rescue plan that I proposed when I first got elected two years ago discusses all the efforts we need to turn around the finances in Pennsylvania. We are well on the way to enacting these bills and property tax elimination is a major component of it.

I look forward to your input and comments on the particles that we will be submitting and ask you to please get active in this and provide me the guidance that you feel needs to be included in any legislation. We cannot afford to make a mistake.

A copy of our financial rescue plan can be found at my website www.repfrankryan.com.

Frank Ryan, CPA, USMCR (Ret.) represents the 101st District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He is a retired Marine Reserve Colonel, a CPA and specializes in corporate restructuring. He has served on numerous boards of publicly traded and non-profit organizations. He can be reached at FRYAN1951@aol.com

Lowman S. Henry: Bluer Blue, Redder Red

By Lowman S. Henry
Guest Columnist

On the surface it would appear the power dynamic in Pennsylvania state government changed little as a result of last week's General Election.  Governor Tom Wolf was re-elected and Republicans retained solid control of both the state House and the state Senate.

Back from where we started?

Not quite.  The 2018 election cycle saw the continuation of two trends: the drift of Democrats into the arms of the socialist Left, and a Republican power shift from the Philadelphia suburbs to the more conservative central and western parts of the state.

Governor Tom Wolf has often (and for good reason) been labeled the most liberal governor in America.  To the degree that Lieutenant Governors matter, the state's new second banana will push him even further in that direction.  Lt. Governor-elect John Fetterman is a Bernie Sanders-style socialist. He replaces the hapless Mike Stack, a Philadelphia pol more interested in the power dynamics of politics than ideology.

Wolf titled to the far Left to win his first primary four years ago and clearly felt at home.  He went on to propose tax hikes that exceeded those offered by governors in all 49 other states combined and has remained a staunch advocate for Left-wing policies ever since.  Fetterman, and the avowed socialists who upended traditional Democrats in the primary to claim seats in the General Assembly, are certain to fortify his position.

As liberal policies made the city more and more unlivable Philadelphia Democrats fled to the suburbs.  There they have continued voting into office candidates who espouse the very same policies that destroyed the city.  As a result, the four counties surrounding Philadelphia which had for decades been the epicenter of Republican power in the state have trended Democrat.

If there was a "blue wave" this election year it crashed ashore in those counties.  The numbers could change a bit as the official count progresses, but Republicans lost 13 state House seats and four state Senate seats in that region.  It is rare for more than three or four incumbents to lose statewide in a given election cycle, so the GOP wipeout in southeastern Pennsylvania can rightly be described as a blue tidal wave.

Continuing the westward shift of the statewide GOP, Republicans partially offset their losses in the southeast by flipping three Democrat seats, one in Bucks County and two elsewhere in the state. Republicans held historically high majorities in both state legislative chambers.  Thus the losses left them in solid control, but with margins closer to the historical average.

What the election did do was to shift the ideological center of both the House and Senate Republican caucuses away from southeastern liberalism into the mainstream conservatism that is popular in the balance of the state.

While legislative Democrats voted in lockstep with their leadership, Republican legislative leaders had the more difficult task of moving conservative policies advocated by their caucus majority, while trying to appease their southeastern members.  The goal was to hold onto those southeastern seats - it didn't work.

The end result is absent the need to protect its members from suburban Philadelphia because - well, they are no longer there - legislative Republicans are now free to stand firmly against the socialist policies Governor Tom Wolf and Democrats are sure to pursue.

This means Pennsylvania's divided state government has become even more divided.  The first battle will come in a matter of weeks when Governor Tom Wolf proposes his next state budget.  It is sure to be chock full of tax hikes and new spending.  Republicans effectively blocked the more radical elements of his agenda during the governor's first term.  A more conservative majority should be able to do so in the years ahead.

Thus have voters across Penn's Woods put into effect all the elements needed for epic policy and budget battles which are likely to end in gridlock. Given the fact that most legislation that actually passes expands the dependency state at the expense of taxpayers gridlock may be the best outcome.

Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute and host of the weekly Lincoln Radio Journal.  His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org

Pennsylvania state lawmakers will get an automatic pay raise

Not only are Pennsylvania taxpayers stuck funding the most expensive full-time state legislature in the country, but they must also cough up more money each year to give the 253 state lawmakers a pay  raise. Do the lawmakers deserve more money? It doesn't matter. The Legislature passed a bill granting its members automatic pay raises every year - unless they vote to reject the additional pay. That has never happened yet. So dig deeper fellow taxpayers. The political class wants more of your money.

From WITF:

State lawmakers will get an automatic pay raise:
Automatic pay raises have caused controversy in the past. When lawmakers return to the Capitol after their Thanksgiving recess, they'll have a little extra cash waiting for them. Every year, salaries for
elected officials are reevaluated based on the cost of living. The number varies--this year, it's .81 percent, which means the average salary for a lawmaker will increase by about $700, from $86,480 dollars to $87,180. Those in leadership positions make even more. The top salaries hover around almost $140,000. The yearly pay adjustment became fully automatic in 1995. But because automated pay raises can be unpopular, some opt to donate the extra cash, or feed it back to the state Treasury. Pennsylvania's lawmakers are the second-highest-paid in the country, behind only California....

Pennsylvania lawmakers anticipate annual pay raise

The base salary of a Pennsylvania state legislator is $79,613 and these "public servants" will receive a COLA on Dec. 1 under a 1995 law that automatically raises their pay unless they vote not to accept the increase.

With the COLA, state lawmakers will make more than $80,000 a year.

With Pennsylvania's unemployment rate at 8.3% and rising and tax collection revenues declining every month in the new fiscal year, how can state lawmakers justify taking more from their constituents?

One Republican lawmaker - Rep. Brad Roae - wants to eliminate the scheduled pay raise.

"Many teachers and state workers agreed to a one-year pay freeze because of the state budget problems, so I think state representatives should lead by example and do the same thing," Roae said. "Social Security recipients went for several years without a COLA and the increase they are going to get next year will be offset by the higher Medicare payments retirees have to pay. Many local companies could not afford to give raises to their employees this year. If all of these people have had their incomes frozen, I believe state representatives should also have their incomes frozen."

Will a majority of the career politicians in Harrisburg vote to turn down a pay raise?

Stay tuned.

State Rep. Brad Roae Introduces Bill to Freeze State Representatives' Pay

Opinion: Sen. Judy Schwank another tax-and-spender

Schwank another tax-and-spender (10/2/11)

Senate Transportation panel to hold hearings on funding issues

From the office of State Sen. John Rafferty Jr.:

Senate Transportation panel to hold hearings on funding issues

HARRISBURG - The Senate Transportation Committee kicked off a series of public hearings today on the transportation funding issues, according to Committee Chairman Senator John Rafferty, R-44th.

Rafferty said Pennsylvania faces crucial challenges in maintaining and enhancing its transportation network, and he wants input from those in the public and private sector on how to best allocate resources and generate needed revenue.

"Today we heard from PennDOT Secretary Alan Biehler who talked about projects that are planned and others that are on hold because of funding issues," Rafferty said.

"In upcoming hearings we hope to hear suggestions from those in the private sector on how we can make the best use of tax dollars and find innovative new ways to meet our growing needs."

Rafferty acknowledged that funding transportation needs is a major challenge, especially during an economic downturn, and said it is important to hear from those with expertise in the field to develop good policies and initiatives.

"Money is tight, and we are facing a huge revenue shortfall again this year," Rafferty said. "But highways, roads and bridges still need to be maintained and new networks built to accommodate growth and ensure that our economy remains strong. So we have to find ways to do more with less and take advantage of innovation."

The committee will hold a second hearing next week and additional hearings in the following weeks.

Sen. Bob Mensch: State Budget Redux

State Budget Redux

By Sen. Bob Mensch

On Feb. 9, Gov. Ed Rendell delivered his eighth — and final — budget, and not surprisingly the greatest applause during the speech was for his statement to have the budget finished by June 30. It's not surprising this comment would be met positively. After all, last year was painful and caused a lot of financial difficulty for Pennsylvanians.

But when I'm asked if I think the budget will be done on time this year, my response is a skeptical, "I doubt it." The newly proposed budget is, in my opinion, not affordable, not sustainable, and must be rejected by the taxpayers and the legislature — but more on that in a moment.

First, let's look at history. We have not had a budget completed on time in any of the past 7 years — but that has not always been true. To find the next most recent budget that was not completed on time, you have to go back through many administrations, to I believe, Gov. Raymond P. Shafer in the late 1960s. So past performance by this administration is not encouraging.

And when we take a closer look at last year's budget mess, you will realize that the House majority leadership (Democrat) did not even put a budget in front of the House until July 13. That's right, despite the Constitutional requirement for a balanced budget to be completed by June 30, the House majority leadership decided to ignore the Constitution and do what it wanted. More importantly, last year's budget was unaffordable, just as this year's budget is unaffordable, so there is a great probability there will be another "battle" similar to last year’s 101-day impasse.

Some residents just want us all to go along and agree, but had we last year we'd have higher taxes this year, and we'd have even worse spending that we can't afford. Please realize that February 2010 is the 24th consecutive month of negative revenue collections by our state. That's right, we haven't been able to meet our spending obligations for two solid years. Yet this year's proposed budget has a further spending increase of $1.155 billion, and it includes two very significant tax increases — a sales tax increased designed to raise $1 billion or more; and an onerous business tax strategy that will chase more jobs out of Pennsylvania.

We can't afford the increased spending. We can't afford to pay more in sales taxes. We can't afford to lose any more jobs from Pennsylvania. So when someone suggests there is disagreement about this year's budget, instead of someone asking why we can't all just agree, the question should be why must the administration insist we need to spend more than we can afford?

The sales tax proposal will hurt our seniors with new taxes on medical and pharmaceutical services. We'll all pay more for financial and legal services. We'll all pay new taxes on 74 new categories of items to be taxed — we can't afford it.

Our businesses will be further stressed for providing jobs. Pennsylvania is already the 44th lowest state in new jobs creations. But the solution offered by the administration is to "close the Delaware loophole," which is actually a tax increase.

The easier solution is just lower our corporate tax rates to be competitive with other states — we presently have the highest rate in the nation - and then our businesses won't feel the need to incorporate in Delaware. But the strategy offered in the budget is actually a tax increase so don't look for a lot of compromise on corporate net income tax.

I welcome any comments regarding these thoughts. Call me at 215-529-1215 or write me at bmensch@pasen.gov

State Sen. Bob Mensch is a Republican who represents the 24th District, which includes parts of Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Phoenixville councilman running for 157th House seat

Freshman Democrat state Rep. Paul Drucker will have a challenger for the 157th House District.

Phoenixville Borough Councilman Kendrick Buckwalter told The Mercury he is seeking the Republican nomination to run for the 157th state House District.

Buckwalter told reporter Dennis Wright he is a mainstream conservative who takes constitutional government seriously.

A Phoenixville resident, Buckwalter is a small businessman and 15-year veteran of municipal government in the borough. He has served as chairman of Phoenixville's zoning hearing board, and has been elected to two terms on Borough Council, where he currently serves. He has also volunteered as a firefighter.

The district includes Phoenixville, Schuylkill and Tredyffrin townships in Chester County, and portions of Lower Providence and West Norriton in Montgomery County.

The seat was held by Rep. Carole Rubley from 1993 until her retirement in 2008. Political insiders blame Rubley's failure to endorse the Republican candidate as her successor for handing the seat to the Democrats in 2008. Drucker beat GOP challenger Guy Ciarrocchi by a margin of 50.9% to 49.1%.

Read more about Buckwalter in The Mercury.

For more on Buckwalter, check out his campaign Web site, http://buckwalterforpa.com/

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Rep. Rohrer: A Bad Bet for Pennsylvania

State Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), who voted Wednesday against a measure approved by the House to legalize table games such as poker and blackjack at Pennsylvania casinos, issued the following statement explaining his opposition to the Democratic-led expansion of gambling:

"Five years ago, Governor Rendell sold the people of Pennsylvania a bill of goods when he signed the slots legislation into law," Rohrer said. "At the time, Rendell and the gambling lobby falsely promised the bill would create thousands of jobs, spur an economic boom and provide property tax relief. Today, Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is higher, its economy is faltering and homeowners are still burdened with excessive property taxes. With this record of failure, the legalization of table games amounts to doubling down on a bad bet."

Gov. Ed Rendell threatened to lay off nearly 1,000 state workers if the table games bill was not approved by the General Assembly by the end of the week. Rendell falsely claimed the bill was necessary to fill a supposed $250 million hole in the state budget.

"If you could fill a $250 million hole by laying off 1,000 state workers, that would mean that each of them would have to be earning approximately $250,000," Rohrer noted. "Does the governor really have that many excessively paid staff working under him? I would note that of the 1,000 state workers the governor threatened to lay off, he only threatened one in the governor's office. By comparison, he threatened to lay off 112 people who work with the Pennsylvania State Police, 38 who serve our military veterans and 19 who work in the Department of Health."

Rohrer further argued that the $250 million in revenue the legalization of table games is expected to generate are just an estimate.

"We still have some casinos that aren't up and running five years after that bill was signed into law," Rohrer said. "Somehow, the governor blindly thinks these table games are going to be set up and raking in the money in the next five months before the fiscal year ends in June. That naive belief represents a detachment from reality."

Rohrer pointed out the faulty logic used by gambling proponents, who suggest the legalization of table games would generate new jobs.

"If a Pennsylvanian spends $20 at a blackjack table, he or she can't spend that money at the local diner," Rohrer said. "Sure, it might create a job in one area of the economy, but it will do so at the expense of a worker in another area. The blackjack dealer benefits at the expense of the waitress. Taking water from one end of a bathtub and dropping it in the other won't raise the overall water level. This law will merely benefit the well-connected gambling industry at the expense of other Pennsylvania workers."

Rohrer also chastised those who propagated the false belief that legalizing table game would somehow help homeowners struggling to pay their property taxes.

"Like slot machines before them, table games offer homeowners nothing but the false hope that their property tax burden will be reduced," Rohrer said. "The truth is, the governor is betting on table games to bring in more revenues to subsidize his spending habit. Make no mistake, legalized gambling has done little for homeowners, but it has been and will continue to be a boon for free-spending politicians in Harrisburg. Pennsylvanians are tired of these 'bait-and-switch' schemes where politicians promise them property tax relief but deliver something far different. The only way to truly deal with the property tax issue is by eliminating them. No tax should have the power to leave you homeless."

The bill now heads to the governor's desk for his signature.

"Whether you oppose legalized gambling based on economic or moral principles or because it fails to deliver on its overblown promises, today represents a step backward for Pennsylvania," Rohrer said. "The Commonwealth will take a further leap backward if and when the governor places his signature on this sham of a bill. Pennsylvanians deserve better than this."

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Mensch Earns Support of State, Regional Business Groups

The business community is lining up behind state Rep. Bob Mensch for the special election on Sept. 29 to fill the 24th Senatorial District seat vacated by former state Sen. Rob Wonderling.

Groups backing Mensch include ChamberPAC, the political arm of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry; the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB); the Southeastern Pennsylvania Area Chambers of Commerce (SEPAC); the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Pennsylvania Business Council

"With an economy in crisis, it is essential to have someone in office who understands what it will take to move Pennsylvania forward," said Gene Barr, PA Chamber vice president of government and public affairs.

Barr said Mensch understands the concerns of job creators and has voted consistently for policies that promote economic growth and job creation.

"Bob Mensch has been a strong supporter of legislation to improve Pennsylvania's small business climate by voting to lower taxes, eliminate needless government regulation, and make health care affordable for small business," said Lucien Calhoun, Chairman of the NFIB's Pennsylvania (SAFE) Save America's Free Enterprise Trust, citing some of the reasons for his organization’s support.

Those sentiments were echoed by Ken Russell, the Board Chairman of SEPAC. "Bob Mensch understands what is required to improve the business climate in the state, including addressing increasing health care costs and promoting sound energy policies," said Russell.

Tim Phelps, President of the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce, stated that in addition to his legislative record, Mensch also brings real-world knowledge to the legislature. "He brings a valuable insight to the legislature with his experience as a business professional," said Phelps, who noted Mensch worked at AT&T for 28 years.

"We need more lawmakers in Harrisburg with business backgrounds, who have seen first-hand the effects government policies have on businesses and their ability to create jobs and prosper," said David W. Patti, President & CEO of the Pennsylvania Business Council. "He will be a welcome addition to the Pennsylvania Senate."

"One of my top priorities in the Pennsylvania Senate will be to rebuild our state's economy and create new jobs by addressing burdensome taxes and regulations," said Mensch. "We need to fight the brain-drain and the out of state loss of college-educated workers critical to the new economy. We also must invest in our transportation infrastructure for the movement of people and goods, encourage private sector investment in alternative energies, and revitalize main street business districts. Working together, we can help jumpstart the state and regional economy and put more Pennsylvanians back to work."

Mensch is running on a platform of returning fiscal responsibility to Harrisburg, opposing tax increases on working families and seniors, improving the state's economic environment and job creation, and enhancing local open space preservation efforts.

In addition to the endorsements from the business community, Mensch has also picked up key endorsements from law enforcement and the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations.

Visit Mensch's campaign Web site at www.electmensch.com

Law enforcement backs Mensch for state Senate

Republican state Senate candidate Bob Mensch has picked up the endorsement of the Pennsylvania State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police, as well as the Fraternal Order of Police Lodges in Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton and Montgomery Counties.

Mensch, a two-term member of the state House is seeking the vacant state Senate seat in the 24th Senate District held by former state Sen. Rob Wonderling. A special election is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, to fill the remainder of Wonderling's term, which runs through the end of 2010.

"It is our privilege to stand with Fraternal Order of Police Lodges in Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton Counties to present you our highest endorsement for your special election campaign to the Pennsylvania State Senate," said Les Neri, President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Pennsylvania State Lodge, representing more than 41,000 law enforcement officers across Pennsylvania. Neri noted that Mensch has "always been an active supporter of the law enforcement community, the officers, and their families."

"I have the utmost respect for the men and women who serve in law enforcement and put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe," said Mensch. "The members of the Fraternal Order of Police are on the front lines in the fight against crime and it is an honor to have their endorsement and support."

Mensch has supported legislation that would add 10,000 police officers to the streets in local communities and cities throughout Pennsylvania. The bill would provide funding to local counties, in the form of block grants, and empower local municipalities to decide how best to spend the money and select how many additional officers are needed.

"Putting more police officers on the streets allows law enforcement to be more proactive in preventing crime in our communities," said Mensch. "Numerous studies have shown that the more police officers we have on the street, the more crime rates go down. We need to provide local municipalities with the support they need to keep our neighborhoods safe."

Mensch has taken a leadership role on a number of other legislative initiatives that help keep our communities safe or are priorities of the Fraternal Order of Police, including:

· House Bill 1144, legislation to combat the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. The bill targets some of the main methods in which prescription drugs are diverted to street and motorcycle gangs and other drug dealers, groups that are increasingly trafficking and selling controlled prescription drugs.

· Mensch is an original co-sponsor of House Bill 1926, legislation that will strengthen Megan’s Law registration and restrictions for sex offenders.

· He is a co-sponsor of House Bill 1758, legislation that would increase the amount of state death benefits to the survivors of firefighters and police officers who die in performance of their duties.

Mensch has also received major endorsements from business organizations and citizen taxpayer groups across Pennsylvania.

For more information on Mensch visit his campaign Web site at www.electmensch.com


Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

School Property Tax Elimination Update

With the state budget stalemate dominating the news, hardly anyone is talking about property tax relief. David Baldinger, administrator, of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition, checks in with this update on the elimination of property taxes front:

It's been quite a while since the last PTCC Update and many of you have written to ask what's happening with HB 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act (SPTEA). In a word, nothing. The General Assembly and the House and Senate leadership are far too occupied with budget concerns right now to consider any far-reaching legislation.

The SPTEA has been fully drafted and is still available for co-sponsorship. It is Representative Sam Rohrer's intention to issue a second co-sponsorship memorandum shortly and then formally introduce the bill this autumn.

In the meantime, if you want to help you can contact your Representative to request his or her co-sponsorship of the School Property Tax Elimination Act. The bill currently has 26 sponsors but more is always better. The current sponsors are listed below; please contact your Representative if he or she is not on this list. In many cases you will be offered phony excuses why they won't co-sponsor or why the plan won’t work, but this is almost always because of petty political maneuvering that has nothing to do with the worthiness of the bill. Accept no excuses!

The current School Property Tax Elimination Act co-sponsors:

Rep. Sam Rohrer R-128 (Berks)
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff R-171 (Centre, Mifflin)
Rep. Karen Boback R-117 (Columbia, Luzerne, Wyoming)
Rep. Thomas Caltagirone D-127 (Berks)
Rep. Jim Cox R-129 (Berks)
Rep. Tom Creighton R-37 (Lancaster)
Rep. Gary Day R-187 (Berks, Lehigh)
Rep. Gordon Denlinger R-99 (Lancaster)
Rep. Russell Fairchild R-85 (Snyder, Union)
Rep. Jaret Gibbons D-10 (Beaver, Butler, Lawrence)
Rep. Keith Gillespie R-47 (York)
Rep. Neal Goodman D-123 (Schuylkill)
Rep. Seth Grove R-196 (York)
Rep. C. Adam Harris R-82 (Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder)
Rep. Rob Kauffman R-89 (Cumberland, Franklin)
Rep. Mark Keller R-86 (Franklin, Perry)
Rep. Jerry Knowles R-124 (Berks, Schuylkill)
Rep. Tim Mahoney D-51 (Fayette)
Rep. Bob Mensch R-147 (Montgomery)
Rep. Merle Phillips R-108 (Northumberland, Snyder)
Rep. Thomas Quigley R-146 (Montgomery)
Rep. Dante Santoni D-126 (Berks)
Rep. Stan Saylor R-94 (York)
Rep. Curt Schroder R-155 (Chester)
Rep. Tim Seip D-125 (Berks, Schuylkill)
Rep. RoseMarie Swanger R-102 (Lebanon)

The PTCC and the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations send our heartfelt gratitude to those Representatives who have agreed to co-sponsor the SPTEA. If your Representative is on this list, we STRONGLY request that you contact him or her to thank them for their co-sponsorship. These legislators are always very encouraged to know that their help is appreciated.

Whether you are contacting your Representative to thank them or to request their co-sponsorship, you can find their contact information by Zip+4 here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm

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Northeast Pennsylvania Information Session

Northeast Pennsylvania is by far the worst region of the state for legislative support for the School Property Tax Elimination Act. To help overcome this problem, the five Northeast region member groups of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations will be holding a public information session about the SPTEA in late September. These five grassroots groups will introduce their organizations, the details of the SPTEA will be presented, and the politics of the SPTEA enactment will be discussed; there will also be an audience participation question and answer session following the presentation. The event will be emceed by Sue Henry of WILK radio. This promises to be an exciting evening, so please watch for a future PTCC Update for further details and plan to attend.

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Welcome CEPT!

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA) recently gained its 32nd member group! Citizens for the Elimination of Property Taxes from Perry County has already proven to be a hard-working, dedicated organization that will be a big help in supporting the SPTEA in South-central Pennsylvania. If you live in the Perry County area and want to help you can contact them at nopropertytax@gmail.com. Welcome to the PCTA, CEPT! We're pleased to have you aboard to keep the momentum building.

If you're fed up with unfair taxation and unresponsive politicians and would like to form your own taxpayer advocacy group, contact any PCTA member group for advice and assistance. The PCTA members are listed on the PTCC Web site under the "About the PCTA" tab.

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Just one more note: If you change your e-mail address, please send a note to me about the switch so you'll continue to receive the PTCC Updates. It will be appreciated.

That's all for now. There'll be another update when more information is available and please watch for details about the Northeast Pennsylvania event.

As usual, I want to thank all of you for your continuing support of the PTCC and PCTA efforts to bring about true education finance reform and school property tax elimination. You are truly appreciated.

State Capitol Roundup

Here's the latest State Capitol Roundup courtesy of state Rep. Bob Mensch, R-147:

State Workers to be Paid as Budget Impasse Continues

As the current budget stalemate continues over the governor and Democrat leaders' insistence on increased spending and higher taxes, Gov. Ed Rendell this week signed a budget that would pay more than 70,000 state employees and ensure certain essential government operations continue. However, he vetoed more than 250 other line items that would provide funding for basic and higher education, community action centers, and numerous other government programs and services. House Republicans maintain that while this temporary solution releases state workers as hostages, thousands of others across the state who rely on vital state and county services will now be used as leverage for a tax increase. Efforts to achieve a final budget agreement now return to the hands of the six-member House-Senate conference committee. For the latest budget news, visit PAHouseGOP.com

House GOP Opposes Bill That Would Lead To Tax Increase

Legislation that would establish funding formulas for basic and special education subsidies passed the House Education Committee this week. House Republicans opposed House Bill 11 due to a lack of public hearings and because the funding increases called for by the governor and House Democrats would require a broad-based tax increase. In contrast, House Republicans have crafted a plan that uses federal stimulus dollars to help provide increases to every school district in the state, without the need for a tax increase. The bill was passed by the committee along party lines and now heads to the full House for consideration. For the latest legislative news, visit PAHouseGOP.com

Unemployment Benefits Extended For Thousands of Pennsylvanians

As thousands of Pennsylvanians struggle to find work, the General Assembly passed a law to extend unemployment benefits an additional seven weeks for nearly 20,000 people whose benefits have expired or will expire soon. Act 30 of 2009 allows the state to access federal stimulus funds to cover the cost of providing the additional unemployment benefits if Pennsylvania's total unemployment rate is higher than 8 percent, which it has been since May. Pennsylvania workers would be eligible for a total of 79 weeks of unemployment benefits, as long as the federal funds are available. Eligible recipients will be notified by the Department of Labor and Industry via mail. For the latest legislative news, visit PAHouseGOP.com

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Tell Ed Rendell what you think

The Pennsylvania Cable Network will dedicate Wednesday evening's programming to the state budget impasse.

Beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, PCN will air a block of special "On the Issues" programs featuring key lawmakers involved in the budget process.

Following these one-on-one interviews, Lieutenant Governor Joe Scarnati and Governor Ed Rendell will take viewers' calls during two separate LIVE PCN Call-In Program specials set to air starting at 6 p.m.

Each hour-long Call-In program will give viewers an opportunity to talk directly to the featured guest by dialing toll-free at 1-877-PA6-5001.

The schedule, including replay times, for this special PA budget programming block is as follows:

Wednesday, July 8:

5:00 p.m. – On the Issues: Rep. Mario Civera (R) – House Minority Appropriations Chair
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

5:15 p.m. – On the Issues: Rep. Dwight Evans (D) House Majority Appropriations Chair
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.

5:30 p.m. – On the Issues: Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R) – Senate Majority Floor Leader
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

5:15 p.m. – On the Issues: Sen. Jay Costa (D) Senate Minority Appropriations Chair
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.

6:00 p.m. (LIVE) – PCN Call-In program: Sen. Joe Scarnati, Lieutenant Governor/PA Senate Pro Tempore
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 9:00 p.m; Thursday, July 9 at 12:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

7:00 p.m. (LIVE) – PCN Call-In program: Governor Ed Rendell
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 10:00 p.m; Thursday, July 9 at 1:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

For updated information about special budget programming and other programming information, visit the daily schedule at pcntv.com

Tell Rep. McIlvaine Smith not to raise your taxes

Rep. Barbara McIlvaine Smith is a Democrat who represents the 156th House District in Chester County.

McIlvaine Smith has an important vote to cast on behalf of the residents of the 156th District. Gov. Ed Rendell wants to spend $29 billion for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The only way to balance Rendell's budget is through major tax increases. Rendell's current budget is expected to finish $3.2 billion in the red but he still wants to spend more of your money next year.

McIlvaine Smith is being pressured by Rendell and the Democratic party bosses in Harrisburg to raise taxes on his constituents to continue the out-of-control spending in Harrisburg.

If you live in the 156th House District -- the borough of West Chester; the townships of East Goshen and West Goshen; part of East Bradford Township (South 1 and South 2 precincts) -- you need to remind Rep. McIlvaine Smith that if she votes to raise your taxes, she will not receive your vote in 2010 when she seeks re-election.

You can send an e-mail through his Web site http://www.pahouse.com/bsmith or use the following contact information:

Hon. Barbara McIlvaine Smith
107 East Chestnut Street
West Chester, PA 19380
(610) 696-4990
Fax: (610) 738-2163

Hon. Barbara McIlvaine Smith
121A East Wing
PO Box 202156
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2156
(717) 705-1922
Fax: (717) 780-4778

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Tell Rep. Houghton not to raise your taxes

Rep. Tom Houghton is a freshman Democrat who represents the 13th House District in Chester County.

Houghton has served in the Legislature for five months. His first major vote will be on Gov. Ed Rendell's $29 billion budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The only way to balance Rendell's budget is through major tax increases. Rendell's current budget is expected to finish $3.2 billion in the red but he still wants to spend more of your money next year.

Houghton campaigned on the promise of reducing property taxes but he is being pressured by Rendell and the Democratic party bosses in Harrisburg to raise taxes on his constituents to continue the out-of-control spending in Harrisburg.

If you live in the 13th House District -- the townships of East Fallowfield, East Nottingham, Elk, Franklin, Highland, London Grove, Londonderry, Lower Oxford, New London, Penn, Sadsbury, Upper Oxford, West Fallowfield, West Nottingham and West Sadsbury and the boroughs of Atglen, Modena, Oxford, Parkesburg, South Coatesville and West Grove -- you need to remind Rep. Houghton that if he votes to raise your taxes, he will not receive your vote in 2010 when he seeks re-election.

You can send an e-mail through his Web site http://www.pahouse.com/Houghton or use the following contact information:

Hon. Tom Houghton
3157 Limestone Road
Suite 101
Cochranville, PA 19330
(610) 593-6565
Fax: (610) 593-7041

Hon. Tom Houghton
121B East Wing
PO Box 202013
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2013
(717) 772-2426
Fax: (717) 787-6727

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS