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: Pa. taxpayers lose again in Senate budget deal

By Lowman S. Henry
Columnist

There is a lot of wailing and rending of garments these days over the hyper partisan atmosphere in both Harrisburg and in Washington, D.C.   Conventional wisdom holds that if Republicans and Democrats would just work together we could solve the problems confronting our state and nation.

But there is ample evidence that when Republicans and Democrats do work together the outcome is worse than no action at all. The recent collusion between the parties in the Pennsylvania Senate to pass a revenue plan to fund the 2017-18 state budget is a prime example.

So, let's pull back the curtain and take a look at how elected officials from both parties work together to preserve their own political careers at the expense of taxpayers.

In theory Republicans stand for smaller, less intrusive government and for fiscal responsibility. Were that actually true the debate in Harrisburg over how to balance the budget would be focused on cost-savings and spending reductions. Instead, leaders of both parties in the state Senate have focused solely on what taxes to increase and on an even more irresponsible course of action - borrowing from future revenues to cover current expenses.

The GOP holds 34 of 50 seats in the Pennsylvania Senate. That is a veto-proof majority that again - in theory - should be able to pass a fiscally responsible state budget. The sordid truth is that Harrisburg is not divided by political party, but rather is governed by an incumbent party dedicated first and foremost to political self-preservation putting up a united front against taxpayers and job creators.

Thus that 34-seat Republican majority was rendered irrelevant when leaders of both parties went behind closed doors to craft a revenue package. What emerged was a toxic cocktail of tax hikes that would harm businesses such as gas drillers by implementing a severance tax; and add to the burden of homeowners by hiking taxes on gas and electric bills. Oh, and that wasn't enough to sate the appetites of the big spenders - they approved borrowing hundreds of millions from future tobacco settlement revenue meaning our children and grand-children will get to share in the pain.

When the final vote was held the revenue package passed 26-24. How the Senate got to that number is the truly disgusting part of the story. There is an old saying that you should never watch sausage or legislation being made. But we will. If all Democrats had voted for the revenue package it would only have taken 10 Republicans to craft a majority. But 14 Republicans went astray.

Why?

The goal was to provide political cover to four Democrats in competitive districts.   It is all about incumbent protection. Party leaders conspired to determine who would vote for and who would vote against the bill. Those Republicans and Democrats voting for higher taxes and massive borrowing all represent "safe" seats because they are relatively immune to serious electoral competition.

A few Republican Senators who actually favored the bill, but who would face conservative primary challenges if they voted for higher taxes were given a "pass" to vote against the plan. Those Republicans representing more moderate districts and less likely to face a serious primary challenge voted for the tax plan. Likewise Democrats deemed vulnerable to a tax vote were also given a "pass."

So everyone wins - except We the Taxpayer.

And, of course, "leadership" of both parties all voted for the revenue package on the mistaken belief that they have to be "responsible" and provide revenue to fund a state government beset by out-of-control spending.   Real leadership and a truly responsible course of action would have been to craft a budget that spends within our means rather than go looking for every way possible to wring more tax dollars from Pennsylvania's working families, senior citizens and small businesses.

The bottom line: the Senate's revenue plan vote was nothing more than business-as-usual backroom Harrisburg politics of the type that cynically preserves incumbents at taxpayer expense.

Remember that the next time you hear someone crying out for "bi-partisan cooperation."

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

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.

PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org

POLICY BLOG has launched a new Web site, PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org and is sponsoring a "Please No More Taxes" video contest where you can win $2,500!

Now that's change you can believe in! It's more than Obama is offering in tax breaks.

Check out the new Web site to see how much of your money Pennsylvania is spending and what you can do about it.

Property tax reform top priority for PA counties

The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, which represents all 67 counties in the Keystone State, has released its legislative priorities for 2009.

As in previous years, topping the list of nine priorities is property tax reform.

The association, which bills itself as the voice of county government, says its legislative priorities cover a wide variety of issues, but carry a common theme: "Our communities' needs are many, and cutting funding for critical services at the state level does not automatically result in cost savings."

"Failure to adequately fund mandates, and thus passing responsibility to local taxpayers, shifts the tax burden but does not reduce it," says Jim Kennedy, a Butler County commissioner and president of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

Property tax reform, which has eluded state lawmakers for more than 30 years, remains the No. 1 priority of county officials, Kennedy says.

"Counties continue to advocate options that will allow county elected officials to select fairer revenue sources, more compatible with local economic conditions, in return for a reduction in property taxes," Kennedy said. "As in previous years, our top priority is tax fairness. We will continue to call on the General Assembly to authorize optional local tax bases such as the sales tax or the personal income tax in return for a dollar-for-dollar reduction in property taxes. But tax fairness also includes measures that affect the tax base and how services are funded, and this is why we are advocating to restore the ability to assess oil and gas interests."

Here's the list of priorities released by the county officials:

1) Tax Fairness
2) Commonwealth Budget Issues
3) Court Administration/District Attorney Funding
4) Clean And Green
5) 911 Services
6) County Recycling Fee Authorization
7) Dedicated And Adequate Funding For Mass Transit, Local Roads And Bridges
8) Marcellus Shale
9) Mentally Ill Inmates/Specialty Courts

You can download an eight-page report with more details on each issue at the Association's Web site, http://www.pacounties.org/

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Newspaper: PA must change the way it funds schools

Republican lawmakers are pushing for the elimination of property taxes in Pennsylvania. Democrats want a new way to fund public education.

That is the $10 billion dilemma that has been facing Harrisburg for decades.

The two sides should be working together, says The Mercury in its editorial, "Tax-reform plan and school funding formula should go hand-in-hand"

From the editorial:

It's time for a bi-partisan solution. The local tax burden and shortfalls in school funding go hand in hand. But every time resolution draws near, legislators on both sides back down for fear of losing local control of schools if the state holds the purse strings.

This is not about losing control, it’s about fixing a broken system. The two issues of tax reform and school funding go hand in hand. Why not reach across the aisle and join them?

Read the full editorial here.

'Making business in Pa. less taxing'

House Republicans are pushing a package of bills that would ease the tax burden on Pennsylvania residents and small business owners.

Gov. Ed Rendell and his Democratic Party puppets in the Legislature aren't keen on the idea of returning your money back to you.

Read about the GOP's efforts to stimulate the state's economy by reducing taxes in this article, "Making business in Pa. less taxing," published in The Mercury

Property Tax Elimination Rally!

From the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition:

This is just a short note today to remind you about the school property tax elimination rally that will be held in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg on Monday, June 2, from 11:00 AM – Noon. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to take our demands to the unwilling politicians in their own house and to meet and show our support for those lawmakers who understand this vital issue and are who are working for us.

This is shaping up to be a terrific event with a number of great speakers and a lot of taxpayer participation. To make the greatest impression on reluctant lawmakers we need as many folks as possible to attend to voice their support for HB 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act.

Please do all that you can to join in this event and please help to spread the word to others who will be willing to attend. The time for action is NOW!

For those of you who might need transportation to the rally there are a number of bus trips planned in east and central Pennsylvania that still have seats available. This is a convenient way to get to the capitol and to establish camaraderie with others who are working for true education finance reform. A list of available buses and contact names are listed below my signature; all are $20 or less depending on location and will be reserved on a first-come basis.

I hope to meet all of you on June 2!

David Baldinger
PTCC Administrator

Pottstown Area:

Bus will be leaving from the Wal-Mart in the Pottstown Center on Shoemaker Road at 8:30 AM. Contact Gene Endress of the PCTA's Owen J. Roberts taxpayer group at gendre1@comcast.net

Reading Area:

Bus will be leaving from the K-Mart at Rt. 222 and Rt. 724, Shillington, at 8:30 AM. Contact David Baldinger of the PTCC at taxrally@mail.com

Lancaster County Area:

Bus for the Eastern Lancaster County/Western Chester County area will be leaving from the Christiana Fire House at 8:30 AM with a pickup stop in Lancaster city. Contact John McCartney of the PCTA's CLASTA group at johnjhere30@comcast.net

York County Area:

Bus will leave from the Southeastern York County area (Delta, Fawn Grove, Peach Bottom) with a pickup stop near York City. Contact Margie Lavin of the PCTA's SETRC group at info@setrc.net or Warren Bulette of the PCTA's YCTC group at bulette@juno.com

Tax elimination momentum growing

The major criticism of state Rep. Sam Rohrer's House Bill 1275 mostly from Democrats who like the current system of forcing Pennsylvania out of their homes through high property taxes is that elimination of schools taxes won't leave enough money to fund public education.

They're not sure that will happen. They just think it might. So Democrats do what they've always done. Sit on their hands and do nothing.

The Mercury takes a look at HB 1275 and concludes:

"The plan has the potential to boost the economy of Pennsylvania, provide adequate funding for all schools regardless of district wealth, and relieve the tax burden for homeowners."

Read the full editorial here.

Rohrer wants Rendell to curb state spending

State Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, writing an op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer, is urging Gov. Ed Rendell to curb his voracious appetite for increasing state spending and debt.

Rohrer writes: After increasing spending by more than $7 billion in only five years, the governor is once again clenching his fists and demanding that Pennsylvania taxpayers allow him another opportunity to "strategically invest" at least $2 billion more of our hard-earned money in order to "stimulate" the economy.

If state government has failed to deliver a tangible rate of economic return for Pennsylvania's families in terms of property tax relief, job creation, improved roads and bridges, and reduced energy prices with $7 billion over five years, what reputable financial institution would hand over an additional $2 billion based on even more empty promises? How much spending is enough?

Read the full column here.

Pension hike would negate property tax relief, group says

STOP PRIMARY RESIDENCE PROTECTION PLAN or STOP, a citizens group working to eliminate all property taxes in Pennsylvania, opposes a proposal to increase pensions for retired state workers and legislators.

The group believes a pension increase would wipe out any potential savings from the elimination or reduction in property taxes, according to founder Bob Logue.

From a release issued by STOP:

The Pennsylvania House leadership is proposing increases in state employee pensions including retired legislators, teachers and other state workers. The issue of this letter is not whether the pension increases are merited, but instead where the money will come from to pay for the increases.

At least as far as the teachers and other school retirees are concerned, the increases will come from the school districts that employed them. As our school districts are required to replenish the pension fund to pay the proposed higher pensions, increases in property taxes — the major source of funding for school districts — will likely be forthcoming for homeowners and other property owners.

Any savings realized by property owners from the slot parlors could easily be wiped away by millage increases to help fund these pension increases. This is the perfect example of why I have repeatedly stated property tax reductions are only temporary, and are not true property tax reform.

When you see a few hundred dollars in property tax reductions on your school tax bill this year, enjoy it, but don't get used to it…because those reductions will not last. Reassessments that may soon be ordered by the PA Supreme Court as they rule on the constitutionality of the base year assessment system most counties use; or millage increases by your local school board to offset pension increases or other budgetary increases, will soon wipe away your property tax reductions.

The only real property tax reform is abolishment of all property taxes — school, county and municipal on primary residences. Replacement sales and income taxes and the economic boom such a plan would unleash will strengthen the economies of our counties, school districts and municipalities. Then homeowners would truly own their homes for the first time ever.

Contact your PA State Senator and encourage her or him to push for passage of HB 1947 (which passed the House 197-0) or SB 717. Both pieces of legislation are currently in the Senate Finance Committee. Both would amend the PA constitution to permit abolishment of all property taxes on primary residences. It is important the Senate act on either of these bills this year.

Renewed effort for property tax relief

You have to give state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, credit for persistence. He's been trying for years to get his plan to eliminate property taxes passed by the Pennsylvania House.

Rohrer told the Reading Eagle that he's going to give it another shot before the Legislature starts its annual 3-month summer vacation.

A revised version of Rohrer's School Property Tax Elimination Act will be offered in the House soon, according to the newspaper.

An earlier version of House Bill 1275, offered as an amendment to another tax relief plan, received just 47 votes in the 102-member House.

Rohrer told the newspaper he's addresses some of the objections lawmakers had about taxing professional fees and not taxing commercial properties.

Read "New round to begin in property tax fight" here.

There's also a rally planned for Harrisburg on June 2 to demand the elimination of property taxes. Find out more at the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition Web site.

And don't forget that all 102 seats in the House and 25 seats in the Senate are up for re-election on Nov. 4.

Join property tax rally in Harrisburg on June 2

"The time is now to vigorously show the Harrisburg politicians how we feel about school property tax elimination," says David Baldinger, administrator of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition.

A rally is planned for Monday, June 2, in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg to support House Bill 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act, the legislation that is endorsed by the PTCC and the 26-member groups of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations.

Taxpayers who are fed up with rising property taxes are invited to take part in the rally from 11 a.m. to noon.

The timing of this rally is designed to coincide with the budget debate that will be in progress, ensuring that all members of the General Assembly will be in Harrisburg to receive the message, Baldinger says.

While the agenda has not yet been finalized, Baldinger expects that a large number of current lawmakers and candidates will be in attendance along with community, business, school leaders and taxpayer advocates.

Following the rally, the PTCC and FreedomWorks will be issuing an "Honor Roll" listing all lawmakers, candidates and community leaders who show their support for school property tax elimination by attending the rally.

"The purpose of the rally is to do our best to send a very strong message to the legislature that we are tired of their procrastination and expect action to eliminate school property taxes NOW," Baldinger says. "This is a major event and a large turnout of supporters will help to focus media attention on this issue and increase public awareness and support."

The PTCC is looking for volunteers to spread the word about the rally, organize folks in their area and arrange transportation to Harrisburg.

"This is a one-time event that is very important, so if you're willing to help please try to find as many folks as possible to attend - use carpools, limo buses, full-sized buses, any way possible to get people to the rally" Baldinger says.

The PTCC is already busy organizing a bus trip to the Capitol for Berks County residents. The approximate cost is $20 per person.

If you're interested in joining this trip for the rally, send an e-mail by May 11 to taxrally@mail.com with your name, address and telephone number.

If enough people respond by May 11 to fill a charter bus, Baldinger says he will send interested persons a return e-mail with the details of the trip and method of payment.

Four months to pay off the government

This editorial published today in The Mercury, "Pennsylvania residents work nearly four months to pay off their tax burden," should get everyone who earns a paycheck angry.

Pennsylvania workers have to send every dollar they earn from January 1 to April 21 to various levels of government to cover their ever-growing tax burden.

Read the full editorial -- and weep -- and keep in mind that if you elect a Democrat as president or you elect Democrats to the state House or Senate, you'll be working a lot harder to pay these professional politicians.

Tax Freedom Day comes and goes

Hey, Pennsylvania residents: Did you know that you had to work until April 21 this year to pay your taxes to the government?

Tax Freedom Day is the day you can start keeping your paycheck for yourself and your family.

Pennsylvanians pay on average about $13,000 per person in taxes.

Read this editorial, "Tax Freedom Day no reason to celebrate" in The (Delaware County) Daily Times for more perspective on how taxes are destroying our way of life.

Real stories of how taxes are killing Pennsylvania

Check out the TONY PHYRILLAS blog for some perspective on property taxes and a link to real stories of how high property taxes are hurting Pennsylvania residents.

Property tax reform should be the pay raise of 2008 when it comes to deciding which members of the Pennsylvania Legislature deserve re-election.

Conservatives leaving Pennsylvania?

Check out this post at the Taxpayer Protection blog about new demographic reports saying that conservatives are fleeing Pennsylvania, which has seen massive tax hikes and skyrocketing government spending under liberal Gov. Ed Rendell and his puppets in the state Legislature.

How low can Pennsylvania go?

POLICY BLOG reports that The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has ranked Pennsylvania 28th in its Business Tax Index 2008 survey.

It's the latest poor showing for Gov. Ed Rendell's Pennsylvania in national rankings of the state's business climate.

POLICY BLOG recaps the state's mediocrity:

* Pacific Research Institute State Tort Liability Rankings - 45th
* Beacon Hill Institute State Competitiveness Report 2007 - 34th
* ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index - 44th on Economic Performance; 37th for Economic Outlook
* Alliance for Worker Freedom Index of Worker Freedom - F (Tied for worst)
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council Policy Environment for Entrepreneurship. - 24th
* Tax Foundation State Business Tax Climate Index - 27th
* Tax Foundation State and Local Tax Burden - 24th (50 is best)
* CEO Magazine Best States to do Business - 37th (
* Forbes Magazine Best States For Business - 39th

Tax burden continues to grow

With Tax Day looming on April 15, there's an interesting post at TONY PHYRILLAS about how Pennsylvania ranks in the TOP 20 in combine taxes (state and federal).

In other words, when you factor in the income tax, sales tax, property tax, gasoline tax and tobacco tax, Pennsylvania residents pay more than residents of 30 other states.

We can't blame all of this on Gov. Ed Rendell. Only the state income tax and tobacco taxes have risen during his tenure, but didn't the governor promise to lower everyone's property taxes while standing on his head?

And it's not for lack of trying. Rendell has floated the idea of raising the gasoline tax. The governor is also pushing a new tax on electricity and a tax on businesses to fund his "cover all Pennsylvanians" health care plan.

Tony Phyrillas: GOP should hold Montgomery County

An internal poll done for the Republican candidates in the much-watched race for Montgomery County Commissioner shows the GOP slate of Bruce Castor and Jim Matthews keeping control of this crucial SE Pennsylvania county for four more years.

Republicans have controlled Montgomery County politics for the past 138 years, but Democrats have been chipping away in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Castor, the current Montgomery County District Attorney, is on top with 55 percent support, according to the poll. Democrat Joe Hoeffel is second with 51 percent. Jim Matthews comes in third with 40 percent. Incumbent Democrat Ruth Damsker brings up the rear with 34 percent.

If the trend holds until Election Day, Castor and Matthews would keep a Republican majority on the board, with Hoeffel as the minority commissioner.

Castor is the best known political figure in Montgomery County and is well respected as a tough prosecutor. He will be the top vote-getter on Nov. 6. Hoefell, a former county commissioner and former area Congressman, has lots of name recognition, too, because he's always running for something. His ultra liberal politics will attract support from the eastern half of the county.

It's no secret that Gov. Ed Rendell is working hard to capture one of the traditional Republican SE Pennsylvania counties for the Democrats. The key is control of county government. Rendell wants a base where he can operate to swing SE Pennsylvania for the Democrats in the 2008 presidential race.

With the Montgomery County commissioners' race looking safe for the GOP, expect Rendell to concentrate on Chester County and Bucks County in the final weeks of the campaign.

Looking over the latest poll numbers, Matthews, who ran for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania on the Lynn Swann ticket in 2006, has gained 6 points on Damsker in the past month. The last poll showed Matthews and Damsker dead even.

Damkser has lost ground with some wacky behavior and oddball comments. She brought up the "R" word (reassessment) in a county that is doing very well financially. Property taxes are a big issue in Montgomery County and a countywide reassessment would be a de facto tax increase for many residents.

Damsker also has had several widely publicized spats with Commissioners' Chairman Tom Ellis and even broke into tears are a recent commissioners' meeting. There's no crying in politics!

The current GOP-led board managed to cut property taxes in 2007 and Castor/Matthews have promised another property tax cut in 2008 if they're elected.

The poll by Neil Newhouse also asked potential voters to rank the candidates via favorable and unfavorable traits.

Here are the results:

Castor -- Fav. 68% Unfav 9%
Hoeffel -- Fav. 57% Unfav 24%
Matthews -- Fav. 34% Unfav. 6%
Damsker -- Fav. 25% Unfav. 9%

And for laughs, the poll also asked views on other politicians:

Specter -- Fav. 68% Unfav. 28%
Rendell -- Fav. 70% Unfav. 27%
Giuliani -- Fav. 64% Unfav. 29%
H. Clinton -- Fav. 51% Unfav. 46%
Bush -- Fav. 34% Unfav. 65%

(Note the difference between Giuliani's and Clinton's numbers in Montgomery County. If Republicans have any hope of winning Pennsylvania in 2008, Giuliani has to be the party nominee.)

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.

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