The LuLac Edition #223, May 14th, 2007

PHOTO INDEX:

"JUST DO IT.....

V O T E !!!!!!!!!"

THE BALLOT QUESTION

There have many many reports on how the Ballot Question will affect individual taxpayers in various districts. WBRE's Amy Bradley did a pretty comprehensive report on this last week. Still, because every district is different, voting for this will mean many things to many people. The Times Leader's Mark Guydish had a great column today which we'll repeat in its entirety. It cleared up a lot of things for me. I've hghlighted in red the most important parts to remember.


It's almost upon us, yet many residents still don't seem to know about it, and I'm a little tired of hearing people say "Why wasn't this in the newspaper?" It was, dozens of times. I guess I get a little testy because I wrote a lot of those stories.
Tomorrow every voter in Luzerne County gets a chance to approve or
reject the idea of raising their local school income tax so eligible homeowners can see property taxes drop. It's a pretty big deal known as the Act 1 referendum. As Dave Davare of the Pennsylvania School Board Association said during an informational luncheon Thursday, since each district is proposing different tax changes, the outcome will someday sway decisions by people looking for jobs or a place to live.
Graduates deciding where to launch their working lives may opt for a place that votes the referendum down, since they'll be renting and working, making the more attractive option a place with higher property taxes and lower income taxes. Affluent retirees selling homes and looking to relocate would likely prefer a place where the referendum was approved, making property taxes lower and income taxes higher.
Yet after Davare finished his presentation, one of the first comments from an attendee was, why hasn't this been publicized more?
Aside from the fact that reporters were standing right there prepared to pen yet another story, it was publicized. We've been writing stories since August, including front page overviews and explainers. School boards and the county advertised the whole process. Yet people still never heard of it.
Breaking it down.
Part of the problem is that those ads were small-print legal items in the classifieds; part is that eyes glaze the moment you mention tax rates and state laws; and part is, sadly, that we as citizens often shirk our civic duty to study before we vote, preferring to gripe aboutthe outcome afterward.
Most of the problem comes from the fact that Act 1 and the referendum process are gnarled, snarled nonsense. The law functions like a glop constructed by kindergartners gone wild with glue, sticks and ribbon.
Every state legislator had a pet plan for definitive property tax
reform, so they loaded the law with nonsense until it was neither
definitive nor reformative.
Still, the election is tomorrow and it merits one more review. Remember, even though it's a primary, any registered voter, including Independents, can vote on this referendum.
The referendum will ask if you want to increase the local school income tax a specific percentage in order to lower homeowner property taxes a specific dollar amount. Four Luzerne County districts are offering to switch from an earned income tax on wages to a personal income tax also levied on interest and dividends. If you want it simple, ask yourself
two questions:
1) Will your overall taxes go up or down if you vote yes? My wife and I both work and we own a home in Wilkes-Barre Area School District. If the referendum there is approved, our income tax will increase more than our property tax will drop. By that wallet measure, we should vote no.
2) Do you feel shifting a bit more of the school tax burden onto wage earners and off homeowners is fair? Right now, my wife and I can afford to pay the tax increase a yes vote would bring more than many lower-income homeowners we know can afford to pay escalating property taxes if the vote fails. So we're leaning toward voting yes.
It's a choice between pocketbook and principles. Weigh which matters most. And vote.


THE BEST OF..............

As another primary elections winds down, its time to hand out some LuLacBest and Worst awards in media, Campaigning and politicing.

BEST SIGNS: Virgil Argenta and Dr. Jack Consalvo.
MOST SIGNS:Virgil Argenta.
BEST RADIO ADS:None I can think of and I love radio and love politicalads.
BEST TV AD Bill Jones Commissioner ad. It was an attack adbut not violently so. Cordaro and Munchak/Yankee ad.
MOST VISABLE CANDIDATE IN WILKES BARRE CITY: Joe Daniel.
MOST INVISABLE CANDIDATE IN WILKES BARRE CITY: Frank Matello, Sr.

MOST FRUGAL CANDIDATE: Peter Gagliardi, Council District C.
BEST CANDIDATE WEB SITE: Walter Griffith. Ron Silkosky, Honorable Mention. (Should have posted photo of himself).
BEST INNOVATION: Ron Silkosky with his DVD.
MISSED OPPRTUNITY AWARDS Christine Katsock (would've won a council seat in her district. ) and Ted Wampole (one time Demo Council candidate, he helped create the plan inplace now.
MOST MISSED: The "Nipper" Polka Radio spots featuring the Bobby Vinton hit "My Melody of Love"

CELEBRITY CAMPAIGNER: Out of LuLac land technically but former WDAU TVnews anchor/sports guy/weather guy, WGBI AM and WEJL/WBAX jock, Hoyt Keyser running for Wyoming County Commissioner.
BIGGEST PROJECTED WINNER IN REDISTRICTING: Kathy Kane (despite her opposing the plan).
BIGGEST PROJECTED LOSER IN REDISTRICTING: Bill Barrett or Mike McGinley. On Wednesday morning, one of them will be quoting Curly Howard saying,"I was the victim of circumstances!"

WORST WEBSITE COLORS: Tom Marsillio.
BEST BILLBOARDS: Skrep and Petrilla. Neaty sized, very well done. Walter Griffith, Junior,honorable mention.