The LuLac Edition #3289, August 31, 2016

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

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PENNSYLVANIA TAXPAYERS CYBER COALITION

Charles Urban has a new crusade and it involves Property Tax Reform. Urban sent this letter to anyone who would read it. I have always been for a user tax that would pay for schools. That way, everyone pays not just property owners. Plus Urban made a good point to me when he said property owners, without the burden of taxes (especially landlords) could expand and improve their properties with the extra money. Here is hi open letter:
Property Owners: Luzerne, Lackawanna. Wyoming, Pike, Monroe, Columbia, Lehigh, Carbon, and Wayne Counties
Did you receive your school property tax bill? Your school property taxes will continue to increase if you don’t take action now.
Attending school board meetings, expressing your concerns are commendable, but it will not solve your problems completely. Your school board members will listen to you, but they can do only two things; Raise or lower your school taxes, mostly School Boards raise your taxes as they are faced with the rising cost each year to operate.
There is a solution and that starts with you by becoming involved. Remember you are the government, the employer, the stockholder and you have the power to control the purse strings.
Let’s start first: You must elect a lawmaker, that will listen and represent you in Harrisburg and not give you lip service or excuses. Today we are faced with the problems that affects each homeowner that is unable to pay their school taxes through no fault of their own. Retirees on limited income, those affected by loss of jobs, sickness and those on disability unable to earn a living. 10,000 homeowners and 350,000 foreclosures each year lose their homes because of the causes listed.
You might ask how can I fix this problem? For every problem there is a solutions, by getting involved. If you don’t succeed at first you must become persistent. We the PTCC members have been trying for years to eliminate school property taxes and finally we have been as close as ever. We were persistent as our elected officials tried to turn a deaf ear and gave us excuses. Today we still have some lawmakers who don’t support elimination of school property taxes and that is where you the property and taxpayer must contact you elected officials and demands you want elimination of school property taxes
Solution: Senate Bill,House Bill 76 would:
*Abolish school property taxes. Schools would be allowed however to keep a small portion of school property taxes until the debt is paid off.
* Raise the state income tax to 4.95 percent.*Expand the sales tax to apply to many more items and services.
*Expand the sales tax to 7 percent
*Put the money from the tax increase into a fund separate from the rest of the state budget.
*School districts would be paid the same amount they currently receive in property taxes from this fund with future increases tied to inflation or average wage increases.
*Allow school districts to hold referendum on temporary tax increases.
*HB/SB 76would eliminate school property taxes forever.
Once the mortgage is paid off you will own your home, not renting for all these years from the government. A man’s home is his/her Castle and he/she should not lose it.
You will receive some opposition from some of your lawmakers with excuses. Why? Because some lawmakers are influenced and bought off by special interest groups by lobbyist representing the PSEA.
Homeowners; it’s election time and you must decide who you want to elect that will support the elimination of your school property taxes.
Contact your Senator and Representative in your district and demand that they support and sponsor HB/SB 76.
We are asking you to call these questionable and non-supporters asking them if they will support 76 as this will determine your support? Tell them that you want a definite answer. YES or NO.

Senator John Blake 570-207-2881 : Senator John Gordner 570-784-3464: Rep. Frank Farina 570-876-1111: Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich 570-562-2350: Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski 570-825-5934: Rep. Mike Carroll 570-655-4883.

CALL them and be persistent.

Charles Urban President Luzerne County Property Owners Member of 87 Pa.Taxpayers Cyber Coalition #570-288-2972 E curban6@aol.com