Taxing us out of our homes.

By

Ernie Rosato Harleysville PA

Where do I start, if the younger people of voting age in Pennsylvania don’t wake up, they won’t be able to afford a home in the community they grew up in. The pension crisis that is in play goes by the acronym PSERS and is pronounced (pee•sers) and stands for Pennsylvania State Educators Retirement System. This one issue will cause devastating effects on families across our commonwealth outside the main metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and all of us should be concerned.

Pennsylvania law forces the taxpayer to guarantee the pensions of our educators / administrators in the public school system and places the burden on taxing us out of the homes we have paid for and are paying for. Now I don’t know about you, but when does the minority gain the right to a guaranteed pension over the majority, that doesn’t have the same guarantee? PSERS funding increases alone could cost Pennsylvanian families around $500.00 per year for the next 14 years. That’s $7,000.00 over and above what home owners are paying now and that doesn’t include school operations.

School operational costs on a percentage basis could range from as little as a 0% increase up to skies the limit. The only caveat is that the state places an index on each district, which dictates what the tax increase could be for any given year. Souderton’s index is at 2.9% that means that the district can raise taxes 2.9% above last years budget without going to the public with a referendum vote on the expansion of taxable funds. Certain items are exempt from referendum votes and can you guess where PSERS falls? Yep! PSERS is exempt from the referendum vote. That means that if the school budget is 2.9% and PSERS will cost the district 5% that means a 7.9% increase will be shoved down our throats.

What does this mean for the children that the educators say are so important? Most districts will have to cut budget numbers to stay within means or go to the taxpayer and ask for additional tax revenues to carry the load. Now I don’t know about you but most people are Tax Enough Already (T.E.A.) and will not concede to this notion of higher taxation.

The alternative will be detrimental to our children because programs, sports, and yes even bussing will have to be limited to where the community can afford the expense. The sad part is that the school employees will always receive their salaries, pensions and benefits along with all the increases that the union and the state legislature has protected for them. NO it’s not about the children any longer, it’s about the union their membership and our state legislature.

Most of our elected officials take campaign funding from the PSEA or the Pennsylvania State Educators Association or better known as the Teacher’s Union. The only thing that can come from campaign finance is the padding of special treatment for the financiers and boy they have it wrapped up.

There is a bill that was written by Rep. Sam Rohrer named H.B. 1275 or better known as SPTEA. Little is heard of SPTEA because “Special Interest “ has persuaded our elected officials to ignore it. SPTEA or School Property Tax Elimination Act is a viable way of removing the burden from the shoulders of the homeowner and places the burden on a consumption tax which is already in play and working for school funding, Sales Tax.

The expansion of sales tax will generate enough money at the current rate of 6% to eliminate the burden from our homes. SPTEA also leaves the taxes on Commercial, and industrial properties at 2009 levels in perpetuity.

The retail lobby along with the PSEA have forced the issue of ignoring this bill on our legislators and once again placed the minority ahead of the majority, a majority that is asleep at the wheel. Currently there are 36 House Reps that have co-sponsored this bill where 101 are needed to get it to the house floor for a vote. A list of the co-sponsors can be found on the home page of www.PATaxTalk.com and it is imperative that you find out if your Rep is or is not on the list. Your input on the issue will be felt by calling your state Rep and demanding that this bill be considered to be a viable alternative to the current tax crisis that we are facing before one more home is lost to the sheriff and his gang of henchmen. The Souderton area has only one Rep who has signed on to cosponsor SPTEA and he is now our Senator, Robert Mensch. So call your Rep today and see what story he’ll tell you. Remember he /she probably hasn’t read the updated bill, then ask them if they receive campaign finance from “special interests groups.”

Sam Rohrer has been in the House for 18 years and has been working on the issue of Property tax reform for approximately the past 5 years. He is a compassionate man that truly works for the people. He saw the looming threat and the devastating effects that school property tax holds on Pennsylvanian taxpayers. He realizes that as Americans it is a right to own your home free and clear once it is paid for. Sam has asked his fellow reps to draft legislation to save the constituents from the sheriff and all they could come up with was the lame gambling legislation.

Sam Rohrer is running for governor of the great Commonwealth and deserves your attention NOW. Sam was overlooked by the PA GOP, because he isn’t a player, he isn’t a former teacher and just wants to put the people first. He is a Constitutional Republican and realizes that we have strayed from our basic principles and have cast our state and federal constitutions aside. The reality is we have a choice for governor in PA and don’t look any farther than Sam Rohrer.

Sam will be speaking at a Q and A town hall meeting on Thursday March 18^th at 6:30 at the Upper Salford Fire Hall 782 Old Skippack Road, Salfordville, PA 18958 Admission is Free, some please come and bring a friend. The meeting is open to all political affiliations and is being held for informational purposes and for Sam to explain his positions on the state of our Commonwealth. I hope everyone will attend.

For more info on Sam Rohrer please go to www.SamRohrer.org