Written by Roberta Biros
We’ve been hearing it for months now . . . Pennsylvania Legislators have been trying to scare people into WANTING tax increases. It has been one threat after another. Today in The Herald there is a summary from Representative Joe Markosek that batches all of the threats in one easy to read paragraph:
“Rep. Joe Markosek, D-Allegheny, said public support for the senate Republican bill may shrink once people understand that nursing homes would close, state troopers’ ranks would be cut and property taxes would rise as local governments and school districts are forced to shoulder more of the load on their own.”
VERY SCARY . . . especially to seniors who think that their nursing homes will close . . . and residents in crime ridden areas that are fearful of fewer police. These are shameful scare tactics. Before you take these legislators at their word, we all need to sit back and parse out everything that is being said. What does it all really mean?
Closing of State Parks
When they talk about “closing State Parks”, simply ask yourself . . . “how exactly do you close a State Park?” How do they close Pymatuning? How do they close Goddard? Will Pymatuning not exist without the State? Will it disappear? Will it simply evaporate? What about Goddard? When you ask a legislator a straight forward question like “how do you close a State Park”, it is necessary for them to give specifics like “facilities within the parks would close”. Well, folks, have you taken a drive around Pymatuning lately? There are restroom facilities that are closed now, and everyone is getting by just fine. Do you know what people do when they find that a restroom is closed? They go and find one that is open.
If simple cut backs were made across the board in all State Parks, there would be no need to “close” any of them. State Parks would still have a $94Million budget available, and that SHOULD be plenty to go around. We are simply asking that they ALL tighten their belts a little.
Cut Backs on State Police
When they talk about State Troopers’ ranks being cut, I ask myself “does that mean that the troopers that are left will be forced to actually chase down ‘bad guys’ now? Maybe there would be fewer Troopers left sitting in a speed traps on I-79 or I-80, and instead they will be able to reschedule their time elsewhere. Hmmm. (I realize that i’m over simplifying here, so don’t bother writing to tell me so . . . I’m just saying that maybe everyone can cut costs somewhere)
Property Taxes Will Increase
Lastly, when they say that “property taxes would rise as local governments and school districts are forced to shoulder more of the load”, I say “WONDERFUL”. Perhaps that is exactly as it should be!
Rather than trying to budget our county and school district expenses through Harrisburg, let’s control our LOCAL budgets LOCALLY. If spending cuts at the state level trickle down to the Counties (read more HERE), at least then WE have some control over how the money is spent (or not spent). Mercer County Commissioners are already planning ahead for the proposed cuts, and THEY are now responsible for finding a solution. WE in Mercer County can decided whether WE will pay more in taxes or whether WE will cut costs in this County. How? . . . by beating on the doors of our County Commissioners . . . by calling the Courthouse and demanding that our local elected officials do MORE to control spending (read more HERE).
IF (and that’s a BIG “IF”) it is decided that a tax increase is necessary, at least we will know that OUR TAXES are going to support expenses in OUR COUNTY. If the tax increases are made at the State level, I guarantee that OUR TAX MONEY will be going to bail out cash strapped cities like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. We will see very little of that money coming back to good ol’ Mercer County. I say “let’s put the financial responsibilities close to home where we can keep a closer eye on things”.
In Summary
When you sit down and think about it, everything that we hear from Harrisburg that is intended to SCARE us INTO a tax increase actually isn’t so bad.
Trimming of the budgets of the state parks wouldn’t be as bad as they make it seem . . . cut backs within the State Police might help them to re-prioritize . . . and Counties being responsible for their own budges would probably be the BEST solution in the long run.
Times are tough, and there isn’t a household in this Country that isn’t feeling the pinch right now. It is time for Government to understand that there comes a day when THEY need to feel the pinch too, and that day is today.
Make sure that YOUR legislator knows that YOU can’t afford higher taxes . . . PERIOD.
For those of you in Mercer County, the contact information for your legislators is posted below:
Hon. Robert D. Robbins
337 Capitol Building
Senate Box 203050
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3050
(717) 787-1322Email: rrobbins@pasen.gov
Hon. Michele Brooks
153B East Wing
PO Box 202017
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2017
(717) 783-5008
Fax: (717) 705-1948Email: mbrooks@pahousegop.com
Hon. Mark Longietti
103 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202007
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2007
(717) 772-4035
Fax: (717) 780-4785Email: MLongietti@pahouse.net
Hon. Richard R. Stevenson
155B East Wing
PO Box 202008
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2008
(717) 783-6438
Fax: (717) 705-1949
Email: rstevens@pahousegop.com
As always, just my opinion.
~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives
Mercer County Conservatives 