ACTION ALERT: State Capitol Taxpayers’ Protest June 9th

Courtesty of the Commonwealth Foundation

WHAT: Concerned citizens who will descend on Harrisburg for the all-day Pennsylvania State Capitol Taxpayers’ Protest, will be welcomed by a united coalition led by State Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) and more than 30 fiscally conservative state lawmakers, state and national watchdog groups and radio talk shows hosts.

WHO: Some of the outstanding confirmed speakers and organizations participating will include: Jim Broussard, Citizens Against Higher Taxes; Josh Culling, National Taxpayers’ Union; Bob Durgin and R.J. Harris, WHP 580; Patrick Gleason, Americans For Tax Reform; Kevin Shivers, NFIB; David Taylor, Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association; Susan Staub, Right to Work; Matt Brouillette, Commonwealth Foundation; Jeffrey Trimbath, The Heritage Foundation; Colin Hanna, Let Freedom Ring and many others. State Senator John Eichelberger and Representatives Kerry Benninghoff, Karen Boback, Paul Clymer, Jim Cox, Tom Creighton, Scott Hutchinson, Rob Kauffman, Tim Krieger, Bob Mensch, Donna Oberlander, Tom Quigley, Kathy Rapp, Mike Reese, Brad Roae, Todd Rock, Sam Rohrer, Curt Schroder, Jerry Stern, Rosemarie Swanger, Will Tallman, Katie True, Mike Turzai, Matt Gabler, Stan Saylor, Sheryl Delozier, Carl Metzgar, Seth Grove, John Payne, Gordon Denlinger and Keith Gillespie are also scheduled to participate.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: State Capitol Rotunda, Harrisburg

Crawford County Attraction: Linesville Spillway – Where the Ducks Walk on the Fish

Written by Roberta Biros

For those of you that are not from the area, the Linesville Spillway (“The Place Where the Ducks Walk on the Fishes’ Backs”) is a great family destination. Approximately 300,000 visitors come each year to feed the fish and view the wildlife in this area. Located two miles south of Lineville on the Hartstown Road [click HERE to download a map in PDF format], the Spillway and concession area are generally open weekends mid-April to Memorial Day then seven days per week through Labor Day and weekends again in September. According to Wikipedia, “the Spillway is locally billed as ‘Pennsylvania’s second most popular tourist attraction, after the Liberty Bell’ and the logo of the Linesville Volunteer Fire Department is, in fact, a duck standing on the back of a fish.”

I first visited the Linesville Spillway while on a vacation with my husband in the summer of 1988. He explained that the Spillway was a must see attraction, and he recalled numerous trips during his childhood. I found the fish feeding attraction to be fun and memorable. I took pictures (they are buried somewhere) and I bought a postcard or two as souvenirs. I never imagined that 20 years later I’d live just a short drive away.

When we moved to the area in January of 2006, Pymatuning Lake, the Linesville Spillway, and Conneaut Lake Park were on our list of “hot spots” to revisit with regularly. Conneaut Lake Park has been inactive for the past few years, and we were excited to finally revisit there last week (read the full story HERE). While we were out, we decided to make the full tour and we stopped at the Spillway in Linesville.

For starters, the facility looked great! (see photo below)

The scenery is wonderful, but attraction of the spillway and the excitement of feeding the carp makes the visit entertaining every time. (refer to pictures below)

The Linesville Spillway has been the center of some controversy in the past year or so. In 2008, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) proposed a controversial ban on the feeding of bread in an effort to keep the spillway clean and to discourage overabundance of geese at the spillway. The DCNR sought to require the use of fish pellet food rather than bread, and the suggestion was met with a public outcry from the locals. Representative Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Mercer/Lawrence), Representative John Evans (R-Erie/Crawford) and Senator Bob Robbins (R-Mercer) called a public meeting in Linesville last September to give the public an opportunity to voice their opinions. More than 350 turned out to oppose the proposed ban.

Last fall, the DCNR put the proposed ban on hold for a year (until January 2010) to re-evaluate its proposal, but in February of 2009 they reversed the ban and noted that the feeding of bread to the fish will be allowed beyond January 2010. [read more on the issue HERE and HERE]

After all of the community and political activity of last year, I was anxious to see if there were any interesting signs of change at the Spillway this spring. First, I notice that they were careful to supply an abundance of special trash receptacles at the spillway to accommodate all of the bread bags. Unfortunately, on our visit (Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 23, 2009), all of the receptacles nearest the spillway were overflowing with bags. It was undoubtedly the busiest day so far in 2009, so I understand that it may take some time for the staff to get into full swing. I also noticed that the fish seemed a bit overfed too. With the season having just kicked in, it appeared that the enormous volume of bread entering the spillway was a shock to the fish (and the geese). The photo below illustrates that there were areas where bread (and debris) just laid on the water with “no interested takers”.

In Summary and in Closing

The Linesville Spillway at Pymatuning Lake is still a “must see attraction” in Crawford County. The facility is beautiful, so be sure to bring a camera. The experience is great for folks with small children, as the memories are something that will last a lifetime (just as they have with my husband). It is an attraction for young and old alike.

And remember . . . on your way home be sure to stop by Hunger Busters in Jamestown for a soft-serve cone . . . I always do!

[BTW, if it seems like I’m looking for a discount in exchange for all of the free advertising, you might just be right! ; ) ]

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Cutting Back on Judges to Save Money

Written by Roberta Biros

Sometimes it is necessary to learn lessons and take hints from our neighbors. This story is an example of that.

I was watching the news this morning out of Youngstown. There was an interesting report that the Youngstown City Council is drafting a resolution to drop one Municipal Judge in the area. State Representative Bob Hagan (D-60) supports the idea and plans on introducing a bill this month to eliminate Youngstown’s third judge position. According to Rep. Hagan, “there is no longer justification for three judges on the Youngstown Municipal Court Bench”.

A quick look at the numbers shows that the three judges in Youngstown share a much lower workload than other judges in the area. According to the Supreme Court of Ohio, the 2007 Annual Report of Municipal Courts shows the following:

Youngstown City Council, Youngstown Mayor (Jay Williams), and State Rep. Bob Hagan are all in agreement on the issue. Who disagrees? The judges, of course.

Judge Beth Kobly thinks that the issue is completely political and that there is no justification for a cut back. She believes that the move is due to a lawsuit that was recently filed that is attempting to force the City to build a new municipal court facility. She states,

“It’s not just coincidence. It’s not just coincidence at all. Had we not pushed for adequate safe facilities, we would not be having this discussion about eliminating a judgeship.”

In response, Mayor Jay Williams said “It would be ridiculous to say that this is retaliation. We’ve been talking about making City government more efficient and more effective for a number of years.”

State Rep. Bob Hagan agrees with the Mayor. Rep. Hagan explains that the taxpayers are looking for relief. “they want to see that we as legislators and public officials recognize that they are straining under the burden of all these taxes”.

Whatever the motivation, I like the idea. Government officials usually prefer to just raise taxes, but when they do try to cut costs they usually do so at the bottom level somewhere. It is refreshing to see someone considering making some cuts at the top for a change.

It reminds me of a scenario that I experienced years ago. I worked for a law firm that employed 10 attorneys and roughly 50 support employees. When times got tough they decided to cut costs by cutting payroll. They initially cut 30% (and later 50%) of the SUPPORT staff, and NEVER cut any of the attorneys payroll. They quickly went from being one of the largest and most productive law offices in the area . . . to barely being a “blip” on the map in their area of legal expertise. It was a poor business decision, and they paid the ultimate price for it.

Our government officials need to consider tough cuts during these tough times. That INCLUDES the judicial system . . . that seem to think that they are “above the law” and “above the petty discussion of fiscal responsibility”.

Perhaps Mercer County needs to take a closer look at the judicial structure in our county. County Commissioners are looking for ways to cut cost in the courthouse (sort of), and the judiciary should not be left out of the conversation when we are discussing “tightening our belts”. It is time that everyone that receives a government pay check should prove their worthiness and value.

As always, just my opinion.
~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

Tax Increases are the ONLY Way to Balance the County Budget?: Not a Very Sunny Outlook

Written by Roberta Biros

Everyone is in a budget crisis nowadays. Our Nation’s lawmakers are trying to figure out how to pay for everything we want at the Federal Level. Pennsylvania State lawmakers are battling over how the State’s finances should be handled. Counties are obviously going to feel economic woes too. Last week I published an article titled “Pennsylvania Budget Cuts Trickle Down to Counties”. I explained that if State lawmakers hold firm to balancing the State’s books, the Counties may suffer in the end. In preparation for tough times, it is my opinion that our County leaders should start planning in advance. I suggested voluntary pay cuts for elected officials as a crucial first step [read the full story HERE].

A few days later, I published another article titled “State Budget 101: Cut Costs or Increase Taxes”. In it I explained that Democratic leaders in the State House of Representatives hinted at the fact that they may need to increase state income tax in order to make up the budget shortfall. Rather than signing on to spending cuts (as proposed by the State Senate), House Democrats might be considering just raising taxes instead.

Late last week, Mercer County Commissioners showed their hand regarding their plans for balancing the Counties expenses too, and they seem to be following in the footsteps of House Democrats. In an article published in the Sharon Herald [READ HERE], plans from County Commissioners (Beader, Ammann, and Lechner) were laid out regarding the County’s finances. If anticipated funds are not received from the state (referred to as “pass-through money”), the County will fall short of their financial responsibilities. The Herald stated:

“The main problem with passing a budget that cuts pass-through money, said Commissioner Brian Beader, is the county’s only way of making that cash up is to raise property taxes”.

Hmmm. Perhaps the Commissioners need to simply read the TITLE of my article “State Budget 101: Cut Costs or Increase Taxes” to get at least ONE other way to balance a budget. Doesn’t anyone consider cutting costs FIRST? Instead, political leaders like to threaten tax increases as an ONLY solution. I would like to see County leaders demonstrate a little more effort before pushing the “raising taxes panic button”. The concept of raising taxes shouldn’t be discussed until all other options have been addressed. It shows a lack of originality, and it illustrates that our County Commissioners aren’t willing to look for solutions that are “outside of the box”.

For additional details regarding the problems with the Mercer County budget, see the article titled “Unfunded Mandates Hit Counties in the Pocket”.

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Unfunded Mandates Hit Counties Right in the Pocket

Written by Roberta Biros

Like many counties in the state of Pennsylvania, Mercer County is in a real bind. According to an article in The Herald [READ HERE], only $22 million of the County’s $67 million budget is paid with County taxes. The rest of the budget is supported with pass-through funds from the State that are intended to cover many State mandates. Counties are REQUIRED to provide these mandated services. In turn, the State “promises” to pay for some (but not all) of these mandates. The State continues to require more services from the Counties, but they aren’t holding up their end of the bargain.

There are “funded” and there are “unfunded” or “under-funded” mandates. An Unfunded mandate (and “under-funded” mandate) is a statute or regulation that requires a political subdivision to perform certain actions, yet provides no money (or partial money) for fulfilling the requirements. In the end, local taxpayers end up footing the bill for the cost to comply with state laws. In the case of funded mandates, the state funds all of the costs for the required services, but history has shown the state doesn’t always pay its bills.

One example that was sited in The Herald is in the case of Children and Youth Services. Mercer County will receive “more than $400,000 less than expected and the County will have to make up the difference”. In this case, Mercer County is required to provide the services, but the State will be not be holding up its end of the bargain by providing the supporting funds.

The examples of funded and under-funded mandates are numerous, but I’d like to site one example that is a particular favorite of mine . . .

Prior to 2006, Mercer County budgeted and paid for a “part-time” District Attorney (at a cost of about $75,000 annually). In 2006, the State mandated that all Counties have a “full-time” District Attorney in place. At the time of the mandate, the State agreed to pay for 65% of the cost of the District Attorney salary. Based on 2006 salaries, the amount to be received from the State by Mercer County was about $98,205. In a discussion that I had with County Commissioner John Lechner back in December, the County has not been receiving those monies as promised. Commissioner Lechner went as far as to say that County Commissioners across the State were considering legal action to recoup the unpaid funds from the State.

The problem of unfunded (and under-funded) mandates is HUGE . . . especially at the County level. This problem is finally receiving attention from lawmakers in Harrisburg. State Rep. Mike Peifer (R-Pike County) has introduced legislation to put a stop to unfunded mandates. Rep. Peifer even uses the cost of his County’s DA as an example of the problem. In an article in the Pocono News [READ HERE], other examples of unfunded mandates include:

• The payment of prevailing wage to construction workers on many public projects, and as a result of litigation in recent years, maintenance workers as well.
• Stormwater management regulations.
• The state recycling law that requires certain municipalities to implement and maintain recycling programs.
• A requirement that legal notices and advertisements be published in “newspapers of general circulation.”

The proposed legislation [House Bill 1377 – read the full text of the bill HERE] amends the Pennsylvania State Constitution to prohibit state mandates. To quote the Bill directly:

The General Assembly shall not enact any law that will result in an increase in costs to a county, city, borough, incorporated town, township, school district or vocational school district unless the General Assembly provides an appropriation in an amount at least equal to the amount necessary to pay in full any additional costs of compliance on the part of the county, city, borough, incorporated town, township, school district or vocational school district.

While the legislation is absolutely necessary, it has an uphill battle on its way to passage. It seems that any legislation amending the State Constitution must be passed in two consecutive legislative sessions and then approved by the voters of the Commonwealth. At present, HB 1377 has been referred to the House STATE GOVERNMENT Committee.

House Bill 1377 has 49 co-sponors. They are Peifer, Boyd, Baker, Barrar, Bear, Brooks, Christiana, Creighton, Cutler, Dally, Denlinger, Everett, Fleck, Gabler, Geist, Goodman, Grell, Grove, Harhart, Hornaman, Hutchinson, Kauffman, M. Keller, Major, Marshall, Marsico, Mensch, Millard, Miller, Milne, Moul, Mustio, Oberlander, Pickett, Pyle, Reed, Reichley, Roae, Rock, Rohrer, Scavello, Siptroth, Stern, Stevenson, Swanter, Tallman, True, Vulakovich and Watson.

Mercer County Connection:

House Bill 1377 has the initial support and attention of Mercer County Legislators Michele Brooks and Dick Stevenson. Pictured below at the Capitol press conference (from left): Reps. Mike Fleck (R-Huntingdon/Blair/Mifflin); Mike Peifer (R-Monroe/Pike/Wayne), at podium; Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Mercer/Lawrence); Dick Stevenson (R-Mercer/Butler); and Mario Scavello (R-Monroe).

House Bill 1377 gets “two thumbs up” in my book. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if it will have the support that it requires to pass through all of the legislative hurdles that lie ahead. I’ll keep my fingers crossed, though.

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Why, Exactly, Did We Bailout GM?

Written by Roberta Biros

“I’m confused.”

Last year, U.S. car makers were complaining that they were “struggling”. Rather than allowing the obviously troubled businesses to file for bankruptcy, the Bush Administration signed on to a bailout program. In December of 2008, President Bush approved a $9.4 billion loan to GM. In that same month, the Canadian government signed on for an additional $3 billion in aid.

Everyone (including me) pointed their fingers at President Bush and complained that we were throwing away perfectly good money. We all asked “where is my bailout?”

President Obama was sworn-in in January and immediately signed on to the same fiscal policies of the Bush Administration . . . the bailouts continued. As of last month, GM has been given a total of $19.4 billion of OUR money from the Federal Government. All of this was to prevent GM from having to file bankruptcy.

Yesterday, GM filed bankruptcy.

So, again I say “I’m confused”. Is there something we are supposed to learn from all of this? If we were, I think I missed the point somewhere.

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State Park Closures: Sen. White debunks threat of Pa. park closures

By Michael Sadowski
Pocono Record Writer
June 02, 2009
A western Pennsylvania senator said Monday the threat of state park closures is “ridiculous” and blamed it on the reluctance of Republicans to talk about any tax increase.

After the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources last week identified 50 parks that could be closed if the senate-proposed budget is passed, state Sen. Mary Jo White, R-21, chairwoman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, described the talk as “scare tactics” and said the budget isn’t finalized.

[read the full story HERE in the Pocono Record]

An Andrew Klavan Must See: Why Are Conservatives So Mean?

Written by Roberta Biros

This is a five minute video that you absolutely MUST see. It is Andrew Klavan (Klavan on Culture) offered through PajamasTV [watch video HERE]. Klavan makes references to “Democracy in America” by Alexis De Tocqueville and uses humor to make his points. In a cleaver comparison, Klavan offers quotes from “the kindly President Barack Obama” and the “big creepy Persian Guy” from the movie “300” as follows:

Quote from President Obama:

“The question that we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, or a retirement that is dignified”

Quote from the movie “300”:

“I am kind . . . everything you could ever desire, every happiness you can imagine, every pleasure your fellow Greeks and your false gods have denied you I will grant you, for I am kind”

Klavan states

“it is kind of hard to tell them apart, and no, not just because both have dark skin and are narcissistic metro-sexuals . . . its because both are offering the same tyranny of animal pleasures, complete safety and dehumanizing loss of freewill that De Tocqueville predicted so long ago. “

If you have the time to spare, watching the video it is a great investment of five minutes.

As always, just my opinion.
~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

Independents out Number Republicans and Democrats, and the Trend Will Continue

Written by Roberta Biros

On May 21st, the Pew Research Center published a report titled “Independents Take Center Stage in Obama Era”. In it, they outline the trend in political values since 1987 [read the full survey HERE]. The analysis examines the changes in the selection of political parties by registered voters in the United States. The most interesting tidbit from the survey is that the number of Independents is currently at its highest level in 70 years. During the past 5 months, both the Democratic and Republican parties have LOST voters who are moving to “Independent” column. A summary chart is displayed at right, but CLICK HERE to view the full chart from Pew Research.

Currently, Independents represent 39%, Democrats represent 33%, and only 22% are Republicans. Most important (from my own experience) is this trend may likely continue.

This story first caught my attention on the Glenn Beck Program (on Fox News Channel). On his review of the survey, Glenn pointed out that Independents “tend to be fiscally conservative, socially liberal/liberatian, and strong on national security”. They also embrace “common sense fiscal responsibility and individual freedom”. Gee . . . it sounds like just the thing this County needs. It is no wonder everyone is jumping from the Republican and Democratic bandwagons.

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Rep. Dick Stevenson’s Bill Aims to Help Retailers and Boosts State Tax Revenue

As per a Radio Feed from the House Republican Caucus:

Legislation that will help retailers clear out their inventory of non-fire safe cigarettes was approved today in the Pennsylvania House. Rep. Dick Stevenson (R-Mercer/Butler), author of the proposal, said the legislation helps retailers to recoup their expenses and ensures state government will not lose valuable tax revenues in this challenging economic climate. The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

Download the full story (audio file) HERE

Download the bite from Stevenson (audio file) HERE

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Rep. Kathy Rapp says Only You Can Stop The I-80 Highway Tax

LEGISLATOR ANNOUNCEMENT

In an open letter to taypayers, Representative Kathy Rapp says that “Only You Can Stop The I-80 Highway Tax”. [click here to READ MORE]

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I-80 Update: Smith, Gabler, Oberlander Denounce Latest House Democrat Efforts to Resurrect I-80 Tolling Scheme

Thursday May 28, 2009
Northwestern PA motorists and businesses should not be forced to foot the bill for excessive state government spending

House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson County) and Reps. Matt Gabler (R-Clearfield/Elk) and Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong) strongly criticized members of the House Democrat Policy Committee, who during a state Capitol hearing Tuesday urged Department of Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler and the Rendell administration to resubmit the twice rejected Interstate 80 tolling application to the Federal Highway Administration.

“Having the users and families of I-80 shoulder the transportation costs was wrong last year and is worse now as people are trying to make ends meet,” Smith said. “It’s easy to support more taxes if someone else is paying, but I don’t hear these same folks talking about tolling I-95 in Southeast Pennsylvania.”

[read the full story HERE]

I-80 Update: Local Lawmakers Urge Opposition to Democrats’ New Strategy to Toll I-80

State agencies beginning talks to resubmit application to federal government

As the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission plan to meet to discuss resubmitting an application to toll Interstate 80, several local lawmakers are calling on residents, commuters, business owners and others to continue voicing their opposition to policymakers at the federal level.

Reps. Russ Fairchild (R-Union/Snyder), Merle Phillips (R-Northumberland/Snyder), David Millard (R-Columbia) and Garth Everett (R-Lycoming) are urging people living and working along the I-80 corridor in the upper Susquehanna Valley to continue their opposition to the highway being tolled.
[read the full story HERE]

Discussion of funding cuts for state parks seen as ‘scare tactics’

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ talk about closing 35 to 40 state parks is nothing more than “scare tactics,” according to state Sen. [read comments and the full story HERE]

Impact of budget plan on Pa. state parks debated

The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The head of the agency that runs Pennsylvania’s 117 state parks says at least 35 of them would have to close under the budget plan that passed the state Senate.

[read the full story HERE]