Activists ask area voters to support bill to eliminate school property tax

More than 300 taxpayers angry with the current school tax system in Pennsylvania gathered to air their angst at Wyoming Valley West High School Thursday night. The gathering, sponsored by local taxpayer rights groups, fostered support of the School Property Tax Elimination Act (House Bill 1275).

David Baldinger, administrator of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition, was the principal speaker. He outlined the benefits of the act that will eliminate property taxes and other taxes such as the earned income tax and the right to work tax and replace them with changes in the state’s sales tax system.

The Tax Elimination Act does not raise the sales tax rate of 6 percent, but expands it to be applied to more goods and services that are not now taxed, according to Baldinger. Some examples include landscaping, haircuts, sports tickets, dry cleaning, candy and magazines.

According to Baldinger the “antiquated” school tax system results in “arbitrary” assessments, abuse of power by school districts and educational “inequities.” He anticipates that in 11 years school property taxes across the state will double.

An average of 10,000 homes are foreclosed on in Pennsylvania each year because of oppressive tax rates and delinquencies, he said. At one point, the crowd listened to a letter written by an unnamed sheriff’s deputy describing the “dirty, disgusting, and shameful business” of issuing eviction notices to families.

The crowd cheered and jeered several times during his speech. Some of the loudest applause came when Baldinger pointed out the Tax Elimination Act restricts school boards’ authority to spend funds without taxpayer approval or to increase taxes. They booed loudly when he mentioned paltry Act 1 refunds from the casino businesses.

School districts spend before knowing what they can afford and then hit the taxpayers for the difference, he said.

Baldinger’s coalition includes 34 taxpayer groups across Pennsylvania, including five in the northeast that spearheaded the meeting: the Scranton-Lackawanna County Taxpayers and Citizens Association; The Patriot’s Voice, based in Columbia County; the Wyoming County Concerned Taxpayers group; Bradford County Concerned Citizens; and Citizens Against Property Taxes based in Luzerne County.

Robert “Ozzie” Quinn from the Scranton taxpayers said there exists very little political support for the Tax Elimination Act because the politicians “sold their souls” in Harrisburg.

“They do what the top echelon wants so they don’t lose their WAM (walking around money),” Quinn said.

Evy Cysk and Donna Folk from the Patriot’s Voice made the trip from Columbia County to attend the event. Both women worked to solicit signatures on petitions to send to Harrisburg.

Baldinger stressed the bill will find stiff opposition because of its “pure nature.” There are no “perks” for special interest groups or politicians, he said. It’s a “clean bill.”

He added a companion amendment to the state’s constitution will be pushed that will “guarantee” that once eliminated, school property taxes will be gone forever.