Young issues apology to Toohils

Candidate for state representative Ransom Young has backed off the attack he made last week against the parents of his opponent, state Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Butler Township, for not paying their property taxes.

Young, a Democratic Butler Township supervisor, based the attack on the listing of two parcels of vacant land owned by Toohil�??s parents, Peter and Barbara Toohil, in a Luzerne County tax sale notice published in The Times Leader Aug. 17. Peter and Barbara Toohil have now paid the delinquent 2010 taxes on both parcels and they are no longer listed for tax sale.

Toohil, in turn, accused Young of attacking her parents for political gain and demanded Young publically apologize.

Young apologized to Peter and Barbara Toohil in a letter sent by his press secretary to The Times Leader Friday evening.

�??It is no secret that I am upset over the cuts in educational funding that have been a part of the budgets for which Representative Toohil has voted,�?� Young wrote. �??�?�When I read the notice about unpaid school taxes, with the knowledge that Ms. Toohil not only lives with her parents, but also uses their property to manage her campaign, I became even more upset. I could not understand how an adult child would allow her parents to become delinquent over such an important issue.

�??In my response to what I perceived as yet another slap in the face to the education of our children, I inadvertently, and with sincere regret, allowed Mr. & Mrs. Toohil to be caught in the middle. I will continue to fight for our children�??s education, and no doubt will cause Ms. Toohil some discomfort with the facts; however, I regret that anything I may have said was perceived as a personal attack on Peter and Barbara.�?�

Tarah Toohil did not respond to a request for a response.