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In an article in the Feb. 15 edition of the Times Leader about the League of Women Voters’ Legislative Breakfast, state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, regarding House Bill 76 for the elimination of school property taxes, said, “Until your school district is debt-free, you will pay your property taxes, plus the increase of your sales tax, plus the increase of your personal income tax.”
In his zeal to protect his special-interest campaign contributors, Rep. Pashinski apparently has problems telling the truth about this legislation, preferring instead to paint it in as negative a light as possible. The representative’s statement makes it appear that a person’s entire school property tax bill will remain, with the replacement taxes piled on top. This is totally untrue.
HB 76 allows school districts to retain a small portion of the school property tax to service the existing long-term debt on their books at enactment; in the majority of Pennsylvania school districts, these payments account for about 10 percent of their budgets. That means that the average homeowner will see a 90 percent reduction in the property tax until the debt is paid, and then the property tax goes away completely.
This is a far cry from what Rep. Pashinski implies in his misleading statement. It appears that the representative cares little about the struggles of his constituents but, rather, prefers to appease those who oppose HB 76 and contribute so generously to his campaigns. It is time for some honesty from our elected officials and time for them to do what is right for the people who pay their salaries – their constituents.
David Baldinger
Spokesman
Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations
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