Free Press – January 5, 2006

Clymer Property Tax Reform, Hope Weisshaar Asrelsky

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Happy New Year! For 2006, I’ve decided to periodically add a P.S. to my columns so I can include additional, unrelated items. I’ll call it “Kernels of knowledge” (a real Meredith oxymoron). But today’s major topic is how close to property tax reform are we?

State Representative Paul Clymer gave me his predictions when I called him last week. I’d read State Representative Mario Scavello’s Op-ed piece in the Morning Call (Dec. 27). The Carbon County legislator described the merits of the Scavello-Benninghoff Tax Reform Plan, which was approved by the state House of Representatives.

“It promises $2 billion in school property tax relief by using revenue from the state sales tax and state personal income tax to offset, dollar for dollar, up to 50 percent of each homeowner’s school property tax,” Scavello wrote. It also uses gambling proceeds.

The state senate alternative is similar. However, neither plan includes using voter referenda to keep the 501 school boards’ feet to the fire. And Paul Clymer says that’s precisely what is missing. In Pennsylvania, there’s a growing distrust of school districts, which have the reputation of tax and spend, he says.

“The Governor wants a referendum included in the plan and he’s right,” Clymer began. “I don’t see any bill succeeding without a voter referendum to put brakes on school district spending.”

I asked him whether it would be better to allow the 501 school districts to determine how to finance public education…let the districts choose what’s best for their residents…property tax, or sales tax, or income tax, or a combination? Wouldn’t the voters oust school directors who chose an unpopular method, I wondered? Clymer told me that he likes the concept…but not without the presence of voter referenda.

Last summer, Clymer met with Palisades, Pennridge, and Quakertown school officials on this very question. Clymer told me that the schools liked the idea [districts decide what school tax is best] but abhorred the notion of seeking voter approval [referendum] whenever a district’s tax hike exceeded state inflation benchmarks.

Clymer believes that there will be no progress unless there’s consensus reached between the major players…teachers’ unions and school boards. And unless there’s willingness for them to accept the principal of referendum, nothing will eliminate the logjam.

“[School] Administrators and school boards dislike referendums, but it’s necessary,” Clymer continued. “You have to have controls.”

He predicts that both houses won’t address property tax reform until after the state farm show this month (in about three weeks). In addition, Clymer is a well-known opponent of gambling. If it’s included, will he vote No? We’ll see.

How close to a compromise is there, I asked him?

“Charlie,” he replied. “It’s like holding onto a slippery eel. “You think you have it and then you don’t.”

Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith

And here are Kernels of “Knowledge.”

(1) Hope Weisshaar Asrelsky was one of the super stars of our Quakertown class of 1953. Although she lives near Ground Zero in Manhattan, Hope keeps track of the news in Quakertown and Pennsylvania. A liberal, she called to tell us that her faith in Pennsylvania has been restored for three reasons. First, Federal Judge John Jones issued a stinging rebuke of Intelligent Design. Second, Pennsylvania Congressmen John Murtha, a Vietnam veteran and an opponent of the Bush policy in Iraq, is complicating the life of our president. And third, U.S. Senator Santorum’s popularity is sagging.

(2) Did you see the photo of Bill Harr, Sr. and Ronald Heller in the Inquirer on Christmas day? Under the caption “Best Find: Sine’s 5 & 10,” the two classmates were sharing a laugh. Harr is Sine’s proprietor. Heller used to own a barbershop and was a popular and outspoken Quakertown councilman.

(3) I was “heartened” to read that the U. S. Government has published a 123-page document promulgating rules for passenger space travel! Can you imagine how many millions of our tax money was devoted to this boondoggle?

(4) I had an interesting chat with Father Bernie O’Connor about the prospects of De Sales University launching a medical school. We’ll visit that subject soon. Presently the Lehigh Valley has no medical school although it has two significant hospitals and two universities with national reputations. Which university will take the plunge? De Sales or Lehigh? My bet is on O’Connor.

(5) State Senator Joe Conti maybe on the chopping block. Bucks County Republican Chairman Harry Fawkes is running a poll to see if Conti continues to be unpopular. Because Conti voted for an unpopular pay raise last summer, you might see State Representative Chuck McIlhinney opposing him in the primary this spring.

(6) Finally, I understand why cats are smarter than dogs. The skunk provides the answer. I’ve witnessed our family cat, “Rainbow,” calmly stroll toward a skunk until their noses touch. After a short "Tete a Tete," our cat wonders off…no damage done. On the other hand, our Golden Retriever, “Sprout,” could hardly wait to pounce upon a skunk with disastrous results. The difference between Mighty Betsy and me is like Rainbow and Sprout. It just comes down to brainpower. MB wouldn’t jump on a skunk. She’s too smart for that. But I would.