Bob Logue

ECONOMIC RECOVERY

The news from county and municipal governments and school districts in Pennsylvania too often involves layoffs, tax increases, business closings, declining or stagnant population and blight. We are trapped in a vicious, negative cycle that is eroding our quality of life.

There are really only two ways for this negative cycle to be reversed. The state could get really lucky and a massive number of major employers would move into every community and employ hundreds of thousands of workers across the state in good paying jobs. Certainly that would generate economic activity and increased population; and would return vibrancy to our communities and counties. Realistically, we are fortunate if we can secure enough private sector jobs to replace those regularly lost due to business cutbacks and closures.

Since the “Bring the jobs first and the people will follow” approach is not likely to reverse the negative cycle in sizable sectors of the Commonwealth anytime soon (the US Census Bureau predicts 25 years of population stagnation for Pennsylvania), we must find an alternative approach.

What if we tried attracting the people first, by giving them a real incentive to locate their family in our state and communities? What if we offered them a tax free home forever? Wouldn’t that be a real enticement? The state government apparently thinks offering temporary tax free incentives is a good way to bring people into severely depressed communities. Unfortunately, these programs while well intentioned, are too often costly to administer, can only be afforded in very limited areas; and once the tax free period is over, some folks who have been helped into home ownership cannot pay the property taxes to keep their home. Then we start all over again using more taxpayers dollars..

What if we dramatically expanded this tax free housing concept (not program) to every homeowner in every community simply by abolishing property taxes on primary residences (homesteads\farmsteads) for everyone? And what if we made up the lost revenue and fully funded our counties, schools and municipalities with a more sensible, less costly to collect, broader based tax system that left the primary residences tax free forever?

We say: Do as we suggest…and people will come. Do this and people will buy homes and stay here including retirees, young singles and families, and middle aged folks. Do this and Pennsylvania will become the most attractive state in the nation to establish one’s primary residence. Do this and the population will begin to grow and from that will come the demand for products and services which will generate business and jobs in every community in the state. Do this and homeowners reluctant to build a new home; reluctant to improve their existing home; and reluctant to buy a home fearing property tax increases, will make those investments and improvements. Do this and some of those taking advantage of this will be entrepreneurs who will open industries and businesses. All of this will create enormous activity and jobs.

Let our economic recovery begin now with the sensible, workable, and creative STOP Primary Residence Protection Plan. To our governor and legislators we say…enact our STOP legislation ….and economic recovery will come. Learn about this recovery program that will unleash the dynamics of lasting private sector economic development at www.grandoldusa.com

Bob Logue, STOP, Box 306, Fairbank, PA 15435. ucblogue@verizon.net

Visitor Comments:

Joe Lehigh County says :
I became aware of S.T.O.P. and www.grandoldusa.com during November 2005. Yes, I represent the Ordinary Joe. One conclusion can be made. Voters that support the S.T.O.P. program will not vote to re-elect Governor Rendell. The S.T.O.P. petition has been signed by 100,000 people. The focus needs to be one million signatures. Complete abolishment of the property tax will occur once the voter is educated. I will start by delivering 50 leaflets that focus the voter on visiting www.grandoldusa.com.


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S.T.O.P. Primary Residence Protection Plan

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