Bob Logue

LBFC STUDY PROVES S.T.O.P. LEGISLATION (SB 717-718) FINANCIAL FIGURES ARE ACCURATE

The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) study of the S.T.O.P. Primary Residence Protection Legislation shows the figures used in the STOP legislation are accurate,” said STOP spokesman, Bob Logue. The study was ordered in a 50 to 0 vote by the Pennsylvania Senate in December. The LBFC findings were released February 15, 2006.

The LBFC—regarded by legislators of both parties as the best source for financial analysis—estimated that for fiscal 2005-2006 (the current fiscal year) owner-occupied (primary residence) tax revenue collected by school districts, counties and municipalities will total; $7.1 Billion dollars. The same study quotes the PA Department of Revenue’s lower estimate of $6.8 Billion. Senator Sean Logan, the prime sponsor of the S.T.O.P. legislation (SB-717-718) used an estimate of $7.0 billion collected by the schools, counties and municipalities across the Commonwealth in SB 717-718.

“As one can readily see, the figures from LBFC and the PA Department of Revenue show the financial figures Senator Logan and Rep. Marc Gergely (the House STOP legislation prime sponsor) have been using all along are accurate,” said Bob Logue of Stop Taxing Our Properties. STOP is a grass roots group that has collected over 117,600 signatures on petitions demanding that all property taxes—school, county and municipal—be abolished on all primary residences in Pennsylvania.

Logue added, “The figures also show that abolishing all property taxes on homesteads (primary residences) with all of its many benefits can be accomplished while providing full replacement funding for Pennsylvania schools, counties and municipalities. When Senator Logan re-introduced our legislation in the current legislative session, he provided in writing his estimates that nearly $1 Billion in gaming revenue; a Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax increase of 1% that equals $ 2.7 Billion; use of the revenue generated in the previous increase in the personal income tax of .73 Billion; and a 2% increase in the sales\use tax generating $2.7 Billion, would provide the $7 billion needed to abolish all property taxes on primary residences. The LBFC study demonstrates that Senator Logan’s estimates of the revenue generated by increases in the PIT and sales\use tax were also accurate.”

Logue said that many of the senators and representatives who voted against our legislation when it first reached the House and Senate late last year, said they felt insecure about the financial projections that Senator Logan and S.T.O.P. were using. They can no longer use that reasoning for opposing the sensible, workable S.T.O.P. property tax reform legislation.”

It is time to put aside confusing, meaningless, temporary property tax reduction schemes such as HB 39, and instead enact permanent, workable, easily understood Senate Bills 717-718 and House Bills 1947-1948.” Logue explained. “The people of Pennsylvania have waited thirty years for real property tax reform which only the STOP plan delivers. The citizens deserve nothing less than to be rid of all assessments, reassessments, hearings, and sheriff sales for delinquent taxes on primary residences.

With enactment of the STOP plan, for the first time ever, Pennsylvania homeowners will truly own their homes and the state as a whole, and our communities will get a substantial economic boost.”

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

Visitor Comments:

Anonymous says :
I wish your guys well in this cause. Give them hell.
Anonymous says :
I wish you guys well in this cause. Give them hell.
Joe Lehigh County says :
The 7.1 billion should be lower because the school districts thoughout the state may have cooked the books. Let me provide some reasons. The Northwestern Lehigh School District increased school taxes on average 2.0% per year, from 1997 to 2003. Taxes were not increased during 1999 and 2001. A 7.1% increase occurred during 2004, and a 10.7% increase occurred during 2005. One may ask, why expenses were not reduced, to offset the large increases? The reason being; that, their was no reason to do so. SB 717 stated that certifications by political subdivisions should be based on tax collections for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. Other bills had similar language. Given this fact, why would a school district even want to control spending? Others have commented, that school boards approved a Grand Piano, and an asto-turf football field. All shrewd school boards, have lawyers involved in the process. They know quite well, how to work the system. The only way that our legislators will get the message, is by voting them out of office. Enron executives are now on trial. I believe that some of our school districts should also be investigated for their creative accounting!


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