Solution to taxes offered
The legislation being pushed around the Senate as well as several in the House that calls for property-tax reductions is a smoke screen, and anyone who thinks about it knows this. There is a viable and intelligent solution out there but our political machine in Pennsylvania does what it wants to, not what the people want them to do. If taxes are reduced and the bureaucracy left in place give it a year or two and the taxes will be raised again. Plus we will still have to deal with the increased taxes we get from this legislation.
Solution: Abolish the property tax, all property tax (school, county and municipal) on owner-occupied property, removing the cost associated with that part of the tax, saving money as well as the bureaucracy, and leaving the commercial and industrial tax in place.
This equals roughly $6 billion to be replaced.
Increase the wage tax by 1.5 percent and increase the sales tax by 1 percent; this alone makes up roughly $5.5 billion of the $6 billion lost.
Implement the slot machines at the four horse racing tracks and you more than make up the rest. If needed, increase the sales tax on tobacco products not covered in the latest cigarette-only tax increase.
Most of the legislation that has come up for this lately is nothing more than political vote grabbing to get re-elected, not to do what is right. And remember there are four parties running for Pennsylvania governor, not just two. Look at them all.
David Wiltrout
South Connellsville
Voter ID worth pursuing
In the Oct. 6 Guest Commentary, state Sen. Jay Costa, D- Allegheny County, called for the defeat of Senate Bill 824 stating the measure would “substantially limit the right of citizens to vote, and would reverse the efforts of the last 50 years to extend the right to vote to racial and ethnic minorities, women and the poor.” Essentially, he opined that elderly and minority voting rights would suffer with photo IDs.
In July 2002, House Reps. Bill DeWeese and Mike Veon wrote a similar commentary also calling for the defeat of SB 824.
The three legislators emphasized that voters must have a photo identification card in order to vote and because they believe most elderly, minorities and low-income persons do not have photo IDs this would limit their Constitutional right to vote.
I obtained a copy of the bill. It does not in any way limit public participation or disenfranchise legitimately registered Pennsylvania voters. It clearly states to vote: First present to an election officer a voter’s identification card issued by the county registration commission or any one of the following forms of photo identification. It then lists seven forms of acceptable photo identification.
When a person registers to vote in Pennsylvania, a voter registration card is issued. The registered voter should simply place their voter registration card in their wallet, purse etc. next to their other “plastic cards.”
The elderly present their senior citizen savings discount cards at retail establishments and restaurants and their Medicare cards at hospitals and pharmacies. Welfare recipients present their cards. Pennsylvania residents present smart shoppers discount cards and residents present photo identification cards at banks and retail establishments. How is this any different from Pennsylvania registered voters having to present their voter registration card or one of seven forms of photo identification?
The three legislators opined that SB 824 places unnecessary impediments to voting by making the voter present a card.
If presenting a card to restaurants, banks, retail establishments, pharmacies etc. does not impede one’s ability to purchase how would presenting a card to vote impede their voting rights?
Despite the recent printed rhetoric, SB 824 does not disenfranchise legitimately registered voters and does not disproportionately impact senior citizens, minorities and low-income residents.
Angela M. Zimmerlink
Allison