Seniors rally against property taxes
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HARRISBURG -- A raucous crowd of protesters spilled from the main staircase and filled the state Capitol rotunda today, with hundreds of mostly older Pennsylvanians chanting for lawmakers to "Save Our Homes, Save Our Homes!"
The rally was in support of House Bill 1275, a measure by state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks County, seeking to eliminate school property taxes, which many homeowners, especially seniors on fixed incomes, dislike.
Mr. Rohrer would expand the base of the state's 6 percent sales tax -- 7 percent in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties -- by taxing previously exempt services, while raising the personal income tax rate, now at 3.07 percent, to 3.92 percent.
"Thousands of law-abiding homeowners across the commonwealth are being forced into dread, fear and frustration," said Mr. Rohrer, who was flanked by supporters carrying various signs, including one reading "Give Me Back My Home."
Bill Honeywell, 56, a real estate agent at Prudential Preferred in Pittsburgh, said he's been working with Mr. Rohrer for four years to eliminate the school property tax. He decried the high property taxes facing Allegheny County homeowners compared to surrounding municipalities.
"A lot of the times our homes are sitting when [buyers are] going a mile or two up the road and buying a comparable house with a lot less taxes on it," he said.
Mr. Rohrer is a longtime foe of property taxes. In January, he fell well short of garnering support for a similar school property tax elimination bill. That bill also would have raised the income tax to 3.92 percent and applied the sales tax to many currently exempt professional services and products.
House Finance Chairman David Levdansky, D-Forward Township, has opposed Mr. Rohrer's previous legislation, and he said he didn't need to see any changes to this "umpteenth" incarnation of the plan to oppose it.
"Look, the bottom line is that Sam Rohrer would rather get soundbites (in the media) than solve a problem," Mr. Levdansky said. "What'd he get on the floor last time, 40-something votes? That's what Sam's plans are always going to get."
Mr. Rohrer said he's changed the bill that was shot down in January, removing some contentious provisions. He would abandon expanding the tax to professional services, such as architects' and attorneys' fees. Mr. Rohrer said the plan is "still good for business."
"Sam Rohrer has now found an easy way to raise $11 billion?" Mr. Levdansky asked, referring to how much replacement revenue would be needed to eliminate school property taxes.
Chuck Ardo, spokesman for Gov. Ed Rendell, said the governor would sign a "reasonable proposal" for eliminating school property taxes only if a mechanism were in place to replace the lost revenue.
As for senior citizens who demand property tax relief, he said, "The vast majority got significant tax relief from the gaming revenues, so it's unlikely that seniors across the commonwealth are bearing an undue burden."
Matthew Spolar is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents Association.
First Published June 2, 2008 4:13 pm
