Pennsylvania homeowners struggle to pay property taxes

Here's a sampling of the problems many Pennsylvania homeowners are having paying skyrocketing property taxes. For more, check out "In their own words: Real-life stories from Pennsylvania homeowners" at the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition Web site.

"My personal story! I am a senior female 77 years old. I lost my husband last September. When he died, he took half of our income with him. The property tax is $7600. I prepared years ago living on a budget, but always had enough to cover expenses. His death has been difficult for me. We were married 59 years. Our property tax will force me to leave my home. I do not believe this will ever be solved. Hope I am wrong."
– Fran, Boothwyn, Delaware County

"I cannot afford to retire in 2009 after 30 years of teaching in the public school system because my pension will not be sufficient to cover my house payment which includes my property taxes. The property taxes are greater than my principal, interest and homeowners insurance. I am 57 with health issues which require me to work until my SS kicks in which is at least 5 years away. I could work close to home and part time, but I can't afford to with not only the property taxes but all of the other problems with the economy. I can't afford to do simple home improvements like new sliders because the old ones are deteriorating. I will never own this home even when the mortgage is paid. I am only the grounds keeper for the state of Pennsylvania. I am not even a paid employee; I am a volunteer grounds keeper. If I for any good reason cannot pay my property taxes the state will fire me and take away my home. I am really considering selling when the economy improves and find a nice rental property and let someone else volunteer to work and pay to work to the state."
- Donna Alford, York County

"I have lived in York County for about a year and a half, prior to this, I lived in Montgomery County MD. This system of school districts is ridiculous to say the least. There should be only one school district per county with THE COUNTY controlling the schools like MD. There should be one school board made up on 7 or 9 members answerable to the COUNTY. This would allow one health plan for all school employees and there should be no right to strike. This fractured system of school districts results in higher taxes. My house in Montgomery County was assessed at $399,000 and my tax last year was a little over $4100.00 before the reductions that brought it down to $2900.00. This was THE TOTAL tax I had to pay. Here in York County, my house is assessed at $379,000 and the SCHOOL TAX alone was close to $6000.00. What is wrong with this picture?"
- Ben Mangus, Hanover, York County

"My husband & I are on Social Security now, & though we have some savings, it won't be long before we have to use it for the ever growing taxes that are due in Spring & Fall. The PA school tax is especially burdensome as you well know. We had hoped for a resolution to this long before now by the abolishment of that tax. If our savings are used up with those taxes, what will we use when an emergency comes along?? With the ever rising prices of gas & oil & food, the money we have to work with is getting less & less. We urge you to please put into law the END of the huge Property tax before ours & the savings of countless others is gone, homes lost, & hope erased. We have worked hard all our lives to maintain & keep our home, & now the resources we thought we had are like water sadly slipping through our hands."
- Richard & Joan Hornberger, Elverson, Chester County

"The past two years I have had to rely on my married daughter to help me pay my Octorara School Taxes, Chester County. My taxes went up $500 two years ago and $480 last year and they anticipate going up again this year. My school taxes are now $3200 and Borough/County taxes equal almost $900. (my home is a small rancher built in 1972) In order for me to stop depending on my children to help me pay, as my retirement and social security is only $1300/month, I am contemplating getting a reverse mortgage in order to stay in my home. My deceased husband and I worked hard for 20+ years to pay this house off and only when he passed away and the insurance paid it off, was it free and clear. Now I have to re-mortgage it to pay my taxes????? Please....something must be done to help the Pennsylvania taxpayer.
- Carol Moyer, Chester County

Thousands more Pennsylvanians losing their homes

A new report says that the number of residential foreclosures in Pennsylvania has risen by 37 percent in the past year.

A total of 3,266 Pennsylvania homes received at least one foreclosure-related filing in April 2008, up 37 percent from April 2007 and up nearly 13 percent from March 2007, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc.

Most people blame the collapse of the housing market for the foreclosures, but let's not forget about property taxes. Most school districts in Pennsylvania are raising property taxes at twice or three times the rate of inflation -- every year.

Many homeowners pay one amount each month that covers their mortgage and property taxes. The higher the property taxes go, the harder it is for homeowners to make their payments.

For more on the rise in foreclosures, read this article from The Associated Press.

Find out more about the effort to eliminate property taxes in Pennsylvania, including a June 2 rally in Harrisburg, at the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition Web site, http://ptcc.us

Polls says Americans pay little attention to polls

Bad news for pollsters and cable news shows that keep putting pollsters on the air to discuss their polls. Four in 10 Americans say they pay little or no attention to political polls, according to a new poll.

Read more below:

Americans Trust but Don't Listen to Political Polls, Says New FindLaw.com Survey

Cyberbullying: What to Do If It Happens to Your Teen

Cyberbullying: What to Do If It Happens to Your Teen

State Capitol Roundup for May 16

Here's this week's State Capitol ROUNDUP, a weekly summary of important events in Harrisburg, courtesy of state Rep. Bob Mensch, R-147th District:

GOP Appropriations Chairman: 'Where's the Budget?'

Frustrated by the lack of progress on the 2008-09 state budget, Rep. Mario Civera (R-Delaware), Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, continued his calls this week for the budget process to move forward in an open environment. Civera is urging his Democrat counterpart to take action on the budget bill and allow legislators to vote for their spending priorities which are encompassed in more than 80 amendments to the spending plan. Democrats are delaying a budget vote in order to push for a closed door deal. A June 30 deadline looms in the not-so-distant future. House Republicans understand that the budget is closely related to action on numerous other initiatives and welcome the opportunity to engage in what is sure to be a spirited debate on those issues in the House chamber. For the latest news on the state budget, visit PAHouseGOP.com.

Long-Term Care Legislation Unanimously Supported by House

Proposals sponsored by Rep. Mauree Gingrich (R-Lebanon) and Karen Boback (R- Columbia/Luzerne/Wyoming) have won the unanimous support of the House as part of a larger package designed to protect seniors living in long-term care facilities. Gingrich's legislation, House Bill 2242, requires all long-term care facilities, including state-approved home and community-based care providers, to enable consumers to make informed decisions about the level of care offered by the facility. House Bill 2161, which was sponsored by Boback, requires facilities to notify the impacted resident, their designated personal contact and all affected local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) at least 30 days before the relocation of the resident. House Bills 2242 and 2161 now head to the Senate for consideration along with three other proposals that were components of the legislative package.

State Passes the Buck to Single Parents

Parents collecting as little as $167 per month in child support will have to give $25 back to the government each year under legislation that was signed by Gov. Ed Rendell this week. Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery), who aggressively fought against the measure, argued that the fee amounts to a new tax on children and their single parents. Harper had attempted to amend Senate Bill 1278 to require the state to pay the fee, but failed when 117 lawmakers changed their position on the issue. A 2005 federal law requires some child support reimbursement from states, but it is up to state lawmakers to determine how they will fund that reimbursement. The new law is effective retroactive to March 31. Affected parents should expect a letter from the Dept. of Public Welfare in the near future.

Student uses Taser on classmate

I must be getting old. I remember when the biggest threat in school was getting hit in the back of the head with a spitball. Things sure have changed.

An 18-year-old high school senior in Pottstown, Pa., has been arrested after he allegedly used a Taser gun on a classmate. The student facing charges claims he was being picked on by the other student.

In either case, the police are now involved. Bullying is a growing problems in schools and I'm not sure administrators are taking the problem seriously enough.

Read the full story in today's edition of The Mercury.

Obama willing to negotiate with terrorist states?

Will he or won't he? Depends on the day of the week. Barack Obama continues to offer confusing statements about whether he will negotiate with America's enemies. We haven't had anyone this confused get this close to the White House since Jimmy Carter. And we all remember how well Jimmy Carter did on the world stage, don't we?

Republican National Committee: Obama's Puzzling Policy

Are we going to see Obama duck hunting soon?

Barack Obama has a long history of opposing the 2nd Amendment and gun rights in general. He's trying to fool voters into thinking he will defend the Constitution, but it's not working.

Republican National Committee: When Will Obama Stop Pretending To Support The Second Amendment And Admit He Has A Long Anti-Gun Record?

One less vote for Barack Obama

I've mentioned in several recent posts that Nat Hentoff, one of the most liberal columnists in the U.S., has labeled Barack Obama's position on abortion as "extremist."

Hentoff, who doesn't object to abortion in certain instances, wrote an entire column about Obama's out-of-the-mainstream position on abortion.

"I am a nonreligious pro-lifer, my only religion being the Constitution. And I am not a single-issue voter," Hentoff wrote in that column.

Hentoff, a nationally renowned authority on the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights, continues:

"But on abortion, Obama is an extremist. He has opposed the Supreme Court decision that finally upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act against that form of infanticide. Most startlingly, for a professed humanist, Obama -- in the Illinois Senate -- also voted against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. I have reported on several of those cases when, before the abortion was completed, an alive infant was suddenly in the room. It was disposed of as a horrified nurse who was not necessarily pro-life followed the doctors' orders to put the baby in a pail or otherwise get rid of the child. As a longtime columnist, John Leo has written of this form of fatal discrimination, these "mistakes" during an abortion, once born, cannot be "killed or allowed to die simply because they are unwanted.""

In his latest column (which oddly enough is about John McCain), Hentoff states categorically:

"I cannot vote for Barack Obama because he is an extremist on abortion who refused to even save a sudden live baby resulting from a botched abortion."

Wow. Before you start addressing Barack Obama as "Mr. President," keep in mind that there are many socially-conservative Democrats who will not support a candidate who is so enthusiastic about the killing of the unborn as Obama appears to be.

Can the GOP be saved?

Jim Vandehei and Mike Allen of The Politico offer a half-dozen suggestions for the Republican Party to save itself from the predicted apocalypse this November.

Some pundits predict the GOP will lose at least 20 more seats in Congress, which has been controlled by the Democratic Party since January 2007.

Read "Six ways the GOP can save itself" at The Politico's Web site.

By the way, there's an excellent Pennsylvania blog called Save The GOP that tackles the same topic on a daily basis.

'The Witches of Harrisburg'

I spent this morning in Camp Hill at the studios of the Pennsylvania Cable Network taping this week's edition of "Journalists Roundtable."

It was the 8th time I've been on the program in the past two years and it was probably the most fun I've had on the show. This week's edition also features Chris Potter of the Pittsburgh City Paper and Dennis Roddy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Potter and Roddy were hilarious. They had host Bill Bova and I rolling with laughter most of the show. And we were discussing such "fun" topics as privatizing the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the "Bonusgate" investigation, Bob Casey's political future, property taxes and the smoking ban.

And you have to tune in tonight at 8 to hear Roddy's reference to the "The Witches of Harrisburg." I can't say anymore other than it was the liveliest hour I've spent in Camp Hill.

If you miss "Journalists Roundtable" tonight, you can catch encore presentations Sunday, May 18, at 5 p.m. and at 11 p.m. on cable systems across Pennsylvania.

PCN is shown on Comcast Channel 98 in Berks County, Service Electric Cable Channel 23 in Berks/Lehigh counties and Comcast Channel 78 in the Pottstown area.

Consult your cable guide for the Pennsylvania Cable Network channel on your area.

'If Only Media Saw The Bias In The Mirror'

Brent Bozell, a syndicated columnist and president of the Media Research Center, examines the return of liberal media bias with the 2008 presidential campaign. And it appears worse then ever. The left-wing media isn't even attempting to hide its bias any more, openly cheering for Barack Obama as president.

From Bozell's column in Investor's Business Daily:

This year, our "objective" media turned their eyes on the November race, but they're seeing only one negative side of the street — a right-wing conspiracy to lie, cheat and smear their beloved Barack Obama.

A truly fair and balanced media might foresee a really tough election contest — on both sides. But instead, we have a partisan chorus, whining in four-part harmony.

Read the full column here.

Who's that blonde next to Ed Rendell?

The last time Ed Rendell was seen in the company of an attractive blonde, he got into hot water when the woman in question turned out to be a lobbyist for the movie industry and Rendell had recently pushed through $75M in tax credits for Hollywood productions.

This time, it's a little more harmless. Rendell joined actress Morgan Fairchild (still stunning at 58) to announce a new initiative to encourage women to vote.

The Pennsylvania Commission for Women is behind the campaign, which includes the launch of a Web site, http://www.everywomansVOTEcounts.com, designed to help women understand their rights, voting procedures and how to use voting booths.

Find out more about the campaign at the link below.

PA Governor Rendell Joined by Actress Morgan Fairchild to Announce Women's Vote Campaign

Birds of a Feather: Obama and Edwards

A Barack Obama-John Edwards ticket in 2008? The former rivals couldn't keep their hands off each other when Edwards endorsed Obama for president. Lots of speculation that Edwards has the inside track to becoming Obama's vice presidential pick? Been there, done that. We all remember who much help Edwards was to John F. Kerry in 2004.

RNC Statement on Edwards' Endorsement of Obama

Lowman Henry on Perzel's Dirty Tricks

Lowman Henry recaps some of the behind-the-scenes shenanigans involving state Rep. John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, the former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

In his quest to regain power in Harrisburg, Perzel is targeting some Republican House candidates for defeat, according to Henry. (The original reporting on Perzel was done by Pete DeCoursey of Capitolwire.com, a subscription-based news service.)

Democrats hold a 102-101 majority in the House but all 103 seats are up for re-election this November.

Since his ouster as Speaker in January 2007 by Democrats and six maverick Republicans, it's no secret Perzel has been plotting a comeback.

It's going to be nearly impossible for Pennsylvania Republicans to regain the majority in the House (thanks largely to Perzel) if one of their own is working to get Democrats elected.

The bottom line? Perzel doesn't care which party controls the House in 2009 as long as he returns to his former post as Speaker. He's willing to deal with anyone -- Democrat or Republican -- who is willing to pledge loyalty to him.

Read Lowman Henry's full column at Lincoln Blog.

Rendell loses showdown with Senate GOP

A vacancy in the office of justice, judge or justice of the peace shall be filled by appointment by the Governor. The appointment shall be with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the members elected to the Senate …

— Article V, Section 13, Paragraph (b) of the Pennsylvania Constitution

If it wasn't for that "advice and consent" clause giving the state Senate the final say on judicial nominees, Pennsylvania would have a full complement of seven justices on the state Supreme Court and three fewer vacancies on appellate courts.

But the Pennsylvania Senate rejected all four court nominees by Gov. Ed Rendell on Wednesday by a vote of 26-24, with three Republicans joining the 21 Democrats. (Republicans hold a 29-21 majority in the Senate.)

The three defectors — Sens. Stewart Greenleaf of Montgomery County, John Eichelberger of Blair County and Jeffrey Piccola of Dauphin County — didn't really matter because of the two-thirds rule in the Constitution.

The GOP smackdown of Rendell's nominees came despite a plea by Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille, a Republican, to fill the vacancies immediately. Castille fears that a six-member Supreme Court could end up with a 3-3 tie on major cases.

The reason the Republican majority gave for rejecting Rendell's nominees was that they were tired of seeing middle-aged white guys from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh sitting on Pennsylvania courts. The four Rendell picks were white men — three from Philadelphia and one from Pittsburgh.

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware County, told The Associated Press that Rendell broke established practice and his constitutional duty when he did not take the advice of the Senate GOP on the nominees.

"The governor has chosen to ignore the constitutional directive that he make judicial nominations with the advice and consent of the Senate," Pileggi said in comments on the Senate floor reported by the wire service.

The Senate wants to see some diversity in the courts, Pileggi said. In other words, more women and minorities, and some lawyers from outside Philadelphia and Pittsburgh should be serving on the state's appeals courts.

Both sides make a good case. The state courts should be at full strength (and the appointments are only until the next judicial elections in 2009, with newly elected judges taking office in 2010).

The GOP argument about more diversity is also a good one. The courts are full of politically connected lawyers from big law firms in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Last time I checked there were 65 other counties in Pennsylvania and there’s bound to be a decent lawyer or two to pick from the rest of the state.

But the showdown comes down to a political smackdown of Gov. Ed Rendell by the Senate Republicans. They rejected his nominees because they could.

Rendell is a lame duck who is losing political strength every day he is in office during his second term. Republicans flexed their muscles. They kicked sand in Rendell's face … and he can't do anything about it.

Lowman Henry: Don't bet on Rendell, Casey or Ridge for vice president

Political commentator Lowman Henry, writing at PaTownHall.com, throws some cold water on the hot rumors that both Ed Rendell and Bob Casey are potential running mates for Barack Obama. And don't bet on Tom Ridge running with John McCain on the GOP ticket either, Henry says.

As much as both parties need to win Pennsylvania to claim the presidency, Rendell, Casey and Ridge have a lot of negatives attached to them. They might help their respective party win the Keystone State, but would be of little help in the rest of the country, according to Henry.

"It is inconceivable that the Democratic Party's base would accept a pro-life vice presidential nominee," Henry writes of freshman U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. "Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, who could do for John McCain what Bob Casey would do for Obama, has the same problem on the Republican side. The GOP base simply won't accept a pro-abortion nominee on the national ticket. Thus, both Ridge and Casey are disqualified."

Henry sees the VP slot as a dead-end job for Rendell.

"After two terms as mayor of Pennsylvania's largest city and a term and a half as governor Ed Rendell is used to being the chief executive and calling the shots," Henry writes. "Unless he is given Cheney-like responsibilities in an Obama Administration, the role would not suit him well. But perhaps the biggest drawback when it comes to Rendell is who would replace him as Governor of Pennsylvania. Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll is the Democratic Party's version of the crazy aunt in the attic. She is a grandmotherly figure who is well liked, but who also completely and totally lacks the ability to function as governor of one of the nation's largest states."

Would Rendell pick his own political ambition over the prospect of turning over control of the state to a 77-year-old woman who once introduced him as "Edward G. Robinson"?

Read the full column here.

Black and White

Tax group opposes pension hike for state workers, lawmakers

STOP PRIMARY RESIDENCE PROTECTION PLAN or STOP, a citizens group working to eliminate all property taxes in Pennsylvania, opposes a proposal to increase pensions for retired state workers and legislators.

The group believes a pension increase would wipe out any potential savings from the elimination or reduction in property taxes, according to founder Bob Logue.

From a release issued by STOP:

The Pennsylvania House leadership is proposing increases in state employee pensions including retired legislators, teachers and other state workers. The issue of this letter is not whether the pension increases are merited, but instead where the money will come from to pay for the increases.

At least as far as the teachers and other school retirees are concerned, the increases will come from the school districts that employed them. As our school districts are required to replenish the pension fund to pay the proposed higher pensions, increases in property taxes — the major source of funding for school districts — will likely be forthcoming for homeowners and other property owners.

Any savings realized by property owners from the slot parlors could easily be wiped away by millage increases to help fund these pension increases. This is the perfect example of why I have repeatedly stated property tax reductions are only temporary, and are not true property tax reform.

When you see a few hundred dollars in property tax reductions on your school tax bill this year, enjoy it, but don't get used to it…because those reductions will not last. Reassessments that may soon be ordered by the PA Supreme Court as they rule on the constitutionality of the base year assessment system most counties use; or millage increases by your local school board to offset pension increases or other budgetary increases, will soon wipe away your property tax reductions.

The only real property tax reform is abolishment of all property taxes — school, county and municipal on primary residences. Replacement sales and income taxes and the economic boom such a plan would unleash will strengthen the economies of our counties, school districts and municipalities. Then homeowners would truly own their homes for the first time ever.

Contact your PA State Senator and encourage her or him to push for passage of HB 1947 (which passed the House 197-0) or SB 717. Both pieces of legislation are currently in the Senate Finance Committee. Both would amend the PA constitution to permit abolishment of all property taxes on primary residences. It is important the Senate act on either of these bills this year.

Pa. woman survives bear attack

It's not something you hear about every day -- especially in Pennsylvania -- but a 44-year-old woman survived a confrontation with a black bear near her home in Lycoming County. People forget that Pennsylvania is more than Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. A big chunk of the state is rural.

From The Associated Press:

BARBOURS, Pa. — A Lycoming County woman is back home after surviving a black bear attack near her house.

State Game Commission officials say the 44-year-old woman and her dog had stepped outside her rural home in Barbours to take down her bird feeders on Monday night when the dog spotted and went after the bear.

The woman then went after the dog. The bear swatted the dog before running after the woman. Game commission officials say she suffered bites on her leg, and also injured her hand.

A Game Commission official says the woman has asked not to be identified. She was treated and released at a hospital. The dog had to be euthanized.

The commission says that it's common to spot bears in rural Barbours, though attacks on humans are rare.

When will Barack Obama stop shifting on energy issues?

Republican National Committee: Obama's Power Shifting

10 Questions for John McCain

A couple of weeks ago, George F. Will wrote a column for Newsweek magazine in which he posed 12 questions for Sen. Barack Obama. As far as I can tell, Obama has not answered any of the questions.

This week, George Will has 10 questions for Sen. John McCain.

Here's a couple of examples of the types of questions Will asks:

Q: You say that even if global warming turns out to be no crisis (the World Meteorological Organization says global temperatures have not risen in a decade), even unnecessary measures taken to combat it will be beneficial because "then all we've done is give our kids a cleaner world." But what of the trillions of dollars those measures will cost in direct expenditures and diminished economic growth—hence diminished medical research, cultural investment, etc.? Given that Earth is always warming or cooling, what is its proper temperature, and how do you know?

Q: More than 90 percent of taxpayers refuse to use the $3 checkoff on their tax forms to fund campaigns—even though doing so would not increase their tax bill. Given such annual landslide "votes" against taxpayer funding, why is relying on it more virtuous than Obama's expected reliance on voluntary contributions from dedicated individuals?

You can read the column at Newsweek's online edition.

Rendell signs 3 bills into law

It hasn't happened often during the current do-nothing atmosphere in Harrisburg, but Gov. Ed Rendell signed three bills into law on Tuesday.

Nothing earth-shattering, but very little in the way of legislation has crossed the governor's desk since the Democrats took control of the state House in January 2007. The malaise that has hung over Harrisburg since then continues into 2008.

Rendell's office announced the signing of the following bills:

Senate Bill 636 establishes a voluntary cancer drug repository program that allows pharmacies, under the supervision of the State Board of Pharmacy, to redispense unused cancer drugs to cancer patients. Under the program, drugs may be returned to an approved pharmacy to be redispensed, provided that they are in their original packaging and the drug expires no sooner than six months after the date the cancer drug was restocked. Drugs dispensed under a state medical assistance program may be accepted and dispensed.

Senate Bill 1017 amends the Phosphate Detergent Act of 1989 to eliminate the current exception to phosphate standards for dishwashing detergent used by households. The change means the amount of phosphorous in the waste stream will be reduced by 24 percent and municipal treatment facilities across the state will save $7 million a year.
The change takes effect July 1, 2010.

Senate Bill 1278 amends portions of Title 23 (Domestic Relations) to further provide for child medical support, review of support orders, annual fees, and assignment of support.

'Who Is Really Responsible For The High Prices You Pay For Gasoline?'

The price of gas hit a record high where I live. Regular unleaded is now selling for $3.75 a gallon in Berks County. Premium unleaded is selling for $4.05.

Nobody has ever seen $4 gas in this part of Pennsylvania before. So who's to blame?

Investor's Business Daily has the answer on its editorial pages today.

Here's a clue:

For the last 28 years, Democrats in Congress and a few Republicans have again and again opposed our drilling for oil in Alaska's ANWR area when we knew it contained at least 10 billion barrels of oil we could be using now.

In other words, it's not OPEC, it's not China, it's not the greedy oil companies, it's not Bush/Cheney. It's the people who represent us in Congress (the ones who drive taxpayer-supplied cars with taxpayer-paid gas).

Why isn't the mainstream media putting Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid on the spot? Where is the outrage against Congressional Democrats?

From the IBD editorial:

Democrats kowtowed to the wishes of their environmental supporters over the basic needs of 300 million American citizens.

It is a national disgrace that all they now know how to do is relentlessly criticize, complain and condemn. They always attempt to blame, investigate and scapegoat someone else, in this case U.S. oil companies, when Congress is the true villain of ineptness for constantly blocking and obstructing every effort for us to become more productive and less dependent on foreign oil.

Read "Who Is Really Responsible For The High Prices You Pay For Gasoline?" by clicking here.

Recommended Web site: Victims of Illegal Alien Crime

I came across an excellent Web site that tracks crimes committed against United States citizens by illegal aliens.

Next time you hear the far-left advocate "justice" or "amnesty" for illegals, spend a few minutes at http://www.victimsofillegalaliens.com/
and see the names and faces of Americans who have been severely injured or killed by these lawbreakers.

This is why Michael Ramirez is Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist

School board member charged in sex assaults

Sadly, teachers having sex with students has become commonplace in our society. And we keep hearing about teacher's aides and custodians and administrators preying on students. But I can't recall seeing anything like this before.

A member of the Owen J. Roberts School Board in affluent Chester County, Pa., has been charged with sexual assault involving two girls, one of them believed to be a minor. (The alleged assaults did not take place in school, but the arrest has sent shockwaves through the school district.)

Keith E. Fulmer, 44, was elected to a four-year term on the school board last November. Up until his arrest Monday, Fulmer was a well-known local businessman and father of six children, four of whom attend OJR schools.

Fulmer is charged with involuntary deviate sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, attempted sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.

After his arraignment, Fulmer was taken by police to the Chester County Prison, where he was being held in lieu of $150,000 cash bail.

Read the full story in today's edition of The Mercury.

'Bonusgate' update: Did Democrats shred documents?

Two interesting developments this week in the ongoing "Bonusgate" investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General.

(If you've been on a deserted island in the past year, Attorney General Tom Corbett is looking into allegations that Pennsylvania Legislative leaders paid staffers more than $3.6 million in bonuses to do political work while collecting a salary from taxpayers. That's against the law.)

Two newspaper articles this week provide updates on the year-long investigation.

First, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that a former intern for the House Democratic Caucus told authorities he was ordered to shred boxes of personnel records "later sought in a grand jury probe into whether state employees were given taxpayer-funded bonuses in return for political work."

The shredding took place at the time a computer server was being relocated inside the Capitol building, the newspaper says. Investigators now want to know if the move was used as cover to destroy hourly leave and compensatory time slips. Prosecutors are attempting to determine whether the destruction was part of a coverup, according to reporter Dennis B. Roddy.

Although both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been the target of a grand jury investigation, the focus of "Bonusgate" is on House Democratic Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, who has already fired some of his top staffers for their involvement in the bonus payments.

The $3.6-million question is what did Bill DeWeese know and when did he know it? The bigger question is whether the grand jury will hand down indictments before the Nov. 4 election. All 102 House members, including DeWeese, face reelection this year.

The second interesting development this week comes from The Philadelphia Inquirer, which reports that the cost of the investigation so far has topped the $1 million mark and there's no end in sight.

You know how I feel about state spending. But in this case, it's money well spent. The "Bonusgate" investigation cuts to the heart of corruption in Harrisburg.

I'm willing to spend the $1 million to expose and eventually convict any "public servant" who broke the law.

88,000 visitors

My site counter has recorded 88,000 unique visitors to TONY PHYRILLAS since January 2007. Nothing significant about that number. I just like the way it looks.

Gerlach aide seeks state House seat

Guy Ciarrocchi, who has extensive government experience, most recently as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, is running for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Ciarrocchi won the Republican nomination last month for the 157th state House seat being vacated by Rep. Carole Rubley, a Republican who is retiring.

The district covers parts of Chester and Montgomery counties.

Ciarrocchi is running as a reform candidate, according to reporter Dan Kristie.

From Kristie's story:

During a recent kickoff event, Ciarrocchi contrasted his agenda with that of the current state Legislature, which he said has unnecessarily increased the size of government and lost touch with concerns of Pennsylvanians.

"You get a sense that the Legislature is voting on things that don't matter to us," he said. "Many people feel like they cannot understand what's going on."

Ciarrocchi's kick-off speech was full of references to family life, and he compared new government programs to parents allowing children to have an extra cookie.

"The first instinct is to say yes, you can have that cookie," Ciarrocchi said. "But sometimes you have to say no … we cannot continue to say that the answer to every problem is higher taxes, new programs, bigger government."

Ciarrocchi suggested that by starting social welfare programs, the government is creating a system whereby much of the money that should go to those in need instead ends up in the hands of those who administer and oversee welfare programs. He said the government should use a common-sense approach to ensure more of this money goes to those who need it.

Read more about Guy Ciarrocchi in this story from The Mercury.

Also, check out the candidate's Web site.

Phyrillas returns to 'Journalists Roundtable' on PCN

Tony Phyrillas will be a panelist on the "Journalists Roundtable" program on the Pennsylvania Cable Network on Thursday, May 15.

The one-hour program hosted by Bill Bova is shown Thursdays at 8 p.m. on cable systems throughout Pennsylvania. The program will repeat Sunday, May 18, at 5 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.

PCN is shown on Comcast Channel 98 in Berks County, Service Electric Cable Channel 23 in Berks/Lehigh counties and Comcast Channel 78 in the Pottstown area.

Consult your cable guide for the Pennsylvania Cable Network channel on your area.

Newspaper calls for education funding overhaul

While much attention in Harriburg is focused on the need to reform the state's antiquated property tax system to fund public education, The Mercury reminds lawmakers that they've long ignored the formula the state uses to provide finding for public education.

"Tax-reform advocates focus their attention on reducing the burden on homeowners throughout the state, and that emphasis can not be lost," the newspaper writes. "But an overhaul of how schools are funded would help accomplish the same goal and would address the future needs of solving school funding shortfalls.Pennsylvania needs tax reform coupled with educational funding reform. The time is now."

Read the full editorial here.

Everybody wants to be vice president

It used to be a job nobody wanted, but times are changing. The Hill, a newspaper that covers Congress, surveyed 97 U.S. Senators (I'm guessing Sens. McCain, Clinton and Obama were not on the list) to find out if they'd like to be considered for vice president.

At least 20 of them said they wouldn't mind having the job. Oh, God! I hope Sen. Bob Casey wasn't one of the 20.

Read more below or go directly to The Hill's Web site,
thehill.com.

More Than 20 Senators Say They'd Consider Joining Ticket to be Vice-President

Gas Up 11 Cents in Week, 34 Cents in a Month

George W. Bush can't help you. The Democrats who control Congress can't