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Wednesday, March 05, 2008

State legislator owes $27,000 in back taxes

Maybe John Perzel was right when he said in 2006 that he could name two dozen Pennsylvania state legislators who couldn't qualify for a credit card.

That remark sounded ludicrous at the time considering Pennsylvania lawmakers have a starting salary of around $70,000, but how else can you explain the money troubles of Rep. Ken Smith, D-112th District?

According to The Times-Tribune newspaper, Rep. Smith owes $27,000 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest on a commercial property he owns in Lackawanna County.

Smith told reporter Borys Krawczeniuk he doesn't know why the taxes remain unpaid after three years.

"I'm mystified," Smith told the newspaper. "I'm checking into that."

Smith, a Dunmore resident, has held the 112th District seat since 2006. He is running unopposed in the April 22 Democratic primary.

No Republican is challenging Smith in the primary or general election.

You'd think that Smith would be leading the charge to eliminate property taxes in Pennsylvania since he appears to have trouble paying them, but he was not one of the co-sponsors of House Bill 1275 and he did not support the bill when it came up for a vote in January.

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