Setting the record straight on property tax relief

This Letter to the Editor was originally published in the Reading Eagle. It was written by David Baldinger of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition in response to some misleading statements made by John Woodward, the Democratic candidate for the 128th state House District.

The incumbent is state Rep. Sam Rohrer, who forgot more about property tax relief than Mr. Woodward will ever know. House Bill 1600 was a sham bill introduced by House Democrats as a diversion to avoid debate on House Bill 1275, sponsored by Rohrer.

Bill would have increased taxes

Editor:

In your Oct. 1 story on the 128th District candidates’ forum, you reported that John Woodward said he supports House Bill 1600, which would raise the income tax by 7 percent to replace half the school property tax ("128th District hopefuls spar over tax reform").

That bill would have raised both the sales tax and the income tax for an approximate average $414 in property tax relief, a far cry from the 50 percent reduction Woodward claimed.

Further, without any inherent cost controls, property taxes would continue to rise unabated. That $414 quickly would have been eaten up by increasing property taxes, leaving us in the same situation we’re in now but with two new taxes to pay.

The legislation actually was a tax increase in disguise.

The version of the bill Woodward supports is dead, rejected by the House in a Jan. 29 vote that gutted the bill.

This is not the kind of bogus property tax relief that property owners need or want. It is obvious that Woodward does not understand this situation and needs to educate himself on this issue before supporting plans that do not get the job done and only worsen an already intolerable situation.

David Baldinger
Cumru Township