One of the most popular features that runs in our newspaper, The Mercury, is called Sound Off. It's a way for readers to provide instant feedback on news articles they read in the paper. Readers call a dedicated phone number and can leave a 30-second voice mail about an issue that's in the news. We publish the comments verbatim in the next day's edition (unless they're libelous or in poor taste).
Since we began the feature earlier this year, it's been one of the most read pages in the newspaper. Some people like the phone line because it provides anonymity while others would rather call because they have trouble putting their thoughts down on paper for a letter to the editor.
Below is a sampling of calls to the Sound Off line over several days after two interesting stories broke in Harrisburg. The first was House Bill 39 (which Gov. Rendell signed into law Tuesday) and the second bit of news was John Perzel's ludicrous remarks about state legislators with a base salary of $72,000 per year not being able to qualify for a credit card.
Readers were also appalled by a letter sent to The Mercury by Rep. Dennis Leh's wife, essentially telling voters they made a terrible mistake in not re-electing her husband to another term in the state House in the May 16 primary.
The comments below mirror those of readers who have written letters to the editors and personal e-mails I've received from readers in the past week. The bottom line is that nobody is fooled by the tax rebate scheme or Perzel's insipid remarks.
Here's what our readers (and people who I guarantee will be voters in November) are saying about Rendell and Perzel (and Leh):
I am totally disgusted to read about how 30 or so lawmakers are having terrible financial problems and they can't even get a credit card when they make about $72,000 a year. Why don't they try living on an average working man's salary which is tens of thousands of dollars less a year with all the continuously rising gas prices? Maybe they should come down to earth and live among us so-called little people and stop complaining and do what they are suppose to do and what is best for us. For the people and by the people — what a crock.
TOTALLY DISGUSTED
This is in regards to speaker John Perzel's comments about the 30 lawmakers who are having serious financial problems. This is just one more reason why we should vote these incumbents out of office. If they can't take care of their own personal affairs, why would we want them taking care of our finances and affairs?
VOTE THEM ALL OUT
Regarding the tax bill that was just passed, does anyone even know someone who the tax bill would help? I know it doesn't even come close to helping my 79-year-old mother who pays $6,000 plus a year in taxes. She doesn't qualify for the $650 but even if she did, that would be a slap in the face. This is crazy.
DISGUSTED POTTSGROVIAN
Voters, don't be fooled by this pitiful property tax bill our worthless legislature is passing. This won't amount to a hill of beans for those who really need relief. It's a meager effort to appease the large sector of senior voters in our state. If they were really concerned about helping the needy, they would eliminate school tax for poor, disabled people too. This bill does not do that. We need to clean house in the next election.
DISABLED AND HURTING
Sounds like state Rep. Sam Rohrer is the only one in Harrisburg who understands what the taxpayers want and need to alleviate property taxes. If only the rest of those thieves would wake up and smell the roses.
Would someone please start a pity party for House Speaker Perzel and all his cohorts in Harrisburg. If things are so bad for them financially, why did they run for the position? $70,000 a year and all the perks they get, maybe they have to tighten their boot straps like the rest of us have to do. Quit your whining and do the job you were elected to. And what's with hiring lawyers at $625 an hour at our expense? There is just no end to their greed. I pray in November you will all get to live in the real world. Wait, that's right, you will leave office and still live high on the hog thanks to the taxpayers.
I'd like to thank Fast Eddie Rendell and all the legislators for our great so-called tax cut that we got. People should remember these legislators and our governor in November and vote them out of office.
VERY DISGUSTED TAXPAYER IN AMITY
This is reference to the article that the state House sends Rendell bill to reduce property taxes. I think that is the most absurd thing which possibly could happen. If he wants re-election, I think the only thing that would save his butt is the commonwealth caucus. I'm paying $3,666 which is a drop in the ocean and that is ridiculous.
I think our representatives thought that we wanted comic relief instead of tax relief. This is what most of us probably expected though.
THIS IS A JOKE
This new property tax reform bill that is going before the governor is not what we should be getting. There are more citizens in this state than just the senior citizens. What about the middle class homeowner who needs more help?
I believe that the state House and Senate have failed us as well as the governor. He is just trying to look like he has fulfilled a campaign promise when he's really done nothing at all. This is just a mere Band-Aid for something that is so broken, they are afraid to fix it. They weren't afraid to fix their salaries but they're really afraid to fix property tax. What they need to do is eliminate them but no one has enough courage in our state anymore to do what's right. I think we should vote all of them out, Republican or Democrat. I think the next governor should be Lynn Swann because all Rendell's interested in is sports.
DISGUSTED IN PERKIOMEN
The new reduced property tax is just pie in the sky. They are projected; there is no such thing as a gambling revenue yet. I think we senior citizens were taken for a ride and there will have to be more changes in Harrisburg this fall.
The school tax relief package is a joke. A state income tax is the only fair way to fund schools but it must be coupled with realistic spending caps for school districts and elimination of school bureaucracy, runaway salaries and real school discipline of students. You'll never see it with the current crowd.
VOTE THEM ALL OUT
I'm calling in regards to Dennis Leh's wife, Columbia. It took the taxpayers 18 years to figure out that your husband was robbing us and it only took one day to tear down your husband's 18 year career. I love democracy — such a beautiful thing.
The property tax relief program is a joke. Two hundred dollars is not going to go very far. They should have done the sales tax. This plan was just done to justify having gambling in Pennsylvania. The sales tax plan is the way to go. It would give senior citizens better relief because they do not consume as much as the younger generation.
I'm calling about the Rendell bill to reduce property taxes. I feel the property taxes should be eliminated and since Rendell hasn't done anything in his term as governor significantly except on the SportsNet program to talk about sports, he's going to be voted out of office. These taxes need to be eliminated permanently, not reduced by one billion every year. So, Rendell, you're gone in 2006 and say hello to new governor, Lynn Swann.
What part of 5 percent flat tax do the state legislators not understand? That is the fair way to tax everybody. That's why there's going to be a clean sweep this year and hopefully every year until we finally get some politicians in office, statewide, township wide and federal wide who know what the people want and not what they want.
JUST REMEMBER THE CLEAN SWEEP
I read the article about Dennis Leh and the hard work he has done. I don't want to hear it. The whole stonewalling crowd in Washington and Harrisburg aren't doing the people's will for the people. They do the will for the special interest and hand us a piece of trash like House Bill 39.
VOTE THEM ALL OUT
Disgruntled Democrat had better wake up. Rendell hasn't done anything to help the taxpayers except raise taxes. He controls Perzel, a Republican, who controls the other Republicans to vote their way or go to the bottom of the ladder. The Democratic party has now become the tax and spend party. They are only concerned for themselves and try to fool the voters and it seems like you're one of them.
ANOTHER DISGRUNTLED DEMOCRAT
The Pottsgrove taxpayers are now being asked to assume another $164 a year in property taxes. Commonwealth Caucus Plan was the only plan that would have worked for real tax relief in the state of Pennsylvania. Please everyone, come November, it's time to vote out Ed Rendell and all his buddies who voted for this ridiculous gambling tax revenue bill and vote for the people who are into the Commonwealth Caucus Plan.
FRUSTRATED PROPERTY OWNER IN THE POTTSGROVES
Poor Dennis Leh. Maybe he can get one of those family supporting union jobs that he worked so hard to destroy.
GOOD RIDDANCE
E-mail Tony Phyrillas at tphyrillas@pottsmerc.com
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