Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Lebanon County tax foes invade Capitol ... Two local bus loads joined hundreds at a rally in Harrisburg demanding property tax reform
IMAGE Supporters of a bill that would eliminate school property taxes rally at the Capitol in Harrisburg on Tuesday. More than 100 people from Lebanon County attended, including many in white T-shirts. (SUBMITTED)

Two bus loads of Lebanon County residents joined hundreds of others from around the state demanding property tax reform in Harrisburg on Tuesday.

The local buses were part of a caravan that descended on the Capitol for a four-hour rally in support of House Bill 1776 and Senate Bill 1400 - identical bills called the 'Property Tax Independence Act' - that would eliminate school property taxes, replacing the revenue with an increased sales tax from 6 to 7 percent, a sales tax expanded to items not currently subject to it and a personal income tax increase of about 1 percent.

This is the second rally organized since the bills were introduced in the spring. The first was in May, and an estimated 1,000 people invaded the Capitol.

IMAGE Berks County state Rep. Jim Cox, the author of House Bill 1776, the Property Tax Independence Act, which would eliminate school property taxes, speaks in the Capitol rotunda in Harrisburg on Tuesday before some of the hundreds of people who attended a rally earlier. (SUBMITTED)

Tuesday's rally was organized by the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations, an alliance of grass-roots groups from across the state. One of those groups is the Lebanon 9-12 Project, which chartered two buses for the occasion.

'We had two full buses with 104 people, plus about 30 people from the Grantville and Jonestown area that drove up,' said Jim Rodkey, chairman of the Lebanon 9-12 Project. 'We had a great turnout from Lebanon.'

Rodkey estimated about 800 people representing more than 40 counties attended. But, he said, it was difficult to determine how many people were there because it was not a traditional rally.

'Once there, the agenda was to assemble and then break off to go talk to your legislators, and that is what we did,' Rodkey said. 'We didn't want to go up there to have people talk to us. ... We didn't need a pep rally. We need to get up there and have our voices heard.'

After that was accomplished, the day ended with an assembly in the Capitol rotunda, which was televised by the Pennsylvania Cable Network and at which the primary sponsor of HB 1776, Berks County state Rep. Jim Cox spoke, Rodkey said.

Sen. Mike Folmer of Lebanon County, a primary sponsor of SB 1400 along with Schuylkill County Republican Sen. David Argall, said he was impressed by Tuesday's turnout.

'It was more of a walking rally,' Folmer said. 'It wasn't one where they had speakers standing up on the Capitol steps. They were always moving and sending different groups of people to see various legislators who they are targeting to help move this bill forward.'

One of the legislators greeted by residents from Lebanon County was Rep. RoseMarie Swanger. Although she didn't need any convincing, Swanger said, a group from Lebanon County gave her a 30-page petition in support of eliminating property taxes.

Swanger, who represents the 102nd District, is a co-sponsor of HB 1776 and was one of seven Republicans recently appointed by House Majority Leader Mike Turzai to serve with six Democrats on a select committee to review the bills.

'We've already had four or five meetings now, and they have really been in-depth,' she said. 'I was very pleased that he (Turzai) chose me. I think he knows I'm very much adamant and interested in repealing property taxes and support House Bill 1776.'

The issue is the top priority among her constituency, Swanger said.

'There is no doubt about it,' she said. 'It is overwhelmingly the number-one issue. I hear about it almost every day.'

But, Swanger noted, property tax elimination is not an issue everywhere, and part of her job on the select committee will be listening and learning from those opposed to it.

'We are a very diverse state,' she said. 'There are some areas where property taxes aren't an issue at all, places where property taxes are relatively low compared to their overall spending.'

Unfunded state mandates are another aspect of the issue. And, Swanger said, she has reached out to superintendents of Lebanon County school districts to get their feelings on the matter.

Both the House and Senate bills are in their respective finance committees, and time is running out on this legislative session, making it unlikely that either will be passed before the end of the year.

But Folmer is hopeful the energy on display during Tuesday's rally will create enough momentum to carry it into the next session, which will begin in January. The fact that it has bipartisan support is also promising, he added.

'Going forward, I've been hoping all along that this (rally) would keep the debate alive,' he said. 'Even if we don't get it done this year we can hit the ground running in the new session and get it go going early.'

One possible strategy Folmer suggested was getting Gov. Tom Corbett more involved with property tax reform by linking the issue with the looming school pension crisis.

'Maybe somehow we can tie these very important issues together,' he said. 'I know the governor wants to tackle the pension issue. If we can tie the pension scenario with property tax reform, maybe we can have a top-down initiative.'

While hundreds of supporters rallied at the Capitol in favor of a property tax elimination bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Folmer on Tuesday, three other bills sponsored by the Lebanon County Republican advanced through various committees.

Senate Bill 1200, requiring written justification for the awarding of no-bid, sole-source contracts, was voted out of the House State Government Committee and now goes to the full House for its consideration. It was unanimously passed by the Senate in March.

Senate Bill 1345, which would streamline the collocation of cellphone towers onto existing facilities rather than new towers, passed the House Consumer Affairs Committee and now moves to the full House for consideration. It was passed by the Senate in June by a vote of 48-1.

Senate Bill 1591 would eliminate the requirement of medical malpractice and self-insurers to file annual reports with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department listing every medical malpractice claim and resolution.

According to industry experts, Folmer said, the reports are not read and the law is an example of a classic case of government bureaucracy and 'doing something because it's always been done that way.'

The bill passed the Senate Banking and Insurance committees and now moves to the full Senate.

johnlatimer@ldnews.com; 272-5611, ext. 149