Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Another Reason Not to Contribute to National Republican Committees
Richard Viguerie
Written by CHQ Staff on May 15, 2009, 08:35 AM
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which normally doesn’t endorse candidates in Republican primaries, this week announced it is supporting Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, whom we call the “Arnold Schwarzenegger of the Southeast.” As governor, Crist vetoed budget cuts, and welcomed Barack Obama to Florida. He was a strong advocate for the $787 billion federal Stimulus Spending Bill earlier this year.
Who’s running against Crist, and whom did the NRSC dis? Marco Rubio, the young conservative success story, whose Wikipedia bio says, “championed a major overhaul of the Florida tax system. He wanted to reduce property taxes and decrease the size of government.”
We think Rubio’s first campaign video says it all:
(this video can also be found at http://marcorubio.com/)
The NRSC and other national Republican committees seem to want more Arlen Specters in the Senate.
Written by CHQ Staff on May 15, 2009, 08:35 AM
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which normally doesn’t endorse candidates in Republican primaries, this week announced it is supporting Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, whom we call the “Arnold Schwarzenegger of the Southeast.” As governor, Crist vetoed budget cuts, and welcomed Barack Obama to Florida. He was a strong advocate for the $787 billion federal Stimulus Spending Bill earlier this year.
Who’s running against Crist, and whom did the NRSC dis? Marco Rubio, the young conservative success story, whose Wikipedia bio says, “championed a major overhaul of the Florida tax system. He wanted to reduce property taxes and decrease the size of government.”
We think Rubio’s first campaign video says it all:
(this video can also be found at http://marcorubio.com/)
The NRSC and other national Republican committees seem to want more Arlen Specters in the Senate.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Stief and O'Boyle for Antietam School Board
John Fielding
It is once again time for the school board elections in Antietam. We have five candidates running for four seats.
I endorse Roger Stief and Larry O'Boyle.
I've known Roger Stief for a while while involved in the Antietam Youth Baseball Association. He is a young man with a family in the district, who will bring that perspective to the Board. While by no means poor, Roger is a man of modest means who can be expected to bring a dose of financial common sense to the board of the district with the highest tax millage in the county. The Antietam School Board seems determined to raise taxes at every opportunity. The administration's policy is to raise taxes to statutory limit every year whether it needs to or not. This year seems to be the only exception; after all the administration has to do what it can to make the election of its liberal-spending allies on the board more certain. Roger is not one of them. Vote for Roger Stief.
My other recommendation is Larry O'Boyle. Larry and I don't agree on everything and that's okay. But Larry has shown to me in two years that he has the taxpayers of the district at heart (even if he is a Democrat!) and, even when we don't agree, Larry is always looking for the cheapest way of getting the job done.
Of the remaining three, two (Ann Sellers and Dave Stauffer) are liberal spenders and toadies of the administration. I would not endorse them if they were the only ones running.
The remaining candidate, Beth Calabria, is a newcomer, taking the place of that other unreconstructed liberal, Joanne Just. I had great hopes for her, but then she justified a vote by speaking of "the children," as if every expenditure we don't make will vitally endanger our programs.
It used to be said that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel; no, it isn't, it is children, animals, and trees. They are the only three unfortunates that cannot successfully fend off the liberals and all the "good things" liberals want to do for, and to, them.
Vote for Stief and O'Boyle for Antietam School Board on may 19th.
It is once again time for the school board elections in Antietam. We have five candidates running for four seats.
I endorse Roger Stief and Larry O'Boyle.
I've known Roger Stief for a while while involved in the Antietam Youth Baseball Association. He is a young man with a family in the district, who will bring that perspective to the Board. While by no means poor, Roger is a man of modest means who can be expected to bring a dose of financial common sense to the board of the district with the highest tax millage in the county. The Antietam School Board seems determined to raise taxes at every opportunity. The administration's policy is to raise taxes to statutory limit every year whether it needs to or not. This year seems to be the only exception; after all the administration has to do what it can to make the election of its liberal-spending allies on the board more certain. Roger is not one of them. Vote for Roger Stief.
My other recommendation is Larry O'Boyle. Larry and I don't agree on everything and that's okay. But Larry has shown to me in two years that he has the taxpayers of the district at heart (even if he is a Democrat!) and, even when we don't agree, Larry is always looking for the cheapest way of getting the job done.
Of the remaining three, two (Ann Sellers and Dave Stauffer) are liberal spenders and toadies of the administration. I would not endorse them if they were the only ones running.
The remaining candidate, Beth Calabria, is a newcomer, taking the place of that other unreconstructed liberal, Joanne Just. I had great hopes for her, but then she justified a vote by speaking of "the children," as if every expenditure we don't make will vitally endanger our programs.
It used to be said that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel; no, it isn't, it is children, animals, and trees. They are the only three unfortunates that cannot successfully fend off the liberals and all the "good things" liberals want to do for, and to, them.
Vote for Stief and O'Boyle for Antietam School Board on may 19th.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Antietam School District 2009 Budget
John Fielding
On January 28, 2009, the Reading Eagle reported the following:
"Antietam's preliminary budget shows a 5.7 percent tax hike
The Antietam School Board Monday night approved a preliminary 2009-10 operating budget that, if unchanged, could require a 5.7 percent tax increase.
This means the real estate rate would rise to 33.4 mills, up from the current 31.6 mills. Property owners would pay $33.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value or $3,340 for a home assessed at $100,000.
The $14.5 million budget increases spending 2.1 percent over this school year.
The budget is expected to change significantly between now and final adoption in June, said Michele Zimmerman, business manager."
Because of Governor of Phildelphia, Ed Spendell's, Act 1 foolishness, our preliminary budgets now have to be developed far in advance of the date when we have solid information regarding revenues from the state. Thus, even if the budget were to remain the same from the previous year, for starters, we still might have a shortfall if the state's basic education subsidy is not at the same level as the previous year.
But more than that is the significance of what Michele Zimmerman was saying. An increase in a budget has a "millage impact" on the budget, meaning that for the budget to balance, the revenue has to increase, the expenditures have to decrease, or a mixture of the two.
The reason Ms. Zimmerman ended up talking about a tax increase instead of a millage impact is because the leadership in the Antietam School District has a settled philosophy that it must raise taxes to the limit permitted to not submit the tax increase to the voters of the district, a vote it would lose. Thus, Antietam raises taxes each year, whether it needs to or not, because it never wants to have to go to the taxpayers to ask to raise them more.
Poor Michele is not a politician and forgot that whatever one must do, one must never indicate publicly what the leadership of the district is doing.
There will be a tax increase this year: not because of what you want, nor what I want, but because of what the liberals in charge of the school district want.
On January 28, 2009, the Reading Eagle reported the following:
"Antietam's preliminary budget shows a 5.7 percent tax hike
The Antietam School Board Monday night approved a preliminary 2009-10 operating budget that, if unchanged, could require a 5.7 percent tax increase.
This means the real estate rate would rise to 33.4 mills, up from the current 31.6 mills. Property owners would pay $33.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value or $3,340 for a home assessed at $100,000.
The $14.5 million budget increases spending 2.1 percent over this school year.
The budget is expected to change significantly between now and final adoption in June, said Michele Zimmerman, business manager."
Because of Governor of Phildelphia, Ed Spendell's, Act 1 foolishness, our preliminary budgets now have to be developed far in advance of the date when we have solid information regarding revenues from the state. Thus, even if the budget were to remain the same from the previous year, for starters, we still might have a shortfall if the state's basic education subsidy is not at the same level as the previous year.
But more than that is the significance of what Michele Zimmerman was saying. An increase in a budget has a "millage impact" on the budget, meaning that for the budget to balance, the revenue has to increase, the expenditures have to decrease, or a mixture of the two.
The reason Ms. Zimmerman ended up talking about a tax increase instead of a millage impact is because the leadership in the Antietam School District has a settled philosophy that it must raise taxes to the limit permitted to not submit the tax increase to the voters of the district, a vote it would lose. Thus, Antietam raises taxes each year, whether it needs to or not, because it never wants to have to go to the taxpayers to ask to raise them more.
Poor Michele is not a politician and forgot that whatever one must do, one must never indicate publicly what the leadership of the district is doing.
There will be a tax increase this year: not because of what you want, nor what I want, but because of what the liberals in charge of the school district want.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Reading School Board Fracas: It Is Amazing That It Doesn't Happen More Often
John Fielding
So I'm driving in my car, and I put on WEEU.
So the news comes on, and I hear about Pierre Cooper attacking Keith Stamm during the executive session of a Human Resources committee meeting (at Antietam, it is Personnel).
I can understand.
You can be pushed to the edge during some of these meetings, although I have to say that Keith is one of the more mild-mannered individuals I've met.
But I digress.
At Antietam, when you hear that there is a artificially fixed metric for determining what the administrative team gets paid based on the top of the bottom quartile of the school districts in Berks, and when you hear that despite a bunch of happy talk about Antietam's special ed directors, you discover that, instead, they haven't been getting the job done despite being recommended for bonuses, and whn you hear that for the umpteenth time, Antietam will have a raise in millage "just because," there is plenty to fight about around here, too.
So I'm driving in my car, and I put on WEEU.
So the news comes on, and I hear about Pierre Cooper attacking Keith Stamm during the executive session of a Human Resources committee meeting (at Antietam, it is Personnel).
I can understand.
You can be pushed to the edge during some of these meetings, although I have to say that Keith is one of the more mild-mannered individuals I've met.
But I digress.
At Antietam, when you hear that there is a artificially fixed metric for determining what the administrative team gets paid based on the top of the bottom quartile of the school districts in Berks, and when you hear that despite a bunch of happy talk about Antietam's special ed directors, you discover that, instead, they haven't been getting the job done despite being recommended for bonuses, and whn you hear that for the umpteenth time, Antietam will have a raise in millage "just because," there is plenty to fight about around here, too.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Staron Should Put His Foot Where It Counts
By John Fielding
In the April 30, 2008 Reading Eagle, Tom Staron, President of Mount Penn Borough Council stated that “We need to get together with the supervisors of Lower Alsace Township and go directly to the school board and put our foot down. We have to tell them they can’t keep raising taxes. Otherwise we will continue to see more and more vacant properties.” Since 1997, as chairman of the Antietam Tax Watch and now as a member of the school board, I have been waiting for Mr. Staron and his friends to help. Unfortunately, when I need help during elections to affect the taxing and spending policies of the school board, Mr. Staron’s “foot” is always elsewhere.
As I stated on the Parents and Taxpayers United blog, "Even though John Fielding and Judy Swartz won both the Republican and Democratic nominations in the Spring Primary, Jerry Palamara will appear on the Republican ballot running against Bev Daniels on the Democratic side. If you remember, Bev Daniels is the school board member who owes more than $10,000 in back school taxes. According to Tony Phyrillas, 'The Reading Eagle wrote about Beverly Daniels' habitual tardiness in paying her taxes a few of years back, but that has not dissuaded Daniels from seeking a new four-year term on the school board. Daniels could still be voted off the board if she finishes last in the race for five open seats. I'm surprised state lawmakers haven't looked at the situation. Shouldn't a basic qualification of holding public office (especially on a taxing body like the school board) be timely payment of your taxes?' The Fall Election provides an excellent opportunity to replace a drain on the school district finances, Bev Daniels, with a candidate with both the parents' and the taxpayers' at heart."
Mr. Staron and his conservative Democratic friends had an excellent chance to "put their foot down" with respect to Bev Daniels. They (and he, particularly) did not. It would nice to see them "put their foot down" for a change. I continue to welcome any substantive help to address the situation. What I do not need is empty rhetoric and political grandstanding from the cheap seats.
In the April 30, 2008 Reading Eagle, Tom Staron, President of Mount Penn Borough Council stated that “We need to get together with the supervisors of Lower Alsace Township and go directly to the school board and put our foot down. We have to tell them they can’t keep raising taxes. Otherwise we will continue to see more and more vacant properties.” Since 1997, as chairman of the Antietam Tax Watch and now as a member of the school board, I have been waiting for Mr. Staron and his friends to help. Unfortunately, when I need help during elections to affect the taxing and spending policies of the school board, Mr. Staron’s “foot” is always elsewhere.
As I stated on the Parents and Taxpayers United blog, "Even though John Fielding and Judy Swartz won both the Republican and Democratic nominations in the Spring Primary, Jerry Palamara will appear on the Republican ballot running against Bev Daniels on the Democratic side. If you remember, Bev Daniels is the school board member who owes more than $10,000 in back school taxes. According to Tony Phyrillas, 'The Reading Eagle wrote about Beverly Daniels' habitual tardiness in paying her taxes a few of years back, but that has not dissuaded Daniels from seeking a new four-year term on the school board. Daniels could still be voted off the board if she finishes last in the race for five open seats. I'm surprised state lawmakers haven't looked at the situation. Shouldn't a basic qualification of holding public office (especially on a taxing body like the school board) be timely payment of your taxes?' The Fall Election provides an excellent opportunity to replace a drain on the school district finances, Bev Daniels, with a candidate with both the parents' and the taxpayers' at heart."
Mr. Staron and his conservative Democratic friends had an excellent chance to "put their foot down" with respect to Bev Daniels. They (and he, particularly) did not. It would nice to see them "put their foot down" for a change. I continue to welcome any substantive help to address the situation. What I do not need is empty rhetoric and political grandstanding from the cheap seats.
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