Saturday, October 27, 2012

Mullery hits Arnold on taxes

State Rep Jerry Mullery (D) asked if Rick Arnold (R)  can’t pay his property taxes, how can voters elect him to represent them in Harrisburg?

Arnold is behind on the taxes on 3 properties he owns totaling $16,579 according to the TL. They are not up for Sheriff's sale and he made a payment plan. He blames it on the bad economy and reassessment. I hear him on reassessment since my property taxes tripled on our home and rental properties. His home building business is down after the Republicans crashed the economy impacting his business and cash flow.

“Many of (Mullery’s) constituents are having the same problems,” he said. “I’m a constituent too. Why isn’t he concerned about me? Instead he attacks me.”

Mullery gave a condescending answer.

Mullery said Arnold has never contacted his office for help, noting that he has answered many requests for assistance from constituents in similar circumstances to Arnold, referring them to financial planning agencies that could help individuals reassess their spending habits or assist in mortgage refinancing.

Arnold has a radio spot airing on WILK that I haven't heard and is not available on his website, FB, etc.

He also had this LTE published a few days ago:


For too long, homeowners in Luzerne County and across Pennsylvania have been burdened with crushing property taxes.

Seniors on fixed incomes find themselves in the difficult position of losing their homes because they can no longer afford their property taxes. Small business owners, who already are struggling in a weak economy, find themselves struggling to pay their mortgages and bills, let alone expand and grow.

Over the years, usually in an election year, politicians in Harrisburg have promised relief. The passage of gambling in the commonwealth was the last broken promise, when lawmakers failed to dedicate 100 percent of the revenue generated toward real property tax relief.

As a small business owner who builds homes, I know how difficult it is to afford high property taxes. Like many people, I struggle every year to pay my property tax bills. While my family and I always have managed to meet those obligations, sometimes paying penalties, there are many people who unfortunately continue to lose their homes.

We need someone in office who will side with our interests, not “special interests.”

That’s why I’m running for state representative in the 119th District. I am a real blue-collar worker who understands and has struggled the same way many residents in the district have. I promise to do everything in my power to eliminate sky-rocketing property taxes and finally give back control to local taxpayers.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

To blame high taxes on the reassessment is flat out wrong. High taxes are the blame of local government over spending. In Pittston City, the property owners pay the highest municipal taxes in the county and per capita, they are the deepest in debt. Now the mayor and council are set to borrow 2 million more and guaranteeing a debt for the Library of almost another million dollars. I don't think the politicians should be put to death but I do think they should be put out of office. But back to the assessment, the only thing the assessment did was to make taxesa fairer. Politically conneceted people living in mansions wwere paying next to nothing while others were hit hard. A fair assessment is just that, FAIR!