Ken Heffner
Fleetwood, PA 19522

November 3, 2004

Hon. Sam Rohrer
402B Irvis Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020

Dear Sam,

First, congratulations on your new term in office. I was happy to help re-elect Dennis Leh and keep the Caucus Plan team intact.

Last Saturday, October 30, 2004, my wife Christine, Joanne Madsen, her daughter Rebekah and myself set up in the complimentary booth at Renninger’s Farmers Market in Kutztown. We collected petition signatures and educated 119 people about the Commonwealth Caucus Plan. Once explained, any doubts or resistance evaporated and was replaced with enthusiasm and thanks. I must admit I never expected all the stories about their personal situations and just how desperate some have become for relief. One elderly gentleman with tears in his eyes thanked us repeatedly and asked me to be sure to thank you for your effort.

In addition to obtaining signatures we distributed copies of your Plan for Pennsylvania’s Future and a list of all the members of the House Finance Committee with all phone numbers, FAX numbers, addresses for both their Harrisburg and home offices and directions to E-Mail them via your web site link. The same list was distributed at our Brandywine Taxpayers meeting October 27, 2004. All recipients were instructed to contact each uncommitted committee member and urge him or her to get on board to bring the bills out of committee.

Saturday’s signatures included two teachers and several market stand operators and the market manager on behalf of the owner. There were only two dissenters all day. (They may have been tax collectors.) My greatest satisfaction came from educating a mother and her two adult daughters, from Tioga Co., and have them request copies of my petition, your Plan for Pennsylvania brochure and the contact list with the idea to hopefully start their own campaign in the up state area. I asked them to contact your office for help if they had questions regarding the brochure handouts. I hope they follow through.

Thanks again for your effort. We’re working as hard as we can to support you and all the committed house finance committee members. Please thank them all and Dennis Leh personally for us.

Keep punching,

Ken Heffner

As we all gather today to celebrate Thanksgiving Day I thought about the things I am thankful for. Living in the present we all probably have many similar items on our lists. Looking to the future I wonder if we will continue to be as fortunate or whether we will be faced with the same problems we already recognize our neighbors are experiencing, loss of their homes due to the inability to keep up with the ever-increasing school property tax burden.

Some of the people who signed our petition related their own personnel situations and I’d like to share some of them with everyone involved in support of the Commonwealth Caucus Plan.

One gentleman told us his uncle is just waiting to be evicted from his home having been “Sherrifed”. He cannot pay his property taxes and was too proud to ask his relatives for help. The problem is this nephew sold his home and returned home to his widowed mother to help her pay the taxes and save the homestead. He expects his uncle will join them in the near future.

Another related that she just came to the farmers market after dropping off her last installment of this year’s property tax payment. She was unable to pay in one full payment. She told me that twenty years ago she and her husband, now deceased, purchased a four-unit apartment building hoping the income would be part of their retirement income. Since then the combined taxes on the apartment building and their home have risen from $2600.00 to $17000.00 a year. She noted she has no real income from the investment and is essentially acting as an intermediate tax collector.

Still another told of her necessity to rent out rooms in her home to help cover the tax expense. She asked me to imagine living with strangers to survive.

One elderly gentleman, with tears in his eyes, explained his savings are about gone and will probably not be able to pay next years taxes. He thanked us for our efforts and wanted to know how soon the Caucus Plan would be in effect. My answer was “as soon as we all put enough pressure on the legislators in Harrisburg to make it law.

A young wife and mother asked why anybody should support the plan if they are renters. The obvious answer was increased rents from year to year passed on to them due to the landlord's property taxes as part of the reason. I asked her if she ever thought about owning a home of her own. “Yes, we're looking” she said. I asked her if she thought the family income was sufficient for a mortgage payment. “Our monthly rent is equal to a mortgage payment” she replied. I then asked her if she could afford the several hundreds of additional escrowed dollars required by mortgage holders to pay the annual taxes. I asked her to ask the next realtor they talk to when looking at the home for sale if they qualify for a mortgage based on payment and taxes. Reluctant and unsure she left. Two hours later she returned with her husband and requested I repeat and explain the plan once again. I repeated the explanation. They both signed the petition and left with the “Take Action” instructions on how to proactively help.

During the day only two people debated the “need” to change the existing school property tax system and did not sign our petition. One lady expressed her “happiness” to pay her school taxes because she thought her children were receiving a good education. I asked where she resided and I was told her children attend school in the Abington school district. I am not familiar with that district but have been told it is located in a more affluent suburb of Philadelphia. I wished shortly afterward that I would have asked her if she was the tax collector for the district or some other professional directly benefiting from the existing taxation system.

The only other person opposed was apparently in favor of income redistribution and thought that anyone who owned property owed it to the less fortunate to educate their children. When asked if he thought the existing tax system was fair to “all citizens” the reply was “everyone should be willing to educate our children”. We pointed out that he said the magic word “everyone” and reminded him that currently only property owners accomplish his vision. The Caucus Plan would have “everyone “ helping him to see it his way. He walked away in his political button covered coat and did not sign our petition.

After seven and a half hours of one on one explanation of how the Caucus Plan is designed to eliminate our school property taxes we shut down. I tried to assess what we had accomplished, how successful we were, what had we learned, and how could we do a more efficient job of getting the word out to more people and gain the support needed to see the Caucus Plan enacted into law.

My conclusions to those questions are these:

1. We were effective in educating and gaining the support of 119 out of 121 residents of Pennsylvania.

2. We were able to sow the seeds of information into other areas of Pennsylvania and hope the word spreads and support strengthens.

3. We gained support of business owners, teachers, retirees, former elected officials and fellow taxpayers.

4. We learned that having to repeat the same message 119 times is exhausting. The message can be condensed in about a four-minute presentation. Individual presentations are not as efficient as addressing a larger group. However, talking one on one affords the direct exchange of ideas and a less intimidating presence. Just your neighbor asking you for help and you giving help in return.

5. We learned that there were few questions that we could not answer about the intent of the Caucus Plan. A basic understanding of how the plan is designed to work and giving contact direction for additional information and explanation through Rep. Sam Rohrer’s office satisfied everyone that day. With the facts anyone can present the case effectively.

6. We learned that the much of general public is still unaware of the Caucus Plan. When informed, public support grows. More advertising is required to get the word out.

7. We learned that using a bright sign that reads: HELP ELIMINATE PA SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES HERE AND NOW” stops people in there tracks. Asking them if they pay PA school property taxes brings back various immediate comments and the discussion begins. Very few fail to walk toward you for more information.

8. We affirmed our suspicion that putting information into the hands of an interested party gives them the ability to “Take Action” immediately and is welcomed. You cannot just tell them to contact their representative. You must put the phone number and address in their hand.

9. We spread a little hope. People are desperate for help and ready for change.

10. We learned that there are more people out there that are worse off than you and us. We aren’t sure for how long.

I hope you have noticed the use of the word ”WE” in my report. I may have organized this event but I wasn’t there alone. Joanne Madsen, her daughter Rebekah and my wife Chris worked with me in our effort to spread the word and gain support to eliminate the existing oppressive school property taxes. Behind the scenes Darlene Moyer has been quietly busy producing the handouts and assembling information packets. Darlene and I presented Caucus Plan documentation to each Brandywine School Board member at the November 22, 2004 Committee of the Whole meeting. We have requested the board members study the information and intend to poll each member in the future to determine their position on the issue. If there is a majority in favor we will request they offer a resolution to record that they favor the plan.

At a recent committee meeting four more people have signed on with us to continue promoting passage of the Commonwealth Caucus Plan. Thank you to those four new volunteers. I will contact you personally in the near future. Those four people and some other committee members have had a preview of events I am proposing to further the cause. As things develop “WE” will need more help from anyone who can volunteer some of their time to a specific event to support Sam Rohrer and the other legislators in the political process.

I know some people cringe when they hear the words “political process” and object to any implications that we are a political entity supporting one particular candidate over another. I am in favor of supporting any political candidate in favor of passing the Commonwealth Caucus Plan that eliminates the existing school property tax.

Libertarians, Democrats, Independents, Republicans, Green Party, Socialists, all registered political party supporters that own property pay the same school property tax. We need political support from all. It’s not a “partisan” issue, but it can only be changed through the “political” process. The sooner the people in Harrisburg pass this plan the sooner we can give them shared credit.

To those who disagree I ask you to choose. Continue to pay the school property taxes or get on board to help eliminate them. What else is there?

Some people will read this report and identify with the people I wrote about above. Some will read this and never be faced with the problem at all. Some of the “Detailed Thread” responders at the “Concerned Citizens of Brandywine School District” web site will check my spelling and grammar in a hope of finding a reason to mock you and me. That’s OK with me. If I can convince just one to get involved proactively instead of dividing our community, who knows? That one may be the one that tips the scale and helps accomplish the ultimate goal.

Thank you for reading my report and opinions. If you agree with my goal of seeing the Commonwealth Caucus Plan enacted into law and can spare some time to help us, please email the Taxpayers Association of Brandywine Heights School District via the web site contact page.

Your neighbor and fellow taxpayer,

Ken Heffner