Editorial

Any government taxing authority, be it federal, state, local or school district that is facing the salary and benefit negotiation process with organized groups or collective bargaining units, faces a tough task.

If the only answer to the budget problem is to increase taxes or hold the line on salary increases, which one do you choose?  Either position will spark unrest in the other’s camp. 

Perhaps the answer is to compromise – give and take on both sides until a solution is mutually agreed to.  Let’s be realistic – even after a compromise is reached, there will be still be plenty of critics on both sides of the argument who will still be trying to sink the deal well after its been implemented.

Federal officials have no problem spending what they don’t have – and there’s no law against the United States going deeper and deeper in debt.  If you don’t like it, then you need to support candidates who promise to reduce that national debt.

On the other hand, everybody else needs to operate on a balanced budget – expenses must equal receipts.  If salaries and benefits rise then other expenses must fall and/or income must rise to pay for it.  Where does most of that income come from?  That’s right, taxes?

Too often officials take the easy way out and raise taxes.  Then they simply place the blame for that increase on the recipient of the benefit.  The taxpayer gets to frown on both sides – one for raising taxes the other for creating the reason for the increase.

We’d like to offer a suggestion to public officials.  Take more time to review the expenses and the way you do business before you decide to raise taxes.  Take a hard line on cost savings measures in everything you do and everything your employees do!   Document, document, document; always be ready to offer proof (don’t wait to be asked) that you’re spending taxpayer’s money wisely and responsibly. 

Don’t split up projects in order to divide the overall cost and avoid public bidding so you can award it to a favorite vender.  If employees get a raise that’s higher than the norm, don’t be afraid to take the free coffee out of the lounge or office.  If administrators are letting their staff administrate, why do we need the administrator?  Eliminate the position.  Never, ever hide money from the taxpayers – all accounts should be itemized and reflected in your monthly reports.  The list goes on and on.

Taxes can’t keep rising unchecked.  Once we’re all out of work, who will pay?   

Election Time Letters:   It’s election time and once again the Town and Country newspaper will publish Letters to the Editor regarding the candidates and the races.  In doing so, we ask that letter-writers follow the guidelines below:

                Letters to the Editor regarding the upcoming Primary Election on May 18 will be accepted up until May 3 for publishing in the May 6 edition.  Election related Letters to the Editor from the candidates will be accepted for publication up to May 10 for publication in the May 13 edition.  This will allow candidates to respond to letter-writers’ issues or concerns prior to the election.

Another primary election season is upon us.  The governor’s race and all of the other state’s row offices are being contested.  Half of the state’s Senate spots and all of the House seats are up for grabs this year.  One would hope that citizens who are not yet registered to vote would take the opportunity to exercise this very basic right.

April 19 is the last day you can register to cast your ballot in Pennsylvania’s May 18 primary. 

You can register at a county voter registration office or at other designated sites.

For information, you can contact the county voter registration office (listed below for Berks, Bucks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties) or contact the Pennsylvania Department of State at 1-877-868-3772 or visit their web site at www.votespa.com.

Berks County Board of Election Services – 633 Court St., First Floor, Reading, Pa.  19601.  Phone (610) 478-6490 or visit their website at www.co.berks.pa.us.

Bucks County Board of Elections/Voter Registration – 55 E. Court St., Doylestown, Pa.   18901.  Phone (215) 348-6165 or visit their web site at  www.buckscounty.org.

Lehigh County Government Center – 17 South Seventh St., Allentown, Pa.  18101-2400.  Phone (610) 782-3194 or visit their website at www.lehighcounty.org.

Montgomery County Department of Voter Services – 1 Montgomery Plaza, Suite 602, Box 311, Norristown, Pa.  19404.  Phone (610) 278-3280 or visit their web site at www.moncopa.org.

Primary elections are not the time to take an automatic break from exercising your responsibility to cast a ballot.  While most primaries are uncontested, the information gathered from the voter turnout will be used, or misused, by politicos.

 Now is the time to get to know the candidates.  If you feel that you can support them in November, tell them so in May with your vote.  Bypassing them in spring is the same as telling them that you won’t support them in the fall.

The perception of “lacking support” has felled some good candidates and caused others to change their strategy from one you agree with to one you wouldn’t wish on anybody. 

If you’re not registered to vote, do so now.  If you are registered, make sure you vote on Tuesday, May 18, 2010.