Delaware County
Democratic Party
Click
here to visit our website
Email News
October 6, 2003
EXTRA:
Visit
the website of the Scoles-Small-Thomas Campaign at
www.sstfordelco.com
In this Issue:
County Committee Regional Meetings
Republicans Wimp Out on Debate
Democrats Propose Property Tax Reform
News Articles
Worth Repeating
____________________________________________________
County Committee Regional
Meetings
The Democratic County Committee will meetin in three regional meetings
in October. The North regional meeting is this Wednesday, October 8,
2003 at 7pm in the Marple Township Building. The West regional meeting
is this Saturday, October 11, 2003 at 10am at Media Borough Hall.
Agenda Items include:
County Council candidates and campaign
State Judicial candidates
2004 state and legislative candidates
How to run for Delegate to 2004 Democratic National Convention
Presidential Preference Poll
County Party projects and Activities - join up
General Discussion
The South regional meeting will be held on October 22.
____________________________________________________
Republicans Wimp Out on
Debate
In a move surprising to no one, Republicans running for county council
have again refused to debate their Democratic counterparts, and the
forum sponsored by the League of Women Voter's has been canceled.
In what has become an annual rite of Fall, as sure as Halloween and
Football, Republican refuse to answer questions in front of the voters,
instead opting to attend a candidates forum sponsored by the Chamber of
Commerce that is essentially a pep rally for Republicans.
Read the county council candidate's statement to the press on the lack
of debate and the Daily Time's articles on the subject.
Candidate's
Statement on Debate
League
of Women Voters scrubs county-council debate
By ANTHONY J. SANFILIPPO
Delaware County Daily Times
____________________________________________________
Democrats Propose Property
Tax Reform
Democratic candidates for Delaware County Council have a plan to cut
property taxes, provide relief to senior citizens on fixed incomes and
reform the way we fund education in Delaware County. Through this plan,
Paul Scoles, Bob Small and Debbie Thomas fully support Governor
Rendell's efforts to reduce property taxes in Pennsylvania and pledge
to seek the necessary state approval to enact further property tax
reductions at the county level.
"Delaware County is a microcosm of Pennsylvania," Scoles said. "Many of
our communities in the Southeastern portion of our county have
experienced the flight of jobs, businesses and residents. They no
longer have an adequate tax base to support the needs of public
education in their communities. Many of our schools do not have the
resources necessary to provide adequately for the education of the
future generations of residents and workers in Delaware County. We must
change this system, both at the state level and right here at home in
Delaware County," said Scoles, of Haverford.
Under the Democratic plan, property taxes would be reduced as a funding
mechanism for public schools in Delaware County. The plan proposes a
reduction in property taxes by petitioning the state legislature to
give Delaware County authority to levy a county-wide income tax and
then distribute this income, via a formula, to each of the county's
school districts. School districts would be required to reduce property
taxes dollar for dollar in return for the money they receive from the
income tax.
In addition, the plan calls for the county to assume the local funding
portion of Delaware County Community College, allowing districts who
contribute to DCCC to further reduce their property taxes equal to
their contribution to the college
The Governor was elected last year with overwhelming support here in
Delaware County for property tax reform. Residents across this county,
especially senior citizens, have been demanding changes to the grossly
unfair property tax for years. And the Republicans continue to stand in
the way of progressive change on this issue. Republicans continue to
stand in the way of property tax reduction," said Small.
"Unless we act now, our county will continue to lose residents, jobs,
businesses and the ability to support the needs of our children, our
senior citizens and our communities," said Scoles.
To see the plan in detail, visit www.sstfordelco.com
____________________________________________________
News Articles of Note
Welcome
to Vietnam, Mr. President.
Sorry you didn't go when you had the chance.
By Max Cleland
Slain
CIA Agent's Dad Calls Leak Treason
By Devlin Barrett
The Associated Press
Poll
Shows Increased Doubts About Iraq War, Bush
Reuters
___________________________________________________
Worth Repeating
The president has declared "major combat over" and sent a message to
every terrorist, "Bring them on." As a result, he has lost more people
in his war than his father did in his and there is no end in sight.
Military commanders are left with extended tours of duty for servicemen
and women who were told long ago they were going home. We are keeping
American forces on the ground, where they have become sitting ducks in
a shooting gallery for every terrorist in the Middle East.
Welcome to Vietnam, Mr. President. Sorry you didn't go when you had the
chance.
--Former Senator and Vietnam War Hero Max Cleland