From the BCCT.
A big two thumbs down to Jack Buckman who voted in March to deny tax relief on penalties and interest to a Morrisville citizen who wanted to pay ONE DAY LATE. This is what being a member of Hellmann and Co means: Just do as I tell you and ignore what I do.
VOTE WOROB, BUCKMAN, STOUT, DEWILDE to STAY ON THIS TRACK. We need more accountability like this in our elected officials.
Try this on for size: Perhaps the struggling Buckman district should be taken over by one of its better off rental-property and hot-tub possessing friends? Wouldn't that be the neighborly thing to do?
Yeah. I don't see a line forming just yet.
This is why renters rent. They do not have the money to sustain the expenses for a house. Maybe they made bad financial decisions. Maybe they were silent victims of Wall Street exuberance. Or maybe they just flat out have bad financial skills.
When someone buys or leases a big fancy Escalade and cannot not pay for it, how long before Robbie Repo-Man makes a visit?
Big thumbs down to DeWilde, Dreisbach, and Ledger as well.
Review: Candidates late on taxes
By: DANNY ADLER
Bucks County Courier Times
Two Democratic Morrisville councilwomen running in this year's election each have more than $2,000 in unpaid 2008 borough, school and county taxes, not to mention money owed for other late bills, a newspaper review of public records indicates.
An incumbent Republican Morrisville school board member, who formerly held a seat on borough council, owes more than $3,600 combined for sanitation, water and sewer.
In all, the three candidates owe more than $9,600, according to county and municipal records dated Tuesday and Wednesday.
The candidates cited financial, health and family hardships for the backlogged bills after word of their debt circulated through town and on Web blogs within the last week. Democrat council President Nancy Sherlock started the talk May 8 after requesting public records on delinquent bills.
"I got copies of the entire borough because I think that anybody who has outstanding balances should be addressed," Sherlock said.
According to the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau, Councilwoman Rita Ledger, a Democrat running for mayor, owes $2,368 for her 2008 taxes. Ledger also was late in paying her 2004 and 2007 taxes, county records show. She is also late on $158 in water and sewer payments, the water authority's customer arrears list states. She says she'll pay the water and sewer bill today.
Democratic Councilwoman Eileen Dreisbach, who's up for re-election, owes $2,676 in taxes and $785 in sanitation fees as of Wednesday, according to the county and borough records. She also was delinquent in paying her 2004, 2006 and 2007 taxes. Dreisbach was at borough hall Thursday afternoon putting $400 towards the garbage bill.
Both councilwomen earn an annual $2,500 for their roles on borough council.
School board member Jack Buckman, a Republican and former borough councilman, owes $2,546 in water and sewer bills and $1,108 for sanitation, the records show.
Republican school board candidate John DeWilde also owes money for water and sewer. But his late balance is just $8.56.
Buckman said he's in debt because of financial problems stemming from stints of unemployment or underemployment.
A microfilm technician with the county, Buckman said he also works part time as mall security to help pay his bills. He said he has agreements with the borough and the Morrisville Municipal Authority to pay his overdue bills.
"I've done a real good job as a councilman and I've done a real good job as a school board member," Buckman said. "I'm paying these bills."
Ledger, who said she fell behind because of financial and health problems, said her political opponents are using the delinquent bills as an attack because they can't attack her record on council.
"Just because I'm a councilwoman doesn't immune me from the economic hardship that everyone else is feeling as well," said Ledger. "I certainly feel that this doesn't define who I am. I'm like everybody else, I'm experiencing the economic times, unfortunately."
Dreisbach says she fell behind on the bills while paying her mortgage and that of her late mother's home, where her 94-year-old uncle still lives.
"We are currently trying to find him a home because we are no longer able to pay the mortgage on her house and my own," she said. "I do owe last year's taxes as I was trying to keep up with both mortgages. I will be paying my taxes this year as I normally do as soon as I can.
"It is a shame when some people need to sling mud when election time rolls around. I myself don't understand that. You should be able to be elected on your own merits and accomplishments," Dreisbach said.
Democratic mayoral candidate Patricia Schell said the candidates' delinquent bills affect "every single taxpayer. If they're a political candidate or they're not, they have an obligation to pay their bills."
Mayoral candidate Graeme Thomson, a Democrat, said the political system doesn't demand that candidates pay all of their late bills before being elected, but it wouldn't be a bad idea.
"I would hope that they would pay their outstanding bills," Thomson said.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching DeWilde for comment Thursday.
Friday, May 15, 2009
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8 comments:
The hypocrisy is astounding, especially from Buckman, who just stiffed someone for being 1 day late. How many 1,000's of days late are Buckman's bills?
Does anyone else have payment agreements like Buckman's with the Borough and the Muncipal Authority? I hope these aren't "Former Council VP, Current & Former School Board Member, Elected Official" specials!
The WOROB, BUCKMAN, STOUT, DEWILDE campaign literature has the nerve to take a jab at opposition candidate Jermaine Jenkins because he rents an apartment, and so he doesn't directly pay property taxes (think it's not factored into the rent?).
Apparently, Ron Stout rents too, but that's OK. Anyone know who his landlord is?
If I'm not mistaken, the Worob family owns several apartments in town. So does the Hellmann family. So does the Hughes family, and Sharon & Diane Hughes are President & Secretary, respecitvely of QSRE, the organization that's behind the Worob, Buckman, Stout DeWilde campaign fliers.
Into which category do they place the people they rent to (in houses with their political signs planted in their lawns)?
Tax cheats or OK?
A million rules, always for the other guy.......
Let's try something different this time.
BECK
MILLER
JENKINS
STONEBURNER
for School Board. May 19. Make your voice count!
If Mr. Buckman is working two jobs, including his sting as a Mall Cop, and still is not working enough to make his tax and water payments, how is he going to be able to dedicate time to school board meetings?
And if he can't manage his own money, why should he have control over a ~$20 million per year school budget that's for educating about 1,000 kids?
I'm sorry that he's experienced financial setbacks, but I also wonder if his own personal budget difficulties are clouding his judgment about school budgets?
It's just not right to take your own personal budget problems out on kids!
I guess you are perfect. you have to keep up that front, so you can feel as though you are in control.your DAMAGING Miller Jenkins Stoneburner and Beck, because you are commanding this smear campaign and stumping for them all along the way here.THE SAME PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T VOTE FOR YOU, aren't going to vote for them.(I don't have to remind you of the count) In Morrisville, it's all about affiliation, it suprises me that I should have to tell you this. It's a shame that you seem to be disassociated with yourself and the pain of the loss you suffered in 2007. Misery loves company, as the saying goes, and more times than not, MISERY IS VERY SUCCESSFUL!!!! This blog is a perfect example why nothing will ever progress in a positive way, here in Morrisville.
I'm not perfect. I just don't practice the typical hypocritical performance that most politicians provide. How could Jack Buckman vote to deny tax relief to another while being in this mess? How could our council members be so far in arrears yet vote taxes on people year after year? How could their colleagues who run and oversee the municipal authorities allow this to continue. Are they enablers, or are they behind too and their names just didn't appear on this list, this time?
How can council and board members, who are agonizing over every dime, effectively make the decisions needed on when to spend (or NOT spend) public money? I'm sympathetic to our blind friends, but they are not driving me anywhere.
I'm not unsympathetic to the circumstances of any of these people. I question if they should be better using their time to set their priorities at home first before trying to run my life too.
It's time for a change here in Morrisville. The politics of fear need to be stopped. We need to be governed by new people. The old ones have been running things for 10, 20, and 30 years. How are we doing so far?
Vonnie, you are one foxy lady! And a hypocrite. You quote Hendrix, but I think you really like the Stones. When are you going to publish your own "Good Book"?
http://www.lulu.com
This article certainly seems to be raising a high level of interest for the upcoming election. Someone was sure to toss this into the public limelight close enough to election time to make a splash. As elected officials those who are tardy in their payment should know that they live in a fish bowl and they do need to set an example as a model citizen. They should not be responsible for spending our tax dollars if they themselves are not contributing appropriately to the public coffers.
1. There should be an ordinance passed that states very simply, all candidates for public office in the boro should be paid in full before permitted to run for office. The legality may be questioned but it seems to be a common sense law that should at least be considered.
2. An investigation should be made into just why these debts were allowed to grow so large. Someone was making sure that these debts did not result in a termination of service. Someone, probably the same someone, also made sure that these debts stayed out of the public limelight until now.
3. The reporting party for these issues is also seeking political gain. Whether the sudden reporting of these multiple years of debt should be considered a public service or a ploy for political gain is in the eye of the beholder should be irrelevant. It has brought a problem to our site that must be dealt with.
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