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Chester County Press

Uncle Irvin: Pa. lawmakers, school directors boost Delaware economy

11/18/2015 10:41AM ● By Richard Gaw




By kowtowing to the demands of teachers' unions and raising property and sales tax rates so that teachers can have higher salaries, health and pension benefits, Pennsylvania lawmakers and school directors are marketing the state of Delaware as a more efficient place to live.

Since Delaware has zero sales tax and much lower property taxes than Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor can't wait to raise taxes, that makes Delaware even cheaper to live in than Pennsylvania.

How much will a new 7.25 percent sales tax hurt Pennsylvania households? A family of four in a single-family home on a 1.25-acre lot spends between $5,000 and $10,000 on school taxes and another $3,500 on sales taxes, while a smaller home in Delaware could cut taxes up to $8,500 per year. That's a pretty handsome head start for a growing family or new empty-nesters.

Pennsylvania’s citizens are collectively blind by not realizing the deep mess this state is in. Pennsylvania's unwillingness to tackle its overspending is no different than Detroit and Puerto Rico, and makes the state vulnerable to bankruptcy.

(Uncle Irvin's column is his opinion only, and is not a news story.)