This is an interesting policy question for discussion. It pits law and order crowd against the no tax crowd, which is often one and the same.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering whether to impose a $100-per-resident tax on large municipalities that do not have their own police forces and instead rely entirely on state troopers.A state House bill would impose the fee only on municipalities with at least 10,000 people. Under current census figures, it would produce more than $31 million annually from 21 townships in 12 counties.
But at a hearing in Harrisburg yesterday, opponents warned it could be financially devastating and could push townships that do not want their own police forces to establish them anyway.
“This approach looks to me like a state mandate, and it looks like an unfunded mandate,” said Rep. Will Gabig, R-Cumberland County
Paying for State Police Protection
Any reasonable citizen will support this bill except for those who expect a free ride at Pennsylvania taxpayer expense. I have lived in two PA communities of less than 2500 in population and both towns managed to fund their own police force with no great difficulty.
These same free riders have inflicted a hazardous situation on rural residents who are forced to rely on state troopers who find their own limited forces streched dangerously thin.
In fact, the original legislation creating the Pennsylvania State Constablatory in 1905 stated that the purpose of the force was primarily to provide police “protection to rural Pennsylvanians”
Let these free riders pay their fair share.
Matt Thomas
Pennsylvania State Police Protection
What of should be done is get the State Police out of local law enforcement.This would reduce the state’s budget by 1/4 of a BILLION dollars. Local Law Enforcement should be handled by an important law enforcement agency not being used to it’s full capacity. The Sheriff’s Department in Pa are not used to their full potential. Some Counties in Pa use their Sheriff’s for all their needs. But most do not. Sheriff’s Deputies go to an academy for 19 weeks and are highly trained. Our elected officals should be looking at increasing the numbers of Deputies in Pa and give taxpayers a break. I am from a state where Sheriff’s do most everything on a County level. State Police patrol the highways and assist where needed. There seems to be a childish Turf war between State,County,and Local Police. Everyone needs to what is best for Pa taxpayers.
Post new comment