November 15, 2000

Shamokin: Clyde Peeling of Reptileland said it perfectly: "A federal prison is not the good neighbor it is made out to be." He made that statement at a meeting of the Brush Valley Preservation Association Monday evening.

People of eastern Northumberland county, WAKE UP! Pay attention to what could possibly happen if this federal prison is built in our area. It will not be the economic savior that a select few are trying to convince you that it will be. It will not cause Shamokin's downtown to be revitalized. It will not increase your property values or cause your taxes to be reduced. Do you know that a federal prison DOES NOT pay taxes? They do not.

Who is making out with this project? One entity only, Philadelphia Suburban Water of Philadelphia. They don't live here and they don't care about our incomes or expenses. They have one goal only, to sell the land that they have been trying to unload for years. They even had a contract with PP&L's industrial development department to market and sell that land and even experts at PP&L couldn't sell it. Why? It's just too expensive and costly to develop. So, the Philadelphia Suburban executives came up with a plan. They'd offer this land to us taxpayers. They will do us a favor by selling this land to us. Amazing! What a sweetheart deal for them, the big company from Philadelphia. They get us taxpayers to buy property they can't sell, and to top it off, we get more taxpayer money spent to get them a big water customer! How many business owners would like a deal such as that?

Also, as you are now paying higher real estate taxes for this ground, you will be paying an increased tax bill next year for this project. Who else would benefit? Residents of the surrounding counties who will not be paying this increased real estate tax. They will drive here to work, drive home and pay tax in their home county.

The taxpayer of Coal Township will possibly pay higher taxes to pay for the street department employees to maintain and plow the roads that will be built in the valley. And, possibly more police will need to be hired to patrol this area.

I will debate anyone on this issue publicly or privately. The plan that the BVPA has come up with has taken months to develop. We have put in long hours of time and travel at our own expense to see that the taxpayer is represented properly. As for our government leaders, you could say that we are getting taxation without representation. I will meet or talk about this at any group meeting I'm invited to or privately. Contact me. It's time for we taxpayers to make our voices heard.

Joseph F. Rebar