Decision on Ownership of McCain House’s “Front Lawn” Coming as Soon as April
Historical Museum and Genealogical Society Vice-President Ron Crytzer asked for Kittanning Borough Council support for the “front lawn” of the McCain House to be given back or sold to the nonprofit organization. Borough Council members unanimously agreed in January, and Armstrong School District officials received a letter of support from Borough Council President Kim Fox earlier this month.
by Jonathan Weaver
Though the former Kittanning Junior High, Kittanning Senior High and Ford City Junior/Senior High buildings remain unsold since they were closed in June, a local nonprofit is petitioning for Kittanning property to be donated or sold to them.
Armstrong County Historical Museum and Genealogical Society Vice-President Ronald Crytzer sought support from Kittanning Borough Council elected officials in January for the Kittanning Junior High parking lot at 300 North McKean St. to be donated or sold to the nonprofit at a reduced cost.
The property currently occupied by a fenced-in parking lot used to be the “front lawn” of the historic McCain House until the property was purchased by the then-Kittanning Union School District in 1944.
“It has very historical significance to the building and to Kittanning,” Crytzer said. “It is worthwhile for Kittanning to have that property as an invaluable asset to the community. There aren’t many properties like that.”
Crytzer said the property might also entice more tourism, even possibly used for future re-enactments and displays of artifacts.
Built in 1842, The McCain House used to be the Armstrong School District administrative building before it was leased by the historical society in 1970. It is now the Historical Museum and the adjacent Carriage House is the Mildred Landerd-Thomas Genealogical Library.
“In 1984 through special legislation, we acquired ownership of the McCain House and the Carriage House from the school district, but the school district reserved the front lawn-portion of the McCain House as a playground for what was then the kindergarten and then the late-junior high school,” Crytzer said. “The kindergarten moved to West Hills and the school district transformed the property into a parking lot.
“The Society has been trying to acquire total ownership of that front lawn for the past 45 years.”
Crytzer, a Troy Hill native, said high school students and military veterans had their photo taken on the front lawn before they went to war.
Part of the first Kittanning Senior High School class in 1956, Crytzer even recalled learning to shoot in the attic of the building before he joined the U.S. Military.
Councilman Jerry Shuster remembered flag football on that lawn, and motioned for Council to support the historical society’s mission.
School board directors received a letter dated March 7 and signed by Council President Kim Fox reinforcing their support.
Fox did not return phone calls to the Kittanning Paper regarding the letter.
Crytzer was glad to receive Kittanning Borough Council’s support.
“My efforts are to support Kittanning,” Crytzer said. “I became involved in the historical society because I’m proud of my hometown. We’re trying to maintain the history of the county for the benefit of our own enjoyment and our future citizens.”
School Superintendent Chris DeVivo acknowledged its receipt at last week’s school board regular meeting.
School Board President Joseph Close said society members have requested the property several times, and he suggested action be taken on their request as early as next month.
“I do believe that that property would be best-suited in the interest of (the Armstrong County Historical Museum and Genealogical Society). I think they will preserve that property in a manner that they suggested in which they use it,” Close said. “Maybe we should talk and see if we can make that happen for them.”
In January, Crytzer was open to the suggestion of leasing the property to the school district if requested.
Should ASD donate the parking lot to the non-profit McKean House or sell it to private owner as a taxable property? Go online and vote now: www.kittanningpaper.com
Before it was a parking lot, the property facing North McKean Street was used as a playground for the Kittanning Middle/Jr. High School. At one point, trailers lined the property for additional classrooms. The Historical Museum hope to utilize the lot to promote further tourism in the area.
Local News | jweaver March 24, 2016
By jorn jensen, March 24, 2016 @ 8:49 AM
In the poll, 21 voted (at this time) to donate it and 4 voted to sell it and maintain it as a taxable property.
So, how do you want it? One less taxable property in the district as taxes continue up and up? The poll shows the ‘softness’ toward good things, like a museum, while people write bigger and bigger checks for taxes.
By elderman, March 25, 2016 @ 5:23 PM
I am not interested in the results of the Kittanning Paper poll as to whether the parking lot should be donated to the Historical Society or sold as a taxable property. The results of this type of poll will be skewed with a high percentage of those involved in any way with the Historical Society casting their vote for the property to be donated while the average citizen will consider it meaningless and simply choose to not get involved and not vote. I was in the group of non voters until I reread the article and realized that ASD board member Joe Close, through his remarks, was already pandering to donate the property.
Mr. Close needs to put on his thinking cap and the rest of the ASD board needs to consider the reality of Armstrong School Districts financial situation. We cannot afford to give away assets at a time when the ASD school board’s tax increases have left many taxpayers struggling to keep their homes. The donation of the property is a double whammy for the taxpayers in that the district gets no monetary value in return and the property stays off the tax rolls. And this “donation” would occur at a time when the ASD board has demonstrated a proclivity to overspend for the new school’s athletic facilities while ignoring student’s educational needs and the remainder of the districts school buildings and facilities.
If the ASD board hopes to sell the closed Junior High School property, it is indisputable that having the parking lot as part of the package would make it more attractive to a buyer. I cannot conjure any scenario where having the parking lot linked with the sale of the building would be a negative. To simply give away a major selling point of the property makes no sense. They must consider all the taxpayers of the district, not just some special interest group.
In fact, there is already a precedent set as to how this request by the Historical Society should be handled. The Kittanning Paper article dated August11, 2015 describes the arrangement between ASD and Ford City where the Ford City Junior Senior High School parking lot was leased to Ford City for one dollar per year with the understanding that the lease can be terminated if necessary to coincide with the sale of the school. This seems like a much better arrangement to protect the interests of the taxpayers in that the parking lot would still be available as an inducement to an interested buyer and if the buyer did not want it, then the lease continues.
Adam Grafton
South Bend Township
By worthingtonman, March 27, 2016 @ 6:06 PM
It’s one plot of land what are you going to get for it. Let it go back to its rightful owner.
By jorn jensen, March 27, 2016 @ 9:57 PM
elderman - Excellent comment. You ‘get it’. So many don’t. Of course the poll will be biased and slanted, but the poll is meaningless.
People like feel-good-stuff. Like giving tax-free property to a museum and then making the rest of the property less desirable to a possible buyer. But, feel good that something is given to the museum so we can look back, in the future, at what we had back then. A sheriff’s sale of one’s property is NOT feel-good-stuff, but, hey, like Tom Wolf says, ‘a few may lose their homes.” as if “so what?”. Well, to those few, the district is wrecking their lives in the name of education at any cost.
This school board set out to build the new school - never a plan for anything else - just the new school. New school in place - now what do we do with the old schools? Well, the state mandates a consultant. Consultant comes in and says, “Hey, let’s ask the people!” Brilliant. Novel approach. End result - consultant says make them into senior housing - that’s all that’s left here - seniors - let’s house them. Nevermind looking to bring in business and industry.
This area is its own worst enemy. Support property tax elimination - support HB/SB76 and do something positive for this over-spent area.
By ktown_kid, March 28, 2016 @ 8:23 AM
You are correct jorn, there is nothing here but seniors, high taxes, people who refuse to work and drug dealers. The new school should have never been built in the first place. The board just keeps spending away because of their lack of planning but why do they care, their kids can be the first graduating class….big deal! Taxes keep going up, jobs continue to be eliminated and the population decline but hey we can see the new school on top of the hill all lit up 24/7.
By jorn jensen, March 28, 2016 @ 8:55 AM
There you go, worthingtonman. It’s one plot of land - it is just one drip in a massive bucket. That bucket gets full with a lot of drips.
Are you sure that you’re a conservative?
By jorn jensen, March 28, 2016 @ 10:06 AM
Funny how Joe Close and worthingtonman sound alike. Hmmm.
By elderman, March 28, 2016 @ 3:10 PM
Worthington man – Your comment concerning one plot of land and rightful ownership has me concerned as to whether you understood what I wrote. I suggest that you go back and reread my post, slowly, perhaps several times until you grasp the concept of what I have written. I certainly am not advocating selling the parking lot as a separate entity (your words – “It’s one plot of land, what are you going to get for it”). Rather, I am saying that the parking lot in conjunction with the building makes a more attractive property for potential buyers than does the building alone.
And although it seems inconceivable, it looks like the ASD board put exactly zero thought into what they were going to do with the closed buildings once the new school was built. Sad to say, but in their zest to build the new school their tunnel vision prevented them from realizing that at the completion of construction, there would be 3 buildings sitting empty with bleak prospects for selling any of the three. A disservice was done to the ASD taxpayers by the following board members, Mr. Joe Close, Mr. Chris Choncek, Mr. Jim Rearick, Mr. Stan Berdell, Ms. Amy Lhote, Ms. Linda Walker, and Mr. Larry Robb who voted to build the new school without having the foresight to have a viable plan in place to deal with the closed buildings. I encourage people to ask their representatives what their plan is for these empty buildings. How long do you let them sit waiting for a potential buyer? What are the present and future maintainance costs for the empty buildings to keep them as a viable selling property? If the buildings cannot be sold, what are the costs to raze them? There are many things that should have been considered, some of which could eventually be very costly for the taxpayers. Selling, or worse, giving away this parking lot which is a major selling point for one of these 3 buildings will only make an eventual sale even less likely.
Insofar as the parking lot going to its rightful owners, it is currently with the rightful owners, Armstrong School District via ASD taxpayers who paid for it. To be fair to those taxpayers who are being pinched by the ASD board’s tax raises, the property should not be given away. As I stated in my previous post, a fair way to handle this is by the precedent that was set in Ford City. Lease the lot to the Historical Society with the contingency that the lease could be terminated at the time of the sale of the building. If the building buyer does not want the lot, then the lease with the Historical Society would continue. I’m sure that the ASD board would want to treat all areas of the district, be it Ford City or Kittanning with the same fairness.
By elderman, March 28, 2016 @ 4:44 PM
I want to apologize to Dr. Paul Lobby for excluding his name among those ASD school board members who voted on April 16, 2012 to build the new school without having a plan for the future of the 3 empty school buildings.
By jorn jensen, March 28, 2016 @ 10:27 PM
Very good, elderman. They don’t understand what you’ve written.
By jerry6, March 29, 2016 @ 12:30 PM
Jensen” Your so smart that you always have to explain what someone else writes. I tell some people about you from Erie and the things you write and they say, Is this guy for real. I said yes, that is why he wasn’t elected commissioner. He insults democrats all the time and thinks republicans walk on water.
By jorn jensen, March 30, 2016 @ 9:02 AM
Just heard from a friend that says the same as the school board president - just give them the land.
The school board, more than anyone else, should be pushing to put more lands on the tax roles, not decreasing lands on tax roles. That would give them more money to spend. What is their thinking process?
Support HB/SB 76, property tax elimination legislation.
By jorn jensen, March 30, 2016 @ 9:33 AM
Wrong, jerry6. I give the republicans as much hell as I do the democrats.
Had I made commissioner, you’d be seeing cuts in spending. 600 county employees obviously did not vote for me because I’d be studying every one of their jobs.
I’d have voted no on Pictometry and I’d have told the assessment office to get out there and do your jobs - that’s what you’re paid to do.
I’d have voted ONLY for a warden from Armstrong County - I’d want someone with skin in the game (paying taxes back into Armstrong County) - you can’t tell me that in 69,000 residents, we can’t find anyone as-qualified as the good warden from Butler County.
I’d have voted to hold the budget at 19 million - do whatever cuts were needed to make it happen. Make the area more inviting for business and industry instead of drug dealers.
You say that I think that republicans walk on water. They sink pretty quick. Jason Renshaw’s mailers to the homes stated ‘will hold the line on taxes’. You got one in your mail just like I did. Mine is pinned to my in-house bulletin board - as a reminder. He voted yes on the budget increase to 21 million. Pat Fabian leads him by the nose.
No one gives Jeff Pyle more hell than me. We sent him to Harrisburg, about 12 years ago, on his promise of property tax elimination. So, how’s that going? He won’t make public comment on it. He won’t respond to questions on it. He’s made a good home for himself - driving a nice, leased BMW into broke Ford City. You democrats put up Jo Ellen Bowman - nice lady, but if she’d made it, you have more social programs spending than Obama has ever though of. You democrats need to put up a moderate, blue dog democrat and you’d unseat Pyle because people have had enough of Pyle. I can’t believe that the democrats haven’t figured that out yet.
In the meetings of the prior commissioners, when they were reviewing the budget publicly, I questioned why are we putting a fund together for ‘high profile litigation’? Don’t we have insurance for that? My question was glossed-over. Turns out that it was George Skamai’s job to have arranged the insurance and failed to do so when he was in that job, so now they had to create a high profile litigation slush fund to cover their butts. Well, guess what? Expect more litigation - like a suit from the fired warden. Get your wallet out, jerry6.
Show this post to your buddies from Erie and see what they think.
By jorn jensen, March 30, 2016 @ 9:51 AM
So, jerry6, how are you liking the Trump/Clinton poll up above? You’d better call mad back from vacation and load up the KP poll with Clinton votes - she appears to be a bit behind, eh? LOL!
By jorn jensen, March 30, 2016 @ 11:17 AM
Why doesn’t the museum group just buy the entire school property and we’ll put it on the tax roles? Have both buildings and the parking lot. A really big museum. Put years of school district history in the old school.
By worthingtonman, March 30, 2016 @ 8:52 PM
Jensen and Elderman make a good pair. You can almost hear the crickets when these guys talk because no one listens to the crapshow they spew. They are literally both losers, Elderman with his little HERO hate fest and Jensen with his failed Commisioner run. Then Jensen falls back on trying to guess who anonymous people are. I will make sure I send your love to Joe the next time I see him Jorn. You two clowns are an embarrassment. You really should just shut your damn pie holes before you embarrass yourselves more
By jorn jensen, March 31, 2016 @ 7:38 AM
So, worthingtonman, by your post, you believe that we should not have taxable properties on the tax roles to support the school district’s spending?
Perhaps you support HB/SB76, property tax elimination?
Perhaps the KP should do another poll once logical arguments are presented against what appears to be a nice-to-do-thing?
By scott_starr, March 31, 2016 @ 8:13 AM
@Worthington:
While I did not agree with HERO, and did quite a bit to counter the 3 school option which was proposed, I give those folks a lot of credit for what they did, they challenged the status quo and stood up.
By scott_starr, March 31, 2016 @ 8:18 AM
There was a financial transaction to purchase the property. Unless there was a provision in the sale that the former owner have first option on re-purchasing, it belongs to the ASD.
The “rightful owner” is the ASD, they paid for it. They have to decide what to do with it.
By jd718, March 31, 2016 @ 9:30 AM
Your being Silly Jensen, stay on topic! Jerry6 is correct about you. Talked to Mad this morning and he thinks the Clinton-Trump poll is a joke, which means he/she could care less!
By jd718, March 31, 2016 @ 9:35 AM
“Turns out that it was George Skamai’s job to have arranged the insurance and failed to do so when he was in that job, so now they had to create a high profile litigation slush fund to cover their butts. Well, guess what? Expect more litigation – like a suit”
The Real Problem with the Good’Ol Boys Way! I’m not surprised, same as the Poll, it’s Armstrong County!
By elderman, March 31, 2016 @ 4:57 PM
Worthingtonman – I am disappointed, as I’m sure are the rest of the readers on this blog, in your reply of March 30, 2016 at 8:52 PM. You had several days to consider what has been written and respond with what you consider to be reasons why the ASD board should donate the parking lot to the Historical Society. You had several days to defend your original post in which you reference donating or selling the property (which according to The Kittanning Paper article is not being considered at market value) and some drivel about returning the property to the “rightful” owner.
Unfortunately, you chose launch into a personal attack on me and another writer. I am disappointed in that I thought that perhaps you actually had some legitimate reasons to share with the readers why this property should be donated or sold at a reduced price. I am going to extend to you an invitation to further expand upon your reasoning, hopefully beyond your original two sentence post downplaying the value of the property and rightful ownership. I will even give you some hints as to what you might write about. How about; Kittanning should be given preferential treatment over Ford City. How about; the ASD board should not go about running the district as a business. How about; the board should further disrespect the district’s taxpayers by giving away assets at a time when some taxpayers are struggling to keep their homes. How about; the chance for the sale of the school building would increase exponentially without having the parking lot as an inducement to a potential buyer. How about; The ASD board should definitely give away assets at a time when they are considering raising taxes. NOT!!!!!
I hope you will not continue to disappoint the readers. I hope you can refrain from further person attacks long enough to clearly state why you think the property should be donated or sold at a reduced price. As Joe Friday used to say on the Dragnet series “Just the Facts”.
By Just sayin, March 31, 2016 @ 5:01 PM
Jensen is just a Jerry Miklos wannabe. He doesn’t have the class and chutzpah that Miklos has. At least Jerry takes action and isn’t all meow. LMAO
By jorn jensen, March 31, 2016 @ 5:32 PM
worthingtonman - Why don’t you type out 38 lines of well-thought-out logic for your position on this topic - like elderman did?
Instead, you just do a childish “Jensen and elderman make a good pair.” and then go on to attack the two of us.
You sure you’re not one of the liberals on here?
By Flamingo1, March 31, 2016 @ 6:01 PM
@Scott
So Obama is the worst president? By what criteria? As I check my 401k and the reduction in the national deficit, I wonder what can you be talking about?Is it the unemployment rate compared with 7 years ago? Or the fact we have not had a corruption scandal like in the Reagan administration of selling weapons to Iran? Do tell.
By worthingtonman, March 31, 2016 @ 9:12 PM
@ Scott
The concept of HERO may have been a grass roots effort, but the people running it made a mockery of many good people trying desperately to keep a school open to graduate a handful of students. It was a selfish grass roots effort. They verbally attacked several good people and cared less about the good of the district. They only cared for the good of the Elderton People. The Past practice of the school district was to try to return these buildings back to the communities. This property has not been generating taxes for ever. Let’s be realistic about these buildings. They are never going to be successful buildings. They will never generate tax dollars. The people paid to study the feasibility of these buildings have told us that. Raze the buildings and build a nice park. Raze these buildings and let someone develop housing. Much like what they did with IUP. Jensen acts like we are losing tax money. Maybe he will have to give up a little more of his dusty money. You have to have had tax dollars coming in to have lost them. He is acting just like a democrat trying to find more sources of money. He always has to try to make people look bad to try to make himself look good. It is not working!
By sickofpayingforit, March 31, 2016 @ 10:01 PM
JD-
Regarding poll being a joke because Trump is winning.
Of course.
By elderman, April 1, 2016 @ 12:36 PM
Worthingtonman – I am disappointed, as I’m sure are the rest of the readers on this blog, in your reply of March 30, 2016 at 8:52 PM. You had several days to consider what has been written and respond with what you consider to be reasons why the ASD board should donate the parking lot to the Historical Society. You had several days to defend your original post in which you reference donating or selling the property (which according to The Kittanning Paper article is not being considered at market value) and some drivel about returning the property to the “rightful” owner.
Unfortunately, you chose launch into a personal attack on me and another writer. I am disappointed in that I thought that perhaps you actually had some legitimate reasons to share with the readers why this property should be donated or sold at a reduced price. I am going to extend to you an invitation to further expand upon your reasoning, hopefully beyond your original two sentence post downplaying the value of the property and rightful ownership. I will even give you some hints as to what you might write about. How about; Kittanning should be given preferential treatment over Ford City. How about; the ASD board should not go about running the district as a business. How about; the board should further disrespect the district’s taxpayers by giving away assets at a time when some taxpayers are struggling to keep their homes. How about; the sale of the school building would increase exponentially without having the parking lot as an inducement to a potential buyer. The ASD board should definitely give away assets at a time when they are considering raising taxes. NOT!!!!!
I hope you will not continue to disappoint the readers. I hope you can refrain from further person attacks long enough to clearly state why you think the property should be donated or sold at a reduced price. As Joe Friday used to say on the Dragnet series “Just the Facts”.
By jorn jensen, April 1, 2016 @ 2:49 PM
jd718 - Not much of any value to add, eh?
That would be “You’re being silly”, not “Your being silly….” You’re is the contraction for you are, your is the possessive, as in your Hillary, not my Hillary. LOL!
By Marc, April 1, 2016 @ 3:23 PM
Wow Jensen, that’s a lot of “I’d have’s”!!!
Even if you got the 600 additional votes, you’d still have gotten less than half of what the current commissioners ended up with. LOL!!!
When you were campaigning you mentioned having a list of companies/ connections to bring jobs to the county. Where is it? You can work with the current commissioners and make these introductions still if you cared about the county. Do you not care or were you lying about these contacts?
It sounds like you promised something you could never deliver while you’re bashing every politician in Armstrong County for the same exact thing. Hypocritical much?
By jerry6, April 3, 2016 @ 2:15 PM
Jensen, to answer your post from March 30, the poll on here is about as good as the ones they do nationally. A person told me they got a call for a vote and he told them who he was voting for and the caller said you have to vote for the top three.
Kasich is the only responsible conservative running on that side and Clinton is the most knowledgeable on the other side. I can’t seem to find Clintons criminal record, Jensen, where will I find it? Lol
M
By jd718, April 3, 2016 @ 6:37 PM
JJ, of course it’s a typo, like the time you typed, (that-that). You can do better, maybe not! Still waiting for your subjects in America explanation, Ha-Ha. Hey, Jensen, You got more votes in your Losing Cause in the primary than Trump the Rumps got in the KP Poll, LOL Never-Trump!
By jd718, April 3, 2016 @ 6:41 PM
Jensen, Ben Carson said today: Donald Trump has Major Defects, sort of like you, Jensen! LOL
By worthingtonman, April 4, 2016 @ 4:41 PM
Jensen
Neither of you guys are worthy of a long thought out proposal. The folks reading this comment section realize that Eldertonman has a bias against the ASD and Kittanning in general. To be honest with you I did not take the three minutes required to get down through the tripe that was posted. I am a conservative, not a Liberal as my posts will indicate. You are of course on the right wing nut job side of things. Why don’t you do the county and the country a favor and vote for Kasich on Election Day. Let’s put someone up that can clean Clintons clock instead of handing the country over to Clinton. All of the polling indicates what is going to happen with Trump. I can not get excited about voting for Trump. We have the demographics to beat Clinton with Kasich.
By Marc, April 4, 2016 @ 4:47 PM
Where’s your contacts list Jensen? LOL
By jorn jensen, April 5, 2016 @ 9:02 AM
So, worthingtonman is being very quiet on elderman’s challenge. What’s up with that? Or is it the big backlog of comments that has the KP ‘behind’ in posting them? LOL !
By jorn jensen, April 5, 2016 @ 11:31 AM
worthingtonman - you attack me and call me a democrat and you call yourself a republican. Let’s see - you want to give away some land, tax-free, so that the rest of us property tax payers can pay for that tax-free parcel. So, who is the democrat and who is the republican?
“Jensen acts like we are losing tax money.” If you give away land and keep it tax-free, then you are losing tax money if you could have sold it and taxed it. Can you comprehend, Joe?
worhtingtonman, one of your past pieces of advice to me, on this site, was “If you can’t afford the property taxes then you can’t afford to own your property - so sell it.” Ummmm, my property is paid off. No mortgage. I own it. Why do I have to pay rent on it, to the county and the school district, forever? How about I just pay more income and sales tax to help those two entities along?
elderman has you figured out, as do I.
We need to get Jeff Pyle off his ass and get to work on HB76. He needs to be loud and outspoken on it - it was the platform that he ran on 12 years ago and all’s been quiet since (from him). Problem is that he was a teacher and the PSEA doesn’t like property tax elimination because they’re concerned about funding cuts. Anything for the union, right Jeff?
State senator Don White supports SB76, so there is a glimmer of hope for our area in getting rid of property taxes.
Get active! Support HB/SB 76 and keep the county and school district from taking our homes.
By worthingtonman, April 5, 2016 @ 11:01 PM
Jensen
Do us all a favor and move. You give conservatives a bad name. I don’t like you, your neighbors don’t like you. I even talked to a few guys from the power supply company you worked for and they did not like you. I have told you in the past that I worked with induction power supply’s from Ajax.(pacer ones to be exact) I managed a plant that did vacuum induction melting. I now manage a warehouse in Pittsburgh. Quit trying to label me as Joe. Stick your stupid property tax bill where the sun don’t shine. It’s never gonna happen. In fact just the fact that you support it makes it a no go for me. Pay your property taxes like those before you and quit whining about a 1/2 acre of land that was probably taken by eminent domain anyways. Keep stretching your pennies into copper wire.
By jd718, April 6, 2016 @ 7:29 AM
“We have the demographics to beat Clinton with Kasich.” Not Really! Close but no cigar.
By jd718, April 6, 2016 @ 8:09 AM
Probably one of the Best Posts you have written, Worthingtonman, not because of the opposition to Jensen, but, the truth of your statements…
By blutoblutarsky, April 6, 2016 @ 9:34 AM
Worthingtonman, agreed. Jensen selfishly only wants someone else to pay for things his family happily took advantage of when they were paid by others before him.
If you do a little research on this bill, you’ll find that it benefits corporations and owners of significant amounts of real estate. It completely shifts the tax burden to the poor and middle class.
Jensen, just pay your taxes like everyone else… and give Marc that contact list. haha
By jd718, April 6, 2016 @ 11:32 AM
“Why do I have to pay rent on it, to the county and the school district, forever?” 1 reason would be this is America and this is how it’s (taxes) done in America. Taxes were here and paid by Americans Before You (Jensen) even got here to begin with! It’s the American way Cheap A$$ pay and stay or don’t pay and Leave!
By Marc, April 6, 2016 @ 3:25 PM
Pyle said he’d take SB76 straight to the top once you furnish the list of contacts you promised the taxpayers of Armstrong County, Jensen. LOL
Wo-townman did his homework on you. Not surprising by any means.
By Rainbow Rider, April 6, 2016 @ 5:22 PM
Worthingtonman, excellent analysis, good comment you made on April 5, 11:01, you ‘get it’
By jd718, April 6, 2016 @ 6:29 PM
Hey Sick, Trump the Rump and his Zombies (that would be you) got schlonged in Wisconsin! LOL
By bob, April 6, 2016 @ 7:22 PM
@ worthingtonman,
I don’t care if he moves or not. I do wish he would stop posting on every article in a manner that gets everyone all stirred up.
@ jorn,
I think you have an unhealthy obsession with a certain elected official in this community. I feel certain if you made an offer on that car you seem so fasinated with, it could be yours. Stop stating things as facts that are no such thing. It makes me think everything you say is untrue.
By Marc, April 7, 2016 @ 3:41 PM
Bob- Jensen does nothing but complain about Pyle and the current commissioners for promising things and not delivering. During his pathetic campaign he promised to use his list of business contacts to help bring industry to our county.
I think he should still be held to this promise if he actually does care about Armstrong. He has yet to fulfill this promise, so in reality he is no better than the others and has no room to complain.
By bob, April 8, 2016 @ 9:45 AM
@ Marc,
I agree that all he does is complain about them. He makes comments even when the article has nothing to do with any of these people. Unhealthy obsession like I said. Or jealousy? Or a big crush? Whatever it is, I am growing tired of it.
By blutoblutarsky, April 13, 2016 @ 5:06 PM
Bob- I heard Jensen blabs about Pyle constantly on FB. I wonder what created this stalking behavior?
By bob, April 17, 2016 @ 7:03 PM
@ Bluto,
Maybe Pyle disagreed with him. Some of us that comment on this site might also become subject to this stalking behavior if we used our real names and dared to disagree with him.
By Marc, April 18, 2016 @ 8:10 AM
Bob, you’re right. He seems to have a screw or two loose. He probably prints out comments from this site and papers his garage with them.
By jorn jensen, April 18, 2016 @ 8:32 AM
You liberals are a hoot. Pyle ran on property tax elimination and was elected - years ago - maybe 12 or so. Hasn’t done a thing on it. Empty suit in Harrisburg. Has voted down every HB 1776 and 76 that has come up. Won’t defend himself. Won’t make a public statement. Will shake your hand and smile at you at a gun bash.
You people need to pay attention to details. Like the stealth vote at the recent school board meeting. The union contract was voted on and approved, AND a new assistant superintendent was hired for $133,000/year. The agenda presented to the public had no items listed under PERSONNEL. After the vote on PERSONNEL, (7-0), the agenda was updated to 19 personnel items. The assistant superintendent was some lower PER-#, and the approval of the 5 year union contract was PER-18.
So, if you liberals think that is the way to run this local sinking ship, then keep on attacking jenny and give that group of 9 free reign over your wallet.
In reality, Joe Close should have abstained from voting because his wife is in the bargaining unit. Ms. Walker should have abstained from voting because she is a retired teacher and a beneficiary of the contract. And, past union president, Tim Scaife, did the right thing - he was absent, therefore, abstention by default.
Our school board retained all principals after the schools were closed and consolidated into the new school. Might one of those principals have made a good assistant superintendent? They are already on the payroll. But this board adds to the payroll in a consolidation. What are they smoking?
But, keep on attacking jenny to divert the interest in current events, idiots.
By Rainbow Rider, April 19, 2016 @ 12:31 AM
Seems like jenny is getting a little worked up!
Little high on the tension scale eh’ jenny!
By jorn jensen, April 19, 2016 @ 7:49 AM
Rainbow Rider - What are your thoughts on hiring a new assistant superintendent, for $133,000, and bypassing 4 ‘retained’ principals for the same job? Can we stay on topic with an attention span of more than micro-seconds?
Worked up? YOU should be worked up, as well as so many others who sit idly by and ignore this kind of thing.
The only ATI manufacturing facility in Armstrong County will be shuttered this month. That’s 300/350 tax-paying jobs gone and our school board grants a 5 year 1.5% annual increase teachers’ contract. They have that much wisdom to see 5 years out. Wow!
YOU should be worked up.
By Marc, April 19, 2016 @ 1:08 PM
Rainbow, he sure does have his panties in a wad about those HB’s! LOL He’s living in fantasy land. I applaud Pyle for saying no, they’re a bad deal for the middle class.
Jensen… fold this comment into a little dunce cap for yourself.