Monday, July 6, 2009

Mr. Eachus- Are You Misleading The Public About Senate Bill 961 That Would Help Hazleton?

Eachus seeks guidance on Hazleton pension fund woes by Mia Light for the Citizen's Voice published June 29,2009.

Here is what Mr. Todd Eachus had to say:

House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township, reached out to the office of the Pennsylvania auditor general Friday for guidance in correcting Hazleton's $2.5 million debt to its pension fund.

It was reported in the Times Leader by Bill O'Boylethat Eachus has sent a letter to state Auditor General Jack Wagner that condemns Barletta’s action in removing money from the city’s pension fund and asks Wagner for help to resolve the issue.

Mr. Eachus, a simple freedom of information request would find that the Auditor General supported Senate Bill 961 on June 10, 2008 in an email to Sam Monticello, then Hazleton City Administrator. Why do you want people to believe otherwise?? What is your motive?


Click on Image

Email from Robert Teplitz, Chief Counsel/Policy Director, Deparment of the Auditor General


You can read Robert Teplitz's bio here. It seems clear to me that the legal advisor from the Auditor General saw no legal or constitutional problems with Senate Bill 961. It is hard to understand why Mr. Eachus would make claims to the contrary.

James Mcaneny, Executive Director of the Public Employee Retirement Commission gave this conclusion on page 5 in his testimony before the House Finance Committee on August 18, 2008.

We believe that Senate Bill Number 961 provides a better way to provide for Hazleton's financial need than the method currently being employed. PERC supports Senate Bill 961. Mr. Eachus, again why are you misleading the public about support on this issue?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That email was an email from Sam Monticello to Sam Monticello. Anyone could edit a forwarded email. Then I have to wonder how you have access to Sam Monticello email account. Are you an illegal hacker?????

Anonymous said...

If you read the whole thing you will see that it orginated from the auditor general's office. Why not just call him and see? Oh wait, somebody already did and he said he supports it.

Anonymous said...

The from and to are the same person. Anybody could type anything in their own email. If they were tring to prove it was an original document, he would not email it to himself, hence, the ability to change. Whatever was in the body is therefore questionable.

Why are you ignoring the fact this is a private email someone needed to get access to. Was it a hacker??? Is it someone who is using creative writing???

Wait the auditor general published a report saying the city shouldn't have done what it did.

By the way, did you read SB 961?

"....to increase its rates of taxation of earned income up
to an additional five-tenths percent beyond the maximum rates
provided by law, provided that the proceeds are used solely to
reduce any tax imposed on earned income .....This provision may be applied retroactively to offset taxes assessed and collected under the "Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act" from and after January 1, 2003.

All that bill does is that he asked to be able to raise taxes more and that money will be used to pay back pension funds.

Assuming that was a valid email, it was agreed that the city pays back the fund - the part nobody is being told is that Hazleton will be raising its taxes!!!!!!

McGruff said...

I missed these comments at the time they were made. Mr. Monticello's emails are pubic record. This copy was obtained through a request to the City of Hazleton. It is not altered in any way. If you believe it to be fake contact the Auditor General Council.

At no time was it necessary nor would I hack into someone's email account. That is an illegal act. You didn't have to go that route unless you were trying to persuade other readers about the lack of authenticity. Again a simple call to the AG's office will end this stupid speculation.