SHARON Gruitza, Stevenson split on racetrack slots plan

All legislators interviewed agreed that economic development is top priority.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- State Rep. Michael Gruitza of Hermitage, D-7th, supports Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to legalize slot machines to boost state tax revenues.
Rep. Dick Stevenson of Grove City, R-8th, doesn't think much of the idea.
The two legislators took opposing views on the issue Friday during the annual Mercer County League of Women Voters Legislative Interviews at Shenango Valley Community Library.
When asked about top legislative priorities, both Gruitza and Wilt mentioned economic development as the No. 1 issue.
Gruitza, however, added that property tax reform is another concern, and he supports Rendell's plan to put slot machines at racetracks and some additional sites to recover some of the "millions of dollars" that Pennsylvanians are gambling in other states.
"Gambling is the wrong way for Pennsylvania to go to raise revenues to offset taxes," Stevenson said, warning that gambling brings social and personal problems the state will have to pay for.
He said the state should invest more in its manufacturing and industrial base to create more jobs and more tax revenue.
Sales tax proposal
Stevenson said a Republican proposal to change Pennsylvania's sales tax would provide enough money to eliminate the school property tax.
It calls for dropping the 6 percent tax to 4 percent, but expanding it to cover clothing, food and services which aren't subject to the tax now.
State Rep. Rod Wilt of Greenville, R-17th, didn't attend the session but sent written answers to questions posed by the League.
He also favors the sales tax change as a way to reform school property tax.
Sen. Robert Robbins of Greenville, R-50th, didn't weigh in on gambling or sales taxes.
Development sites
He said the state needs to finish working on its economic development plan, particularly the aid given to state enterprise zones and development sites.
The state needs to allocate funds to clean up and improve the infrastructure of brownfield development sites, he said.
Robbins said he has introduced legislation to raise the state's Local Government Commission to deputy secretary status in the state government, giving local government a stronger voice in Harrisburg.
All four legislators favor strong controls on lobbyists, and Gruitza, Stevenson and Robbins, responding to a question from the floor, said they favor improved funding for libraries, which lost 36 percent of their state funding this year.
Public education
On a question regarding alleged inadequacy and inequity in state funding of public education, all four legislators said that isn't the case locally.
Gruitza said all but the Hermitage and Grove City schools in Mercer County are getting more than 50 percent of their costs picked up by the state.
Robbins said only two districts in his area are below the 50-percent mark, and Stevenson said Pennsylvania ranked ahead of 31 other states in support to education.
Wilt said the state average for reimbursements is 37 percent, but many districts are above 60 percent.
Robbins said some richer school districts, particularly those in southeastern Pennsylvania, get a much lower reimbursement rate, and their state tax dollars are subsidizing the poorer districts.