ASS—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 5,1981
Greenwood becomes state’s 209th FFA chapter
(Continued from Page Al)
enthusiasm. They are willing to
tackle anything.”
This attitude of enthusiasm and
determination apparently has
rubbed off on the students from the
corps of interested area residents
who attended almost every school
board meeting for three years to
show their support of returning a
vo-ag program to the Greenwood
High School.
“I was a junior in high school in
1964 when the vo-ag program was
dropped,” Cauffman recalled.
“I remember how 1 felt when 1
realized 1 couldn’t get my
Keystone Degree.
“The group of citizens kept
pushing during the past three
years, but the decision wasn’t
made to bring the vo-ag program
back until last August.
“Well, where are you going to
find a teacherat that time?
“But when you work for three
years to get it started, you can’t let
something like not having an ag
teacher get in the way.”
So, the Penn State grad m dairy
production, who also is involved in
the family’s 700-acre dairy, hog
and cash gram operation named
Agrophilos, Inc., now finds himself
as an ag instructor and FFA ad
visor for the present school year
until a regular teacher can be
found for next year.
“I enjoy it a lot,” he explains
with a sparkle in his eye.
“The only trouble is that 1 don’t
have enough time to do everything.
"I feel that there’s not enough
time to teach in the right way and
then there’s not enough time for
the farming.”
But the tune was sufficient and
appropriate Thursday night in the
(Continued from Page Al)
penalty for working,” stated State
Grange Master Charles Wismer.
“If a fanner doesn’t farm the land,
there are no taxes to be paid. And,
if there are no cows in the barn,
there is no business use or oc
cupancy tax.”
The Pennsylvania Farmers
Association submitted their
testimony on Tuesday, also in
opposition.
The farm organization cited
evidence that farm taxpayers m
Pennsylvania pay a proportionally
higher share of their personal
income in property taxes than
most other taxpayers. And, PFA
pointed out, the business use or
occupancy tas would not solve the
problem.
“Some taxpayers subject to
business use or occupancy
taxation may be able to shift then-
tax burden to their customer,
employees, or owners. The farm
producer does not have this op
tion.”
PFA also stressed that
eliminating the residence from the
BUO tax would not lessen the
burden since percentage-wise, the
home represented a small portion
of the farm property’s assessed
value.
They also pointed out that the
proposed legislation would
eliminate the school property tax
entirely for those districts opting
into the program. “This move
seems inappropriate,” state PFA.
school district’s new elementary
school for one of the most im
pressive and sincere Greenhand
initiation ceremonies ever held in
the state,
After all, it’s not many
Greenhands that get inducted into
the FFA by just about the entire
slate of Pa. FFA Association of
ficers.
Six state FFA officers showed up
Thursday night to welcome the
Greenwood Greenhands and show
their support for their newest
constituents.
On hand were Doug Her
shberger, Quarryville, president;
Glenn Wenger, Myerstown, vice
president; , Dean Patches,
Lebanon, secretary; Kevin
Devine, New Holland, treasurer;
Andy Rill, regional vice president;
and Kent Heffner, Pine Grove,
chaplain.
The state officers staged a very
impressive ceremony and, by
acting out a couple of skits, con
veyed the important mnessage to
the new Greenhands that “they
will only get out of FFA exactly
what they put into it.”
Although the Greewood Chapter
of the FFA mid the Greenwood vo
ag program are only a few months
old, they already have a lengthy
list of initial accomplishments.
Chapter members have sold 400
cases of citris fruit, had competing
dairy and livestock judgmg teams,
built a prize-winning Halloween
float, converted apples from an
abandoned orchard into a
profitable cider sale, sent two
members each to the recent
national convention and leadership
training and organized Thursday
night’s ceremony.
In their beginning courses of
bilk
Tax
districts choose between a real
estate tax or an income tax, but not
a combination of the two, was not
satisfactory. "Property taxes
should not be eliminated as an
option”, they said, referring to real
estate taxes as a “stable and
reliable source of local revenue.”
The schools’ representative also
condemned the BUO tax, citing its
inability to generate the necessary
income for local school districts.
The BUO tax, they said, is
“ineffective and inefficient.”
Is anyone in favor of SB 1085-1086
as it is presently written? Ac
cording to Senator Clarence
Manbeck, the senior citizens are
backing the bill. These elderly
taxpayers who own property in
Pennsylvania would receive some
tax relief with the bill’s passage.
However, those older people who
are renting homes would not
benefit.
IF SB 1085-1086 isn’t the answer,
then what is? To try to find out,
PFA funded a Penn State study
back in 1974 to determine if in-
creasing state income taxes to
finance schools and abolishing real
estate taxes for school purposes
was a feasible solution.
The study, which was conducted
by ag economics professor
Theodore R. Alter, revealed that
“any shift from taxing property to
taxing personal mcome would
affect the tax burdens- for four
income classes in nonfarm and
farm sectors and for all tax
payers.”
:t per- In looking at the alternative of a
ity and combination flat rate state income
ould be |ax and a local school property tax,
i mix of study showed that this would
income.gbffer a lower tax burden for farm
income than the property tax only,
Boards hot the tax burden would still be
scord in higher for farm income than
nalysis. nonfarm.”
il needs a flat rate state income tax as a
ructure full replacement for school
Ive the property tax, Alter showed, would
” offer a significant reduction in tax
at the burden for each income class of
school taxable farm income.
Group of Perry County residents who were
instrumental in getting a vo-ag program back
into Greenwood High School at Millerstown
includes, trom the left, Lloyd Byers, R 1
Liverpool; Raymond Sheaffer, R
study, they’re investigating
animal science and moving into
small engines, welding, electrical
wiring, plumbing and hydraulics
and, in the spring, plant science,
forestry and timbering.
As an example of how ail of this
is done in so short of tune is the
comment made during the
evening’s program concerning the
national convention.
Concerning adviser Cautfman, it
was said:
"He chaperoned two students to
the convention taking tune away
from being behind the wheel of the
combine in the soybeans.”
A report on the national con
vention was given by Myron Byers,
chapter president; and David
Bratton, chapter treasure!*..
The thirty members of the
Chapter who were inducted as
Greenhands include:
Myron Byers, Mike Sarver,
Wade Sarver, David Bratton,
Raymond McGowen, Tom tiothel,
James Lower, Douglas Bowersox,
James Boyer, Mike Buckley, Troy
Byers, Ronald Criley, Bill Culwell,
Douglas Curl, Laura Donnelly,
Royal Donnelly, Troy Eamey,
Thomas Egenneder.
Also, Larry Fisher, Donald
Kegg, Clifford Mangle, David
McCreary, Ralph Pannebaker,
David Reisinger, Raymond
Sheafter, John Stemler, John
Swartz, Tracy - Swartz, Randy
Tolbert and Russell Ferguson.
"Perhaps uu. most vmUle option
mvolves some combination of real
property taxation and state or
local income taxation to finance
public schools . . . ensuring
maximum local fiscal flexibility
tor schools and local govern
ments,” summarized Alter.
He stressed that when property
is owned by absentee landlords not
residing in Pennsylvania, the
property tax is exported from the
state. And that any shift from a
property tax to a local or state
income tax would eliminate this
source of revenue which would
increase the tax burden for local
taxpayers.
Several amendments added to
the bill by the Senate before its
passage will be under further
study. As written, the bill would
permit unlimited levying of in
come taxes to the extent necessary
to repay any lost property taxes.
And, the bill states the BUD tax
shall cover those using or oc
cupying real property,'whether or
not for profit. This would ensure
that agricultural co-ops would
have to pay the tax.
The Pennsylvania Farmers
Union, like Governor Richard
Thornburgh, is interested in some
sort of tax reform. However, they
call SB 1085-1006 a "two-sided
Glenn Cauffman, R 1 Millerstown; who is.
serving as instructor and advisor; Tom
Balthaser. Rl Millerstown; arid Meryi Brofee,
R 2 Millerstown.
Returning to Greenwood High School to help observe the
resumption of a vo-ag program is Ted Furry, right, who was
instructor when the program was dropped in 1964. Furry is
now with the Perry County Conservation District. Furry was
instructor for Glenn Cauffman, left, who is now serving in that
capacity for the program’s first year.
argument” and have taken no farmers.
position on the bill. "There is a need tor property tax
"We see SB 1085-1086 s merits re f o nn, but we’re still unsure
and its disadvantages, said w luch, if any ot the
spokeman James Graci. "We have p roposec i bllls> would meet
concerns about the BUG tax and approval.” ' j
the possbility of double taxation for
Rhein buys top Jersey
OLEY - Pme Grove Jersey second high-selling animal,
breeder Craig Rhein paid $1,550 for Zunmennan ot East Earl paid
the high-selling Jersey during the 42b tor W.F. Jeweler Cindy,
recent Waid Farms Dispersal Sale. sired b y Generators Jeweler.
Rhein’s purchase, one of 57 Third high-selling was Trade
animals in the sale, was M.V.F. Lux purchased by Nancy
Finalist Gypsy, sired by Finalist of Seidel of LenhartsviUe for $1,350.
MarJu. - Top buyer ot the day was Am-.'
Lancaster County dairyman, mon K - Weaver, Jonestown, who .
Ivan Zimmerman bought the bought 13 head for a total of $8,150.
D «' T
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