GOP council members talk back to Onorato - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 'The county executive lives in the real world, and he isn't going to engage in funny budgeting with phantom revenue,' Kevin Evanto, Onorato's spokesman, said. 'The county has a balanced budget with actual revenue streams, and we're going to continue operating under that budget.A real answer is due from the administration. What about those costs we paid for the courts that didn't get covered from the state?
Insults don't make an answer. Unless, the answer points to more wrongdoing by Onorato. Cover up?
Onorato says he lives in the real world -- but ask him what year he lives in? Onorato rolled back the property taxes to a 'base year.' Onorato fell down the rabbit hole some time ago. Onorato lives in a fantasy world where changes to the Lincoln Bedroom are more recent than the changes to the more wealthy suburban property values.
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GOP council members talk back to Onorato
By Mike Wereschagin
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Allegheny County Council Republicans fired back at county Chief Executive Dan Onorato today, with one councilman escalating the skirmish with the Democratic leader by proposing tax cuts totaling more than $500 million.
The money would come almost entirely from the state, which was ordered in the 1990s to reimburse Allegheny County for running Common Pleas Court, but has never made good, said County Councilman Matt Drozd, R-Ross. According to county calculations, the state owes about $488 million in back payments, Drozd said. That's $200 million more than the county collects every year in property taxes.
"Onorato, he's been going to Harrisburg and not asking for it," Drozd said. "It's ours. (The state Supreme Court) ruled in our favor. They owe us. Pay it. Why hasn't (Onorato) been saying it? It's bad management."
Onorato's spokesman dismissed as unrealistic the county's prospect of getting such a colossal sum.
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"The county executive lives in the real world, and he isn't going to engage in funny budgeting with phantom revenue," Kevin Evanto, Onorato's spokesman, said. "The county has a balanced budget with actual revenue streams, and we're going to continue operating under that budget.
County Council's Republican caucus chairman Vince Gastgeb, of Bethel Park, defended Drozd.
"I think what he's trying to do is say here are some options we have," Gastgeb said. "It's not real revenue, but there is money out there if you want to fight for it."
Another $42 million in tax cuts would be paid for by calling in the money owed to Allegheny County by the Airport Authority. The authority's debt comes from a loan given by the county to help build Pittsburgh International Airport. County Councilman Chuck McCullough, R-Upper St. Clair, proposed collecting the money earlier this month.
The final piece would come from an unspecified amount of money the county will get from gambling revenue. Republicans claim Onorato chose not to tell council about an impending $19.9 million state grant when they were voting on more than $30 million in tax increases. Onorato said he did not know about the state money until the day it arrived, Dec. 31, after the new taxes already had been passed.
The new taxes -- a 10 percent levy on poured alcoholic drinks and a $2-a-day car rental tax -- were authorized by the state last summer and are intended to pay Allegheny County's $28 million share of the Port Authority's budget. Onorato has born the brunt of criticism over the taxes, most of it heaped upon him by bar owners and patrons angry at what many call the "Onorato tax."
Onorato began fighting back yesterday, criticizing a Republican proposal to roll back the taxes by saying the county would have to raise property taxes to make up for the lost money. His campaign account -- which contained about $1.9 million, according to a filing in December -- paid for automated phone calls to every voter in the districts of three of the council members backing the tax repeal.
In addition to Drozd, that includes Jan Rea, of McCandless, and Gastgeb. McCullough also backs the plan, but is an at-large councilman, elected by the entire county.
Drozd said the automatic dialer Onorato used included his number, and he returned home to find the message on his answering machine yesterday.
"I saved it," Drozd said. "It's lies."
The message, read by Onorato, said the Republican plan to reopen the 2008 budget and roll back the new taxes would result in $28 million in property tax money going to the Port Authority. It urged voters to call County Council and tell them to oppose giving property tax dollars to the Port Authority, which has suffered withering criticism from elected officials and the public, and amassed massive debt, in part because of lavish pension and retirement benefits.
"I've only gotten eight calls Downtown at the office, and maybe 15 e-mails," Gastgeb said. "Half of them don't understand (Onorato's message), and the other half are 'atta-boys' from people who say we need to" repeal the new taxes.
Rea and McCullough could not immediately be reached for comment.
Mike Wereschagin can be reached at mwereschagin@tribweb.com or 412-320-7900.
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