ty in which he is the current county executive. This explains (but does not excuse) Dan Onorato's inability, as he signals his 2012 campaign for auditor general, to find the time to handle his current responsibilities.The Post-Gazette therefore performed a schedule-clearing courtesy for Mr. Onorato and his
is morning by finding a fitting campaign headquarters: 422 Fox Chapel Road (left).This sumptuous property features new construction of solid stone (left), perfect fortification for a home base located in hostile territory. Its 7,500-square-foot structure offers ample space even for the number of campaign strategists needed to attempt to defend the largest tax increase in Allegheny County history; the immoral and legally ridiculous defense of unconstitutionally inaccurate and regressive property assessments; and (particularly in a Democratic primary) a cultural platform indistinguishable from that of Rick Santorum.
Fox Chapel Road is handy for an Onorato campaign's natural donor base and, as Port Authority transit is dismantled, increasingly inconvenient for those incli
ned to protest regressive taxes, List-Maker cream-skimming, and inhumane provision of human services.The only obvious snag would involve cost. The current owner prices the property at $3.8 million -- not unreasonable for an impeccable 10-room home classified in A+ condition and situated on more than two acres along one of the most desirable residential roads in Allegheny County (neighbors include Shadyside Academy's campus and Fox Chapel Golf Club's 163 acres of manicured, gently assessed serenity).
Dan Onorato's county government, however, values (and therefore taxes) the property at 422 Fox Chapel Road -- which includes a 400-bottle wine room, two kitchens (and a kitchenette), honed marble flooring, saltwater pool and guest house -- at $1.12 million. During any haggling, however, the current owner might exhibit some gratitude -- Mr. Onorato's unconstitutionally regressive tax policies have generated substantial tax benefits at 422 Fox Chapel Road; the savings appear to approximate $10,000 annually on county taxes, perhaps another $30,000 on municipal and school taxes each year.
The Onorato-for-auditor general campaign would find, at 422 Fox Chapel Road, the embodiment of Dan Onorato's public life. The icing: For political fundraisers that illegally dodge the drink tax, the property apparently incorporates two wet bars and a draft beer system.
Infytune: Mansion On The Hill, Hank Williams and the Drifting Cowboys
15 comments:
You're the best, Infy, welcome back
And your choice for Governor then would have been Corbett who has taken it on himself to dismantle public education and make sure the fat cat corporates get fatter? This is Pennsylvania not nirvana.
I can hear it now, "this is a problem that Harrisburg cant solve, we need reforms in Washington."
SquareChick:
The Infindorsement for Governor of Pennsylvania.
Never cared about Nirvana, but like the Foo Fighters.
does anyone know whose blog this is? all i can find is some g-mail address. thnx
Anon 12:46
It is Infinonymous's blog. Next question?
not the name of the blog, I meant, who it is that runs this blog? thnx
For all anyone can tell, some generic crank from the suburbs. There are those who say that if your heart is pure, but not too pure, you can see Infi's name written in the tar on Bates Street, but the last person I know who tried got hit by a lab tech driving a Civic while texting.
Hey infy, check the Comet. Either Bram really missed the point of this or maybe I did in thinking you were making fun of Dan not claiming this is actually his campaign headquarters. Bram seems to think its the latter.
WHY DON'T I GET SATIRE????
Problem fixed. Thanks, 8:16.
ha ha ha, bunch of cheap shots, this is a pathetic HATCHET JOB from Dan Onorato's political opponents and the Post Gazette should be ASHAMED of linking to this garbage
I might actually volunteer for the campaign if they were holed up in this spot with an OUTDOOR KITCHEN (!!!!!) and a 400 bottle wine room. Then again, maybe not.
Why do you keep up the Republican lie that the drink tax was the 'single largest tax increase in the history of Allegheny County?'
1993: RAD tax is approved for Allegheny County, netting an estimated $106 million (Inflated dollars to 2007: $150 million)
1949: Allegheny County raises property taxes 3 mills, netting an estimated $5.1 million. (Inflated dollars to 2007: $43.9 million)
2007: Allegheny County creates the drink tax that raises $30 million.
I know the 1949 increase means the Republican talking point about taxes is still correct, but it really isn't a apples to oranges comparison. It is like pointing out that almost every government budget it more than the year before.
But at the end of the day the extra 1% sales tax added on to fund the Regional Asset District in 1993 is the 'largest single largest tax increase in the history of Allegheny County.' This quote can be attributed to Kevin Joyce, who just pulled the quote out of thin error with no fact checking by the Tribune Review and was used by Tom Corbett and the Republicans over and over again in the governor race.
The RAD tax appears to have been the largest tax increase in Allegheny County. Thank you for providing the correct information.
The drink tax haul was, however, bigger than the 1949 property tax revenue (even using adjusted dollars). At the original rate of 10 percent, it generated more than $45 million. Onorato deserves no credit for reducing it to 7 percent because that reduction had to be shoved down his throat.
Why would this involve a "Republican talking point?" Is not Kevin Joyce at least as much a Democrat as Dan Onorato is?
We will allow Joyce some slack on the "largest tax increase" guess, just as we will allow Onorato slack for his "mistaken" claim that a 10 percent tax wouldn't generate $20 million more than the county claimed it needed.
Fair enough Infy.
I’m frustrated by the extreme and exaggerated tax rhetoric used against Democrats in 2010 such as this repeated lie about the drink tax.
The other exaggerated tax rhetoric by the Repbulcains was by Jane Orie, saying that Dan Demarco raised your taxes by 150%. Too bad it was only $27 dollars per person that worked in Ross Township and Jane Orie actually voted for the tax enabling legislation to gave municipalities the authority to raise the now called Local Services Tax to $52.
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