Letters to the Editor, 7/5/2025

Small businesses lose in ongoing political stalemate

When policymakers fail, constituents and small businesses pay the price. But how do we quantify success in today’s political octagon? It’s more than simply winning or losing a campaign. Pennsylvania citizens and businesses lose when our elected leaders fail to pass common sense reforms that allow our small business sector to thrive and our people to prosper.

Small businesses throughout the state need meaningful tax reform, but the General Assembly has ignored this issue at the expense of Main Street. Legislators have been complacent after the long anticipated corporate net income tax (CNIT) reduction of 2022, but most regular people don’t pay the CNIT. Most taxpayers pay the personal income tax, which is 3.07 percent, a rate that has been stagnant for years.

My organization represents small businesses throughout the Commonwealth, and one thing is clear for small employers: if big-box stores benefit from a tax reduction, the same should be afforded to small businesses and those who pay the personal income tax. When Main Street sees tax relief, it results in money staying in our local communities and growing Pennsylvania’s economy.

It’s time for Governor Shapiro and members of the General Assembly to work together and close the deal on tax relief for all. A rising tide raises all ships.

Greg Moreland is the Pennsylvania State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business.

End automatic ticketing

Pennsylvania should repeal the stop-arm camera law, which is Act 19 of 2023. TV station WPXI in Pittsburgh has been running many stories by Rick Earle and Amy Hudak. Stop-arm cameras are supposedly to keep people from illegally passing school buses.

Reports have many people claiming that tickets were issued in error. District judges were dismissing almost all of the tickets when people went to court. People were due refunds for exorbitant filing fees, but had a hard time getting them. The massive amount of money being made from the tickets was also looked into. The stories spoke to judges, lawyers, people who got the tickets, etc.

We were told that numerous safeguards were in place to ensure that everything was properly setup, calibrated, multiple reviews would occur, etc. If that happened, then why did all these supposedly erroneous tickets go out? This is so bad that one reporter asked Governor Shapiro if the entire stop-arm camera law should be repealed.

If this were truly about safety, then schools would do things to stop illegal passing. One school in Pennsylvania is testing a four-foot strip with bright red LED lights that comes out when the bus is stopped, in order to block the next lane. The company said it prevents up to 95 percent of illegal passes. You have to stop, or your car will hit the device. This device costs money, while cameras bring in money.

End stop-arm cameras in Pennsylvania, along with ALL other types of automated enforcement.

James Sikorski Jr.
Wapwallopen