The following is a presentation of FCB Faith. This is Keeping America First with Bishop John T. Cots and Reverend Jeff Jemison on FCB Faith. We're here with Commissioner John Pletchnick of the Great Lake County in the Great state of Ohio. John Pletchnick has been involved in a reform effort, a tax reform effort, the lower taxes for the residents in Lake County. Good afternoon, Commissioner Pletchnick, how are you today doing good? Pastor Jemison, It's a pleasure to see you. Always glad to have you. I know that you're fighting a good fight, and we always tell our audience to keep on fighting the good fight. There's always an opportunity to do good and get involved with something that's positive, that's going to make a difference, a positive difference in the lives of our of our families, citizens, neighbors. Commissioner John Pletchnick, could you tell us a little bit about the effort that you're involved with and what precipitated this. So if you live in Ohio, you know that we've suffered the highest and from the highest inflation in forty years, and a lot of that's come in the way home prices. So it's tough as a tenant because the rent's too damn high. But it's also tough as a homeowner because every three years your value gets jacked up with inflation and it's gone from being an inconvenience to unfair to frankly taxing people ei their homes. And as a local elected official, I get a lot of complaints, everything from the dog catcher to potholes. And you take stock of what people are really wrestling with when you hear every day from your neighbors this and that and this, and I got to tell you, in the last couple of years, it hasn't even been close the number one biggest issue in Lake County. And I would say, I believe in all of Ohio. Is this absurd increase in property values which is driving property taxes sky high. Absolutely, it's making a lot of folks just unable to afford their daily living. I mean, between groceries it costant groceries inflation, and you know, utilities, it's very difficult for people to just make ends meet. Tell us a little bit about where this effort is right now. So gosh, over a year ago, the state legislature formed a Committee for Property Tax Reformed. They talked and talked and talked and talked and talked, but they ultimately did nothing. They issued a several hundred page report and said here's a million and one things that could be done, but they never actually voted on any of those proposals. So to this point, a lot of good ideas have been discussed. Nothing's come to the floor, nothing's come to a vote. And I think a lot of Ohioans are afraid that the state legislature intent to do nothing, or intends to throw a little bone, do a half measure and say we declare victory, but not really address the underlying problem, which is that property values should not rise with inflation. It makes no sense I've proposed. I think most people in Ohio agree that your property value should be your sales price, what you paid for it is its real fair market value, and it shouldn't go up again until someone else buys the property from you. That way, we always have an objective value what a willing buyer paid a willing seller, and we don't have property values just go up with inflation. Because it's not our fault that the barons and overlords in Washington, DC and Columbus spent too much money and set inflation through the roof. That's their fault. So why should we pay more taxes to them because they spent too much money. It makes no sense. So Number one, you should freeze property values in between sales prices. Gives you a fair market value we can all agree on, and it prevents these inflationary phantom gains. Number two, those of us who are suffering the worst, and all Ohioans are suffering, but those of us who are suffering the worst are folks on fixed incomes, seniors, disabled veterans. They're stuck. If their property taxes go up, they don't have another pot of money to reach into to pay that difference. They become homeless. They are literally tax to their homes. And I personally think that each and every one of us deserves the respect that if we've paid our taxes, we've been on this earth for sixty five years, that should be enough. I'm sorry, but if you can't budget so that people can stop paying into the property taxes after sixty five years, then you're just not good at budgeting. You don't belong in government if you can't make those numbers work. Not everyone even lives to sixty five, But should you be so blessed you shouldn't have to worry about paying property taxes at sixty five, sixty six, sixty seven years old. For goodness sakes, you know, we should be respecting that you've contributed to government and the tax base your entire life, and that should be enough. And the possibility of being a senior and losing your home, that's traumatic to have to live like that in every day, just wonder wondering if you're going to be able to continue to reside in the home that you've been in for basically your life, or you've invested your life into pastor. I'm getting calls from grandma's and grandpa's every day and they just some of them almost are crying as they're saying, I just don't know what I'm going to do. The math doesn't add up. I got solid security, my husband's dad, there is no more money, and yet I got to come up with two thousand dollars more a year. What am I supposed to do? And you know, some politicians have very callously said, we'll sell your home and move. Well, that's all well, and good for you to say that, but seniors are very dependent on their neighbors and their family and their support system. If they just sell their home and move three states over half the time, I hate to say it, but there's no other way but to say it. Half the time, they end up dying because they're dependent on their support system and their family to survive. And you take all that away from them and you throw them out into some strange apartment building in a state they've never lived in before. That's a death sentence for grandma and grandpa. And that is not how you say thank you to someone who supported your tax system for sixty five plus years, who gave their lives to build up this community. You should be saying thank you, not I want another check from you. Absolutely, what's being done right now? What kind of support are you receiving for this? So we're seeing a lot of grassroots groups form across Ohio. Here in Northeast Ohio, we've got lobbyists for Citizens dot Com, we've got Citizens for Tax Reform, and they're very actively recruiting people to reach out to our state reps and state senators and say, listen, when you ran for office, every last one of you promised you were going to fix this. None of you have. So right now, we've got a promise from all of you that hasn't been kept yet, and we expect, as your boss, if you'd actually get something done. And it's not like we're asking you to do something you didn't promise already that you were gonna do. Your postcards, your commercials, everybody bragged about how they were going to have property tax reform. Well, now it's time to put your money where your mouth is. There should be no tax on unrealized gains. Our property value should be based on sales prices period. And there should be no tax on seniors. There should be a one hundred percent property tax exemption for seniors on their homes. You turn sixty five, that should be it. Government has gotten way too big and way too greedy when they have to pay the bills off the backs of grandma and grandpa. Is there a petition drive going across the state or in your in Lake County? Is there something that citizens can do as well? Well? The first action item for citizens is to call their state rep and state senator, because that's the fastest way to fix this. But there is a petition being worked one for a constitutional amendment in case our state reps and senators don't act now. Those petitions are not easy. You need hundreds of thousands of signatures. It probably will take a couple of years from beginning to end. If that's the route we ultimately take, I would much prefer it would be much better for Ohio if the state legislatures stood up, did their job and got it done now, because they could vote on this tomorrow. That's what you got to understand, Pastor if the citizens have to do this ourselves, it's going to take years of hard work, standing at the supermarket, standing in the church parking lot, and getting our neighbor signatures. And if we have to do that, so help us God, we will. But that will take years. Even if everyone comes together and bust their butt, that is years where our seniors are going to be paying these excessive taxes, are going to be losing their homes, and frankly are going to be killed by these tax burdens. So do I want it to take years? No? I want our state reps and state senators to keep their promise reform property taxes now, not tomorrow, not next year, now and get the job done. I mean, they can call a session tomorrow, they can call a vote tomorrow. They already have dozens of proposals on the table. And while I think the strongest proposal is to say no tax at unrealized games, no tax on seniors, any of the reforms they've discussed would move the ball forward. They'd all be better than the current system. I mean, even if it wouldn't fix everything, at least let's start on the problem. Yet, what do we hear? We hear crickets from Columbus. It's very disappointed. But I believe, I know that if enough of our neighbors reach out to their state rep and their state Senator and say no tax on unrealized games, no tax on seniors, get this property tax reform done now. If enough people call an email, they'll listen. Because look, politicians, if nothing else, they want to get re elected. You can't get re elected if everyone hates you. And when you see that many complaints, I think it'll move people. But we have to be active as citizens too, because if nobody reaches out, if everyone just throws up their hands and says ah, no one will listen, No one cares. There's nothing that can be done. If you believe nothing can be done, you're right because it'll be a self fulfilling prophecy. But I've never seen my neighbors so angry. I've never seen them so motivated. There is a movement to reform property taxes now, and if you join, if you reach out, I believe it will make a difference. Missy Pletchnik. Is there some way that our audience can join in with you or get more information from maybe a website? Is there something that you've put out that our audience can become more informed about this? Without a doubt, this is urgent, It's almost it's an urgent clearing call to get active. I'm talking about Well, I mean, we're looking at gathering if this doesn't if the legislature doesn't do their job in lowering putting forth something to. Lower the taxes. We're looking at about almost a half a million signatures that would have to be gathered from just regular citizens. That's an awesome task. How can we reach you? How can we find out more information? Well, you can always reach me on John Pletchnick dot com. That's j o hn P L E c n Ik dot com and you can learn more about Citizens for Tax Reform at Reform Property Tax dot com. That's Reform Property Tax dot com and Lobbyists for Citizens dot com Brian Massey Leonard Gilbert have done a great job in keeping people posted on the issue too, So if you want to reach me John Pletchnick dot com, you want to see about these movements and what we're doing, Lobbyists for Citizens and Reform Property Tax dot com or great Resources. Thank you, Commissioner John, and keep fighting a good fight, keep doing an awesome job, and this is so important. We thank you for being with us today, and Mathie, there's so much work that needs to be done. Our seniors and just regular and younger citizens are having a very difficult time in these challenging economic times, so we need to get on top of this. Again. Commissioner Plechnick, thank you, God bless you. Keep fighting and we're going to be right there with you. And to our audience again, thank you. Let's get active, let's get behind us. Call your legislator and reach out to Commissioner Pleedgchnik and find out more about this lowering property tax and this property tax reform effort. Again, thank you, and keep fighting a good fight, we're all in this together, Thank you, pastor, Amen, and we'll do
