Pennsylvania Senate candidate Joseph Albert: End school property taxes, increase beer tax

Oct. 28--Joseph Albert puts the elimination of school property taxes and an increase in the "beer tax" on his list of priorities if the Republican is able to unseat incumbent Democrat John Blake for the state Senate position in 22nd District.

The district has been redrawn to include Pittston Township, Avoca, Duryea and Dupont.

Touting his own time as Deputy Mayor of Miami, Fla., his service as aide to longtime Florida Congressman Claude Pepper, and his military service that included time with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, retired Lt. Col. Albert contends his opponent, is a "handpicked successor" of disgraced Sen. Robert Mellow, who pleaded guilty to mail fraud in 2012.

"I know the individual, he's a very nice guy, I'd like to have him as a neighbor," Albert told the Times Leader Editorial Board, but then likened Blake to "a tackle as a opposed to a quarterback."

Born in Scranton, Albert recounts an entry into politics more of happenstance than planning.

A friend who worked with a newspaper hired him "to be an errand boy" at the 1968 Republican National Convention in 1968. That fell through but he was hired, thanks to connections of a fraternity friend, as an "advance man" for Richard Nixon.

After earning a degree in political science at the University of Miami in 1969, he landed the post of chief of staff for Pepper for a year. The deputy mayor post in Miami, Albert said, was an appointed position that was largely ceremonial.

He worked in the Pentagon for three years. Most recently he has been in the insurance business.

Government exposure

All of which, he says makes him familiar with the ins and outs of government and getting things done. Albert points out that both the state Senate and House will almost certainly remain under Republican control, which means, "I perhaps have more potential to do something for the residents of the 22nd district if for no other reason I would be joining the majority party in Harrisburg."

Albert blasted Blake for what he considered late and tepid support of Senate Bill 76, which would eliminate school property taxes, replacing them with increases in other state taxes.

"He claims he was the key vote in the finance committee that got the bill out of committee," Albert said. "The only reason he did that was public pressure. I believe he will ultimately vote against it."

Albert's slogan plays off his name: "Go with JOE", short for Jobs, Opportunity and Education. He believes education is the first part of that equation. "Opportunity comes with education, and the jobs follow."

He opposes the "Common Core" standards for public schools adopted by most states, including, with some tweaking, Pennsylvania.

"It has taken education out of local control and state control, and put it under federal control," Albert said. "It hasn't been properly tested. It has not been a distinct success where it has been implemented."

Common Core is a voluntary set of standards drawn up by associations and agencies, not the federal government, pushed by the Obama administration. Supporters argue that still leaves the design of curriculum, in local hands.

Training needed

But Albert also said education goes beyond high school and the state can create more opportunity by supporting training in booming fields such as the natural gas industry. He rejected concern about well contamination from new drilling techniques, suggesting the wells may have been improperly built to begin with.

While Albert is generally opposed to a natural gas extraction tax, he said the state should raise the malted beverage levy of "a penny a pint," a rate that varies slightly with the quantity being taxed but has not changed since 1947. The additional money could be used to pay off the state's hefty pension debt -- a problem he said needs a firmer fix, including moving state employees from a defined benefits plan to a defined contribution plan such as individual retirement accounts.

Albert also supports reducing the size of the state legislature, privatizing liquor sales and additional medical support for veterans.

He vowed he would not take part in the state pension plan, the per diem payments offered to legislators or state health insurance coverage.

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish.

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