Michael Rogers took his own life after a 15-hour Valentine’s Day standoff in Monroe county, a victim of Pennsylvania’s obsolete property tax system. The newspapers say it all started when officials tried to evict Rogers the day after Christmas and found a note on the door warning anyone who tried to evict him.

The story really started long before that. The home was originally purchased by Rogers’ parents in 1950, and is the only house Michael Rogers ever lived in. His mother left the house to him when she passed away in 2006.

In 2016, Rogers’ house was lost to a tax sale. The purchaser, an investor, allowed Rogers to remain in the home. A document Rogers posted on his door mentioned that the constitution requires just compensation when property is taken. His house could reasonably be worth between $80,000 and $180,000.

The “investor” only paid $14,000 for this house at the tax sale. The parasitic industries that feed off this 17th century tax are yet another reason the tax should be eliminated. Property “investors,” assessment companies, tax collection companies, lawyers and others all profit from this regressive tax. Senate Bill 76 is the fair solution to school funding, eliminating the school tax across Pennsylvania while fully funding each district at current levels with yearly increases.

Rogers made one last stand to protect his home, but thousands of others quietly lose their homes every year. Please demand your senator support the SB76 Property Tax Independence Act.

Byron Schnell

Lehighton