DV Journal

Democratic state treasurer candidate Erin McClelland wants voters to know she’s “aggressively against school vouchers,” and she’s making her opposition to parental choice in education a centerpiece of her campaign.

“If vouchers are passed, it is the treasurer that writes the voucher. And I can assure you that if that goes through, we’re going to court, and we’re going to fight it on constitutional grounds, and I’ll write the voucher when the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania tells me I have no choice,” McClelland said in a recent interview with abc27.

The debate over how much control Pennsylvania parents should have over their children’s education has been part of the state’s politics for decades. But such adamant opposition is rare from a statewide candidate.

It also shows a lack of understanding about the state treasurer’s job, says Jim Tkacik, campaign manager for incumbent GOP Treasurer Stacy Garrity.

“Erin McClelland is grandstanding. The treasurer’s job is to pay the bills and prudently oversee a $164 billion treasury. For Erin McClelland to suggest that she simply won’t sign treasury checks for programs she dislikes is reckless, illegal, and harmful to the state’s fiscal reputation. If Erin McClelland wants to oppose school choice, she should run for another office.”

It may also not be a winning issue for the Democratic challenger. Polls show that, in the wake of the COVID pandemic, support for school choice has soared. A March 2024 Commonwealth Foundation poll found 77 percent of Pennsylvania voters support Lifeline Scholarships, a state voucher program.

And education choice advocate Corey DeAngelis notes that “Morning Consult polling found 67 percent of Pennsylvania residents–and 74 percent of parents with school-age children–support school choice in the form of education savings accounts.”

“Gov. Josh Shapiro read the tea leaves. As I documented in my new book, ‘The Parent Revolution,’ Mr. Shapiro changed his education platform to include private school choice right before the 2022 election and even reiterated his support on Fox News last year. Joe Biden, who sent his own kids to private school, should follow Josh Shapiro’s lead if he wants to have a chance at winning Pennsylvania,” DeAngelis said.

Jenifer MacFarland. who is spearheading an effort to bring a classical charter school to the West Chester Area School District, said, “The ability for a parent to choose an educational program is critical to creating a highly educated society.  When parents have a choice in programs for their children, competition between the providers improves educational programs everywhere.

“Wealthy parents have always had the option to place their children in private schools, but with school choice through public charters and vouchers for private schools, all children and families, regardless of income,  have an opportunity to access high-quality educational opportunities for their children. Every voter who cares about children and improving educational outcomes for all kids should make it a point to vote their beliefs this Fall and make school choice a reality for the children, who are, after all, the future of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” MacFarland added.

Like most of her fellow Pennsylvania Democrats, McClelland dismisses the value of vouchers.

“I think that they are a very bad Band-Aid,” McClelland said. “That doesn’t solve the greater problem.”

“Sadly, Erin is taking a page from the national Democrats’ playbook: make every race about national politics and about virtue-signaling, whether you’re running for dogcatcher or treasurer,” retorted Republican Guy Ciarrocchi, who is on the board of Pennsylvania Families for Educational Choice.

“She has hit a new low as her target is school children, with a platform so extreme she doesn’t even agree with Gov. Shapiro. Thankfully for taxpayers, Stacy Garrity has done her job as state treasurer well—without partisan politics.”

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The Rev. Louise Williams Bishop is thankful for the return of three of the gold records her late husband, Jimmy Bishop Sr. earned. She thought they were lost forever.

“I’m thinking he did some great work and I was delighted that people other than me and his family recognized that. If you do good, good comes back to you.  And he did a lot of good,” she said.

Williams Bishop, known as the Gospel Queen, was on hand with her two sons, Jimmy Bishop Jr. and Tabb Bishop, to receive the gold records from state Treasurer Stacy Garrity on Wednesday.

At a Bala Cynwyd press conference at the iHeartMedia studios, Garrity said these are the only gold records that have been in the Treasury’s unclaimed property vault. Most physical items are jewelry, coins and military medals, she said.

(From left) Jimmy Bishop Jr., Patty Jackson, Tabb Bishop, Rev. Loise Williams Bishop and Treasurer Stacy Garrity.

Garrity called Jimmy Bishop Sr. a “Philadelphia music icon.”

A disc jockey, producer, and host at WDAS, Bishop Sr. helped The Jackson 5, the Temptations, The Supremes, the Marvelettes, Stevie Wonder and others break into the music business.

“These records are part of his legacy,” said Garrity. “They were missing for decades abut today they are finally going home.”

Treasury’s unclaimed property program as $4.5 billion “waiting to be reunited with its rightful owners,” said Garrity. Most of the unclaimed items come from safe deposit boxes. But some comes from police evidence lockers, college dorms and nursing homes.

“The three gold records hold classic titles from Earth, Wind and Fire, Barry White and Eddie Holman,” said Garrity. The records were stolen at sometime in the 1980s and found at a pawn shop in 1986 as part of a police investigation into a burglary ring that operated in Abington and Philadelphia, she said.

After the records were no longer needed as evidence, the police turned them over to the state Treasury as unclaimed property in 2008, as required by law, said Garrity.

While most items get auctioned off after three years, some are “so unique we keep looking for the rightful owners.”

There were some clues on the records, such as Jimmy Bishop Sr.’s name, she said. They were able to contact the Bishop family through WDAS.

Jimmy Bishop Sr. first “hit the airwaves in 1953,” said Garrity.  He and his wife met and fell in love at WDAS, said Tabb Bishop.

“They were a powerhouse duo in the music business and Philadelphia radio,” said Garrity. The list of musicians Jimmy helped reads like a who’s who of musicians.”

“Louise was incredibly influential herself,” said Garrity. “She introduced Aretha Franklin to Atlantic records.”

“He won numerous for community service and his work with young people,” said Garrity. Being able to return the gold records is “a great honor for me.”

Tabb Bishop thanked Garrity and aid, “If anyone asks what good government does, this is evidence government works very well. We are extremely pleased to be reunited with these items. It’s been many years since we’ve had them. If you think about it, some family members may get a watch returned, a tie returned. We’re actually getting gold records returned. This is a unique part of our family’s history.”

Jimmy Bishop Jr. thanked Garrity and her staff for their “hard work and dedication” in tracking them down.

WDAS D.J. Patty Jackson was able to contact Jimmy Bishop Jr. for the Treasury.

“This is so amazing,” said Jackson, “to follow in the footsteps of greatness. Once of the great things about working at WDAS, you know you’re stepping in the line of some of the greatest voices that ever came on the radio.  And Philadelphia has a rich radio history.”

“Rev. Louise, you know you paved the way for me,” said Jackson. “I could not walk in the door without you walking in first. When you think of the legacy of WDAS, Jimmy Bishop was that guy. He was this huge radio presence who believed in the music, the musicians and the heritage.”

“Rev. Louise, thank God you are here to see this moment, for this is your legacy,” said Jackson.

Gold records were first designated by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1958 and awarded to singles or albums that reached at least 500,000 in sales.

“I encourage every Pennsylvanian to check our website, to see if they have any unclaimed property available to be returned to them,” said Garrity.

“While unclaimed property making its way back to its rightful owner is always a thrilling moment, this one is particularly exciting!” said state Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D-Montgomery). “I’m glad these rare, framed gold records are returning to where they belong. My office is always happy to help constituents with unclaimed property searches, so if folks want to see what they might be entitled to, I encourage them to reach out.”

Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D-Conshohocken) said, “Our office is active with Pennsylvania’s unclaimed property program. My staff obtains information from the Treasury on assets that they are holding for our constituents. We are then able to contact individual residents to inform them of these holdings. This work is a great example of government working together to improve the lives of Pennsylvania’s citizens.”

Bishop’s daughter, Tamika, was unable to attend the event and another son had passed away.

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A group of Republicans flocked to the Towne House in Media Thursday to kick off the general election campaign for the GOP’s statewide candidates.

In the two days since the primary, the GOP hopefuls have made appearances in Erie, Washington County, Altoona, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre, and Delaware County.

U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick called out the Biden administration on energy and foreign policy.

“I will be a senator for all of you, one who fights for an economy that works for working people,” said McCormick. “Who fights for Pennsylvania to make sure our economy can prosper by exporting natural gas and pipeline reform and drilling, having the opportunity for an offshore port that gets that natural gas out of the ground and creates great-paying jobs. Helps our security. Helps our environment. That’s the vision I have for Pennsylvania.”

President Joe Biden has ordered a “pause” on LNG exports, and on Thursday his administration announced draconian new carbon emissions rules for new natural-gas-fired power plants.

“We deserve better than the leadership we saw in Afghanistan,” he added. “We deserve better than the Chinese surveillance balloon. We deserve better than when American troops are being attacked 160 times last year in the Middle East with very little response.”

(From left) Delaware County Congressional candidate Alfeia Goodwin, Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello, Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Dave McCormick, Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, DA Dave Sunday, Delco GOP Chair Frank Agovino, and Auditor General Tim DeFoor.

“When you look abroad, things may be even scarier,” said McCormick, who noted that he went to Israel with his wife, Dina, to assess the aftermath of the Hamas Oct. 7 terror attack that sparked the Gaza war. “We saw first-hand the brutality, the viciousness, the pure evil that essentially the genocide that took place on Oct. 7.”

“It’s not just Israel,” said McCormick. “It’s focused on the West. And the original sin is the $100 billion that was given to Iran by President Obama and President Biden, and the deciding vote in 2015, the deciding vote, was a guy named Bob Casey. We need to be stronger. We deserve better.”

McCormick brought in some local political firepower, too.

State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Montgomery) rebutted some of the attacks Democrats have made against the GOP nominee.

“For those who think Dave McCormick is not a Pennsylvanian: seven generations. Just let that sink in for a second. I’ve been here in Pennsylvania for 20 years…Not only did he bus tables, but he also worked those jobs delivering papers and trimming Christmas trees when he was a kid.”

Pennycuick, a former Army helicopter pilot, also touted McCormick’s military experience, noting he’s a West Point graduate who also served in the Army. “He served his country, not only in combat but at the Department of Treasury.”

When people criticize McCormick for working with China while CEO of a hedge fund, “I say, ‘Thank God. Because we need somebody who knows what our enemy looks like, talks like, and sounds like,’” Pennycuick added.

York County District Attorney Dave Sunday is running for attorney general. He talked about serving in the Navy and worked his way through college and law school. While in the Navy, he participated in operations to counter drug smugglers.

“I would never imagine in 30 years, I’d be fighting that battle at home, but the drugs would be even more deadly, fentanyl, coming into our community over an open border. It’s a battle we have to win.

“I view the world through the lens of a father and a husband, and I’m definitely afraid of the world my son has to grow up in.”

A prosecutor for 16 years, he touted crime reduction during his tenure as DA.

“Crime is down 41 percent, gang violence is down 80 percent from 2022 to 2023, homicides are down 75 percent, opioid overdose deaths are down 26 percent, whereas they’ve gone up 15 percent around the state. And the way we did that was working as a community, working with police, supporting police, working with the faith-based community, with schools, going after it, being aggressive,” Sunday said. “Doing what we can to attack the supply of illegal drugs coming into our community and also the demand.”

Incumbent Treasurer Stacy Garrity, also an Army veteran, said she is running on her record.

“Since 2021, my office has done a lot, returning record amounts of unclaimed property, $274,000; over 400 military medals to veterans and their families, including 10 purple hearts.” She expanded the college savings program, stood for our veterans all across the commonwealth, and stood “for our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.”

“Our great slate of candidates gets things done,” said Garrity. “That is why the Democrats are running all over the place, calling us extremists. ‘Imagine the nerve of those Republicans to let you keep your own money. And decide how to best raise your family. And fight to keep government spending under control!’”

Incumbent Auditor General Timothy DeFoor said his duty is to the taxpayers. He advocated for a financial literacy program in high schools that will take effect in the 2026-27 school year.

“I care about this commonwealth and the entities that we audit. More importantly, I care about the future of this commonwealth,” he said.

Lawrence Tabas praised the statewide candidates and said Republican voter registration is rising.

“Ten years ago, the Democrats out-registered us in Pennsylvania by 1.4 million voters,” said Tabas. “On April 6, 2024, the deficit was down to 396,000. This year alone, 28,000 Democrats and independents switched registration to Republican.”

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Pennsylvania’s primary election is over. What do the results say about the general election in November?

Primary turnout was low, perhaps because both parties have already picked their presidential nominees. And both U.S. Senate candidates, incumbent Democrat Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick, ran unopposed.

Only 22.5 percent of registered Democrats and Republicans voted in Delaware County, 15.69 percent in Montgomery County, 31.6 percent in Bucks County, and 22.96 percent in Chester County. Pennsylvania primaries are closed, meaning only voters registered with a party can participate.

Despite having dropped out of the GOP presidential primary after Super Tuesday, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley still received 150,000 votes — about 16 percent of the total — on Tuesday. But she did far better in the Delaware Valley, winning 18 percent of the vote in Bucks County, 22.87 in Delaware County, 24.22 percent in Chester County and 24.7 percent in Montgomery County.

And while President Joe Biden received a higher percentage of the total (92 percent) than Trump (83 percent), campaign pro Jeff Jubelirer says the numbers “don’t portend well for either candidate.”

Trump has to bring in “those Haley voters, particularly in southeastern Pennsylvania,” said Jubelirer, vice president at Bellevue Communications Group. And while the vote for “uncommitted” and U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips “wasn’t as impressive,” the race in Pennsylvania is likely to be so close in November that Biden needs to get them back, too. It won’t be easy.

“They’re particularly upset about the situation in the Middle East,” Jubelirer said.

Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Guy Ciarrocchi, who has run for office as a Republican, agreed the candidates have to focus on their base, rather than count on pulling in swing voters.

“These two candidates will spend some time trying to persuade the three undecided voters in Pennsylvania,” he quipped. It’s going to be a contest to turn out the party’s base, “particularly with two people that have 100 percent name ID and 99 percent of Americans have made up their minds.”

Polls show Pennsylvania’s presidential race remains too close to call, and Republican strategists didn’t see anything Tuesday to change that calculus.

“There’s a significant shift now to the general election, so we should be careful not to extrapolate too much from primary results,” said Charlie Gerow with Quantum Communications. “I continue to be very bullish on the Trump campaign in Pennsylvania. He will win this pivotal state and the question is how much ‘down ballot’ effect that will have.”

Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, “Yesterday, President Trump continued his winning streak and delivered a resounding primary win in Pennsylvania. More importantly, President Trump continues to dominate Feeble Joe Biden in every battleground state poll including his home state. The Dishonest Biden campaign has spent millions in Pennsylvania gaslighting voters, but it is not enough to make everyone ignore Bidenflation and rising costs, Biden’s border bloodbath, and his war on American energy.”

And what about the other statewide elections? What do they say about the mood of the electorate?

Allegheny County resident Eugene DePasquale, the former auditor general, beat four candidates with ties to the Delaware Valley to become the Democratic Candidate for attorney general. He will face York County District Attorney Dave Sunday in November.

Jubelirer believes DePasquale benefited from his home county and that he had run statewide before.

“What did surprise me was Erin McClelland beating [Rep.] Ryan Bizzarro for treasurer,” he added. “Not a high-profile race, but Bizzarro had institutional support.”

Ciarrocchi credited geography and gender with McClelland’s surprise win.

“If I could go to central casting and run in a Pennsylvania primary, I would love Allegheny next to my name. So, that’s one and two, in a Democratic primary, if the race is between a man and a woman, put a nickel on the woman,” he said.

Bizzarro ran commercials against incumbent Treasurer Stacy Garrity, using abortion as an issue. Jubelirer believes Democrats will continue to use abortion as a cudgel against Republicans as long as it continues to work. Ciarrocchi agreed.

“I saw this almost two decades ago in Chester County around the issue of the Mariner Pipeline, in that when we started to see races for supervisor and school board where, when Chester County was a Republican county in the early 2000s, school board members would run for reelection, as Republicans. They would say, “I kept taxes down, and test scores are up,” said Ciarrocchi.

But, “environmental activists and some of the Democratic Party committee people that started to come forward as candidates and made the races about the pipelines and pipeline safety and clean water and clean air. And at first it seemed bizarre until it started to work.”

“The Democrats don’t have much else to run on,” Gerow said about abortion. They certainly can’t promote Biden. And their support on abortion is already baked in. Plus, there is going to be pushback against the radical ‘legal abortion for any reason, at any time, paid for by the taxpayers,’ which so many Democrats now support.”

Asked whether McCormick or Casey was happier with the primary results, Jubelirer said Casey while Ciarrocchi said McCormick.

McCormick might be harmed by the lack of enthusiasm of the Haley voters for Trump compared with the young, progressive Democrats for Biden, said Jubelirer.

“They’re not going to vote for Trump and McCormick, but they may not vote at all,” said Jubelirer.

McCormick “worked very hard since 2022 in losing by a hair… yeoman’s work of going to chicken dinners, listening to people and trying to be a leader and a healer. And all of that paid off last night, he ran unchallenged, which is very unique for such a major office,” said Ciarrocchi.

And Republicans are beginning to warm to using mail-in ballots, which will also help them, he said.

One potential bright spot for the Pennsylvania GOP, according to Gerow, is the left-wing politics of Democratic candidates like U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and the party’s nominee for auditor general, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

“Except for Eugene DePasquale, who is much more moderate, the Democrats nominated far-left candidates. Additionally, they are not people with backgrounds or credentials for the office they’re seeking. For example, Kenyatta, who’s now their candidate for auditor general, has never audited anything bigger than his own checkbook. His entire background has been promoting far-leftist ideology, not much more.”

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Two Democrats, Rep. Ryan Bizzarro and Erin McClelland, are vying to unseat incumbent Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican.

Bizzarro is not holding his fire until the general election. He’s directing it at Garrity, not his Democratic opponent.

Bizzarro (D-Erie) is running television ads that claim Garrity is an “election denier” and hit her on abortion—two topics unrelated to overseeing the more than $150 billion in the state’s coffers.

Jim Tkacik, a spokesperson for Garrity, said, “Ryan Bizzarro’s TV spots offer no insight into how Treasury operates because he has no idea. Instead, he has turned the contest for a statewide fiscal office into a revenge fantasy featuring lies about the treasurer’s record. He displays no understanding of fiscal issues and no grasp of the truth on other matters.

Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R)

“Rather than run against the real Stacy Garrity, Bizzarro has created an imaginary opponent, making up lies about her as he goes along. Frankly, his conduct has bordered on the misogynistic. Not only is Treasurer Garrity, not an election-denier, she was also among the statewide officials to decry the Jan. 6 violence at the Capitol, posting as the incident was ongoing. She has never claimed that Joe Biden is not the democratically elected president of the United States.”

McClelland told DVJournal that her life experience makes her the better candidate. She works at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and previously started a business, an orthomolecular recovery program for addiction. McClelland also ran for Congress in the 12th District in western Pennsylvania.

McClelland said the National Association of State Treasurers supports efforts to improve cybersecurity, and she “is the only candidate in this race that has released a plan to address it.”

“I am the only one in the race who has actually made a payroll and worked in the public sector, seeing how government functions and dysfunctions from the frontline. For me, this job is about the work, not the title,” she said. I would stop direct investments in foreign holdings and restore the standards of pension investments that we followed before George Bush deregulated them.”

Calling the treasurer the state’s chief financial officer, McClelland said, “Commenting on the national economy, inflation, interest rates, and job growth should be a significant part of the treasurer’s interactions with the voters. And providing a sound, well-researched, data-driven investment strategy for the people’s money is an essential aspect of the job.”

McClelland holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.S. in industrial and organizational psychology.

Erin McClelland

Elected to the House in 2013, Bizzarro earned a master’s degree in public service.  Before running for the legislature, he was a victim/witness coordinator in the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. He chairs the Democratic Policy Committee and spearheaded a legislators’ tour of public schools in 2023 to demand “fair funding.” He is “passionate” about animal cruelty and helped pass a law to ensure animal abusers face increased penalties.

Asked about running against negative ads against Garrity, Bizzarro’s campaign spokesman called her “a threat to our democracy who has a record of working to invalidate the votes of millions of Pennsylvanians.”

He claimed she’s an “anti-women’s rights crusader and the state’s highest-ranking extremist.”

“As someone who has helped negotiate many state budgets and has served in the state legislature, Ryan Bizzarro has more relevant fiscal experience than Stacy Garrity has ever had. He has also authored legislation that, when passed, will return more unclaimed property within his first year in office than Stacy Garrity has achieved during her entire term. He is the only candidate with a realistic plan to modernize the Pennsylvania Treasury,” the spokesman said.

Concerning abortion, Tkacik said, “Treasurer Garrity thinks that the existing bipartisan Pennsylvania legislation dating to 1982 has served as a workable regulation that respects the rights of women while ensuring humane guidelines for all Pennsylvanians. She understands that abortion is a very complex and sensitive issue for millions of Pennsylvanians. Rep. Bizzarro, on the other hand, has voted on both sides of the issue – seemingly based on the political winds. His party is the one that supports permitting abortion up to the moment of birth, which is well outside the mainstream of how most Pennsylvanians view the issue.”

Before being elected state treasurer in 2020, Garrity served in the U.S. Army Reserve and was deployed to Iraq. There, she was in charge of an internment camp for enemy combatants and kept the camp secure for American troops without a single complaint of abuse from the Iraqi soldiers held prisoner. The Iraqis called Garrity “the Angel of the Desert.”

Garrity earned a degree in finance and economics from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and a certificate from the Cornell University Business Management Institute. She was a cost accountant for Global Tungsten & Powders Corp., a worldwide supplier of refractory powders. She worked her way up to become one of its first female vice presidents.

During her tenure s treasurer, Garrity increased the agency’s transparency, allowing taxpayers to see how their money is spent through an online portal; increased unclaimed property returns to its owners, setting a new record of returning $174 million in unclaimed items to 274,000 people; fought waste and brought more accountability to the state pension funds; and has been an advocate for saving for education through PA 529 College and Career Savings Program.

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(From a press release)

Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced today that Treasury’s fall unclaimed property auction brought in more than $298,000, the most ever generated by an unclaimed property auction in Pennsylvania. All proceeds are carefully logged by Treasury and will remain available for the rightful owners to claim no matter how much time passes.

“This is outstanding news, and we’re very pleased that the auction generated such an incredible result,” Treasurer Garrity said. “We work for at least three years to find the rightful owners of every item that comes to Treasury’s vault. But eventually, we do have to auction items to make room for incoming property. All auction proceeds remain at Treasury for a rightful owner to claim anytime – whether that’s tomorrow, a few months from now, or many years down the road.”

More than 4,200 items were sold during the auction that took place online on October 25 and 26, 2023. Treasury partners with Pook & Pook, Inc., of Downingtown for auctioneer and appraisal services.

“This was another tremendously successful collaboration with the Pennsylvania Treasury,” President of Pook & Pook Deidre Pook Magarelli said. “I believe this was our biggest Coins & Jewelry auction to date, and strong prices were achieved across the board in all categories. I’m continually impressed with the stellar effort the Pennsylvania Treasury puts forth into reuniting unclaimed property with its original owners, and, when that is not possible, making sure that monetary compensation for that unclaimed property is available to those individuals in perpetuity. It’s a huge undertaking, and Pook & Pook appreciates playing a part in this important process. We look forward to our next collaboration, a Coins & Jewelry auction scheduled for March 27, 2024.”

The highest selling price of a Treasury item was $27,000 for a collection of 25 early baseball tobacco cards, including Cy Young, Pennsylvania’s own Christy Mathewson and other Hall of Famers. Other high-price items included:

• US Proof Set of collectible coins sold for $7,500
• Two Platinum and diamond engagement rings sold for $6,500 each
• 14K white gold ring with a 3.6 carat pear-shaped diamond sold for $4,400
• Vietnamese gold bars sold for $2,200
• $20 Gold St. Gaudens Double Eagle coin sold for $1,800

Treasury expects to net $298,029.60 after Pook & Pook receives its 12 percent commission of the full auction total of $338,670.00. The profits from the auction were more than $60,000 over the high estimate.

Items that are not sold at auction, or those not paid for by a winning bidder, are returned to Treasury to be listed in future auctions.

Treasury receives unclaimed property from businesses if the property has been dormant for three years. Tangible property, most often the contents of forgotten about safe deposit boxes, is stored in Treasury’s vault for another three years while Treasury tries to find the rightful owners. Treasury never auctions military decorations or memorabilia.

More than $4.5 billion in unclaimed property is available to be claimed. More than one in ten Pennsylvanians is owed unclaimed property, and the average claim is worth about $1,600.

To learn more about unclaimed property or to search Treasury’s database.

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(From a press release)

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Butler/Clarion/Erie) and Rep. Tim Briggs (D-King of Prussia)  announced bipartisan, pro-taxpayer legislation to streamline and improve the process of resolving disputes with the Department of Revenue (DOR).

The legislation, to be introduced this month, will allow the Board of Finance & Revenue (BF&R) to accept late-filed applications in certain circumstances and create a new settlement process for taxpayers as an alternative to the formal and lengthy court appeals process. The BF&R handles taxpayer appeals involving Pennsylvania’s Department of Revenue.

The bill is supported by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the NFIB, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), and the Pennsylvania Society of Enrolled Agents.

“Far too many Pennsylvania taxpayers have found themselves stuck in an unforgiving, bureaucratic tax appeal process – and it’s time for us to give them a way out,”  Garrity said. “Some of the current rules are inflexible for no good reason. The legislation being introduced by Sen. Hutchinson and Rep. Briggs will result in a process that’s speedier and far less burdensome. This will be a huge step forward for taxpayers.”

“This legislation is a taxpayer protection proposal, pure and simple,” Hutchinson said. “Sometimes our state’s tax collection agency gets a little overzealous in how it interprets applicable law. Our bill gives taxpayers more time and options when responding to assessments by the Department of Revenue. In fact, earlier this month I spoke with a small business owner from Oil City who would have likely benefited from the increased flexibility that this proposal would give to BF&R. Instead, he was stuck with a heavy-handed and, I believe, unfair decision by the Department of Revenue.”

“For far too long, many of us in the Legislature have heard from constituents who get caught in the tax appeals process,” Briggs said. “These bipartisan reforms will not only help taxpayers amicably and expeditiously resolve tax disputes but will also benefit the commonwealth by resolving tax issues sooner, collecting tax liabilities quicker and directing valuable resources towards more complex cases.”

“The Pennsylvania Chamber advocates for tax reforms that embody the principles of competitiveness, predictability, fairness, and simplicity,” said Luke Bernstein, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. “This bipartisan proposal will make needed reforms to the tax appeals process and lead to a quicker and fairer resolution to disputes, which is in the best interest of taxpayers and the Commonwealth. We thank Treasurer Garrity, Senator Hutchinson, and Representative Briggs for their leadership on this important legislation.”

“NFIB is happy to see this bipartisan proposal take shape,” said Greg Moreland, NFIB State Director. “Far too often small business owners find themselves involved in complicated bureaucratic processes which take time, energy, and money away from their core business. NFIB thanks Senator Hutchinson, Representative Briggs, and Treasurer Garrity for this thoughtful proposal.”

“PICPA appreciates the opportunity to work with the team at Treasury and BF&R on this important, taxpayer-friendly legislative initiative,” said Jennifer Cryder, CPA, CEO of PICPA. “I also want to thank the members of the PICPA State Taxation Steering Committee for their effort to advance this initiative. We believe this legislation will help taxpayers who may not have a professional tax adviser by helping them get a more rapid settlement to their case.”

“We welcome the fact that Treasurer Garrity, Sen. Hutchinson and Rep. Briggs listened to the small business community, and acted on our concerns,” said Warren Hudak, President of the Pennsylvania Society of Enrolled Agents. “This kind of certainty will allow us to serve our clients better and work to come to quick resolution on sometimes very complicated matters.”

Taxpayers who disagree with a final decision made by DOR currently have a strict 60-day deadline to appeal the decision to BF&R. That often leads to cases being dismissed on a technicality rather than being decided on the merits. The proposed legislation allows BF&R to accept late-filed applications if good cause is shown by the taxpayer and the reason permitting the late-filed appeal is agreed to by any other party.

This legislation also empowers BF&R to create a formal settlement process, which will allow more tax disputes to be resolved without a final Board decision – thus reducing litigation costs for taxpayers. Under current law, BF&R has no authority to direct a settlement process.

BF&R receives approximately 4,200 appeals annually. The Board must resolve each appeal within six months of its filing; otherwise, the underlying DOR decision is upheld. Currently, only about 13% of eligible appeals are resolved through settlement prior to an appeal before the Commonwealth Court.

BF&R is an independent administrative tax tribunal responsible for the second and final level of administrative appeal (with minor exceptions) before appealing to court. The Board consists of three members – two are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate; the third is the state Treasurer or her designee and serves as chair.

(From a press release)

Scammers are targeting Pennsylvania residents with promises of a state grant and fraudulent requests to pay taxes using gift cards.

In this scam, unsuspecting residents receive a call, an email, and/or a letter claiming to be from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department or the Federal Reserve Bank, fraudulently indicating that the recipient will be awarded grant money – but first must pay taxes. In at least one case, the recipient was told to make the supposed tax payments with gift cards.

“This is a vile and outrageous scam,” Treasurer Stacy Garrity said. “Fraudsters and scammers are despicable criminals who will stop at nothing to exploit innocent people to steal their hard-earned money. I urge everyone to stay vigilant and be extra suspicious of any communication that seems too good to be true.”

Treasury does not announce grant awards, and it does not collect taxes. In addition, Treasury will never request that a payment be made with a gift card – and neither will any other legitimate government agency.

Based on the facts currently known to Treasury, this appears to be a multi-faceted scam.

In one case, an elderly Indiana County resident was initially contacted by telephone and told that he would receive a $25,500 grant from the state – but had to pay thousands of dollars in taxes first, using gift cards. He purchased the cards, called the scammer back and provided the information needed to access the gift cards. This happened multiple times.

After receiving multiple payments, the scammer followed up with a letter via email in an attempt to steal even more money. At that point, the victim’s brother saw the letter and stepped in.

A phone number included in the letter leads to a voicemail box falsely indicating that the caller has reached an employee of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Treasury has provided information about this scam to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

Those who believe they have been the victim of a scam or attempted scam should immediately report it to the Federal Trade Commission, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and their local law enforcement agency.

If you or anyone you know has received suspicious correspondence claiming to be from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, please contact Treasury or by calling 717-787-2465.

Attorney General Michelle Henry recently posted information to help prevent Pennsylvanians from falling prey to scammers perpetrating common holiday scams, including email and text phishing, delivery stealing, online marketplace deals, and more.

To improve voter turnout, Republicans are now embracing mail-in ballots, an innovation Democrats readily adopted.

Party leaders hope to combat skepticism among the rank and file by touting mail-in voting to ensure their voters can vote no matter what happens on Election Day.

In a press phone call on Tuesday, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said the new program, Bank Your Vote, is needed, using a sports analogy.

“We can all agree you don’t want your football team to start scoring in the fourth quarter and think you’re going to win the game. We all know there’s no longer just an election day. There’s an election season,” McDaniel said.

Pennsylvania GOP Chair Lawrence Tabas said the 2023 election is “critical,” with statewide judicial races and municipal and school board races.

“You have until Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. to apply for (a mail-in) ballot,” said Tabas. He said the Pennsylvania GOP has been closing the voter gap and now stands at 235,000. “We’re committed that winning in ’23 is the path to winning in ’24.”

“Bank Your Vote is a crucial step,” Tabas said.

Dave McCormick, the endorsed Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, said, “The stakes are high.”

“With inflation from gas to groceries, Keystone State families are suffering from high inflation of a 20 percent rise in prices under the failed leadership of (President) Joe Biden and (Sen.) Bob Casey and that’s hurting all Pennsylvanians. But it’s hurting elders on fixed incomes. It’s hurting working families. As a result of this, Pennsylvania remains in the worst half of states for unemployment rates. And this is also killing small business owners.”

Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who will be running for reelection in 2024 and was also recently endorsed by the party, also urged people to bank their votes.

It helps so “life doesn’t get in the way.”

“We also need our most reliable voters to vote before election day to help our Republican candidates know who voted,” said Garrity. That pre-voting saves campaigns money that they won’t have to spend sending out mailings and reminders, so they can use it to target infrequent voters or independent voters.

The DVJournal asked how the GOP can reassure skeptical voters that their votes are secure if they use mail-in ballots.

McDaniel said in 2022, 80,000 poll workers were recruited nationwide who were there not just on election day but throughout the voting period.

“On top of that, we have a robust team of election integrity lawyers that are being deployed to the states. Pennsylvania already has some in place that are on the ground working with the counties to make sure that we know they’re going to administer the elections and making sure that’s being done,” she said. “And we can take decisive action quickly to protect your vote.”

Echoing Garrity, she said, “We cannot afford to chase ballots all the way through Election Day…We have to get these ballots in earlier.”

Tabas said a system was in place to track mail-in ballots. If a voter contacts their county party and says they did not get their ballot or their confirmation, “We’re on top of that,” he said.

Another question asked concerned “curing” ballots or allowing voters to fix mistakes, which has differed from county to county in the past.

Tabas blamed the courts for that discrepancy and said it was important for every county to operate under the same rules.

“Pennsylvania has to be assured that there are uniform rules so that if they’re counting your ballot anywhere in the commonwealth, it will be counted on the same basis, no matter where you live. Your ZIP code shouldn’t determine how your ballot ends up getting counted.”

Asked why the party has had a “change of heart” regarding mail-in ballots, McDaniel said it was necessary to adopt them to be competitive.

“This is a 2023, 2024 strategy that’s going to go on in the future and will result in big victories for Republicans in Pennsylvania,” said Tabas.

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Pennsylvania is a big state with 67 counties and 12.9 million people. And state Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R) thinks President Joe Biden should see more of them.

On the day the Scranton native made his 18th trip to heavily-Democratic Philadelphia — more than half of his 27 stops to the Keystone State — Garrity told reporters Biden should get out of his partisan comfort zone in a state that is likely to be competitive yet again in the 2024 presidential campaign.

“It might be hard for him to believe, but we have 67 counties here in Pennsylvania,” quipped Garrity. “I’ve been to every one of them, and let me tell you, the problems here in our commonwealth aren’t limited to just our two southern corners.”

Biden spoke to union members and supporters at the Philly Shipyard and touted “Bidenomics,” his name for the economic policy he has pursued since taking office: Massive government spending in sectors like green technology, COVID relief, and student debt relief.

“A lot of my friends in organized labor know, when I think climate, I think jobs,” the president told the crowd. “Union workers are the best in the world.”

Garrity pointed out to the press that inflation and rising prices still vex Pennsylvania. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported prices for all items other than food and energy increased 3.8 percent last month. The food index rose 5.7 percent in June, while the energy index decreased 17 percent. In the Northeast, all indices rose. Inflation was around 1.36 percent at the end of 2020.

Garrity used those statistics to hold Biden responsible for the current state of the economy. “It’s pretty clear to me that President Biden’s radical tax and spend agenda is directly to blame,” Garrity said. “Families have paid over $10,000 since President Biden took office to afford the same goods under the [increased] cost of living. The debt levels of American families have skyrocketed.”

Biden acknowledged the economic pain remains.

“We got more work to do,” Biden admitted in Philadelphia while vowing green energy and union jobs would move the United States away from any possible recession. “But people are coming off the sidelines to work — and folks, it’s not an accident. It’s my economic plan in action. It’s Bidenomics.”

Meanwhile, Garrity said she believes Bidenomics won’t work in the short or long term. “It will take Pennsylvania families a long time to recover from ‘Bidenomics.’ The main way to make sure they do is to make sure he doesn’t return to the White House.”

Pat Poprik, Bucks County GOP chair, agrees with Garrity, noting that families “are still struggling with rising food prices across the country.”

“Just last month, the price of bread was up 11 percent and frozen vegetables up more than 17 percent,” she said. “This is on top of fuel costs that have continued to make it more expensive to run our businesses and fill our cars. While he’s in Philadelphia, I also hope the President will address the rising crime across the region, spilling into our communities from the city. In Bucks County alone, crime is up while our Democrat commissioners vote against funding additional sheriff’s deputies. We need change in Washington, and we need change here in Bucks County, and it’s so critical our voters come out this November and start to take back our county, our state, and our nation.”

Not surprisingly, area Democratic chairs are still ridin’ with Biden.

Delaware County Democrats Chair Colleen Guiney said, “President Biden has worked effectively with a divided federal government to build our economy from the ‘bottom up’ and ‘middle out.’ This strategy creates opportunities for the majority of Americans rather than the failed ‘trickle down’ plans that benefited the wealthiest Americans.

“Despite world market instability, inflation, and a war in Europe, President Biden has ensured investments in our economy, infrastructure, and environment. These efforts have brought down inflation in the U.S. more rapidly than our neighbors and European allies. I look forward to supporting President Biden as he continues to build a better economy nationally and right here in Delaware County.”

And Charlotte Valyo, chair of the Chester County Democrats, said, “From record job creation to successfully bringing inflation under control to supporting our union workers, President Biden took over with unprecedented economic challenges and has led an American comeback that has defied expectations. People in Chester County and across Pennsylvania have seen firsthand how things improved since President Biden took office, and we are always proud to welcome him back to the commonwealth.”

But the Bidenomics catchphrase doesn’t appear to be tracking well for the president going into the second half of 2023. A Quinnipiac University poll this week found just 37 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the economy. His approval rating hung around 38 percent, as well. However, Biden could win a 2024 rematch against former president Donald Trump. The Quinnipiac poll discovered Biden led Trump 49-44 percent.

In Pennsylvania, things are even tighter. Trump leads Biden 47-46 in a potential rematch, according to Quinnipiac about a month ago. Registered voters found the economy the most important issue, with preserving democracy a close second.

Biden’s support in southeastern Pennsylvania may be waning. A Delaware Valley Journal/Coefficient poll of 759 likely voters revealed 59 percent of people in the region did not believe the country was on the right track. Biden’s approval rating in the Delaware Valley was 43 percent, something Republicans yearn to capitalize on.

“I’m not surprised about that poll,” Garrity commented during the conference call. “I don’t think that’s a sentiment just in Philadelphia. That seems to be a sentiment across the country. So, no surprise there.”

The poll also showed that just 33 percent of registered Democrats believe Biden should run for a second term. Almost half of respondents worried that Biden wasn’t mentally or physically capable of handling some sort of crisis as president.

Biden won about 60 percent of the vote in the region in 2020.

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