Tax deception in Westfall

To the editor: My stepdaughter (a Milford resident) just started a part-time summer job at a supermarket in Westfall to be able to contribute to her college fees. She worked for 9 hours during the first week, and ended up with a paycheck for $10. Why? After deduction of federal and state taxes, Medicare and so forth, Westfall Township came along and claimed $52 from her earnings as part of the annual “emergency levy”, which the Township collects in addition to property taxes (and payments from Pike County). The $10 earned barely paid for the gas spent on driving to work, and since accountability for money collected (and spent) is not a favorite subject in Pennsylvania, my stepdaughter feels that she has been ripped off by Westfall. Not to mention the deception new residents or workers in Westfall must feel when they discover that “disclosed” taxes are by no means the end to their deductions. Why not be “honest” and adjust property taxes instead rather than dip into the (often small) pockets of those who happen to be privileged enough to have a job? Jurgen W Schulze Milford