Aaron Bernstine, a local to the community and a candidate running for State Representative, was one of many visitors who spoke at the council meeting last night.
He was there to express his concerns about the electric contract the Borough is tied into.
He introduced himself and gave council his condolences- he said he understands the difficult decisions they sometimes face and that the electric contract being used as a taxation tool for the Borough was in place long before the current council members were voted in, but he further mentioned that he did not believe council is currently making decisions, regarding the electric contract, in the best interest of many Ellwood residents.
Bernstine at the council meeting
“Government, or Ellwood City, in general, show disregard to financial sanity. Government is for protecting people, not ruining lives” he said.
As an example of how using a utility service as a taxation tool may be ruining lives, he told a story about a couple he met while campaigning, “they’re a young couple- they do everything right; he works, she works, they bought a house, and they have a child. Due to the recent electric increases, the husband is now forced to work extra shifts just to afford the same things they had before and it’s putting a lot of extra stress on the family. I know it doesn’t seem like it will make a big impact, but when you start tacking on extra taxes and fees everywhere, people can no longer afford to live. Financial issues are the number one cause of divorce and you have the opportunity to fix the problem.”
He furthered on saying, “I don’t know the technicalities of the electric contract the Borough is tied to, but he (Ed Leymarie the Borough solicitor) does. You need to have him review these contracts and find a way out of them for the sake of the community.”
Bernstine promises to end public services, like electric, being used as a tax collector for communities all across Pennsylvania if he is elected for State Representative.
“they’re a young couple- they do everything right; he works, she works, they bought a house, and they have a child. Due to the recent electric increases, the husband is now forced to work extra shifts just to afford the same things they had before and it’s putting a lot of extra stress on the family.
“HE WORKS AND SHE WORKS” and the extra electric bill put them over the top! With your solution their electric bill goes down but their tax bill goes up, no change. Respectfully Mr. Bernstine, do you think maybe the focus should be on restoring a living wage inside of a 40 hour week? What better for the next generation than to have Mom AND Dad at home sometime and not at work?
To the electric bill, in The EC you will notice a lot of ACs running on nice days…open a window people!
You must be working inside the borough building to make such a face-slapping statement. Yes, the price of electric in Ellwood City is enough to put a family of four over the top. My wife and I have had months in the winter with an electric bill over $500.00. You go ahead and vote for Jaret Gibbons and watch nothing change. If you have no issues with the electric setup in Ellwood City, I invite you to chip in on my bill every month. Maybe ask Mr. Gibbons if he’d be interested in throwing in twenty or thirty dollars. You clearly live in a fantasy land, but your patronizing verbiage is what really irritates me. As for having a parent stay at home–that’s the way it should be; unfortunately it isn’t in most cases.
Are you incapable of polite conversation? What about the tax increase that will follow?
Not worth commenting further
Frui Diem!
“I don’t know the technicalities of the electric contract the Borough is tied to”
Than why are you talking about it? Do you support the 6.2 mil tax increase that would follow? Wait your probably just doing what you do best…uneducated babbling. Glad I can see through your lies Mr. Bernstine. Also your not a resident of our community so…thanks 🙂
Another clueless Ellwood City resident.
Clueless because he does not agree with you?
Again why so impolite?
Great point he’s not a resident! Yet, I just noticed he said he would do this to ALL communities across the state. You gotta love these guys they think they know better what’s best for a town then the people of that town. Plus, he was condescending to our local elected council in saying they lack fiscal sanity. Of course HE does by as you say ultimately supporting a 6.2 mil tax increase.
Mr. Gibbons lives in Franklin Twp., therefore not a resident of the Borough either.
Mr. Gibbons didn’t comment on The EC’s electric
department. Mr. Bernstine did. That’s the difference. Bernstine is promising lower electric bills while conveniently forgetting the higher tax bill. Nice.
Yeah he doesn’t even realize there are 34 others in the state of PA, but this CLUELESS RESIDENT does hahaha. I will never vote for this man. At least Gibbons doesn’t mislead the public towards a massive tax increase of monstrous portions. Also glad to see Gibbons is not for BIG GOVERNMENT CONTROL like this fake republican is (and fake farmer for that matter). This guy wants to change all the state co-ops because one is miss-managed…what a goof! The vast amount of co-ops save money because of purchasing electric at wholesale through collectives…geez! Sorry just a CLUELESS RESIDENT lol. Let’s see if you can grasp what collectives and wholesale are DK lol.
Bernstine sit down buddy! You are making big promises that you will never be able to keep! Quit using the electric issue to grab votes. As far as the couple that both work, oh my you mean one of you should be able to sit at home or neither should have to work more to make ends meet???? welcome to everyone one reality, the same reality the rest of us live regardless of a high electric bill!!!
Another desperate politician making promises he could never realistically keep. Let alone understand. Farmer??? Yea right!
Unreal at least residents can control their electric bill through consumption. Wonder where the revenue Ellwood City collects by selling Electric to Tax exempt bodies would be made up and that’s a massive amount per month.
If you are below 30 leave ellwood. Before u get stuck. That town is nothing but a trap. Lies, corruption, negativity. Notice the bar on every corner? Get out start a business. Join a union, go corporate. But get out of ellwood it’s no longer mayberry.
Neither Jaret or Aaron can do a damn thing with Ellwood electric. It is not regulated by the PUC ! The only way to change anything would be to vote out all council and the borough manager. Then you must go thru the costs of obtaining new electric and continue to pay for the upgrades made last year. How can you yell and scream about changing the electric for borough residents and then say you do not know much about the electric contract ? It was nice that Aaron went to the electric meeting, while Jaret was in Harrisburg fighting for us! How soon so many forget the good Jaret has done for us, all over one issue..Ellwood Electric. False promises made politically by an individual who does not live in the borough or knows the contract. Both Jaret and Aaron are nice guys personally but this Republican (me) who knows both individuals is voting democrat!! If you would like to see Jaret’s accomplishments just go to his webpage. He does not go around bragging about his accomplishments. His family lives in the borough and if something could have been done legally it would have been done a long time ago. Jaret is a family man and husband who cares deeply about this district. Anyone who knows me, knows that I do not give any politician credit unless deserved. Sorry Aaron but I’m backing Jaret !