John Puffer III, Chairman and president of the Pilot Bank, was in Washington D.C. on Thursday, June 5, 2008, representing Independent Community Bankers of America. The group supports a $5,000 tax credit for “first-time” home buyers, a standard deduction for property taxes and other initiatives. Puffer told the US House of Representatives Committee on Small Business that tax breaks for home buyers and homeowners would help jump-start the housing market. “A first-time home buyer tax credit would provide a reasonable incentive for potential qualified buyers to get off the sidelines and to take advantage of low interest rates,” he said