Posted on 04/12/2005 8:48:21 PM PDT by Born Conservative
Frustrated that few school districts have signed up for his program for property tax cuts, Gov. Ed Rendell stopped Monday in South Scranton and asked some senior citizens for a little help.
"Send them a note, get on the phone and say, 'We want our property tax relief,' " Rendell told more than 80 people gathered at the United Neighborhood Centers of Lackawanna County office on Alder Street.
The stop was part of a two-day, six-stop tour by the governor to every corner of the state as he tries to rally residents behind his plan to use revenues from slot machines taxes to cut school property taxes 23 percent on average.
"This is the best property tax relief anybody's every gotten in Pennsylvania," the governor said.
So far, only five of the state's 501 school districts - none in Northeastern Pennsylvania - have signed up for the program, which would cut property taxes while limiting future tax hikes to a wage inflation index. Voters would have to approve tax hikes larger than the index.
The governor, whose tour continues today, is on tour as the Pennsylvania School Boards Association prepares to seek more time for opting into the program.
Many school districts have been reluctant, fearing tax limits will hurt education if costs rise unexpectedly. Rendell contends the law contains enough exceptions to the limits so that won't happen.
He defended limits in a state where property taxes rose by two-thirds in 12 years before he took office and when 36 other states allow voter approval of tax hikes.
"It's the only way to put a brake on what's going on," he said.
Irene Prazych, 79, of Scranton, suggested eliminate property taxes on senior citizens altogether because their children are grown.
Rendell said residents often pay taxes for programs they don't use and properly funding school districts is important to producing a well-trained workforce that can attract good jobs.
Afterward, Prazych said she'll lobby for Rendell's program, but doubted whether some will benefit. "A lot of us citizens, I don't think we're going to be around to even receive it," she said.
Most believe July 1, 2007, is the earliest tax cuts will happen. So there's no harm in extending for at least a year the May 30 deadline for districts to opt in, said Thomas Gentzel, the association executive director. The association will ask the Commonwealth Court to extend the deadline in a lawsuit it plans to file today.
Gentzel said districts are having trouble deciding because of uncertainty over how much money each will receive, partly because no slots parlors are up and running to gauge revenues.
ping
Thanks for the ping. I hate that any of my money goes to the schools. They stink. My son has ADHD and ended up dropping out of H.S. because they didn't want to be bothered with him. Never mind that he has an above average I.Q. That wasn't important to them.
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