Newspaper: Rendell Band-Aid is not property tax relief

Like offering a Band-Aid to a dying man, Gov. Ed Rendell's boast of property tax relief from slot-machine gambling is a gesture of relief when what is needed is massive reform, writes The Pottstown Mercury in a recent editorial exposing Rendell's sham property-tax boasts.

From the editorial:

Rendell said the expected distribution of $770 million will produce average school property-tax cuts of nearly $200 per property owner outside Philadelphia.

And 580,000 low-income seniors are expected to benefit from rent and property tax rebates that are partially funded by the slots money. The rebates of up to $975 are available to seniors whose income is $35,000 or less.

At first blush, the numbers may seem impressive, but the average suburban homeowner in this region has an annual property tax bill in the thousands -- closer to $3,000 as an average and some as high as $7,000 to $12,000, depending on the school district.

In places like Pottstown and Daniel Boone school districts, the property tax rates are higher because the property assessments in the region can not bear the educational costs. Pottstown struggles with diminishing property values, and Daniel Boone faces a growing student population with little commercial base and a large chunk of state-owned parkland, making homeowners the only source of tax revenue.

A tax rebate of $200 does little for the property owner struggling to pay a tax bill of $3,000 and does nothing to ensure equal education for Pennsylvania students regardless of ZIP code.

Proceeds from gambling to lessen the pain is not an answer. Rendell's Band-Aid is not going to stop the bleeding for Pennsylvania taxpayers.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.