Give PA voters a say on school taxes

Why are school property taxes so high in Pennsylvania?

Nathan Benefield of The Commonwealth Foundation has a theory:

Every state in the nation limits the ability of school boards to raise property taxes. Eleven states don't give school boards taxing authority; 36 states require voter referendum on school budgets, property tax increases or all bond issues; and three states without referenda place a cap on school taxes. Pennsylvania counts among those with a referendum requirement — but our law is a toothless tiger that has become "referendum in name only."

The ideal solution would be the elimination of school property taxes in Pennsylvania. Short of that, the voters should get the final say on taxes.

Read the full column at the link below:

Give voters a say on school taxes - pottsmerc.com

Cleaning up another Rendell mess

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that Pennsylvannia lawmakers need to revisit Act 1 of 2006, Ed Rendell's bogus scheme to stem rising property taxes. The legislation has failed miserably, much like most of Rendell's schemes.

From the editorial:

The 2006 state law that was supposed to give taxpayers at least some say in school budget increases has instead led to continuing property tax hikes -- with marginal public recourse.

Unlike in most states, Pennsylvania's 501 school districts have carte blanche to nose-thumb taxpayers -- most notoriously in union contracts, which become public after the dealing is done.

Pennsylvanians deserve a meaningful say in what their school boards spend. And voter referendums shouldn't be the exception to the rule. That change begins by reforming Act 1.

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

Voters reject $37M school project by 10-1 margin

I don't live in the Wyomissing School District but the news that district voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by district officials to borrow $37 million to build a new school brought a smile to my face today.

The referendum question was defeated by a tally of 3,207 to 338 or 10-to-1. District residents have been telling the district they didn't like the plan for most of the past year, but school officials refused to listen.

Instead, they put the question to a vote. The people have spoken. Loud and clear.

I think every major decision by a school board such as new construction should be put to a vote. Same goes for school budgets.

Gov. Ed Rendell promised Pennsylvania taxpayers they would have the final say on school budgets when he signed Act 1 into law in 2006, but it turned out to be more empty rhetoric by Rendell. The same law gives school districts a dozen exemptions that allows them to bypass the voters.

I applaud the voters of the Wyomissing School District for finally telling school administrators and tone-deaf school board members that enough is enough. School spending is out of control in Pennsylvania.

Voters have to send a strong message every time one of these Taj Mahal projects is proposed. Voters also have to start voting out school board members who rubber-stamp every request made by superintendents.

At least one Wyomissing School Board member applauded the voters.

Board member Larry Fitzgerald, who did not support the project, told the Reading Eagle he was glad that the issue was put before voters.

"They have spoken very loud and very clear," Fitzgerald told the newspaper. "I'm glad it was decisive."

Read more about the Berks County vote in today's edition of The Reading Eagle.

Average property tax relief is now $190

Turns out Gov. Ed Rendell was just teasing us a couple of weeks ago when he announced that the average Pennsylvania homeowner would receive $169 in property tax relief this year from the casino revenues.

The governor was holding out on us. It's now up to a whopping $190 for the average homeowner. The range in savings for the 2008-09 school year goes from $54 to $623 depending on what part of the state you live.

Talk about a stimulus package. How are you going to spend that $190? Maybe paying for the property tax increase your local school board is planning? Or you might splurge on some gas for the car. Pennsylvania residents pay 50 cents in state and federal taxes for each gallon of gas they pump.

Click below to read the governor's self-serving press release on property tax relief.

Governor Rendell: Pennsylvania Delivers on Promise of Property Tax Relief

Pennsylvania takes away voter say on property tax hikes

The state of Pennsylvania giveth, the state of Pennsylvania taketh away.

Pennsylvanians will wake up Tuesday to this headline in their morning newspapers: "Pennsylvania exempts 102 school districts from tax-hike cap"

One of the selling points of Act 1, signed into law June 2006 by Gov. Ed Rendell, was a cap on property tax increases by Pennsylvania school districts. The provision was intended to limit tax hikes to the level of inflation.

Just one tiny problem with the so-called cap. School districts can apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for exception from the law. That means voters in the 102 "exempted" school districts won't get a way about property tax increases for the 2008-09 school years, as Gov. Rendell and the members of the Legislature who supported Act 1 promised.

Referendum exceptions were granted to 102 of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts this year. That means school districts will not have to ask voter permission on April 22 to raise property taxes above the inflationary rate.

Look on the bright side. Last year, 210 school districts applied for the exemptions and the state granted all 210 requests.

This year, the bureaucrats in the Department of Education are getting tough. They rejected 4 of the 106 applications.

As if you needed another reason to vote out incumbent Pennsylvania lawmakers, most of them supported Act 1 in 2006. It was an obvious ploy to fool voters into thinking the Legislature had addressed property taxes. Has anyone's school taxes gone down in the past two years?

The Associated Press released a list Monday of school districts that have received state's permission to raise property taxes above an inflationary index.

Here are the districts in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties granted permission by the state to raise taxes above the inflation cap:

BERKS COUNTY
Exeter Township
Fleetwood Area
Governor Mifflin
Kutztown Area
Schuylkill Valley
Tulpehocken Area
Twin Valley
Wilson
Wyomissing Area

CHESTER COUNTY
Kennett Consolidated
Octorara Area
Oxford Area
Phoenixville Area
Unionville-Chadds Ford
West Chester Area

MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Cheltenham Township
Lower Merion
Lower Moreland Township
Norristown Area
North Penn
Perkiomen Valley
Springfield Township
Spring-Ford Area
Upper Dublin
Upper Moreland Township
Upper Perkiomen

For a list of Berks, Chester, Montgomery lawmakers who supported Act 1, check out this post, "The people who brought you Act 1"

Capitol Punmanship provides a list of Lancaster County school districts that received exemption from the cap.

To see if your school district is exempt from the cap, check out the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Web site.

'Holy Grail' eludes Pennsylvania politicians

Property tax reform — the Holy Grail of Pennsylvania politics — eluded the Pennsylvania Legislature once again in 2007.

Polls show property tax relief remains the No. 1 issue Pennsylvania voters want elected officials to address, but the Legislature and the governor finished 2007 much the way they began it — unable to pull the trigger on a variety of tax reform measures.

The best lawmakers could do last year was pass legislation that came to be known as Act 1, a tax-shift plan that gave voters the option of raising income taxes while lowering property taxes for qualified residents, primarily senior citizens.

After convening a special session of the Legislature to address property taxes, Gov. Ed Rendell and a majority in the Legislature attempted to sell Act 1 as property tax relief, but Pennsylvania voters weren't buying.

Voters in more than 90 percent of the state's 501 school districts rejected Act 1 referendums on the May 15 primary election ballot. In Berks County, voters in 17 of 18 school districts rejected Act 1. Voters in every school district in Chester and Montgomery counties defeated Act 1 referendums.

Although Act 1 passed the Legislature by a wide margin (137-61 in the Democratic-controlled House and 40-9 in the Republican-controlled Senate), some lawmakers predicted the plan would fail.

"I knew from the beginning it was going to be a joke," said state Rep. Tom Quigley, a Republican who represents the 146th House District in Montgomery County. "I voted against it in the House. To me, it was another attempt by the Legislature to punt the property tax issue to the voters."

Voters, including many of the seniors who were supposed to benefit most from Act 1, wanted no part of the tax-shift scheme.

"The message voters sent was 'enough with partial or Band-Aid solutions.' We need a comprehensive approach to solving the property tax problem. We have to eliminate property taxes period, and we have to find a better way to fund public education," Quigley said.

Here's what Gov. Ed Rendell said on June 27, 2006, the day he signed Act 1 into law: "This day is a major victory for Pennsylvanians who have fought for decades to have their property taxes cut. Every homeowner in Pennsylvania will not only get significant reduction, but they will finally get a say in future tax increases. This bill represents a victory of the possible over politics-as-usual."

The governor couldn't have been more wrong.

Not only was Act 1 rejected by voters in more than 490 school districts, but those same voters never had the chance to "get a say in future tax increases." More than 200 school districts that proposed tax increases higher than a state-imposed cap applied for exemption to obtain voter approval for the tax hikes. Gov. Rendell's Education Department granted exemptions to every school district that applied.

Rendell attempted to distance himself from Act 1 after voters overwhelmingly rejected it and did not back any other tax reform measure in 2007 despite promises during his 2006 re-election campaign that he would continue to make tax reform a priority.

Rendell asked Pennsylvania homeowners to be patient and wait for casino revenues to accumulate so property tax cuts can be triggered in either 2008 or 2009. Rendell signed the bill bringing slot machines to Pennsylvania in July 2004 and won support for gambling by tying it to property tax relief.

The earliest anyone will see tax cuts — an average of $150 to $200 — would be in the 2008-09 school year, according to Rendell administration officials. In the meantime, most Pennsylvania homeowners will end up paying twice that much in additional school taxes because school districts can raise property taxes beyond the rate of inflation if they receive state approval.

Several bills promising tax relief were introduced in the Legislature in 2007, but none were allowed on the floor for a vote under the leadership of House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese.

The plan that has received the most support — House Bill 1275, or the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, may see the light of day when the Legislature returns in mid-January from its 30-day holiday recess.

So far HB 1275 has 44 co-sponsors, mostly Republicans, but Quigley said there have been ongoing negotiations with the House Democratic leadership. DeWeese has promised to allow "a menu" of property tax relief bills on the House floor for possible votes, Quigley said.

"There's a window of opportunity when the Legislature comes back in session on Jan. 14 but before the governor introduces his budget in February," Quigley said. "The best we can hope for is an actual up or down vote on HB 1275. That forces legislators to go on record on where they stand on property tax relief."

HB 1275, introduced by state Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), would expand the state sales tax to include additional products and services in return for eliminating school property taxes. The bill has been endorsed by the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition, which represents about two dozen taxpayer groups across the state.

Another measure, House Bill 1600, backed largely by Democrats, has been panned across the state when lawmakers invited public comment last summer. An Aug. 29 hearing in Oley drew about 250 people and nearly all of them criticized the bill as another tax-shift scheme that would not eliminate property taxes or place any control over school district spending.

Taxpayers keep pressure on House Democrats

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations is putting more pressure on House Democratic leadership to keep its promise to introduce the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007. The bill, which would eliminate school taxes for all Pennsylvania homeowners over the next four years, is in the hands of Democratic Majority Leader Bill DeWeese and Majority Whip Keith McCall. They are the gate-keepers for all legislation in the House. Read the letter below and put pressure on your state lawmakers to get behind the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.

Here's the letter:

October 18, 2007

Dear Rep. McCall:

The undersigned represent the 25 taxpayer groups that belong to the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations. The purpose of our letter is to encourage you to move forward as quickly as possible with the introduction and passage of the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 (SPTEA).

As you know, for more than 30 years, the General Assembly has failed to deliver on the promise of true property tax reform for all Pennsylvanians. The most obvious symptom of distress is the huge number of citizens for whom property tax is their number one financial concern. These include: seniors living on fixed incomes, working families who haven't seen wage increases above the inflation rate for years, and young families who can’t qualify for mortgages and pay several hundred dollars or more a month in property taxes.

Rather than whittle the field of 8 or 9 competing bills down to a "menu" of 3 to pass on to the Senate, we request that you and your colleagues in the House debate the issue and make a firm recommendation in the form of a single bill. We urge you to look beyond the political rewards of the many narrowly-defined bills and craft legislation that (1) addresses the structural issues that got us where we and (2) enhances Pennsylvania's economic competitiveness throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

If we confine the discussion to school property taxes, it is critical to identify and correct the underlying structural causes of runaway taxes rather than to simply create another tax-shift or tax-squeeze program in the mold of Acts 50, 72, and 1 (all resoundingly rejected by taxpayers).

We also urge you not to concentrate benefits on one segment of the population at the expense of others vis a vis HB1600 which finances a property tax shift by squeezing PIT increases and the remaining property taxes on a smaller number of taxpayers.

How We Got Where We Are

The most significant contributors to Pennsylvania’s school tax crisis are: the outdated funding formula, overdependence on local property tax, residential growth, a shrinking commercial/industrial base, and unrestrained spending by school boards.

The school funding formula has its roots in the 1990-91 school year. Combined with a school code that holds districts "harmless" if they have declining enrollments, situations like the following are virtually unavoidable. In Berwick, there are 900 fewer students today than there were in 1997. However, the number of teachers has increased by 44, the average class size has shrunk to 11, and the cost per student is nearly $13,000 per year.

In York County, because of the distortions in the funding formula, the York Suburban School District, with an annual budget of $13,800 per student, receives approximately $500 per student from the state while the adjacent district (York City) receives in excess of $6,000 per student to cover their $11,000 cost per year.

The overdependence on local property taxes to finance an obligation of the State produces countless districts like those in York County where 15 of the 16 school districts derive 65% or more of their total budgets from local property tax. It also magnifies the impact of a real estate assessment "system" that produces gross inequities throughout the Commonwealth.

There is no better example than the 27-room mansion in Philadelphia owned by Sen. Vincent Fumo, currently on the market for $7,000,000. Based on the City's current real estate tax structure, this home should generate approximately $185,000 in real estate taxes every year. However, its current assessment is $250,000 (which hasn't changed in 5 years despite the run-up in real estate values in the City), which produces approximately $6,600 per year. Interestingly, Sen. Fumo's mansion does not face an assessment increase this year despite the fact that more than 400,000 other Philadelphians will see an increase.

Residential growth (and a shrinking commercial/industrial base) combined with the factors above is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Many "average" districts derive 2/3 of their budgets from school property taxes. Here’s what results from a new development of 300 homes costing $250,000 each. Even if each home generates $4,000 of school tax per year, the expected new student load would be approximately 300, adding at least $3,000,000 to the district's annual budget, of which $2,000,000 has to come from property tax. The homes generate a total of $1,200,000 per year, leaving a deficit of $800,000 that has to be covered by an increase in the tax rates for all property owners in the district.

The Appendix provides some insight into the evolution and severity of the problem for the Coatesville Area School District. You will see that even with school directors who tried diligently to exercise restraint, since the 2000-2001 school year, spending is up almost 70% (more than 3 times the rate of inflation in the same period) even though the student population has decreased. Using conservative projections, by the 2014-2015 school year, the cost per pupil in Coatesville will exceed $25,000.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of school boards simply will not exercise fiscal restraint. How can a school district spend several million dollars on artificial turf or a "natatorium" when only 50% of its 11th graders score "proficient" on their PSSAs? There has to be a line drawn between programs that deserve public support and those that don't. Is it out of the question to ask parents of athletes, in particular, to pay for these programs?

How to Deliver on the Promise

To our knowledge, SPTEA is the only plan designed to attack the school tax problem at its core. Unfortunately, the name hides the real value of this plan, which is to contain and control school budgets, reestablish equity for all of Pennsylvania's public school students, and to eliminate residential property taxes in the process.

It is also the only plan that begins to lift the tax burden from businesses throughout the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania's tax system is ranked 27th among the 50 states in terms of being friendly to business in the Washington-based Tax Foundation annual State Business Tax Climate Index. That was down two spots from a 25th place ranking in the annual survey last year. Rankings are compiled from a composite of several different tax categories. For this year, Pennsylvania is ranked poorly – 47th and 42nd – for its property tax and corporate net income tax, respectively. Its best ranking is 11th for its individual income tax. We simply must do better if we expect to improve the competitive position of Pennsylvania. Reducing the property tax burden by 50% would be one of the most significant signals to corporations everywhere that Pennsylvania has become a Keystone Opportunity Zone for everyone.

SPTEA has been under continuous development for nearly 4 years, the process has been open and transparent, and it has been vetted numerous times by Economy.com and Fishkind and Associates.

We understand that it might be expedient to propose and pass a half-way measure as a "first step." The problem is that for most Pennsylvanians, a partial solution is not enough. While HB1600 may temporarily provide benefits to owners of homes assessed at or below half of the median in their districts, it does nothing to control the spiraling costs of education, overhaul the funding formula, or fix the inequitable (unconstitutional) assessment system. All of these factors will conspire to put us right back where we are now in a few short years.

Rep. McCall, you and your colleagues have another chance to get it right this time. We sincerely hope you will withdraw your sponsorship of HB1600, openly debate the issue when it comes to the floor later this month, adopt the SPTEA and urge your colleagues in the Senate to do the same thing.

Sincerely,

James Broussard, PhD
President Citizens Against Higher Taxes

Joe Gable
Consultant ATM Banking

Joel Sears
President Fleet Technologies, Inc.
President York County Taxpayers Council

Rebecca Heller
Director, Berwick Area School District

Richard Ritter
Executive VP Cumberland Insurance Group
School Director, Coatesville Area School District

David Baldinger
Manager of Corporate Television, Retired
AT&T/Lucent Technologies

CC: William DeWeese

Property Tax Circus Coming To Your Town

House Democrats have come up with another scheme they are billing as property tax relief. Pennsylvania lawmakers have embarked on a statewide tour to promote the latest plan to partially reduce property taxes by increasing other taxes.

This one is called House Bill 1600. If the plan sounds familiar, it's because it's another bait-and-switch scheme the Legislature and Gov. Ed Rendell have cooked up. It sounds like another half-measure similar to Rendell's slots bill of 2004 or Act 72 of 2005 or Act 1 of 2006, House Bill 1600 is more smoke and mirrors. Another carnival shell game.

This is not the property tax elimination promised by the Commonwealth Caucus Plan, which was last voted on by the House two years. The plan was supported by 64 Republicans and 10 Democrats, but was rejected by the majority of the Democratic Caucus. Supporters want to resurrect a modified version of the Commonwealth Caucus Plan this fall (now called the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007), but not if House Bill 1600 gets any traction.

The two leading state taxpayer groups advocating elimination of property taxes in Pennsylvania have already rendered a verdict on the Democrats' version of tax relief. It's thumbs down on House Bill 1600 from both the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers Associations and S.T.O.P. (Stop Taxing Our Properties).

Both groups warn that this is nothing but another half-measure by politicians who want to fool taxpayers with another Band-Aid approach to tax reform.

Here's what Bob Logue of S.T.O.P had to say:

"They’re at it again. Some legislators, led by Rep. Dave Levdansky, D-Allegheny County, have repackaged the same old property tax scam voters have rejected three times. House Bill 1600 would: Temporarily reduce school property taxes while permanently increasing sales/use taxes and the state income tax. Because there is nothing in this legislation that would prevent school taxes from increasing again, you would eventually be paying higher property taxes again along with the higher income and sales taxes."

S.T.O.P. is urging Pennsylvania residents to contact their state legislators and tell them you want him or her to oppose House Bill 1600.

"Tell them the only true property tax reform is total abolishment of all property taxes and assessments/reassessments on primary residences," Logue said. "The S.T.O.P. plan is complete, proven workable by the legislative budget and finance committee, and permanent. The S.T.O.P. plan kills property taxes on primary residences … period."

Read more about plan at http://www.grandoldusa.com/

Here's what David Baldinger of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations said about House Bill 1600: "Pennsylvania taxpayers won't accept another feeble attempt at property tax reform by the Pennsylvania Legislature. Like Act 1 and its predecessors, Act 72 and 50, HB 1600 would offer only token reductions in property taxes while opening up new avenues to tax Pennsylvania citizens without addressing the cause of the current crisis."

Representatives of the PCTA's 21 member taxpayer groups from across Pennsylvania met in Chester County over the weekend to unanimously condemn House Bill 1600 and to endorse the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.

"Since school property taxes are not eliminated under HB 1600, they will continue to escalate leaving the taxpayer with the same burdensome property tax plus new taxes under HB 1600, without addressing the cost of education, the property tax crisis, or the issue of equitable funding for public schools," Baldinger said.

Members of various taxpayer groups plan to attend hearings across the state by House Democrats to speak against HB 1600.

The next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 29, at 10 a.m. in the Oley Fair Center, 26 Jefferson St., Oley. Berks, Chester and Montgomery residents are urged to attend the meeting and voice their opposition to House Bill 1600 and support for the Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.

For more information, visit the PCTA Web site at http://www.ptcc.us/

For all the talk state lawmakers have given us so far this year about reform, the No. 1 reform Pennsylvania taxpayers want to see — elimination of property taxes — has yet to be considered by the Legislature.

It's time to put pressure on your lawmaker, especially the ones who ran on a reform platform in 2006, to bring the Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 up for a vote. Let's see where lawmakers stand on genuine property tax reform.

(A big thanks to Vicki Rhodier for this timely cartoon)

Rendell's trail of broken promises

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

That would be Gov. Ed Rendell standing in front of a sign that says, "We deliver on our promises."

In the best Bill Clinton tradition, I guess it depends on what "deliver" means.

Rendell promised to deliver property tax cuts for all Pennsylvania homeowners standing on his head. That was in 2003. The blood must be rushing to Rendell's head by now because he has failed to deliver on that promise.

Rendell promised to cut property taxes if the Legislature approved 61,000 slot machines for Pennsylvania. That was in July 2004. Two-and-a-half years later, not one dime in tax relief has trickled down to Pennsylvania taxpayers from Rendell's casinos. The most optimistic projection for tax relief from gambling revenues is now late 2008 or early 2009. Another promise Rendell failed to deliver.

In 2005, Rendell promised to deliver tax relief if school boards approved Act 72, the governor's first attempt at a tax shift scheme. More than 80 percent of the school boards rejected Act 72. Another broken promise by Rendell.

In 2006, Rendell promised "property tax relief for all Pennsylvanians" under Act 1, which forced voters to raise their taxes with the promise of a future tax reduction. On May 15, 2007, voters in 490 of 498 school districts rejected tax-shift schemes under Act 1. Another broken promise by Rendell.

Now Rendell wants to raise the state sales tax and use a small portion of the new revenue to lower property taxes. Another promise. Take a look at that photo again. "We deliver on our promises." Rendell has failed to deliver on his promises in five consecutive years. How many more times are you willing to be lied to?

Pennsylvania residents are slowly figuring out that Rendell has duped them on the tax issue. A new Quinnipiac Poll out Wednesday shows that 51 percent of residents disapprove of Rendell's handling of taxes.

Republican appear to have come to their senses about Rendell much sooner than Democrats. The poll shows that 66 percent of registered Republican disapprove of Rendell's handling of taxes. Only 39 percent of the Democrats polled disapprove of Rendell's handling of the property tax issue.

Rendell's disapproval numbers on taxes have risen in four consecutive polls conducted by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute going back to June 2006.

You remember last June, don't you? That's when Ed Rendell put out a press release announcing "Property Tax Relief is Here for All Pennsylvanians." I don't know about you, but I'm still waiting for mine.

29 districts call for repeal of Act 1

Pennsylvania voters spoke loud and clear on May 15 when they overwhelmingly rejected the Act 1 tax-shift scheme backed by Gov. Ed Rendell and the majority in the Pennsylvania Legislature.

The defeat of Act 1 was nearly complete, with 490 of 498 Pennsylvania school districts voting it down. And that total might change because voters in the Reading School District approved Act 1 by just 54 votes. Berks County election officials have not counted absentee ballots yet and there are enough absentee ballots in Reading to overturn the 54-vote margin.

While the election vote was decisive, Act 1 is still not dead. The tax-shift referendum questions on the May 15 ballot were just one component of the monster that is Act 1. School boards are still burdened by deadlines for budget preparation and there is still the matter of back-end referendums. It's bad legislation that needs to go away completely.

It's important for school districts to also pass resolutions calling for the repeal of the entire legislation. Voters must also pressure their lawmakers to repeal Act 1.

Two more school districts have approved the repeal resolution drafted by the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition since the May 15 election. The coalition is made up of two dozen local taxpayer groups from across the state.)

Add the Towanda School District in Bradford County and the Fleetwood School District in Berks County to the list. (By the way, Berks County still leads the way in opposing Act 1, with 11 of the 18 school districts in Berks adopting the repeal resolution.)

Now that voters have spoken on Act 1, it should be easier to persuade your school board to approve the Act 1 repeal resolution, which can be viewed at the PTCC Web site, http://www.ptcc.us/

We've got Ed Rendell and the Harrisburg Hogs on the run. We have to keep up the pressure.

The state House passed legislation that led to Act 1 by a 137 to 61 margin. Most of the 'No' votes were by Republican lawmakers. The state Senate approved the measure by a 40 to 9 margin. House members have to run for re-election every two years. Senate members run every four years, but only half the Senate will face the voters in 2008.

In Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, the following state representatives voted in favor of Act 1: David G. Argall (R-124); Tom Caltagirone (D-127); Kate Harper (R-61); Art Hershey (R-13); Daylin Leach (R-149); Doug Reichley (R-134); Carole Rubley (R-157); Dante Santoni (D-126); and Josh Shapiro (D-153).

Until we see genuine property tax relief, think twice about re-electing these people in 2008.

In the Senate, the following members who represent parts of Berks, Chester and Montgomery (and voted in favor of Act 1) will face the voters in 2008: Michael A. O’Pake (D-11); Dominic Pileggi (R-9); James J. Rhoades (R-29) and Connie Williams (D-17).

If you want to know how your state representative or senator voted on Act 1, send me an e-mail and I'll get the information for you.

Here's the current list of school districts that have called for repeal of Act 1. If your district is not on the list, start calling your elected school board members and ask them to put it on the agenda for the next board meeting.

Act 1 Resolution Schools

1) Antietam (Berks)

2) Armstrong (Armstrong)

3) Athens (Bradford)

4) Boyertown (Berks/Montgomery)

5) Brandywine Heights (Berks)

6) Bristol Township (Bucks)

7) Canton (Bradford/Lycoming/Tioga)

8) Catasauqua (Lehigh/Northampton)

9) Centennial (Bucks)

10) Central Bucks (Bucks) (Largest district in the state subject to Act 1 provisions)

11) Coatesville (Chester)

12) Conrad Weiser (Berks)

13) Daniel Boone (Berks)

14) Exeter (Berks)

15) Fleetwood (Berks)

16) Governor Mifflin (Berks)

17) Marion Center (Indiana)

18) Muhlenberg (Berks)

19) Old Forge (Lackawanna)

20) Palmyra (Lebanon)

21) Pennsbury (Bucks)

22) South Williamsport (Lycoming)

23) Towanda (Bradford)

24) Tunkhannock (Wyoming)

25) West Branch (Clearfield)

26) William Penn (Delaware)

27) Wilson (Berks)

28) Wyalusing Area (Bradford)

29) Wyomissing (Berks)

Punish politicians for tax relief hoax

Now that Act 1 has been flushed down the drain by Pennsylvania voters, it's time to hold the politicians behind the tax chicanery accountable.

It's too late to do anything about Gov. Ed Rendell, the driving force behind the Act 1 sham. He's safely re-elected to a new four-year term. The best voters can do is demand that their legislators oppose Rendell's tax-and-spend agenda.

But there are more than 175 incumbent legislators who voted for Act 1 last year. Many of these career politicians were re-elected in 2006. Voters shouldn't make the same mistake again when these legislators face re-election in 2008

Just like the July 2005 legislative pay raise, voters should hold lawmakers accountable for their vote on Act 1, another betrayal of the public trust.

The state House passed legislation that led to Act 1 by a 137 to 61 margin. Most of the 'No' votes were by Republican lawmakers. The state Senate approved the measure by a 40 to 9 margin. House members have to run for re-election every two years. Senate members run every four years, but only half the Senate will face the voters in 2008.

In Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, the following state representatives voted in favor of Act 1: David G. Argall (R-124); Tom Caltagirone (D-127); Kate Harper (R-61); Art Hershey (R-13); Daylin Leach (R-149); Doug Reichley (R-134); Carole Rubley (R-157); Dante Santoni (D-126); and Josh Shapiro (D-153).

Until we see genuine property tax relief, think twice about re-electing these people in 2008.

In the Senate, the following members who represent parts of Berks, Chester and Montgomery (and voted in favor of Act 1) will face the voters in 2008: Michael A. O’Pake (D-11); Dominic Pileggi (R-9); James J. Rhoades (R-29) and Connie Williams (D-17).

If you want to know how your state representative or senator voted on Act 1, send me an e-mail and I'll get the information for you.

Meanwhile, back at the governor's mansion, Ed Rendell woke up with a hangover on Wednesday. Tuesday’s Primary Election did not go well for Rendell, who many regard as political genius.

Not only did Act 1 go down in flames, but all the candidates Rendell endorsed in the May 15 primary, lost their respective races.

Rendell backed C. Darnell Jones for a Democratic nomination to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Jones came in a distant third with just 18 percent of the vote.

Rendell also backed state Rep. Dwight Evans for mayor of Philadelphia. Evans came in a distant fifth with just 8 percent of the vote.

Just more chinks in the armor of the once invincible governor. Good thing the Pennsylvania Constitution doesn't permit recall elections.

After he took some Alka-Seltzer, Rendell, through his spokesman, hinted that voters were too stupid to understand that voting to raise their taxes was a good thing.

"The governor believes that voters ought to have local control over the mix of taxes that support their schools," Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo said. "The dollar-for-dollar exchange (under the tax shifts) was straightforward. Unfortunately, the interpretation, by the time it got to the voters, seemed to be much more complicated."

Rendell also attempted to blame Republican leaders in the Legislature for forcing him to sign Act 1 into law.

Excuse me?

Here's what Rendell said on June 27, 2006, when he went to an old lady's house to sign Act 1:

"This day is a major victory for Pennsylvanians who have fought for decades to have their property taxes cut. Every homeowner in Pennsylvania will not only get significant reduction, but they will finally get a say in future tax increases. This bill represents a victory of the possible over politics-as-usual."

That doesn't sound like anybody was twisting Rendell's arm to get him to sign Act 1, which he proclaimed as a historic tax cut for all Pennsylvanians.

Here's why Act 1 sank faster than the Titanic. Voters are not as stupid as Rendell thinks they are.

Pennsylvania residents want the elimination of all property taxes used to fund public education. The only solution that makes sense is the Commonwealth Caucus Plan, also known as the Plan for Pennsylvania's Future. Rendell and the Democratic majority in the House oppose the plan because it would restrict the government’s ability to take away your home if you don’t pay property taxes. It would also force school boards to live within their means.

Rendell's Act 1 shell game would have increased taxes for two-thirds of Pennsylvania residents in return for a promise of a few hundred dollars down the road. Rendell has made too many promises already that he hasn't kept.

Voters have finally figured out Rendell and his empty promises. Unfortunately, that moment of realization came six months after Rendell was re-elected to another four years as governor.

17 of 18 Berks school districts reject Act 1

Berks County voters sent a loud message to Gov. Ed Rendell and the Legislature on the Act 1 tax-shift scheme. No thanks!

Act 1 was rejected overwhelmingly by a majority of Berks County voters Tuesday. The tax shift plan was defeated in 17 of the 18 school districts in Berks County. In most school districts, the NO votes ran 2-1 ahead of the YES votes.

The only Berks district where Act 1 passed was the Reading School District, which relies heavily on state funding to run its schools. But even in Reading, Act 1 barely passed. Less than 50 votes decided the referendum question in Reading!

It appears Reading voters didn't understand the Act 1 tax shift. They must have have fallen for Ed Rendell's line that Act 1 was genuine property tax relief.

Kudos to Berks County's own David Baldinger and the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition for their public education campaign to inform voters that Act 1 was a cruel hoax, not tax relief.

And this just in from neighboring Montgomery County ... the Perkiomen Valley, Pottsgrove, Pottstown, Spring-Ford and Upper Perkiomen school districts have rejected Act 1, according to unofficial results posted on the county's election Web site.

Chester County results were very slow coming in Tuesday, but it appears that the Owen J. Roberts and Phoenixville school districts rejected the Act 1 proposal, according to unofficial election results.

Gov. Ed Rendell and the the legislative aristocracy underestimated the intelligence of Pennsylvania taxpayers again.

If lawmakers thought they dodged a bullet with the pay raise fiasco, they're in for a rude awakening. The tax revolt is on. Anger over the refusal of lawmakers to eliminate property taxes will carry into into the 2008 election cycle.

The pay raise claimed 55 politicians. The tax revolt will end the political lives of many more career politicians in Harrisburg.

How badly will Act 1 go down?

The folks over at Capitolwire.com, a subscription-based news service covering Pennsylvania state government, are running something akin to an office pool to predict how many school districts will approve the Act 1 question on today's ballot.

Peter DeCoursey put out an open call a couple of days ago accepting predictions from various pundits, commentators, activists and assorted political types.

I'm predicting that only 62 school districts will vote Yes on Act 1.

Here's a recap of predictions from the group's Web site:

"Act 1 Referenda predictions are in. May the best seer win! Capitolwire's contest, to ask readers to guess how many school districts' voters will opt to raise their income taxes to lower their property taxes on Tuesday, is over. Now we are just waiting for the results.

So far, we have received predictions from the state's foremost TV ad guru, Democrat Neil Oxman, former Republican State Chairman Alan Novak, pollsters Terry Madonna, David Rodbart and Chris Borick and others.

Here are the 36 predictions that arrived by May 14 at 8 p.m., starting with those who predicted the lowest number of tax-swaps. The tax swap questions are on the ballot in 498 school districts.

And also, not sure what info led him to this decision, but Novak changed his prediction hours before the Monday 8 p.m. deadline from 133 to 60.

WITF Radio's Damon Boughamer, 31; Commonwealth Foundation's Matt Brouillette, 32; Scott Lamar, producer, "Smart Talk" on WITF-TV, 42 Tim Potts, DemocracyRisingPA, 42; Ray Landis, PA AARP: 43; Pollster Terry Madonna of Franklin & Marshall College, 51 Senate staffer Brian Turk, 52; Senate staffer Stacee Harer, 53; PR specialist Jeff Jubelirer, 55; Reform leader Russ Diamond, 57; Consultant and former Republican State Chairman Alan P. Novak, 60; Tony Phyrillas, columnist, The Pottstown Mercury. 62; Senate aide Jason High, 65; Gene Stilp, a Stilpish 78.5; David LaTorre, PR maven, 80; Pennsylvania Federation of Independent Businesses Kevin Shivers, 90; Montgomery County Democratic Committee Chairman Marcel Groen, 92; Gov. Ed Rendell's TV adman, Neil Oxman, 99; Senate staffer Erik Arneson, 99; Chris Borick, pollster and public opinion professor, Muhlenberg University, 110; Rep. David Reed, R-Indiana, 110; Political consultant Ray Zaborney, 120; PR consultant/speechwriter/adman Charlie Gerow, 125; Rep. Steve Nickol, R-Hanover, 125; Eric Epstein, Rock The Capitol, up to 150; Rep. Katie True, R-Lancaster, 150; Capitolwire's Pete DeCoursey, 160; WITF-TV "Smart Talk" host Nell McCormack Abom, 164; Rep. Jerry Nailor, R-Cumberland, 166; Tom Shaheen, PA Family Institute, 166; Senate staffer Sandra Christman, 174; Robert Scarborough, 175; David Rodbart, Susquehanna Polling, 195 Political consultant/lobbyist Kathy Pippy, 203; Conservative activist Jim Panyard, 260; Chris Jensen of GovNet and Capitolwire, 280; Dennis Baylor, 329.

Once the results are in, the winner gets lunch with Pete DeCoursey in Harrisburg."

12 districts oppose tax shuffle

The South Williamsport Area School Board in Lycoming County unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the repeal of Act 1, joining 11 other school districts in Pennsylvania.

Why isn't your school district joining the fight to repeal a terrible law that Pennsylvania politicians forced on us as a diversion to finding real property tax relief?

It's time Pennsylvania taxpayers demanding that their representatives on school boards start working for them and not the special interests that drive up the costs of our public schools.

The school board in the Tunkhannock Area School District is one of the 12 that passed the Act 1 repeal resolution. Board Vice President Jack Tomlin informs me that board members are also placing an advertisement in the local newspaper to inform the voters about Act 1 shortcomings. (The board members had to pay for the ad as individuals per the Act 1 rules).

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations (PCTA) has issued the following press release urging repeal of Act 1. It's the group's third call for dissolution of the phony tax relief plan signed into law last June by Gov. Ed Rendell.

Here's the text of the association's press release:

Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations: 'Act 1 is a fraud'

Taxpayer advocacy groups across Pennsylvania issue third call for repeal

The recent announcement by the Pennsylvania Department of Education granting permission to all 210 school districts that applied for permission to increase property taxes above the so-called inflationary index -- without the need for voter approval -- is further proof and validation of the PCTA's earlier statements that Act 1 is a fraud on the taxpayers of Pennsylvania and must be repealed.

The PCTA, a group of 23 taxpayer advocacy groups spanning the entire state of Pennsylvania, has unanimously issued its third demand for repeal of Act 1.

"The PDE granted every one of the 210 requests to increase property taxes above the index without the need for taxpayer approval," said David Baldinger, who runs the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition from Berks County, a member of the PCTA. "The PCTA predicted this would happen back in July of 2006. Not one piece of this egregious legislation represents property tax reform, and our predictions are being validated before your very eyes."

Joe Gable, who runs the Central Bucks Taxpayers Association, also a member of the PCTA, agrees. "The exceptions available that allow school boards the ability to easily avoid voter referendum render the concept of taxpayers controlling property taxes meaningless, and the Legislature expects everyone to pay an increased local EIT or PIT for that meaningless right."

The PCTA maintains that the most offensive statements about Act 1 are the false and misleading statements by the Governor's office that, "(Act 1) protects homeowners by limiting the property tax increases that school boards can approve without voter approval," as well as the assertion that the tax shift aspect under Act 1 represents "historic property tax relief."

Neither could be further from the truth. Taxpayers in 210 school districts have already lost their right to control property taxes thanks to the loopholes deliberately placed in the Act, and in districts where taxpayers have heard little about Act 1, some voters may unknowingly approve the tax shift resulting in most taxpayers being subjected to even higher taxes, with no relief or control in sight.

The opportunity for true property tax reform was squandered in Harrisburg during the summer of 2006 by passing Act 1. It fails to provide reform; fails to provide voters with control of property tax, and fails to solve inequitable funding across all school districts. The most harm inflicted by Act 1 will be felt in districts that are already financially stressed.

The PCTA supports a broader source of statewide educational funding through a modification of the state sales tax, possibly combined with state income tax, to eliminate property tax and provide more equitable school funding across the state, like the legislation introduced by Rep. Sam Rohrer in 2006.

Cost control and economies of scale were inherent in his bill. To further control cost and pressure on taxes, the PCTA supports legislation introduced by Representative Will Gabig to permanently end teacher strikes in Pennsylvania as 37 states have already done. Pennsylvania has more teacher strikes than all of the other states combined robbing our children of the right to uninterrupted education and coercing districts into even higher property tax rates.

For additional information, visit the following PCTA member Web sites:

For more information on Act 1, including customized Act 1 calculators, visit www.ptcc.us

For more information on ending teacher strikes, visit www.stopteacherstrikes.org

11 districts call for repeal of Act 1

The count is up to 11.

So far, 11 of the state's 501 school districts have gone on record opposing the Act 1 tax shuffle passed by the Legislature last year and signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell.

The latest school boards to take a stand on behalf of taxpayers are in the Wyomissing School District in Berks County and the Tunkhannock Area School District in Wyoming County.

Berks County is leading the taxpayer revolt, followed closely by Bucks County.

Five school districts in Berks (Antietam, Boyertown, Conrad Weiser, Governor Mifflin and Wyomissing) and four districts in Bucks (Central Bucks, Pennsbury, Centennial and Bristol Township) have passed resolutions opposing Act 1. The Coatesville School District in Chester County also adopted the resolution. And the Tunkhannock School District in Wyoming County is on record against Act 1.

If your school district isn't on the list, find out why your school board members aren't on your side. This is a good time to get school boards to stand up for you because hundreds of school board members are seeking re-election on May 15.

Act 1 is a tax shift scheme that Rendell and the Legislature cooked up last year to destract voters until after the November 2006 elections. With Rendell and the majority of incumbent legislators re-elected, property tax relief is no longer a priority in Harrisburg.

You can learn more about the flaws in Act 1 and see a copy of the resolution by going to the Web site set up by the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition.

The group's Web site is http://www.ptcc.us/

9 school districts oppose Act 1

Slow and steady.

So far, nine of the state's 501 school districts have gone on record opposing the Act 1 tax shuffle passed by the Legislature last year and signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell.

The latest school board to take a stand on behalf of its taxpayers is the Boyertown Area School District, which straddles communities in Berks and Montgomery counties.

The board voted 6-2 calling for repeal of Act 1.

Board members John S. Matthews, Joseph M. Nichols, John R. Crossley, Ruth A. Dierolf, Barbara W. Hartford and Gwendolyn W. Semmens voted for the resolution.

School Board President Michael A. Kulp and board member John F. Dugan opposed the resolution. Taxpayers in the Boyertown School District should find out why Kulp and Dugan won't do the right thing. (Kulp is seeking re-election to the school board on May 15 so keep his vote against genuine tax relief in mind when you go to the polls.)

The anti-Act 1 movement is centered in Berks and Bucks counties. Four school districts in Berks (Antietam, Boyertown, Conrad Weiser and Governor Mifflin) and four districts in Bucks (Central Bucks, Pennsbury, Centennial and Bristol Township) have passed resolutions opposing Act 1. The Coatesville School District in Chester County also adopted the resolution.

Act 1 is a tax shift scheme that Rendell and the Legislature cooked up last year to destract voters until after the November 2006 elections. With Rendell and the majority of incumbent legislators re-elected, property tax relief is no longer a priority in Harrisburg.

You can learn more about the flaws in Act 1 and see a copy of the resolution by going to the Web site set up by the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition. The group's Web site is http://www.ptcc.us/

Antietam joins Act 1 revolt

The Antietam School District in Berks County is the latest to join the campaign to repeal Act 1.

The Antietam School Board voted 8-1 on Monday to send a letter to the state Legislature and Gov. Ed Rendell asking them to repeal the tax shift scheme and replace it with meaningful property tax relief.

The only Antietam board member to vote against the best interests of taxpayers was Julia Kleiman-Baer. Voters should remember that name when they go to the polls on May 15.

Antietam is now the eighth school district in Pennsylvania to seek repeal of Act 1.

Antietam joins the Governor Mifflin and Conrad Weiser school districts in Berks County in opposing Act 1. Other school boards that passed resolutions against Act 1 include Central Bucks, Pennsbury, Centennial and Bristol Township in Bucks County; and Coatesville in Chester County.

When will your school board start looking out for taxpayers instead of special interests that have driven up the costs of public education in Pennsylvania? Start writing letters and attending school board meetings to demand repeal of Act 1.

All 501 school districts in Pennsylvania should adopt the Act 1 repeal resolution and demand an end to the Act 1 shell game approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Rendell. Find out if your state legislator supported Act 1 and vote them out of office in 2008.

You can learn more about the flaws in Act 1 from the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition. The group's Web site is http://www.ptcc.us/

The Magnificent Seven

David Baldinger of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition reports that the largest school district in the state that is required to comply with Act 1, Central Bucks, unanimously approved the Act 1 condemnation resolution at its meeting Tuesday. The count is now up to seven.

Here are the magnificent seven school districts standing up for their taxpayers: Central Bucks in Bucks County; Conrad Weiser in Berks County; Pennsbury in Bucks County; Governor Mifflin in Berks County; Coatesville in Chester County; Bristol Township in Bucks County; and Centennial in Bucks County.

Notice a pattern here? All seven are in Southeastern Pennsylvania. What about your school district?

When will your school board start looking out for you instead of the special interests that have driven up the costs of education in Pennsylvania? Start writing letters and attending school board meetings to demand repeal of Act 1.

All 501 school districts in Pennsylvania should adopt the Act 1 repeal resolution and demand an end to the Act 1 tax shift sceme approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Rendell.

You can learn more about the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition and the effort to repeal Act 1 at http://www.ptcc.us/

Pa. districts call for repeal of Act 1

The Conrad Weiser School Board in Berks County unanimously approved the Act 1 condemnation resolution this week. The count is now six, according to David Baldinger of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition.

The six districts are Conrad Weiser (Berks), Pennsbury (Bucks), Governor Mifflin (Berks), Coatesville (Chester), Bristol Township (Bucks), and Centennial (Bucks).

What's wrong with the rest of the state's school district's?

Pennsylvania has 501 school districts and all 501 should demand that Gov. Rendell and the state Legislature come up with a serious plan to fund education without killing taxpayers.

Several newspapers have organized a letter-writing campaign to repeal Act. 1.

Here's some background about the failures of Act 1 from a recent editorial in The Mercury:

"The legislature has in its power many ways to limit school spending or to help districts control spending through prevailing wage exemptions and consolidated purchasing power. But a school district exploding with growth cannot stop building schools or paying for additional teachers.

Giving voters a false sense of control of spending is irresponsible legislation.

The distribution of money from slots is a promise yet to be realized. And it also depends on people losing money in order for a tax break.

The tax-shifting referendum is the biggest scam of all.

Districts are able to word their own ballot question, basing it on whether they want to propose an increase in personal income tax or earned income tax. They must also determine the amount of the increase, ranging from .5 percent to 2.5 percent, for the ballot question.

Citizen tax study commissions — also a requirement of Act 1 — have been making recommendations to all school boards in recent weeks and their reports reveal the problems with the law.

The majority of renters and working class families will end up paying more in taxes under Act 1.

If that's not a scam, we don’t know what it is.

As with the pay-raise debacle in 2005, newspapers are taking the public's frustration with Act 1 to Harrisburg with a demand that legislators get back to work on a true solution to the problem of relying on local property taxes to fund public schools.

We ask you to join us in asking Gov. Ed Rendell and our state legislators to take a hard look at school funding and craft a plan that truly reforms the system of taxation and takes the burden off local school districts and the working-class homeowner.

They tried last year with a months-long special session on tax reform, and the result was Act 1. Clearly, the effort failed, and lawmakers need to try again.

If you're opposed to Act 1, please write to: Operation Tax Scam, The Mercury, 24 N. Hanover St., Pottstown, PA 19464. You can also e-mail your letter to letters@pottsmerc.com

The newspaper will forward all letters to state lawmakers."

It's your money. Fight for the right to keep some of it.

You can learn more about the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition at http://www.ptcc.us/

Pennsylvania tax bite keeps growing

"The purpose of government is to serve the people and if government doesn't serve the people, there's no purpose in having a government."

That quote is at the bottom of all the e-mails I get from the Bradford County Concerned Citizens, which also ends its messages with this ditty: "Pennsylvania, Land of Taxes"

It's a new month. That means it's time to review all the different ways the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relieves its residents of their hard-earned cash.

Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Revenue Department, which relishes reminding us at the start of each month how much it collected in taxes the previous month, here are the numbers:

The state collected $1.6 billion in General Fund revenue in February, $17.2 million, or 1.1 percent, more than anticipated. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $15.3 billion, which is $112.1 million, or 0.7 percent, above estimate.

Sales Tax receipts totaled $612.3 million for February, which was $15.1 million above estimate. Sales Tax collections year-to-date total $5.7 billion, which is $27.4 million below estimate or 0.5 percent less than anticipated.

Personal Income Tax (PIT) revenue in February was $697.7 million, which was $6.3 million below estimate. This brings year-to-date PIT collections to $6 billion, which is $67.2 million or 1.1 percent above estimate.

February Corporation Tax revenue of $79 million was $2.3 million below estimate. Year-to-date Corporation Tax collections total $1.8 billion, which is $82.2 million, or 4.9 percent, above estimate.

Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $51.5 million in Inheritance Tax, which was $8 million below estimate and brought the year-to- date total to $481.3 million, which is $27.6 million below estimate.

Realty Transfer Tax was $33.9 million for February, bringing the total to $386.7 million for the year, which is $26.2 million less than anticipated.

Other General Fund revenue including the Cigarette, Malt Beverage and Liquor Tax totaled $113.4 million for the month, $23.6 million above estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $918.5 million, which is $44 million above estimate.

In addition to the General Fund collections, the Motor License Fund received $169.3 million for the month, $2.3 million above estimate. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund total $1.6 billion, which is $1.4 million or 0.1 percent above estimate.

The Gaming Fund received $168.5 million in unrestricted revenues for February. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund total $344.2 million. Gaming Fund receipts include taxes, fees and interest. Of the total for the month, $17.7 million was collected in state taxes for property tax relief, bringing the year-to-date total to $42.5 million.

Other gaming-related revenues collected for February included $2.1 million for the Local Share Assessment, for a total of $6 million for the year; $2.6 million for the Economic Development and Tourism Fund, for a year-to-date total of $6.2 million; and $6.2 million for the Race Horse Development Fund, bringing the total for the year to $15 million.

I don't know about you, but I can't afford to support our state government anymore. I'm putting my state representative and state senator on notice. If you vote for any new taxes or raising any existing taxes, I'm voting against you in 2008.

And forget about the members of my local school board. I'm voting all the incumbents our. They've raised my taxes every year I've lived in the district.

And I will be voting "no" on the Act 1 referendum on the May 15 ballot. It's bad enough my so-called elected representatives screw me every time by raising taxes. I'm not going to assist them by voting to raise my own taxes.