Monday, February 06, 2006
Tax Reform? Voters Should Look in the Mirror
There are very few taxpayers, especially property tax payers in Allegheny County, who are not desirous of seeing their tax bills reduced. Indeed, since the pay raise flap of last year, property tax reform has become the focus of legislative and gubernatorial rhetoric. A special session of the legislature was called to grapple with the problem. But, as in every previous attempt to reduce property taxes, the reality of having to find replacement dollars through raising other taxes brings discussion of meaningful reduction to a grinding halt.
Therein lies the key to understanding the real problem. Total taxes are high because spending is high. Spending is high because elected officials, including school board members, are motivated for many reasons, mostly political, to keep expanding outlays. Their constituents want more government provided goodies and they feel compelled to oblige.
Voters in high tax areas keep electing big spenders-- as well as representatives who promote policies which lead to higher expenditures-- to office and then complain when their taxes go up. Presumably, such voters are hoping the bill can be shifted to businesses or other taxpayers around the country or state. But for local government and schools that is very hard to do.
All one need do to verify this thesis is to have state and local candidates in Allegheny County run on a platform that calls for the elimination of prevailing wage laws, elimination of teacher strikes, elimination of PAT worker strikes, reform of binding arbitration laws relating to public safety employees and privatization of state or local government services. There might be two or three districts in the County where such candidates could get elected. And that is the problem here and in much of the state.
Simply put, people looking for a way to reduce their tax bite should support candidates who will work to change the laws that create an upward spiral of government spending. If on the other hand voters believe the primary role of government is to provide discharge proof jobs with high wages and generous benefits-- such as PAT drivers and public school teachers-- then they need to stop complaining about taxes and quit dreaming their taxes will ever be lowered.
There are very few taxpayers, especially property tax payers in Allegheny County, who are not desirous of seeing their tax bills reduced. Indeed, since the pay raise flap of last year, property tax reform has become the focus of legislative and gubernatorial rhetoric. A special session of the legislature was called to grapple with the problem. But, as in every previous attempt to reduce property taxes, the reality of having to find replacement dollars through raising other taxes brings discussion of meaningful reduction to a grinding halt.
Therein lies the key to understanding the real problem. Total taxes are high because spending is high. Spending is high because elected officials, including school board members, are motivated for many reasons, mostly political, to keep expanding outlays. Their constituents want more government provided goodies and they feel compelled to oblige.
Voters in high tax areas keep electing big spenders-- as well as representatives who promote policies which lead to higher expenditures-- to office and then complain when their taxes go up. Presumably, such voters are hoping the bill can be shifted to businesses or other taxpayers around the country or state. But for local government and schools that is very hard to do.
All one need do to verify this thesis is to have state and local candidates in Allegheny County run on a platform that calls for the elimination of prevailing wage laws, elimination of teacher strikes, elimination of PAT worker strikes, reform of binding arbitration laws relating to public safety employees and privatization of state or local government services. There might be two or three districts in the County where such candidates could get elected. And that is the problem here and in much of the state.
Simply put, people looking for a way to reduce their tax bite should support candidates who will work to change the laws that create an upward spiral of government spending. If on the other hand voters believe the primary role of government is to provide discharge proof jobs with high wages and generous benefits-- such as PAT drivers and public school teachers-- then they need to stop complaining about taxes and quit dreaming their taxes will ever be lowered.
