BCT Editorial – 11/20/06

This page was last updated on November 20, 2006.

Misplaced; Editorial; Beaver County Times; November 20, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Two recent events show the state’s misplaced spending priorities.

“On Tuesday, the first slot-machine parlor opened. When all are in operation, the state estimates they will produce $1 billion in new revenue that will be used to reduce property taxes.

“The day before, a special transportation study group reported Pennsylvania needs to raise $1.7 billion to improve its highways and bridges and to fund adequately its mass-transit systems. To do so, it called for increases in taxes and fees.

“The state also needs to spend billions more in the very near future to upgrade and expand water and wastewater systems. Funding for these improvements will have to come out of the pockets of individuals as taxpayers and as users of the systems.”

[RWC] Why should the state pay “to upgrade and expand water and wastewater systems?” These are local responsibilities, and local taxpayers and customers should foot the complete bill.

“The state’s leaders could have used slots revenue to address these long-term infrastructure problems. Instead, they opted for the short-term, minor property tax relief. Their misplaced priorities will come back to haunt us.”

[RWC] Ever notice how revenue generation schemes sold on tax reduction never seem to reduce taxes?

With apologies to Ross Perot, that “giant sucking sound” is not from jobs going to Mexico. The “giant sucking sound” is from government sucking dollars out of our pockets anyway it can and under any pretense.