Bill Gamble – 7/7/05

This page was last updated on July 7, 2005.

Time for property tax reform; Bill Gamble - West Allegheny School Board; Beaver County Times; July 7, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Our state leaders must get serious about property tax reform and commission a special session of the Legislature to address property tax reform.

“Too long have our state leaders let down homeowners by not addressing true property tax reform and by passing the buck to local homeowners, and then criticizing those who they have placed the burden on - local school boards.

“It is a no-brainer that without needed tax reform, as the cost of education continues to increase, as unfunded mandates and laws that have handcuffed school boards continue, local school boards will continue to take the brunt of complaints that should be addressed at the state level.”

[RWC] Note what Mr. Gamble tried to sneak by us. He wrote, “as the cost of education continues to increase.” Well, Mr. Gamble, as a member of a school board, who’s responsible for increasing public school spending? What nerve!

“The bottom line is that our citizens are going to be priced out of their own homes, not only in our school district but in all school districts across the state. It is and has been a travesty of justice to have homeowners alone pay for the bulk of our education system.”

[RWC] It appears Mr. Gamble needs to attend one of the economics classes offered by his school district. Homeowners alone don’t “pay for the bulk of our education system.” All property owners pay this tax and pass the tax along to customers and renters in the form of higher product prices and higher rent.

“The two taxes that affect all of Pennsylvanians more equitably are the sales tax and earned income tax. That is the answer to true tax reform. It makes sense to have real estate taxes continue to assist in funding county and local governments because they have a direct correlation with services provided to homeowners. But the results of a quality education system have a correlation to all Pennsylvanians.”

[RWC] Mr. Gamble didn’t get the liberal memos – or read Times editorials – about the sales tax. Doesn’t he know the sales tax “does hit poor and middle-income families harder than the well-to-do?”

Did you note Mr. Gamble stated there’s no correlation between the results of public schools and the local community? No wonder Mr. Gamble doesn’t want to have to justify local tax increases.

“We can no longer afford to have education funded by real estate taxes and continue to enjoy one of the most sacred ingredients of quality of our life in Pennsylvania: home ownership.

“I challenge and urge state leaders to stand up in a collaborative effort for true property tax reform - and not a Band-Aid approach -and to once and for all do the right thing for our homeowners, our education system and all Pennsylvanians.”

[RWC] Here’s the bottom line. Mr. Gamble wants to spend as much as he wants but doesn’t want the responsibility of justifying the taxes required to support that profligate spending. If Mr. Gamble is to be intellectually honest, he should also support elimination of local school boards if he wants to eliminate local taxes to support public schools. I doubt we’ll hear Mr. Gamble make that suggestion.