Hyperbole Doesn’t Change the
Facts:
Backend Referenda Do Get Passed
Statement from Senate President Pro Tempore
Robert C. Jubelirer
and Senate Majority Leader David J. Brightbill
House Democrats should tell the full story, not
just use a misleading snippet, when advocating their anti-taxpayer position
against a strong backend referendum as part of a property tax reform package.
Perhaps Representatives Bill DeWeese and Mike
Veon also should be reminded that they have twice voted in favor of strong
referendum provisions in the past 12 months: July 19, 2003 (SB 100) and Oct. 21,
2003 (HB 113).
In a press release this week, House Democrat
leaders highlighted Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota, attempting to make
the case that backend referenda produce “devastating effects.”
Their press release included information culled
from the Bloomington Public Schools web site, showing the cuts that would have
to be made if the referendum failed -- such as staff reductions, transportation
and supplies.
But the House Democrats’ release left out one
vital fact: the referendum in Bloomington Public Schools actually passed, 56% to
44%, in November of last year.
The victory for this referendum exposes a myth
that various groups are trying to spread -- that no citizen would ever vote to
increase their own taxes. The Bloomington example proves that the opposite is
true.
Clearly, Bloomington Public Schools did a good
job of educating the public on the need for new revenue. The result was that the
voters of the district supported a local tax increase to fund public education.
An examination of the New York experience in
June 2003 also proves valuable when evaluating the impact of backend referendum.
On June 5,
The New York Times reported that voters in 94% of New York state’s
school districts voted to approve their proposed budgets. That approval rate,
according to the article, “is one of the highest on record, stunning many school
officials who had expected far greater reluctance from a public already facing
higher state and local taxes.”
The New York State Council of School
Superintendents indicated that New York schools were raising taxes by an average
of 7.4% under the proposed budgets.
With the fallacy of a “sky is falling” attitude
about referenda exposed, perhaps Governor Rendell should re-emphasize the
comments he made in his second budget address of March 2003:
“A whopping 255 districts have hiked property
taxes by more than 50 percent in the last 10 years. … I look forward to working
with members of the General Assembly to ensure that once we bring property taxes
under control they stay under control for good.”
Using those comments as a benchmark -- the
governor’s clear implication being that real estate tax increases totaling 50
percent over 10 years (4.14% per year, compounded) is unacceptable -- the need
for a strong backend referendum to protect Pennsylvania taxpayers is obvious.
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