Trust legislators to find way to duck responsibility
When an issue is complex calling for tough decisions, the General Assembly can be sure to practice the Big Shirk. The legislature was pushed into a special session to address runaway property taxes used to support public education. Pennsylvania’s 501 school districts maintain the state fails to provide its fair share, has an outdated method of figuring subsidies, must devise a better way of paying for education, and ensure that students in poor districts have the same resources as those in richer districts. The state Senate, under the leadership of Robert Jubelier (who is still wearing two hats as lieutenant governor and president pro tempore) offers a bizarre solution. Let the voters decide. Jubelier is pushing for a mandate that school districts hold referendums on shifting revenue from property taxes to local income taxes. Further, voter approval would be required before school districts raise local taxes beyond the rate of increase in the average weekly wage of Pennsylvania workers. This won’t work. A similar attempt a couple years ago that allows each school district, with voter approval, to shift the local tax burden failed. Legislators called it tax reform. Schools, voters and most of all taxpayers called it a ruse.
It did nothing to resolve the inequities of school funding. It did nothing to force the state to shoulder more responsibility in paying for education.
Budget referendums are not necessary to hold local school board members accountable to the public. School board directors often face voter wrath by angry taxpayers and parents. These contests always draw a field of candidates with incumbents regularly replaced with a slate of candidates pushed by the protesting groups.
School boards are already accountable – if only the same could be said of the General Assembly. Those legislators – and there aren’t many of them – who do face opponents in November want to tell their constituents that they have done something to lower property taxes and they will point to this referendum as proof. Don’t let them fool you. They are shirking responsibility once again. It’s time to hold them accountable.