Legislative Postscript

In the category of giving credit where credit is due, Governor Rendell should be applauded for his vetoes of SB 1247 and HB 1438, legislation that would have restricted the authority of school districts to appeal real estate assessments.

In his veto statement, the governor correctly noted that when some properties are "under-assessed" that only serves to raise the taxes on everyone else. (File that under "there is no such thing as a free lunch.")

The real solution, of course – also duly noted by the governor - would be to pass legislation that would mandate regular county-wide assessments, perhaps once every ten years.  That would eliminate the inequity that builds up in the system when assessments are not performed for decades on end.