RST: Replace property tax with higher sales/income taxes?

What to look for on Radio Smart Talk, Wednesday, August 28, 2013:

Taxes have been levied on landowners for hundreds of years.  The thinking was that the amount of property one had equated to their wealth or ability to pay taxes.

There’s no historic record, but the first complaint about property taxes probably came immediately after the initial tax notice went out.

For decades, property owners, farmers, older people, those on fixed incomes and candidates for elected office have called property taxes the worst tax ever and demanded they be eliminated or reduced.

In 1989, Pennsylvania Gov. Robert Casey pushed a property tax reform proposal that voters soundly rejected in a referendum because it was too complicated or taxes would increase for some and go down for others.

In 2004, Pennsylvania legalized slot machines with the profits supposed to reduce property taxes.

Here we are in 2013 and property taxes are still the main source of revenue for Pennsylvania school districts.

However, bi-partisan legislation in both the state house and senate that would eliminate the property tax and make up the revenue with increased sales and income taxes is said to have momentum.

The main sponsor of Senate Bill 76, Sen. David Argall (R-Schuylkill) joins us on Radio Smart Talk Wednesday to talk taxes.

Listen to the program:

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