This measure is another instance of the State Government passing a cost to the local governments and, at the same time, weakening consumer protection. It's something else that Philadelphia will have to pay for, which will increase our local tax burden while helping the state to avoid bearing its fair share. How many people know that the State Supreme Court ruled, more than 20 years ago, that the State must pay the cost of courts? Very few because the state government has never complied. The reason Philadelphia has such high taxes is that it is forced to pay for courts and other costs that most states cover.

Although the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the state to provide a "thorough and efficient" system of public education, our state government passes most of the cost to the local school districts. After Governor Rendell worked hard to increase the state's share of the cost, and to make the apportionment more equitable, the present administration is now cutting back, especially from the less wealthy districts..

At the same time that the state forces us to undergo these costs, it repeatedly prevents us from regulating ourselves, for instance, by overruling the Philadelphia firearms ordinance and our Zoning Code's standard for who may appeal from decisions of the Zoning Board.

The reason Philadelphia taxes are to high is because of a culture that gives to many people, to many jobs. Jobs, where you perform very little work, or the work that you do perform is less then par. The city govement ship is just about sunk, because of a substandard culture that won't look at it's, below average employees, and public school children. The public school system is directly responsible for not having a qualified work force in Philadephia,that would be able to pay thier income tax. This culture in the city goverment, has paid for class trips to ST. Thomas, in the virgin islands, which state senator Harvey Williams attended. Senator Williams said he took severel Philadelphia School children to Frenchmans Reef in St Thomas to clean there beeches. What about cleaning, our own neighborhood. The culture in the city of Phildelphia's goverment, are a bunch of crying community activists, who keep complaining about equal equality. There are to many State Senators, like Harvey Williams in Philadephia goverment, who lobby Harrisburg for our money, that is a complete waste, to a culture that continues to waste it over and over again.

Jim, the reason taxes are so high is a lot of people including Big Business do not pay their taxes. There are about 40,000 titled buildings, including big high rises, that do not pay their taxes. Say a minimum of $3,000 per property thats a cool $120 million and the rest that don't pay adds up to almost $300 million a year. Look at the building that burned killing 2 fire fighters, they had not paid taxes for 8 years. And don't blame the schools for their failure, blame the parents. Most Phila teachers go to school scared of the pupils. Where are the parents ? The state is charged with educating the students, they have passed the power down to local school districts and keep cutting their funding. Jim, I read all your posts and think maybe you need to read a little more and study before spouting off.

People and businesses alike need to be responsible for themselves and be accountable for their actions... even if they behave like jackasses... and the governments needs to stop paying for their screw ups... can anyone say bailouts?!

Bill Ewing,you know am right so you had to say it twice, D.B. cop. You know d--k about why the taxes in Philadephia are high, so why don't you keep your trap shut. Another 25 grand and you might approach being an offical Havertown Hypocrite,D.B. The billboards are going up in august A.W. right across the street from Mcdonalds, on West Chester pike. Bring you Cameras H. H. there having B.I.G. party.

Jim, If you are calling me D.B. the cop, WRONG. I am not now, nor ever been, nor ever aspired to be a police officer anywhere. The reason taxes aren't paid in Phila. is a poor collection system as well as a strife ridden assessment system. Their system is so poor that they fail to collect overdue taxes when the property is sold. Sometimes these properties are bought and sold by the same person using different names. After 2 or 3 of these "short" sales, the taxes disappear and the same owner starts over and never pays a tax. Look at U.D., their taxes are much higher than ours so maybe you could look there as a starter and see what the cause is. Their school system is failing and costs are skyrocketing. their teachers have foregone pay raises for the 2nd year and costs keep skyrocketing, ask yourself why?. For a mini sample of their problem, go down to the P&W station at Beechwood east bound. Watch all the students get on, there, there is only 1 stop in Haverford Township and they are not getting off there. Multiply that by 100 or so and you will understand U.D.'s school crisis. Each community has their problems, they are all different and not as racial as you are implying. Jim, get over your hatred for the police, as in all life, there are good ones and bad ones. Accept that fact and you will live a little longer without the worrying that you do.

Geoge Jones I didn't call you a D.B. cop. I called Bill Ewing a D.B. cop. I am not blaming the teachers in Philadephia, I am blaming the city goverment in PHiladehphia,and stiffs like Senator Hardy Williams who steals money time after time.

I'm not a cop either. This is another instance of your tendency to make up "facts" to suit your biases. I'm glad that you finally realized the Senator is not "Harvey." Even so, State Senator Hardy Williams died some years ago. The man you are talking about is his son, State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, who happens to agree with you about public schools. Having accepted millions of dollars in contributions from rich school voucher supporters to finance his recent campaign for Governor, he is the state's leading advocate for using public school funds to pay for private schools.

I love that the Mt. Airy patch has its very own braindead neocon comment troll.

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