Saturday, July 17, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Property tax concerns

Born again anti-taxers now want to appease land owners

Two powerful Nevada Democrats said this week they'll make property tax reform a top priority at the 2005 Legislature.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins and Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus -- who both have gubernatorial aspirations -- have requested a bill draft to cap property tax increases.

Rapidly escalating assessed values have brought this issue to the forefront. The Perkins-Titus bill is unlikely to be the only proposal to address the matter -- indeed, conservative state Sen. Ann O'Connell has sought similar legislation and state Sen. Ray Rawson, facing a stiff challenge in the GOP primary, has made the issue the centerpiece of a recent campaign mailer.

That's fine. We're certainly all in favor of imposing limits on the ability of the public sector to milk taxpayers.

But if Mr. Perkins, Ms. Titus and Mr. Rawson are eager to champion a property tax cap -- just two years after endorsing the biggest tax increase in state history -- we expect they'll also aggressively oppose the teacher union plan to force the state to fund education at the amorphous "national average."

Because if that constitutional amendment succeeds, the anger over rising real estate taxes will pale in comparison to the ire many Nevadans will express when lawmakers are forced to impose the massive tax hikes necessary to temporarily sate the education establishment.