Well, now that the Wettick Decree, also known as another Allegheny County assessment fiasco, is about to be finalized, a couple of questions linger in my humble mind.
The first: What the heck did the original few who started this process via lawsuit accomplish since they are now complaining that the whole mess they created didn't give them the result they expected? Their taxes went up! Duh.
The second and far more important: Who or what polices that fiasco of a law we have called the anti-windfall law that is supposed to prevent backdoor tax increases but does not?
First, the law allows up to a 5 percent increase for any municipality that wants it, clear of having to justify it. When was the last time you got a 5 percent pay increase or when has the inflation rate in this country even approached 5 percent in the last 15 years? And the bozos in power want yearly assessments? For what? To get a possible minimum 5 percent increase every year?
The local papers need to follow this as closely as they did the assessment process (which is not being done), and the school districts, the county and the municipalities need to provide written math proof of how they arrived at their final figures.
Former Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato was right -- an assessment is nothing more than an excuse for a backdoor tax increase. And we are a bunch of fools for allowing it.
WILLIAM J. MARO
Jefferson Hills
First Published: December 17, 2012, 5:00 a.m.