Rendell Mans Up to Charter School Real Estate Swindle

A clip from the Philadelphia Inquirer on Gov. Rendell's courageous veto of education bill:

. . . .Charter schools are typically exempt from property taxes, although some districts have sought to tax them in recent years. The provision in question would have extended the exemption to their property owners, if the owners were nonprofits.

Rendell said it might spur for-profit landlords to convert to nonprofit foundations in order to exploit the tax break - and thus, in the end, prevent school districts from collecting needed revenue.

He also questioned whether such foundations would be "purely public charities" as required for an exemption under state law. And he said it would give them a break that churches, senior centers, and other nonprofits don't get. "It would give a small handful of nonprofits special access to tax breaks and encourage others to create new nonprofit corporate entities in order to game the system," he said.. . .

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20101023_Rendell_vetoes_education_bill_over_charter-school_tax_break.html#ixzz13DMdwyG6