"Tell Mayor Nutter that everyone needs to pay their fair share"

That's the jargon printed on the ACORN handout held by protestors outside of the "upscale" Residences at Two Liberty Place in Philly.

Mayor Nutter's proposed budget would add hundreds of dollars to the property-tax bills of most home-owning Philadelphians - but not all.

For the 9,000 who own new or renovated homes and buildings with 10-year property-tax abatements, the impact of Nutter's tax increases would be negligible: $35 next year, for example, on one typical abated $400,000 home.

A growing number of Philadelphians are fuming over such figures, and they are letting the mayor and City Council know it, in protests, in phone calls and letters, and in angry outbursts at town hall meetings.

My personal opinion is that the City of Philadelphia should be cutting "feel good" programs and hand-outs like there is no tomorrow instead of trying to prop them up with new tax increases...but such is life in the Democrat voting urban centers of the Northeast.

What I find amusing is that ACORN organized a rally to protest the abatement provided and based their complaint on the fact that those individuals with new or newly renovated homes (who already got socked in the mouth with high rates) won't see a huge increase in their property taxes, while those who have been NOT paying their "fair" share all these years are getting the red hot poker. In short, the new proposed increase is assuring that everyone does, indeed, pay their "fair" share.

I'd like to see the City Council listen to these folks (and ACORN). I'd enjoy seeing a whopping increase in property taxes to those in "luxury" housing. I'd like to see it, because Philadelphia would then follow in the footprints of New York City. By this time next year, both cities will wonder what happened to their tax base. A small percentage of residents in both cities have been footing the irresponsible bill for years. When they leave, both urban centers will turn into a virtual cess pool of destitution and squallor. Bring it on, ACORN...you're doing just fine.

PS: check out the article in the Philadelphia Inq. linked above...the photos are priceless and do little to gather any sympathy for these folks.