I have been thinking about the proposal Republicans are calling "The North Dakota Property Tax Relief Act of 2007." I have been pleading for a reduction in property taxes for at least 10 years, and I was actually able to reduce the Grand Forks Schools mill levy when I served as president of the school board from 1998 to 2000. If talking about a spending bill that will have to pass both houses of the North Dakota legislature next year will get the job done, then by all means let the conversation continue. But I was worried that the 10 percent reduction the Republicans are touting would turn out to be an eye-poppingly large number. And it is.

Gov. John Hoeven's campaign manager, who was recently appointed as our state tax commissioner, puts the number at $116 million (letter to the editor, Sept. 24). I don't know if the Republicans intend their tax break as a one-time giveaway or as a program that will continue in the future, but I have a hard time believing that the Republicans I know in the North Dakota House would ever consider approving that much money to be spent in one place. My grandmother used to tell me that whenever something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

I am afraid that the Tax Relief Bill of 2007 is destined to become the great campaign promise of 2006. That's because no one has done the hard work of governance in developing this idea. The reason property taxes are too high in North Dakota is that for 15 years the people who brought us this promise of tax relief have defended an unconstitutional scheme of education finance and allowed the state's share of education spending to decline in every biennium that I can remember. The only solution to this problem is to wrestle with the thorny issues of how much does it really cost to educate our children and how should that cost be shared between the state and its 117 school districts? I don't expect to see any kind of meaningful and stable reduction in property taxes until those questions have been asked and answered.

We live in a democracy, which means we deserve the governments we elect. I hope the voters in District 17 will elect candidates who believe in the idea of government and are willing to do the hard work good government demands. And I hope we are not being suckered by a property tax relief bill that will turn out to be too good to be true.

(Rep. "Weezie" Potter, a Democrat, represents District 17 in the Legislature. - Editor)