Last week, we posted a piece about the sudden renewed interest in having a constitutional convention in Pennsylvania.  We pointed out that despite the best of intentions by some good-government types, opening up the constitution could bring with it some real unintended consequences.  You can check that piece out here.  http://www.triadstrategies.com/news/constitutional-convention--solution-or-problem/

We awoke this morning to find a new report had come out from the Washington D.C-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that seems to indicate that as a state, we are pretty darned regressive when it comes to tax policy.  In fact, we are in the top ten of the most regressive states in the union.

The study found families in the lowest 20 percent of income - those earning $19,000 a year or less - paid 11.3 percent of their income for state income, sales and excise taxes and local property taxes compared to only 5 percent paid toward the same taxes by the top 1 percent, families who earn $428,000 or more a year.

The culprit, you ask?  Well, among other theories is that the Pennsylvania Constitution’s uniformity clause, which prohibits graduated levels of taxation, is not helping matters at all.  And what would it take to remedy this situation (if, in fact, you are of the mindset that it needs remedied at all)?

You can do one of two things: First, the legislature could pass an amendment to the constitution by passing a bill in two consecutive sessions, with voter approval.  Or second, you can just chuck that whole messy idea and have a constitutional convention. 

We see a pattern emerging.