Pennsylvania Turns Back on Sin Tax: More and more states are trying to fund public works on the backs of minority groups. Pennsylvania has never shied away from trying to exploit the weak in order to fund its programs in the past. Exploiting the state's gullible gamblers seemed like a good political move for a Democratic governor in one of the country's conservative states. Everybody, it was thought, would happily approve of slot machines funding school districts.

But—there always seems to be one—80 percent of the state's school boards turned down the measure. Perhaps the educators thought they'd be sending the wrong message to the state's children. Is this a sign of the times? Could it be that everyone will be asked to do their fare share in the future, like pay taxes?

That seems unlikely, but maybe people will begin to rethink property tax laws. As the nation ages, the burden of funding programs based on property taxes seems like a less viable approach. And then there is the problem of getting the big businesses to pay their fare share of such taxes. Usually they have enough clout within the community to manipulate the system in their favor and substantially lower the amount they are assessed.