Cuttin Property Tax; Test Kitchens; Better Swing Sets.

(From CNN News)

Byline: Kathleen Hayes, Gerri Willis

GERRI WILLIS, HOST: Angry about high property taxes? Who can blame you? We have strategies for cutting your tax bill. ANNOUNCER: Today on OPEN HOUSE, property taxes. Think you're paying too much? This man's fighting City Hall. We look at what you can do too. Then, generations of families have relied on advice straight from this kitchen. We have a personal tour of the newly remodeled "Better Homes and Gardens" test kitchen. And our weekend project, swing sets, how to choose the best ones for safety, durability, and price, next on OPEN HOUSE. WILLIS: Hello, and welcome to CNN OPEN HOUSE. I'm Gerri Willis. No doubt about it, property taxes are skyrocketing. Residents of Yorba Linda, California, who've seen taxes jump 107 percent in just four years. And in the Alexandria, Virginia, they're up 86 percent. Worse, the National Taxpayers Union says that more than half of all homes are over-assessed. Kathleen Hayes brings us the story of one Rhode Island man who is fighting the system. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN HAYES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After 38 years as a dentist, Harvey Waxman was ready to retire with his wife, Judy, in their two-bedroom Rhode Island home, that is, until the mail arrived. HARVEY WAXMAN, PROPERTY TAX ADVOCATE: The property tax at that time, I believe it was about $7,000 a year. Well, after the revaluation in 2000, our 2001 tax bill came to over $14,000 in one year. HAYES: Five years later, his retirement looks more like a career change. He started RIGHT, Rhode Island Gets Honorable Taxation, to fight a property tax system that baffled him. WAXMAN: The property tax is the only tax we pay according to what someone else can afford. It just doesn't make sense to me. HAYES: Rather than basing property taxes on the market value of a property, Harvey says they should be based on what you paid. Due to the nature of the current system, the recent housing boom has driven national property taxes higher by 36 percent in five years. And homeowners whose home prices have risen may not have more cash on hand but do have to come up with more money to pay the taxes. WAXMAN: I can't tear off a few shingles and send it in with my tax bill. Unless everyone is sharing in the burden of their communities, it can never be considered fair. HAYES: Americans seem to agree. According to an April Gallup poll, 42 percent of respondents said that property tax was the least- fair tax, while only 20 percent picked the federal income tax, and 17 percent named their state sales tax. But city advocates say rising property taxes are essential for local government. DON BORUT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES: They're stable. They're dependable. And in this last period, when things were going south in every other way, the property tax really was fundamental to make sure cities could pay for fundamental services. WAXMAN: I am not suggesting we do away with the property tax. I am only suggesting we change the way we distribute the tax among citizens. HAYES: And Harvey insists his plan is revenue-neutral, that is, it won't lower the amount available to local governments. WAXMAN: We have to raise $50 million. We're going to do it one way or the other. We're still going to raise $50 million. I'll either take $25 million from you and $25 …