No surprise here. A coalition of nearly three dozen taxpayer groups has endorsed state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, for governor of Pennsylvania.

Rohrer, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2010, has been the leading proponent of eliminating property taxes in Pennsylvania.

A member of the Legislature since 1993, Rohrer is the primary sponsor of House Bill 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act.

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations sees Rohrer's election as the best chance of killing the state's onerous school property tax.

From a press released issued by PCTA:

Rep. Rohrer has, through many legislative sessions, introduced the School Property Tax Elimination Act, legislation that would abolish school property taxes for all Pennsylvania homeowners and restructure a crumbling, antiquated education finance system. During the announcement of his candidacy on Nov. 17, Rep. Rohrer emphasized that school property tax elimination will be one of the five main planks of his campaign platform and a priority of his administration.

Rebecca Heller of The Patriot's Voice, one of the PCTA member groups, said, "Sam Rohrer is not just a candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, he is a true statesman and patriot. Rep. Rohrer selflessly devoted many years of his life to work for the citizens in his district. I do not live in his district, but because of his initiatives, I have always felt he was "my" representative. His goals have always reached much further than district lines. We will work for Sam Rohrer as hard as he has always worked for us."

Joel Sears of the York County Taxpayers Council, a PCTA member group, added: "The first time I met Sam, I knew there was something special about him. He is a true servant of the public whose principles align him with the vast majority of Pennsylvanians, not just his constituents. His approach is tireless, independent of any special interest groups, and always focused on the 'rightness' of the outcome. I am proud and privileged to know Sam."

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations is an alliance of 35 grassroots taxpayer advocacy groups from across Pennsylvania that is dedicated to equitable education funding reform through the enactment of the School Property Tax Elimination Act. For more about PCTA's efforts, visit the group's Web site.

For more information on Rohrer's bid for for governor, visit his campaign Web site, www.samrohrer.org