South Carolina lawmakers are smart to take a second look at plans to slash property taxes - including getting rid of taxes on owner-occupied homes altogether, and replacing them with a 2 percent hike in the state sales tax, to 7 percent. Groceries would be exempt.

Two such bills, which would require voter approval to change the state constitution, already have been passed by the House.

The Senate is considering a plan to eliminate the cost of operating schools from all property taxes, thus cutting tax bills on homes, businesses and vehicles by about 60 percent. So far, the Senate has not come up with a plan to replace the estimated $2.4 billion in lost revenues.

It's beginning to occur to legislators that the public's white-hot rage against property taxes was fueled by the most recent round of property tax reassessments which, for many property owners across the state, seemed outrageously high. And they were; too much time had elapsed between reassessments - resulting in doubling or tripling of some taxes.

Yet even after these reassessments, the Palmetto State's property tax rates are not out of line with other states. According to the state Chamber of Commerce, owner-occupied homes enjoy the fifth-lowest property tax rate in the nation.

This isn't to say property tax relief should be dropped. It is to say lawmakers shouldn't go overboard. Now that property owners have been heard from, businesses are weighing in, too. Not many are pleased with the House's constitutional amendment to boost the state sales tax to 7 percent.

It would impact every "business from the corner florist to the biggest business in the state," says state Rep. Robert "Skipper" Perry Jr., R-Aiken. It also could encourage border residents to cross into Georgia to do much of their non-grocery shopping.

School officials also are unhappy at relying on sales taxes - which depend on the ups and downs of the economy - for their revenues. In addition, with property taxes gone and the legislature in charge of disbursing school funds, there would be a substantial loss of local control of the schools. That's not good, either.

Getting rid of or slashing property taxes for owner-occupied homes would be too much of a tax break for multimillion-dollar homeowners, while middle- and low-income folks pay higher taxes at the store. Instead, why not exempt property taxes for the first $120,000 or so of a home's value? Also, boost sales taxes on selective luxury items that won't further hurt less-than-super-wealthy taxpayers.

And here's a thought: Why not cut costs and pass the savings on to property owners? And don't say spending cuts can't be done. In fact, they should be done. Just look at the record.

Gov. Mark Sanford's 2006-07 executive budget shows that state spending soared 156 percent from 1990 to 2006 - a rate that far exceeded the combined growth of population and inflation over the same period.

Last year, the Legislature - which is the preeminent power in South Carolina governance - boosted spending another 9 percent, in many cases overriding vetoes to do it. The state would have no tax problem if it dealt with its spending problem.