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Students Rally Against Pittsburgh Student Tax
Date: 12/17/2009 9:56 am
By Louis Sallerson
The student tax proposed by Pittsburgh’s mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, has ignited both student opposition and political controversy.
The “Fair Share Tax,” announced by the Mayor as a central priority immediately following his re-election, would help fill a $15 million city budget deficit by exacting a 1 percent tax on the tuition of every student who attends a college or university in Pittsburgh. According to the mayor, the bill would tax students who benefit from the municipal services of the city but have not paid their fare share for these services.
The vote on the tax was delayed for a second time on Dec. 16 when Mayor Ravenstahl said that his conversations with the city’s non-profits have been “progressing.” He said he would settle for a voluntary $5 million payment from the city’s non-profits in lieu of the tax.
Still, the tax has met with widespread opposition from both students and politicians, who question its legality.
According to City Council Member Bill Peduto, who publicly opposes the tax, there is “a basic premise [in] the Penn constitution that only the state legislature has the ability to create taxes. Local governments are not given that right, local governments can enact a tax once it has asked the state legislature.”
“The tax itself is not based on the fees or the costs associated with any student,” Peduto said. “but instead is directly tied to their tuition, which is not a good indication on deciding how someone is using city services.”
Lawmakers from the state legislature, among them Representative Paul Costa (D-Allegheny) have already stated that they will block the tax with new legislation.
Students are also arguing that they are major contributors to the city’s economy.
“Students are residents of Pittsburgh too,” said Aaron Gross, chair of the Undergraduate Student Senate at Carnegie Mellon University. “Many own homes, pay real estate taxes and pay wage taxes on the income they earn in the city.”
Like Peduto, CMU Undergraduate Student Senator Amy Ayedemi argues that the dollar amount of a student’s tuition is not tied to their role in the city. CMU students, “notorious for their hard work and contributions to society” according to Ayedemi, would pay an additional $409 on top of their tuition as opposed to the $27 that would be charged to students at the Community College of Allegheny County.
Others argue that the tax counters basic principles of good governance. Gross argues that because most students in the city receive financial aid to finance their educations, the tax inherently affects those who are least able to pay. Councilman Peduto added that the bill would be taxing something that the government should be encouraging.
“We have sin taxes on things like alcohol tobacco and gambling,” Peduto said, “but, I can’t think of anywhere where people are being taxed on educating themselves and bettering themselves. It would be like taxing people who are giving up smoking, taxing people who are going on diets, or taxing people who are joining gyms.”
According to Peduto, students from Pittsburgh have sent him 4,000 emails expressing their concern, a figure that doubles the highest amount he has ever seen. The students have used a website to spread awareness about the tax, which offers talking points, gives updates on the latest developments, and provides information on how to contact members of the student council.
The Mayor, who has attempted to put this tax to a vote in the city council, still retains the support of five council members necessary to hold a majority. However, the vote on the tax has been delayed and many wonder if the Mayor will still hold onto his majority support when the year ends and two of his supporting council members step down.
In the meantime, students are continuing their opposition.
“If Pittsburgh becomes the first city in the nation to tax students for learning,” Gross said, “it will not only be a serious detriment to Pittsburgh students, but to students across the nation. These politicians are simply lacking a long-term vision. Taxing students is a politically easy way to fill a budget gap.”
Even if the tax, which many doubt will pass, is enacted, the students leading this opposition have vowed to continue fighting. “This tax is not going to fly,” Ayedemi said. “If the mayor actually goes through with this proposed student tax, my only concern would be for him, because this is going to the courts. And you can guarantee that I will be one of the people fighting against him if and when that day comes.”
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