City (Pittsburgh) to increase parking tax to 50 percent. (Highest in nation)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | January 13, 2004 | Timothy McNulty

[prisoner6]

Pittsburgh City Council members yesterday said they will hike the parking tax to 50 percent to retain employees who otherwise would have been laid off and to restore some services that were cut in the budget they adopted last month.

[prisoner6]

WE'RE NUMBER ONE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE!

prisoner6

[SandRat]

... and when people quit going downtown for any reason, those who can move to smaller towns do, and big income firms leave, the Pittsburgh City Council will not be able to figure out what happened.

[prisoner6]

If you're from Da 'Burgh you might recall The Answer to the city's budget problem's. A few years ago there was a proposal to convert the old Lawrence paint building at the bottom of the incline across from the point into the Taxidermy Hall of Fame. One of the Connely boy's (I think) sons - or another relative - had just graduated from taxidermy school and needed a job.

In any case the only thing needed to build it was money from the RAD fund. But NO...we used the money for stuff like the two stadiums and that HUGE flower bed on the south portal of the Ft Pitt Tunnels.

If we had built the THoF you KNOW tourism would have skyrocketed and the city's coffers would have benefitted.

< /sarcasm >

Actually I can't figure out why the THoF WASN'T built...

prisoner6

[Glenn]

Pittsburgh council will live to regret this. If the parking operators were smart, they'd cut the price of parking to a buck and screw the council once and for all. I'm betting this tax would evaporate never to be seen again.

[SandRat]

I grew up around Detroit and saw them do the same thing and then wonder why everyone that could was moving out and the city was dying.

[prisoner6]

City of Tax Champions PINGAROONIES.

prisoner6

[Lou L]

Here in Indianapolis, with the exception of "special event" days (Colts' games, NCAA playoffs, etc.), daily parking can usually be had for less than $5. If you want to shop for three hours at our Circle City Mall, you pay $1 for underground parking. Our city is thriving, and even people who live in the suburbs--where there are plenty of malls--don't mind coming into town to shop or do other business.

Hey, Pittsburgh...why stop at 50%? Why not raise parking taxes to 100% or greater?

[freedomcrusader]

In my best Yosemite Sam voice: Democrats is so stupid.

[martin_fierro]

	It's a 'Burgh Thing.TM
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Learn Pittsburghese!

What's the XS Burden?

Ask xsmommy.

[xsmommy]

all Pittsburgers have to take turns carrying me around on their shoulders : ) i AM the xsburden : )

[martin_fierro]

And when you're in the Taxidermy Hall of Fame...

...you're IN the Taxidermy Hall of Fame.

[Eska]

Must be something in the water, or maybe the iron city. Naw, thats not it at all; Youins don't ever elect repubs that will make the cuts when necessary.

Alaska has lots of funding problems too, but at least old Murkowski makes the cuts rather than support new taxes. Remember, we don't have state sales, income, or local property taxes up here.

We have dems screaming big govt too; need all the taxes they have back east. Difference is the repubs we have up here cut spending just enough to kill any new taxes.

The dems wanted both state sales & income tax. Murkowski cut spending and put off the need of any taxes until 2007; he implemented the plan, pretty respectable. You need to elect people like that in the city.

[buzzyboop]

...why stop at 50%? Why not raise parking taxes to 100% or greater?

It already is 100%, if you calculate it as a sales tax, as most consumption taxes are calculated. The article states how the "gross receipts tax" works: With the parking tax increase, 50 cents of every dollar paid by commuters to park Downtown and in other city business districts will go to city government starting Feb. 1.. Example: You pay $10.00 for parking.. $5.00 goes to the city of Pittsburgh as the 50% gross receipts parking tax, and the parking operator keeps $5.00. Therefore, $5.00 on $5.00 operator parking "sales" equates to a 100% sales tax!

I'm sure glad I don't work in the city of Pittsburgh..

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Would anyone even notice if the Steelers and Pirates left town?

[ContemptofCourt]

Steelers, absolutley. This is a football town. Priates or Pens, on the other hand, could leave tomorrow and not too many people would care.

[ContemptofCourt]

But think of the cops' salaries that we saved!

And this town wonders why it can't attract business.

[ContemptofCourt]

P.S.: You must be one of those racists sububanites that Murphy was talking about..... ;-)

[Dane]

Last person to leave Downtown turn out the lights.

Smurphy and the clown council strike again.