Petition Against Pittsburgh's "Education Privilege Tax"
- by: Mackenzie Farone
- recipient: The Mayor's office and Pittsburgh City Council
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl went in front of Pittsburgh City Council and proposed a 1% tax on tuition for students to have the "privilege" of attending institutions of higher learning in Pittsburgh. Each student regardless of income, class load, and primary residence will be forced to pay this tax on top of their already monsterous tuition. Keep in mind that even those students who only live in Pittsburgh during the 8 month academic year will pay this year long tax.
Also, the proposal that Mayor Ravenstahl has publically released paints all college students to be leeches that suck out the resources of Pittsburgh and give nothing back in return. If you listen to the Mayor, the over fifty thousand college students paying tuition in this county are not "doing their fair share." While I cant speak for everyone I can speak for myself and I know that I work, pay taxes, and I do all of this while also persuing a degree and I do not understand how this is not giving my fair share back to the city.
If you have strong feelings about the opposition of this tax please let your voice be heard by signing this petition. One of the main reasons that College students were targeted is because younger citizens tend to not take a deep look into the politics of their municipal systems. Well students and concerned citizens..it is time to stand up and let our voices be heard!
Mayor Ravenstahl,
We write to you as a residents, employees of Pittsburgh, and students within the city limits. While I am sure that your office has already been flooded with emails and phone calls from Pittsburgh residents , it does not diminish that our feelings need to be known to you and your office. The picture that you painted of Pittsburgh students in your proposal for the %u201CPrivilege to be Educated in Pittsburgh%u201D tax is biased, unfair and a ploy to convince the city council and other government officials that your ridiculous tax is credible. While I am not so boastful as to say that the college students of Pittsburgh do not use the resources of the city, I will fight tooth and nail to make it understood that we are not a burden to the city of Pittsburgh but instead an asset.
It is a privilege for the city of Pittsburgh to have college students here, Mr. Ravenstahl and to say otherwise just solidifies the fact that you have no idea what you are doing with this city. It is the college students that spend money to boost the economy that makes this city run. It is the college students that work filling jobs, internships and pay the tuition that keeps one of the biggest industries in Pittsburgh alive. It is also the students that struggle the most to make ends meet and that is who you chose to tax?
One of your main arguments was that it is time for the college students to begin %u201CPaying their fair share.%u201D Please explain to me and all of the college students of Pittsburgh why working hard to get good grades and earn a degree while simultaneously supporting myself financially through a full/part time job (paying taxes) isn%u2019t doing my fair share in the City of Pittsburgh?
A great leader knows where his strengths and weaknesses lie and you are not showing that you have any knowledge of the strengths that lie in Pittsburgh. So stop treating the students as if they were a boil on the face of your nice clean city and give us the respect we deserve as intelligent, contributing and hardworking adults.
You have noticed I am sure, that this tax has been met with great resistance from the public and you have even gotten yourself tangled up with the PCHE. The reason for this is simple and I am sure you are a smart enough man to figure it out. You met this resistance the tax is wrong and you are wrong. I have tried to be as calm and respectful as I can be in this email considering the amount of outrage that I currently feel for this proposal.
Thank you for your time
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