Pittsburgh Sets Vote on Adding Tax on Tuition

[YankeeFan]

Not only did I never think I'd ever see the day, I never even imagined such a day.

December 16, 2009
Pittsburgh Sets Vote on Adding Tax on Tuition

By IAN URBINA
The mayor of Pittsburgh calls it the “Fair Share Tax.” But to officials at the city’s 10 colleges and universities and many of their 100,000 students, it is anything but.

On Wednesday, the City Council is expected to give preliminary approval to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s proposal for a 1 percent tuition tax on students attending college in Pittsburgh, which he says will raise $16.2 million in annual revenue that is needed to pay pensions for retired city employees. Final Council action will be on Monday.

The tax would be the first of its kind in the nation, and other cities are watching closely as they try to find ways to close their own budget gaps.

Students and college officials argue that the tax will drive students away and place an unfair burden on institutions that already contribute substantially to the city. They add that the measure comes at an especially difficult time for colleges, as endowment values have fallen and requests for financial aid have risen.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/education/16college.html?hp

 

[Crash]

Incredibly stupid. Because college isn't expensive enough as it is.

 

[Bubbler]

What does this have to do with Ben Roethlisberger?

 

[YGBFKM]

What does this have to do with Ben Roethlisberger?

Damn, beat me to it.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

It's 10:54 p.m., and Pittsburgh still sucks.

 

[outofplace]

What does this have to do with Ben Roethlisberger?

Damn, beat me to it.

This is what you get when you have a mayor who looks up to Roethlisberger as a role model?

 

[zagoshe]

What does this have to do with Ben Roethlisberger?

Damn, beat me to it.

This is what you get when you have a mayor who looks up to Roethlisberger as a role model?

On this, we can agree - the mayor is a major league dolt.

In fact, the latest from our idiot boy mayor is this - he recently pulled a Tiger Woods with some "city consultant" who the city was paying to come into town weekly and of course, got caught and had to send out a press release saying he and his wife were seperating and he asked people to respect their privacy.....

 

[Colin Dunlap]

What does this have to do with Ben Roethlisberger?

Damn, beat me to it.

This is what you get when you have a mayor who looks up to Roethlisberger as a role model?

On this, we can agree - the mayor is a major league dolt.

In fact, the latest from our idiot boy mayor is this - he recently pulled a Tiger Woods with some "city consultant" who the city was paying to come into town weekly and of course, got caught and had to send out a press release saying he and his wife were seperating and he asked people to respect their privacy.....

You know, it is one thing to come down on the city if you don't like it.
Fine, sure, people can live with that, they get it, you hate Pittsburgh.

But, it is a tiny bit irresponsible to throw out there that a guy is cheating on his wife when, no where, has that been reported.

You haven't an idea as to why Ravenstahl and his wife got separated.

When you preface something with the words "In fact," it might be nice to have some, well, facts.

 

[YankeeFan]

You haven't an idea as to why Ravenstahl and his wife got separated.

When you preface something with the words "In fact," it might be nice to have some, well, facts.

Sounds like he does have an idea.

 

[steveu]

Checked his party affiliation and wasn't surprised. What YankeeFan said; as if students have it bad enough with college tuition. Damn. (Oh, the politics board is closed, that's right...)

Post 2,500 and it turned out to be political. I'll try harder for sports on my 3,000th go-round. ;D

 

[outofplace]

What does this have to do with Ben Roethlisberger?

Damn, beat me to it.

This is what you get when you have a mayor who looks up to Roethlisberger as a role model?

On this, we can agree - the mayor is a major league dolt.

In fact, the latest from our idiot boy mayor is this - he recently pulled a Tiger Woods with some "city consultant" who the city was paying to come into town weekly and of course, got caught and had to send out a press release saying he and his wife were seperating and he asked people to respect their privacy.....

You know, it is one thing to come down on the city if you don't like it.
Fine, sure, people can live with that, they get it, you hate Pittsburgh.

But, it is a tiny bit irresponsible to throw out there that a guy is cheating on his wife when, no where, has that been reported.

You haven't an idea as to why Ravenstahl and his wife got separated.

When you preface something with the words "In fact," it might be nice to have some, well, facts.

Amazing how many people struggle with that concept.

 

[EagleMorph]

Sounds like he does have an idea.

An idea with no evidence.

 

[trifectarich]

Mr. Mayor, how did the pension get to be underfunded in the first place?

 

[poindexter]

that is needed to pay pensions for retired city employees....

biggest scam going

 

[PopeDirkBenedict]

that is needed to pay pensions for retired city employees....

biggest scam going

Employers of all kinds -- auto companies, governments, etc. -- are finding out that eventually, you have to pay the piper. The employees were willing to negotiate smaller pay increases during the glory days in exchange for amazing retirement benefits. Employers patted themselves on the back for paying less money now in exchange for paying more money in that nebulous future, when they assumed they would still be swimming gold laps with Scrooge McDuck. This isn't the employees fault.

 

[zagoshe]

You know, it is one thing to come down on the city if you don't like it.
Fine, sure, people can live with that, they get it, you hate Pittsburgh.

But, it is a tiny bit irresponsible to throw out there that a guy is cheating on his wife when, no where, has that been reported.

You haven't an idea as to why Ravenstahl and his wife got separated.

When you preface something with the words "In fact," it might be nice to have some, well, facts.

Hasn't been reported? Um, it has been very much out there, it has been discussed some on talk radio and at the very least speculated on out loud by a number of people.

In fact, here is an excerpt from an interview with KDKA's Marty Griffin.....

Griffin: "There are rumors you have not been faithful to your wife. You want to address that, sir?"

Ravenstahl: "Erin and I have made the decision that we have. We're not going to sit here and answer specific questions or answer rumors. Those things have been out there for some time. We've agreed to deal with this in a very personal way and we'll continue to do that."

Griffin: "You plan to be very aggressive with people who come out of the woodwork and say, 'The mayor's cheating' or 'The mayor was with this person or that person.' Do you plan on being very aggressive, sir?"

Ravenstahl: "Well again, it's the nature of this business. People will say things."

Twice given a chance to answer a question, twice gives some weak-ass vague, politispeak bull****.

I mean, if that is not the classic non-denial denial, I don't know what is.

If you have been faithful to your wife, well, wouldn't it be easy to answer "I have not cheated on my wife" and you can do that knowing that, well, nobody is going to be able to use that against you later down the road when it was discovered that you have, in fact, lied on the record about it.

However, if you have not been faithful to your wife and have political aspirations -- it is pretty simple you give a vague answer like 'me and my wife are not going to get into specifics....." and that way, down the road when someone gives a **** to do some digging, like, oh I don't know when you want to run for house of representatives or governor down the road, well, you can easily say "I didn't lie and the past was the past"

Griffin then said himself in a voice over that "the Mayor denies he cheated on his wife"

My response -- Oh really, is there a reason we didn't hear him say the words, well other than if we don't have him on videotape saying it, well, it can't turn up in a competitors political ad down the road?

I'm not saying, but, you know, I'm just saying.

And when there is smoke in these cases - and don't be naive these "rumors" are very loud and easy to find all over town and have been for some time -- there almost always is some fire.

You are right on this part -- it was irresponsible of me to throw out the "who with" rumors out there (even though they are all over the place as well) but give me a damn break with this - the man has been a politician and has avoided answering this question on a number of occassions and again, if you have nothing to hide......

As for the "facts" -- I'll let the others around here decide what to make of his non-answers to very simple questions, particularly given this mayor's absolute lack of credibility or maturity and mostly because of his own track record of embarrassing and high profile guffaws.

It is hilarious to me that many of the same people who DEMAND the truth from a guy who is famous only because he is good at playing golf have no problem letting politicians (who, of course they agree with or are cronies with) off the hook with no follow up questions or skepticism.

And just for the record, I don't hate Pittsburgh.

I hate the whole Steelermania ****, the ridiculous provincialism that so permeates the people here and some parts of living here like the weather, but for the most part I don't mind it here.

 

[zagoshe]

Oh wait I forgot about this little gem about the Mayor and his seperation....

He hired a high-powered defamation attorney who threatened a lawsuit to any news outlet or reporter who goes snooping around and doesn't honor his request for privacy. He even put out a press release making sure we all knew he, not the city, was paying for said lawyer's tab. What a joke and what a moron.

Again, if you have nothing to hide.....

This columnist nails the whole lawyer issue on the head.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_655209.html#

Sunday notes of note
Buzz up!By Colin McNickle, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, November 29, 2009

The separated Ravenstahls, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke and wife Erin, have done more to fuel speculation about the particulars of their parting than any reporter, columnist or talk show host ever could.

Their retention of strident Philadelphia defamation/privacy lawyer Richard A. Sprague only raised red flags that there really is more to the Ravenstahl story than has been released for public consumption.

These flags will only prompt the media to ask more questions, dig deeper and draw an even brighter spotlight on the matter. It's the equivalent of a pol's flack insisting, "There's no story here."

If this scrivener should receive a communique from Mr. Sprague about even these comments, all this talk of privacy protection will be exposed as a ruse and a larger red flag with the words "slap suit" on it will be raised.

Of course the media must report the Ravenstahl story responsibly. But they also mustn't be intimidated by a blanket legal threat issued with the intent of blunting perfectly legitimate follow-up stories on an elected official. ...

 

[Colin Dunlap]

..still waiting on facts.

 

[outofplace]

So much for no politics.

Zag, you're quoting an attack on a Democrat by Colin McNickle as something related to facts? Seriously?

That's like arguing that Troy Polamalu is the best player in the NFL and using quotes from fans in the crowd at Heinz Field to back up your point.

 

[zagoshe]

So much for no politics.

Zag, you're quoting an attack on a Democrat by Colin McNickle as something related to facts? Seriously?

That's like arguing that Troy Polamalu is the best player in the NFL and using quotes from fans in the crowd at Heinz Field to back up your point.

Never once said it was facts - -I said I'll let the evidence speak for itself and let people decide for themselves.

I was using Colin McNickles column because it was a brief and to the point little snippet laying out the sillinees it is that a mayor - who, cough, cough, is seperating from his wife -- needed to hire a defamation lawyer to try and stop the media from, well, you know doing its job.

And gee, what a surprise, you brought up Troy Polamalu and the Steelers on a thread that has nothing to do with either......