Let's tax oxygen

Here we go again: Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, after countless hours of observing and analyzing a critical problem facing the city, has found the most ingenious and simplest of solutions. The mayor proposes levying a 1 percent tax on the tuition of college students, and it makes perfect sense ("Mayor Says He'll Pursue 1 Percent Higher-Ed Tax," Nov. 9). Why shouldn't Pittsburgh students help pay to subsidize the city retirement fund?

If the restaurant owners are taxed by the county to benefit the Port Authority, why shouldn't the city go after our student population? It's a whole new revenue source. Rumor has it the next tax will be a visitors tax on consumption of our city's oxygen, or do we already have that one?

JOHN J. POILLUCCI
Shaler

Schools' hypocrisy

After reading about the local universities' outrage over the proposed tax on students, I had to laugh ("Schools Throw Book at Mayor's Tuition Tax," Nov. 10).

Do the universities think they are the only ones allowed to reach into the students' pockets? Do these universities have the same outrage when they raise tuition exponentially every year?

Oh the irony. Perhaps this will prompt the schools to reach into their own pockets for once.

BARB SWIDERSKI
Shadyside

To end the apathy

With the recent budget and tuition-tax proposal by the Ravenstahl administration, perhaps the largest civics lesson possible has just been provided for students -- the lesson of getting out to vote to influence election outcomes!

It is hard to have sympathy for the people when the people did not turn out in any large number to let their voices be heard and to prevent this runaway train.

I think the real crime here is the ability of a mayor to conveniently release his budget vision less than one week after the election. It is similar on the state and federal levels. Isn't it convenient that Tax Day (April 15) is more than five months away from Election Day?

Perhaps the people should rise up and demand that all budget activity (local, state and federal) be aligned to the federal budget cycle (Oct. 1 to Sept. 30), with Tax Day being moved to Sept. 30. That way, the effects of politics as usual will be properly remembered and acted upon on Election Day.

LEE BANNISTER
North Side

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