PITTSBURGH -- Leaders of Pittsburgh's major universities and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl are sniping back and forth in a public debate over
the mayor's controversial plan for a 1 percent tax on all post-secondary students in the city.
"It will be an additional burden on students, most of whom already are struggling," University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said at the
Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education's news conference on Tuesday morning.
"Do we want fewer college students in Pittsburgh? I think the answer to that is 'no.' College students are our lifeblood and they're the future of this city," Duquesne University President Charles Dougherty said.
Twitter Updates: Channel 4 Action News reporter Bob Mayo Tweets the PCHE news conference The educators are angry about Ravenstahl's proposed 2010 budget, which includes an annual "fair share tax" on the estimated 100,000 tuition-paying students who attend universities, colleges, art schools and culinary schools.
Tax would be based on 1 percent of annual tuition. For example, a student paying the in-state tuition rate at Pitt would owe $135 a year, while a Carnegie Mellon University student would owe about $403 and a Community College of Allegheny County student would be taxed about $27.
The PCHE, which represents a number of local colleges and universities, said a tax is "completely unfair to our students" and it plans to "protect our students from being the easy target the mayor is seeking to solve the city's financial problems."
The PCHE also said that the proposal goes against established Pennsylvania law.
"This tax is illegal and unenforceable. It is an extraordinarily ill-advised disincentive," Carlow University President Dr. Mary Hines said.
"We don't expect the tax will pass, and if it does, we will pursue all legal strategies to stop the enforcement of the collection of the tax," Point Park University President Paul Hennigan said.
"My response to that is simple," Ravenstahl said later, at a news conference of his own. "There's only one way to find out. That's to enact the tax and to pursue it through the court system."
Ravenstahl disagreed with claims that the tax would hurt the city or hurt education, adding that he thinks the figures are small compared to the schools' own tuition hikes.
"For them to make an argument that somehow this 1 percent tax puts them at a competitive disadvantage, it just doesn't add up, and like I said, it's disingenuous," Ravenstahl said.
The tax would raise about $16 million annually, according to Ravenstahl. His spokeswoman, Joanna Doven, cited fees, tuition and pay increases for school officials, and said school leaders should ask themselves, "Who is overburdening students?"
At a City Council meeting on Monday, Ravenstahl acknowledged his proposal was likely to be unpopular but is necessary to help Pittsburgh get out of its current financial distress.
He also said the tax plan was vetted by the city's law department and he's confident that it can withstand a legal challenge.
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