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Student leaders, city residents speak out against tax at public hearing

About 150 students from across the city attended a public hearing today at City Council where over 40 students spoke against the tuition tax. Student leaders from Pittsburgh universities also presented a petition to Council against the tax that contained over 10,000 signatures.

The hearing has been covered by local as well as national media - you can see some video of students speaking and read accounts of the hearing at some of the links below. For more information on the hearing, this website, or student involvement in this issue, please contact Aaron Gross (amgross@andrew.cmu.edu, 301-633-2299) or Rotimi Abimbola (rabimbol@andrew.cmu.edu).

AP, Hundreds of Pittsburgh students fight proposed tax

Pittsburgh Post Gazette, College students jam council meeting to protest tuition tax
(Video)

KDKA, Students Speak Out about 'Fair Share Tax'

WTAE, Pittsburgh Students Protest At Tuition Tax Hearing

WPXI, Students Collect (10,150) Signatures Against Proposed City Tuition Tax

Trib PM, College students voice opposition to mayor's 'Fair Share Tax'

City Paper Slagheap: Students Take Oral Exams at City Council

Pitt Briefly, Students go Downtown to City Hall for Student Tax Forum:

Posted November 30th, 2009

Students attend council hearing

About 50 students from universities across Pittsburgh attended a special post-agenda meeting of the City Council on Friday, November 19th. Council members questioned city administrators about the tax, and students were able to speak briefly and answer questions about their opposition to the tax.

There will be a public hearing about the tax at the Council's scheduled meeting on November 30th at 10 AM. Keep an eye on this site for more information on attending and speaking at the Council hearing.

More information: Legislator, students pan plan for tuition tax (P-G)
Posted November 22nd, 2009

Wait...didn't the ICA just reject the Mayor's budget?

Yes. On Tuesday, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA), a board which oversees the City's finances, rejected the Mayor's proposed budget on the grounds that the tuition tax is of questionable legality and would be challenged in court, meaning that the $15 million in revenue that it promises would likely not be available next year. This hasn't dissuaded the Mayor from charging ahead and trying to push forward with his plan to tax university students, however, threatening Pittsburghers with significant service cuts if the taxes are not put in place. The best way to stop this tax remains making our Council members aware that taxing college and professional students is simply BAD PUBLIC POLICY!

More information: Pittsburgh Mayor Ravenstahl ready for tuition tax battle (Trib)
Posted November 19th, 2009

Message from Student Government urges students, faculty, and staff to oppose tax

The following message was sent out to all members of the Carnegie Mellon campus community this morning:

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Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community,

Local government officials are in the process of approving an operating budget for fiscal year 2010. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has proposed taxing college and professional students for the privilege of receiving an education in the city. The proposed tax will charge students in the city at a rate of 1% of their yearly tuition - which, at Carnegie Mellon, would mean roughly a $400 tax on most students.

As the tax proposal hit local media outlets this week, the mayor repeatedly emphasized the burden that college students have placed on city services, and the need for students to pay their "fair share." The truth is that college students, especially those at Carnegie Mellon, are an incredible asset to this city. Students are a key driver of the local economy, already often pay wage and property taxes, and give back every day to the city through grants, research projects, and hundreds of thousands of hours of community service.

The city's current budgetary problems - the result of over 60 years of financial mismanagement - should not be placed on the backs of students working hard to better themselves. The myth that all college students have their tuition paid for by parents out of state is simply not true - many students receive some sort of financial aid in order to attend classes at Carnegie Mellon.

Despite the recent news that the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a state-selected board that has oversight over the city's budget, rejected the Mayor's proposed budget, Mayor Ravenstahl is still determined to receive approval from the city council and push this tax through. Student Government at Carnegie Mellon is working with the student governments at other Pittsburgh universities to raise awareness and mobilize a strong and unified voice against this tax.

We encourage you to help us oppose this tax - writing letters, making phone calls, and volunteering are all critical to making your voice heard and convincing City Council members that taxing students is bad public policy.

All it takes are a few simple steps to really make a difference. We have laid it all out for you online - please go to www.stoptuitiontax.org, where you can find sample letters, phone numbers, and talking points. You can also sign up to volunteer online - even half an hour of your time is critically important.

Thank you for your continued support,

Rotimi Abimbola, Student Body President (rabimbol@andrew.cmu.edu) Aaron Gross, Chair, Undergraduate Student Senate (amgross@andrew.cmu.edu) Patrick Gage Kelley, President, Graduate Student Assembly (pgage@cmu.edu)

Posted November 19th, 2009