Unfair taxes would hurt small businesses

I was very disappointed with the Post-Gazette's editorial supporting the drink and car rental taxes ("Swallow Hard," Dec. 3). We have 200,000 fewer people in Allegheny County and 100,000 fewer in Pittsburgh since 1980. That's far fewer taxpayers. And we cannot continue to tax further the people who are still here. That's why people leave -- more taxes, fewer better-paying jobs. You would think that between our city, county and state governments, they would have figured that higher taxes relate to declining population and business growth.

The state needed to give the county executive better options than these lame taxes. Dan Onorato is a smart person and he needed to fight much harder with the legislators to come up with a tax that is fair to everyone. You just cannot tax a specific industry and expect it to fix all of your problems. The region needs a comprehensive overhaul of taxes as we move into the era of consolidated government.

These taxes will hurt small business and create hardships for many hospitality workers, as many of these businesses are hanging by a thread. Let's hope our County Council members, whom I respect, will cast a correct "no" vote for this drink tax. Then the state, county and city governments should come up with a long-term solution for the region's survival.

JEFF COHEN
Strip District
The writer is co-owner of Weiss Provisions and a board member of the western chapter of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association.

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Taxes all the time

Once upon a time, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had no casinos. Then the prince and his court sold us a bill of goods that casino revenue would reduce property taxes. And while we wait for that revenue, new taxes seem to be the only choice for our kingdom:

• Tax on alcoholic beverages.

• Tax on rental cars.

• Tax (1 cent) on gasoline.

• Tax on cigarettes to provide health insurance for children.

• Tolls on I-80.

Is there no forward thinking in this state? Is there no other way to raise revenue without the incessant taxation of residents? Anyone would have to think twice about renting a car, driving on I-80 and coming to Allegheny County to purchase an alcoholic beverage (or have a cigarette) ... without getting a loan first.

So as I sit here paying my household bills, I have no choice but to find a way to pay the increases, some substantial, in my health insurance, electricity, gas, cable TV, water and sewer, gasoline, food, etc. The only way to manage the above increases is to cut my spending. Is there anyone in the county of Allegheny or Commonwealth of Taxylvania who knows anything about cutting spending?

Why not reduce the size of the Legislature? Why not eliminate fat bonuses for employees working for the Legislature? Why not eliminate the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency's promotional pom-poms? Why not eliminate all the waste throughout the commonwealth?

Oh yeah, and how's that property tax reform coming along?

KATHY JONES
Mt. Lebanon

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Rental car folly

The proposed $2-a-day rental car tax in Allegheny County would not solve the county's mass transit funding problem. If this proposal is approved, Allegheny County will have the highest rental car tax rate in the state.

There is no question that people will take their rental car business to neighboring counties if this tax becomes a reality. In 2005, Kansas City, Mo., a city of similar size to Pittsburgh, enacted a new rental car tax. As a result, local rental car companies saw a 9 percent reduction in rentals and a 69 percent to 86 percent reduction in the number of days a vehicle was rented.

Does Allegheny County really want to make it more difficult for local residents to rent a car when their vehicles are in the shop? Do we really want to give potential tourists one more reason not to visit the area?

Not only is tourism a major industry in the state, Pittsburgh is in competition with other cities for conventions and meetings that attract thousands of travelers to our city each year.

Government officials need to understand that the best way to truly fix fiscal problems is to do what most taxpayers and corporations do every day -- live within their means. If Allegheny County does not move in this direction, we should brace ourselves for more tax increases when the well runs dry again on mass transit in the years to come.

SEAN J. McCURDY
Moon
The writer is vice president of the Pittsburgh Business Travel Association and a board member of the National Business Travel Association.

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Cut spending

Taxes, taxes, taxes! What's wrong with reducing spending? Chief Executive Dan Onarato made it sound like it was a disease in the Nov. 30 story "Foes Release Study Saying Drink Tax Will Sour Economy," (Nov. 30). When are elected officials going to realize a "tax increase is a tax increase" regardless of what label you put on it.

Drink tax, rental car tax, property tax ... all are one and the same, a drain on disposable income for residents. What happens when establishments close or people simply boycott drinking and the revenue anticipated by these "taxes" does not meet the $30 million funding needed?

At least with spending reductions you can be certain to meet your goals. Here's a thought -- raise the bus fares sufficiently enough to meet Port Authority's needs. Let those who use it, pay for it.

DAN THOMPSON
Wilkins

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Monitor the courts

With the banning of cameras and cell phones from parts of the courthouse, following the removal of name searches from the Allegheny County property Web site, it appears to me that local authorities wish to keep from the public what goes on within the criminal justice system and local politics.

It is the public's right to monitor how publicly paid officials and judges conduct business and dish out justice. And thank God for that right, as more injustice is more likely to occur if public monitoring is prevented.

Courtrooms must have public monitoring. Removing video cameras from the courtroom only gives judges more room to rule based on their personal feelings and not the law. Too many things are kept from the general public, which might be why the public does not trust authorities.

Keep those cameras in the courtroom and leave the real estate Web site alone.

KARLA WOOD
West Homestead

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Coddled killer

In regard to Nov. 29 article "Police Think Escaped Murderer Had Help," what is our justice system coming to? The man who escaped had a sentence of "life without parole." What does that mean? I would think it means that the man should never see the light of day; instead, it meant that he was transferred to a medium-security prison -- "a promotional transfer" -- after serving 24 years.

What is the reason for making this convicted murderer's life easy? Did the Department of Corrections forget what this man did and is capable of doing again? I'll bet that the son of the man whom he killed did not forget.

Did the Department of Corrections think that he had changed his ways and maybe found religion after 24 years instead of learning to become more sinister? Did it think about the son of the murdered victim and how close to his home it had moved his father's murderer -- so that now that the killer has escaped, he could be right on the son's doorstep? Oh where, oh where, is the justice?

The only justice I see would be for the family to track him down themselves.

E. YARKOVSKY
Rochester

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Congress must pass the energy bill

Congress needs to act on an energy bill before breaking for the holidays. There is simply no more time for delay in enacting an energy bill that would mandate a lucid, sensible approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, redirect federal dollars to helping industry create more jobs and help the United States be more energy autonomous. Anything less would be, as the saying goes, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic while the band plays on.

We are facing the greatest challenge of our age. Doubt, delusion and defensiveness to protect obsolete systems is not an option. The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that thousands of jobs will be created in the wind and solar industries, and that more than 170,000 additional American jobs will be created in the concentric circles generated by this new investment. In addition, 22,000 new jobs will be created in the automobile industry.

Alternative energy is safer, provides greater national security and puts Americans to work earning a living wage. Increasing fuel economy benefits all Americans. Changing the way we harvest, generate and distribute energy in the United States is key to securing an auspicious future.

Our ability to honor what is renewable, resourceful and recyclable, combined with a desire to think way outside the box, is what has made us a source of enviable prosperity. Congress, give us a gift: Pass the energy legislation on the table.

STEPHANIE N. SIMMONS
Wilkinsburg

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