Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's proposed 1 percent tuition tax came under attack in Harrisburg yesterday, even as students panned it at a City Council meeting.

State Rep. Paul Costa, D-Wilkins, issued a news release saying he will seek to "prohibit tuition taxes such as the one proposed ... on students attending Pittsburgh universities and colleges.

"I understand we are in hard economic times and we have to look for ways to raise revenue, but I will not stand for raising this revenue at the expense of our students."

The move apparently came without much warning to the mayor. Earlier in the day, he said he had "talked with many local representatives, and to this point I have heard nothing from them" about pre-empting the tax.

"What I've told them is, if that is something that you'll consider, I would hope at the same time you'll consider a $15 million revenue stream" for the city. They could raise the city's local services tax, charged to everyone who works within the city limits, from $52 to $144, he suggested.

The debate over the proposed tuition tax has featured portrayals of students as freeloaders who cost the city money, but pay nothing, some student leaders said yesterday, as they waited for City Council to debate the levy.

"This city shows no respect, and they're not grateful for what students bring to the city," said Kevin Morrison, undergraduate student president at the University of Pittsburgh. He noted that neighborhood activists are "calling us and begging us to help clean up," which student groups do, but now representatives of some neighborhoods forget that.

"I think that the biggest issue is just the way the mayor has portrayed students to the city, as just a burden, when we contribute a lot to the city," said Rotimi M. Abimbola, student president at Carnegie Mellon University.

At an event in Larimer earlier, Mr. Ravenstahl said the students aren't "being characterized as a liability. I, in fact, had them in my office [Thursday], all of the editors and writers from the student newspapers."

His message: "When you quantify what we do, and the services we provide, we think that there is a role to play for the nonprofit community and the students."

Council's meeting yesterday was the first opportunity for students to look into the eyes of a council that is poised to try to tax them. Around 50 students came to Council Chamber. Far fewer were left three hours into the meeting when council members stopped making speeches and needling administration members and invited a few students to the table for the final hour.

Daniel Jimenez, president of Pitt's Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, said he owns a house in West Oakland and works for the university, paying property and wage taxes.

"I'm a good neighbor," he said. "I've improved my house to something that's livable and comfortable. ... I pay parking tax. I pay amusement tax.

"Why are you going to tax and push away students who spend money in the city?"

The meeting came a day after five of council's nine members said they'd vote for the tax, which Mr. Ravenstahl said would bring $16.2 million to shore up the city's pension fund and help the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh maintain branches.

Mr. Costa, in his release, noted that two of the five council members who've said they'll vote for the tax -- Jim Motznik and Tonya Payne -- will not be on council next year when it could take effect. He will also push legislation requiring two-thirds votes of municipal councils to pass tax hikes during a "lame duck" period between an election and the end of their session.

Some council members said the tax could be avoided if the universities agree to voluntary payments to fill the budget gap.

"I would love to sit here and say to these students and universities, 'I can't do this, I won't do this,' " said Councilwoman Darlene Harris. "But it's hard to do that if there isn't the $15 million that we need."

"Let's unite," Councilman Ricky Burgess urged his colleagues and the students, behind a push to get voluntary contributions or state relief for Pittsburgh. "If we get significant [contribution] agreements, I'll be the first person to take this off the table."

Council President Doug Shields told the students that they invited the tax man by sitting out local elections. "When you're out there for 2.3 percent voter turnout, guess who's on the target list? You."

Council has a hearing on taxes set for Nov. 30 and could vote to impose the tax next month. If passed, it would likely be challenged in court. The state-picked Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority rejected Mr. Ravenstahl's budget because it contained the unproven tax, so he is crafting an alternative that doesn't count on it for next year.

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