10% drink tax infuriates Pittsburgh

[RobJohnson]

PITTSBURGH — A stiff drink comes with a stiff tax in Pittsburgh and surrounding towns these days, and that has made the county executive public enemy No. 1 in some quarters, reviled by name in song and on bar bills.

Even comedians have gotten into the act, complaining that rising drink tabs meant fewer people coming to see them perform and pouring wine and liquor into a river in a mock restaging of the Boston Tea Party.

The 10 percent drink tax, in effect since January, was pushed along by Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato to subsidize public transit. The two-term Democrat says he had no choice; swallow that, he said, or property taxes would have to be hiked.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1007015,drink061506.article

[mamacags]

Pittsburgh is on a long and winding trip down the sewer.  No one who can help it will even think of living in Allegheny County because of the incredible taxes they pay.  My same house, just miles away in Allegheny County would have 3X the tax rate on it. 

[RobJohnson]

Pittsburgh is on a long and winding trip down the sewer.  No one who can help it will even think of living in Allegheny County because of the incredible taxes they pay.  My same house, just miles away in Allegheny County would have 3X the tax rate on it. 

Other articles have talked about how screwed up the transit system is in the first place with duplicate routes and wasted money.....

[djones520]

Pittsburgh is on a long and winding trip down the sewer.  No one who can help it will even think of living in Allegheny County because of the incredible taxes they pay.  My same house, just miles away in Allegheny County would have 3X the tax rate on it. 

Other articles have talked about how screwed up the transit system is in the first place with duplicate routes and wasted money.....

Typical democrat response.  "We have a broken system that is bleeding money.  So instead of fixing the system, we're going to make you give us more of your money."

[RobJohnson]

Pittsburgh is on a long and winding trip down the sewer.  No one who can help it will even think of living in Allegheny County because of the incredible taxes they pay.  My same house, just miles away in Allegheny County would have 3X the tax rate on it. 

Other articles have talked about how screwed up the transit system is in the first place with duplicate routes and wasted money.....

Typical democrat response.  "We have a broken system that is bleeding money.  So instead of fixing the system, we're going to make you give us more of your money."

Yup...instead of fixing the problem, they just throw more money at it.

[RobJohnson]

Here in Nevada, the state just shut down a private, non subsidised bus service between here and vegas....they were missing a "permit" for selling tickets....the company had been in biz for years, but this was a new service...people were outside waiting for the bus to show up to take them to Vegas on Friday for work....and no bus.......(It's about 65 miles over a mountain)

Too many laws....and they pick and choose what to enforce...


http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2008/Jun-11-Wed-2008/news/22070919.html

They will be down at least 90 days after many have made reservations, etc...