Ask Denver how they did it.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Actually, we voted as the RTD, which includes many, many municpalities in all/part of 8 counties. Doesn't the PAT cover all of Allegheny County? Maybe you have to enact the tax a different way, but I don't think you have *that* many more obstacles otherwise. Every time this thread pops up when I search my posts, I think: " "Ask Denver how they did it"-they did it with taxes."

Cities and towns served: 40 municipalities in 6 counties plus 2 city/county jurisdictions
RTD

The point that many are trying to make is the tax burden we are starting off with in the Pittsburgh MSA, for various reasons including legacy benefit costs, excessive infrastructure costs, and general inefficiency in resource allocation, it is much more difficult and less affordable to increase the tax burden.

Also, politicians will not risk the political suicide of enacting what might be an unpopular tax, while referendum is not an option allowed by the PA constitution.

Does it make sense why the response to this is "Denver did it by enacting a tax. It is much more difficult to enact a new tax in PA."

[Katarina Witt]

If it were so difficult to enact taxes in PA, then why are your taxes so much higher than ours? Trust me when I say that most everyone in CO thinks our taxes are too high, too.

I'm good with there being different laws in the two states that preclude the people voting on a tax like we did. Who enacts your taxes?

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

If it were so difficult to enact taxes in PA, then why are your taxes so much higher than ours? Trust me when I say that most everyone in CO thinks our taxes are too high, too.

I'm good with there being different laws in the two states that preclude the people voting on a tax like we did. Who enacts your taxes?

I think you have to be more specific. Sales tax is higher & includes more taxable items in CO for example; they also put tax in retirement income that PA does not. CO has personal property tax that PA does not. CO’s state income tax is more than gen 1.5% higher then that of PA.


I don’t think a blanket statement of PA tax being so much higher then CO as being accurate for all people.

People insist to be all the time that UK taxes are so much higher then the US which isn’t always true either (& the UK tax system is much more regressive then the US’s).

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Actually, we voted as the RTD, which includes many, many municpalities in all/part of 8 counties. Doesn't the PAT cover all of Allegheny County? Maybe you have to enact the tax a different way, but I don't think you have *that* many more obstacles otherwise. Every time this thread pops up when I search my posts, I think: " "Ask Denver how they did it"-they did it with taxes."

Cities and towns served: 40 municipalities in 6 counties plus 2 city/county jurisdictions
RTD

This is not how PAT works. PAT is a company, owned by the county, not a government transit district.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by UKyank

I think you have to be more specific. Sales tax is higher & includes more taxable items in CO for example; they also put tax in retirement income that PA does not. CO has personal property tax that PA does not. CO’s state income tax is more than gen 1.5% higher then that of PA.


I don’t think a blanket statement of PA tax being so much higher then CO as being accurate for all people.

People insist to be all the time that UK taxes are so much higher then the US which isn’t always true either (& the UK tax system is much more regressive then the US’s).

Regardless, the light rail to the airport was paid for with taxes! The RTD tax is a sales tax of 1%.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Region...ation_District

I will remind you that it's the Pittsburghers who are complaining about how much tax they pay and how our taxes in CO are so much lower.

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

This is not how PAT works. PAT is a company, owned by the county, not a government transit district.

OK