The Train That Saved Denver (Pittsburgh, Rankin: condos, loans, transfer)

[gg]

Originally Posted by Geeo

Colorado residents pay more in state income tax than Pennsylvania: 4.63% vs 3.07%.

Means nothing if you compare property taxes. Denver is SUPER cheap and you can actually buy a $400,000 home and not be sunk like our region. I'll gladly pay that tiny 1.5% more in income tax. After all my deductions, it is meaningless.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by gg

Glad you posted this to do a little schooling. Some people like yourself actually research things and don't make snap judgements. Here is another little tidbit or knowledge.

Looking at the levy on a $300,000 home across the nation’s 50 largest cities, Colorado Springs homeowners paid the lowest property taxes at $1,432 a year, with Denver ranking fourth at $1,988 a year, according to a separate study from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

How much tax is a $300,000 home here in Pittsburgh? What about suburbs?

What is left for infrastructure and things like money for transportation? How much are we paying teachers compared to the national average? How much is our school tax? National average in the US is around mid $40's, but in my district? Over $80K!!!!

What is really left for working people in our region to pay towards infrastructure and transportation? HA! NOTHING!

Thank you UK for the schooling.

You really need to drop the whole overpaid teachers act. On one hand you tout FC as one of the best in the region and then have a tirade against one of the biggest contributors to the rankings. Having someone paid 80k really isn't unheard of with 15 years experience.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Paul2421

You really need to drop the whole overpaid teachers act. On one hand you tout FC as one of the best in the region and then have a tirade against one of the biggest contributors to the rankings. Having someone paid 80k really isn't unheard of with 15 years experience.

You need to stop missing all the pieces of the puzzle. People in our region on taxed to death compared to Denver! Look at our taxes here. School tax is part of it and it is usually a little under $2,000 a year per $100,000 of home value, 7% sales tax, city residents paying 3% wage tax suburbs usually 1%, 7% drink tax and oh that casino was supposed to help us out. ha, ha But here is the point you seem to miss. When you have people living here paying all these big taxes left and right do you think they want to pay even MORE tax to help have more buses or extend the T? If people weren't paying wildly high school taxes, they may have more to spend, but most feel taxed to death as it is. Our region is the only region that I would worry how expensive my home is. If I was in Denver, I would buy whatever I want because I wouldn't get pounded every year in taxes. Totally different mindset once you get out of our region. I have looked at moving and looked at tax load and Pittsburgh is VERY high in comparison to other similar cities. There is only so much money to go around and if you see it being sucked down by IMHO, school taxes you point the finger. Teachers don't even have to pay into healthcare for goodness sake. What about that super sweet pension? Denver can afford to do more things because it doesn't have one huge tax drag on its residents. It is what it is, but don't pretend here.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by Geeo

Colorado residents pay more in state income tax than Pennsylvania: 4.63% vs 3.07%.

They also pay sales tax on clothes. Denver also borders Aroura, a city more populous than Pittsburgh. I know someone is going to see the Pittsburgh metro is more populous, but that's using MSA, which is a real stretch. If Pittsburgh bordered a city of 300,000 there would be more political will for a connected transit system. As it stands, Pittsburgh is bordered by a bunch of tiny cities, towns, villages and boroughs with very little interest in mass transit.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by gg

You need to stop missing all the pieces of the puzzle. People in our region on taxed to death compared to Denver! Look at our taxes here. School tax is part of it and it is usually a little under $2,000 a year per $100,000 of home value, 7% sales tax, city residents paying 3% wage tax suburbs usually 1%, 7% drink tax and oh that casino was supposed to help us out. ha, ha But here is the point you seem to miss. When you have people living here paying all these big taxes left and right do you think they want to pay even MORE tax to help have more buses or extend the T? If people weren't paying wildly high school taxes, they may have more to spend, but most feel taxed to death as it is. Our region is the only region that I would worry how expensive my home is. If I was in Denver, I would buy whatever I want because I wouldn't get pounded every year in taxes. Totally different mindset once you get out of our region. I have looked at moving and looked at tax load and Pittsburgh is VERY high in comparison to other similar cities. There is only so much money to go around and if you see it being sucked down by IMHO, school taxes you point the finger. Teachers don't even have to pay into healthcare for goodness sake. What about that super sweet pension? Denver can afford to do more things because it doesn't have one huge tax drag on its residents. It is what it is, but don't pretend here.

I'm not saying taxes aren't out of hand but you are really targeting the wrong group of people. Not even mentioning that your supposed facts are downright wrong. Teachers have to pay premiums like any other employees and there is a mandatory pension contribution along with union dues. If you have a problem with unions then there are higher benefactors than teachers.

[MountainDewGuy]

Originally Posted by gladhands

If Pittsburgh bordered a city of 300,000 there would be more political will for a connected transit system.

Are you sure about that? Oakland is the third largest area of PA in terms of economic and social activity. This area absolutely needs to better connect Downtown and Oakland beyond the bandaid that is BRT. It is completely asinine that we have a line connecting to the stadiums and casino but not to the educational and health hub of the region.

[bluecarebear]

The North squanders tax revenue income. Where does our money go? The Port Authority gets over $40 million a year from the Drink Tax and they keep coming back looking for more money with no future T expansions.

My southern relatives (who live in a large growing metro) pay 1/8th of what I was paying in PA property taxes. One reason, the teachers union is almost non-exist in the South as compared to PA.

[MountainDewGuy]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

The North squanders tax revenue income. Where does our money go? The Port Authority gets over $40 million a year from the Drink Tax and they keep coming back looking for more money with no future T expansions.

My southern relatives (who live in a large growing metro) pay 1/8th of what I was paying in PA property taxes. One reason, the teachers union is almost non-exist in the South as compared to PA.

The southern states might pay less in taxes, but they are poorer and use more federal taxes than does the North.

[Mtl-Cns]

Originally Posted by gg

Teachers don't even have to pay into healthcare for goodness sake. What about that super sweet pension? Denver can afford to do more things because it doesn't have one huge tax drag on its residents. It is what it is, but don't pretend here.

This is blatantly false information. All school district contracts are online and I would challenge you to find one in the state of Pennsylvania that does not require employees to contribute substantially to their health care costs. Additionally, by law, any PSERS (retirement) members must contribute to their pensions in this state. It is NOT optional like a 401(k). I certainly wish we had a better mass transit system here in Pittsburgh but I'm 100% certain that it is not the fault of school teachers.

[MountainDewGuy]

Originally Posted by Mtl-Cns

This is blatantly false information. All school district contracts are online and I would challenge you to find one in the state of Pennsylvania that does not require employees to contribute substantially to their health care costs. Additionally, by law, any PSERS (retirement) members must contribute to their pensions in this state. It is NOT optional like a 401(k). I certainly wish we had a better mass transit system here in Pittsburgh but I'm 100% certain that it is not the fault of school teachers.

Shush. School teachers are ruining 'merica with their high salaries and summers off.