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True but still they are a business. I meant charity more in terms of handouts. I would question Red Cross if they were paying for people that did not help the cause if only the reason was to keep them employed.
That said, while the issues I raise are likely of concern to the OP and many others (including me), they don't really explain why it is a problem that two entities operating within the confines of laws they are subject to are chastised for entering a mutually-beneficial agreement.
So Highmark is a non-profit and therefore isn't paying property taxes on the very expensive property that it owns. They're also laying off local people and making Pittsburghers unemployed.
Within the same week that they're laying off workers, they're generously funding a luxurious facility for a private university that already has more than enough of its own money.
Also within the same week, the local political leaders here advocate in favor of a tax increase that will impact working class individuals.
Those same political leaders have had more than half of a decade to negotiate Payments In Lieu Of Taxes from these non-profits, or to challenge their non-profit status in court. Instead, they've done neither. Meanwhile the political party that claims to represent the working class enjoys a political monopoly here - and I just seem them continuing to fleece the working class in order to advance the interests of the elites and powerful institutions.
Is what Highmark and CMU doing illegal? No. And it was never my intention to infer that it is.
Is what Highmark and CMU doing unjust in this context? Yes, I believe so. I'm sad that so few others seem to view it this way - it just really hardens my perception about the acceptance of elitism and the hypocrisy of 'social justice' that's so prevalent among the Progressives on this board and in this city.
The elites and large institutions are just allowed to do whatever they want in Pgh, and the working class gets screwed here - like always.
So Highmark is a non-profit and therefore isn't paying property taxes on the very expensive property that it owns. They're also laying off local people and making Pittsburghers unemployed.
Within the same week that they're laying off workers, they're generously funding a luxurious facility for a private university that already has more than enough of its own money.
Also within the same week, the local political leaders here advocate in favor of a tax increase that will impact working class individuals.
Those same political leaders have had more than half of a decade to negotiate Payments In Lieu Of Taxes from these non-profits, or to challenge their non-profit status in court. Instead, they've done neither. Meanwhile the political party that claims to represent the working class enjoys a political monopoly here - and I just seem them continuing to fleece the working class in order to advance the interests of the elites and powerful institutions.
Is what Highmark and CMU doing illegal? No. And it was never my intention to infer that it is.
Is what Highmark and CMU doing unjust in this context? Yes, I believe so. I'm sad that so few others seem to view it this way - it just really hardens my perception about the acceptance of elitism and the hypocrisy of 'social justice' that's so prevalent among the Progressives on this board and in this city.
The elites and large institutions are just allowed to do whatever they want in Pgh, and the working class gets screwed here - like always.
But the politicians only got one vote like every other resident of Pittsburgh. I know Deb Gross and Coghill were against it and voted no on the tax increase. Not sure the stance of the rest of the city council members. I voted for the increase in the same way others could have voted against it. Referendums are the best way to handle these situations and enough city residents said they wanted it.
Also, you have zero idea if the working class voted for this tax increase or not. I just read about a woman in Homewood, didn’t want to pay more in taxes but was going to vote for it because it was for a good cause. What makes you think the working class aren’t progressive or don’t mind paying a little more in taxes in order to have nicer parks?
So Highmark is a non-profit and therefore isn't paying property taxes on the very expensive property that it owns. They're also laying off local people and making Pittsburghers unemployed.
Within the same week that they're laying off workers, they're generously funding a luxurious facility for a private university that already has more than enough of its own money.
Also within the same week, the local political leaders here advocate in favor of a tax increase that will impact working class individuals.
Those same political leaders have had more than half of a decade to negotiate Payments In Lieu Of Taxes from these non-profits, or to challenge their non-profit status in court. Instead, they've done neither. Meanwhile the political party that claims to represent the working class enjoys a political monopoly here - and I just seem them continuing to fleece the working class in order to advance the interests of the elites and powerful institutions.
Is what Highmark and CMU doing illegal? No. And it was never my intention to infer that it is.
Is what Highmark and CMU doing unjust in this context? Yes, I believe so. I'm sad that so few others seem to view it this way - it just really hardens my perception about the acceptance of elitism and the hypocrisy of 'social justice' that's so prevalent among the Progressives on this board and in this city.
The elites and large institutions are just allowed to do whatever they want in Pgh, and the working class gets screwed here - like always.
You are making a black and white issue out of something very gray. Here is a summary of my viewpoint on this issue (and some tangentially related issues that you are concerned about)
1. Two private institutions are cutting a deal that will presumably benefit them both. No harm here, I think it’s great for Highmark, which has traditionally employed people with deep roots in the Pittsburgh area, is linking up with a university that draws talent from outside the area. Presumably, this might help domestic inflow of people who are able to contribute positively to the local economy. I believe from the Highmark perspective, this is about increasing their profile with CMU and even just with people who happen to look at CMU but don’t ultimately attend.
2. Highmark’s exemption from property tax makes no sense. I think, at minimum, non profits of a minimum size should be paying the taxes that fund local infrastructure they benefit from.
3. Pittsburgh benefits from Highmark doing good business. If they are trimming employees in one division that isn’t doing as well as they had hoped but they have the capital to hire in other areas, they are presumably trying to run a business that will last a while rather than one that is built on employing people to not be productive. That said, I think Highmark likely has a ton of fat in their organization, just like nearly all large corporations do.
4. The park funding referendum is a totally separate issue from this. Local govt could ask for payment in lieu of taxes to fund the parks (among other things), and I would have no problem with it. Hell, I wish Peduto and his allies would take a harder line on this or on number 2 above. Though, if he took a hard line on number two, no doubt people would say he’s messing with something (state law) outside of his jurisdiction.
5. (This one is just for you). I think crime and/or the perception of crime downtown are at a critical point such that the city really needs to figure out how to pay for a greater police presence while simultaneously coming up with more creative and holistic solutions. Peduto gets no free pass from me.
6. I like bike lanes.
In the black and white world that everyone seems to live in, or at least believe everyone around them lives in (so-called echo chambers), one might be tempted to believe people with opinions that vary from one party line or another depending on the issue don’t actually exist. We do, we just try to exist outside of the echo chambers and don’t tend to be vocal. Arguing with people who won’t change their views is a waste of energy, so it almost appears as if moderates don’t exist.
You are making a black and white issue out of something very gray. Here is a summary of my viewpoint on this issue (and some tangentially related issues that you are concerned about)
1. Two private institutions are cutting a deal that will presumably benefit them both. No harm here, I think it’s great for Highmark, which has traditionally employed people with deep roots in the Pittsburgh area, is linking up with a university that draws talent from outside the area. Presumably, this might help domestic inflow of people who are able to contribute positively to the local economy. I believe from the Highmark perspective, this is about increasing their profile with CMU and even just with people who happen to look at CMU but don’t ultimately attend.
2. Highmark’s exemption from property tax makes no sense. I think, at minimum, non profits of a minimum size should be paying the taxes that fund local infrastructure they benefit from.
3. Pittsburgh benefits from Highmark doing good business. If they are trimming employees in one division that isn’t doing as well as they had hoped but they have the capital to hire in other areas, they are presumably trying to run a business that will last a while rather than one that is built on employing people to not be productive. That said, I think Highmark likely has a ton of fat in their organization, just like nearly all large corporations do.
4. The park funding referendum is a totally separate issue from this. Local govt could ask for payment in lieu of taxes to fund the parks (among other things), and I would have no problem with it. Hell, I wish Peduto and his allies would take a harder line on this or on number 2 above. Though, if he took a hard line on number two, no doubt people would say he’s messing with something (state law) outside of his jurisdiction.
5. (This one is just for you). I think crime and/or the perception of crime downtown are at a critical point such that the city really needs to figure out how to pay for a greater police presence while simultaneously coming up with more creative and holistic solutions. Peduto gets no free pass from me.
6. I like bike lanes.
In the black and white world that everyone seems to live in, or at least believe everyone around them lives in (so-called echo chambers), one might be tempted to believe people with opinions that vary from one party line or another depending on the issue don’t actually exist. We do, we just try to exist outside of the echo chambers and don’t tend to be vocal. Arguing with people who won’t change their views is a waste of energy, so it almost appears as if moderates don’t exist.
1. I'll respectfully disagree with you there - I don't see how Highmark having name the student center will convince CMU grads to consider a career with Highmark afterwards. It's not like Highmark is fighting for name recognition - all health care in this region is basically a UPMC affiliate, or a Highmark/AHN affiliate. I think CMU grads can kind of write their own tickets after graduation.. but I do see that you tangentially may have a point that Highmark may benefit from the exposure to people who consider CMU, or apply and are rejected.
2. Agree. There has to be some sort of cap in place.
3. I've heard that its very mismanaged at the top. On the one hand I realize that they are a very large organization and that they want to survive and that this will require sporadic adjustments to the reality of market conditions. I'm not demanding that Highmark offer a guaranteed jobs program.
I am saying that its HORRIBLE optics to lay off people that live here, and then in the same week announce a hugely generous grant to a private university (the overwhelming majority of whose students are not Pittsburghers or even Pennsylvanians) that is already incredibly endowed with wealth.
4.
Quote:
Pittsburgh cleared a major roadblock to negotiating yearly contributions from nonprofits by dropping a lawsuit against UPMC, but it also shed what promised to be costly, time-consuming litigation, experts said.
...
Peduto, who has said he wants $20 million collectively from nonprofits to help pay for services such as fire and police protection, and smooth streets, said the legal peace treaty paves the way for successful negotiations. https://archive.triblive.com/local/p...payment-talks/
This article is from July 2014. In more than five years, this has gone NOWHERE. Instead, taxes have been raised on the populace - including the working class.
What has the Mayor done in the interim?
Gallivanted around the globe.
Fellated Michael Bloomberg regarding guns.
Continued gentrification.
Overseen a deterioration of public safety.
Gotten himself involved in East Pittsburgh's issue and then enabled protesters to run amok and willfully violate the law in his municipality.
And now he's trying to insert himself into a Beaver County issue (the cracker plant).
He's a clown, a disgrace, and an enemy of the working class.
5. See Point 4 above. Peduto even said that he wanted to use PILOT money from the non-profits to help pay for police protection.
I am glad that you can acknowledge that there is a public safety problem, or at least the perception of a public safety problem, and that the Mayor should not be given a free pass for his failings on this topic.
6. I'm not one of the Mayor's opponents who has bike lanes on the brain. I agree with the idea of them, but I don't agree with the execution of them. I think that their implementation has basically been yet another one of Peduto's "in your face" attention-seeking stunts. I think that they should exist, but that the strategy of their placement should have been focused on not obstructing traffic and parking on main roads. Bicycle traffic should be shifted to side streets as much as possible.
I do appreciate that you gave a well thought out reply.
So Highmark is a non-profit and therefore isn't paying property taxes on the very expensive property that it owns. They're also laying off local people and making Pittsburghers unemployed.
Within the same week that they're laying off workers, they're generously funding a luxurious facility for a private university that already has more than enough of its own money.
Also within the same week, the local political leaders here advocate in favor of a tax increase that will impact working class individuals.
Those same political leaders have had more than half of a decade to negotiate Payments In Lieu Of Taxes from these non-profits, or to challenge their non-profit status in court. Instead, they've done neither. Meanwhile the political party that claims to represent the working class enjoys a political monopoly here - and I just seem them continuing to fleece the working class in order to advance the interests of the elites and powerful institutions.
Is what Highmark and CMU doing illegal? No. And it was never my intention to infer that it is.
Is what Highmark and CMU doing unjust in this context? Yes, I believe so. I'm sad that so few others seem to view it this way - it just really hardens my perception about the acceptance of elitism and the hypocrisy of 'social justice' that's so prevalent among the Progressives on this board and in this city.
The elites and large institutions are just allowed to do whatever they want in Pgh, and the working class gets screwed here - like always.
I agree. UPMC, a non-profit with a downtown neon sign that can be seen from Washington County.
You can’t always “pigeonhole” people (and, yes, I know I have been guilty of this too).
I live east of Downtown.
I also...
-Voted against the park tax. Why, pray tell? My city councilor, Deb Gross, made a brilliant post on Facebook urging us to vote no because we vote to elect city councilors for THEM to decide to raise taxes on us (or not) so that we could hold THEM accountable (or not) on Election Day. The end result of this tax passing? There are numerous heated arguments now on NextDoor where homeowners who were opponents of the tax are slamming renters uniformly for voting affirmatively for a tax we won’t pay (as if our rent won’t increase to cover the tax). One even suggested that renters shouldn’t be allowed to vote—at all. Moderators have been deleting replies left and right in these argument threads. Those arguments are taking the “Ok, Boomer” movement to a whole new level.
-Dislike Mayor Peduto’s affinity for media grandstanding, virtue-signaling, and self-aggrandizement. He had ZERO business involving our city in the Antwon Rose case. To date East Pittsburgh has yet to pay Pittsburgh the seven figures we had to spent on police overtime for the protests we incurred for THEIR problem that they were more than happy to kick over to us once Mayor Peduto went hog wild on Twitter and took ownership of the issue. Mayor Peduto also has no business telling companies to not site themselves in Beaver County (and by that same token the fine people of Beaver County have no business telling we Pittsburghers to remove our bike lanes).
-Voted AGAINST Marsy’s Law—despite being loved by my fellow progressive East Enders—because it is abhorrent that one of its statutes would permit a victim to withhold potentially exculpatory evidence from the defendant/defense counsel. If I’ve been wrongfully accused of a crime, and if the one piece of evidence that can exonerate me is being held by the victim, then under Marsy’s Law I could end up wrongfully convicted, as the victim could then be allowed to choose to withhold that evidence. How Marsy’s Law passed in PA in a landslide is beyond my realm of comprehension.
-SUPPORT our law enforcement. If 10,000 out of 900,000 law enforcement officers in our country are pieces of crap, then why should the other 890,000 suffer?
-RESPECT President Trump. No, I did not vote for him. No, I will not vote for him in 2020. No, I do not agree with 90% of the things that come out of his mouth. With that being said he was elected to be the president of our country, and I respect the office he holds. He’s been incredibly effective at delivering MOST things he promised his supporters. Most likely he’ll be re-elected in 2020 and die three years into his second term (obesity + mid-70’s + chronic anger and stress = heart attack). Then we’ll briefly have a President Pence followed by a Democratic successor. In any event he’s a man—not the Anti-Christ.
-Believe major non-profits (UPMC, Pitt, CMU, and Highmark) should each be paying ~$1,000,000 - ~$5,000,000 per year (based upon size) to the city in lieu of taxes. Those funds should go to public safety enhancements. The city overall is safe. I mean our current 31 homicides in mid-November is the lowest it’s been in many years. With that being said Downtown especially now has a growing image of being “unsafe” due to the throngs of mentally ill persons, addicts, homeless, and juvenile delinquent street urchins all intersecting. Those four major non-profits each kicking in just $1,000,000/year would mean many new police officers could be hired.
You can’t always “pigeonhole” people (and, yes, I know I have been guilty of this too).
I live east of Downtown.
I also...
-Voted against the park tax. Why, pray tell? My city councilor, Deb Gross, made a brilliant post on Facebook urging us to vote no because we vote to elect city councilors for THEM to decide to raise taxes on us (or not) so that we could hold THEM accountable (or not) on Election Day. The end result of this tax passing? There are numerous heated arguments now on NextDoor where homeowners who were opponents of the tax are slamming renters uniformly for voting affirmatively for a tax we won’t pay (as if our rent won’t increase to cover the tax). One even suggested that renters shouldn’t be allowed to vote—at all. Moderators have been deleting replies left and right in these argument threads. Those arguments are taking the “Ok, Boomer” movement to a whole new level.
-Dislike Mayor Peduto’s affinity for media grandstanding, virtue-signaling, and self-aggrandizement. He had ZERO business involving our city in the Antwon Rose case. To date East Pittsburgh has yet to pay Pittsburgh the seven figures we had to spent on police overtime for the protests we incurred for THEIR problem that they were more than happy to kick over to us once Mayor Peduto went hog wild on Twitter and took ownership of the issue. Mayor Peduto also has no business telling companies to not site themselves in Beaver County (and by that same token the fine people of Beaver County have no business telling we Pittsburghers to remove our bike lanes).
-Voted AGAINST Marsy’s Law—despite being loved by my fellow progressive East Enders—because it is abhorrent that one of its statutes would permit a victim to withhold potentially exculpatory evidence from the defendant/defense counsel. If I’ve been wrongfully accused of a crime, and if the one piece of evidence that can exonerate me is being held by the victim, then under Marsy’s Law I could end up wrongfully convicted, as the victim could then be allowed to choose to withhold that evidence. How Marsy’s Law passed in PA in a landslide is beyond my realm of comprehension.
-SUPPORT our law enforcement. If 10,000 out of 900,000 law enforcement officers in our country are pieces of crap, then why should the other 890,000 suffer?
-RESPECT President Trump. No, I did not vote for him. No, I will not vote for him in 2020. No, I do not agree with 90% of the things that come out of his mouth. With that being said he was elected to be the president of our country, and I respect the office he holds. He’s been incredibly effective at delivering MOST things he promised his supporters. Most likely he’ll be re-elected in 2020 and die three years into his second term (obesity + mid-70’s + chronic anger and stress = heart attack). Then we’ll briefly have a President Pence followed by a Democratic successor. In any event he’s a man—not the Anti-Christ.
-Believe major non-profits (UPMC, Pitt, CMU, and Highmark) should each be paying ~$1,000,000 - ~$5,000,000 per year (based upon size) to the city in lieu of taxes. Those funds should go to public safety enhancements. The city overall is safe. I mean our current 31 homicides in mid-November is the lowest it’s been in many years. With that being said Downtown especially now has a growing image of being “unsafe” due to the throngs of mentally ill persons, addicts, homeless, and juvenile delinquent street urchins all intersecting. Those four major non-profits each kicking in just $1,000,000/year would mean many new police officers could be hired.
I agree with most everything you said... I wanted to add some things.
Kudos to you for seeing through the park tax. What a boondoggle and black hole for the money to disappear. I wonder how many high paying no show jobs will be created and the area of the city where most of the money goes.
You are right about beaver county and the cracker plant. Also saying suburbanites shouldn’t talk about bike lanes. I don’t see the cities house in order on this either. They want to slam a plant 35 miles away northwest of the city that isn’t even open yet. The plant got permit approval from pa dep and epa. Pollution monitoring controls state of the art I’m 2020. In addition to monitoring at the site. On the other hand bill welcomed Uber and Lyft. How many more tailpipes are contributing to inner city pollution? Are they still working on ozone days? See what I mean? Even the bikelanes could contribute to more pollution. Are there more and longer traffic jams resulting in idling engines as these lanes took away more room for traffic to flow.
There is a struggle between the region and the city. Both want to identify what the local economy should be in the future. We are seeing that struggle play out. There are a few tiny progressive desirable neighborhoods trying to dictate that the region should be the next Silicon Valley. They fail to take into account they are really the small minority, but very vocal. They are pretty much opposite thinking of all other parts of the region.
That leads to president trump. Democrats in western pa and pretty much the rest of the state got creamed outside of the Philly metro. The above message that Peduto is trying to trumpet above is being pushed out by most of the dem presidential candidates. The majority of Pennsylvania folks don’t buy it. Especially banning fracking. We have these candidates pandering to this small vocal minority of folks, the same living in the east end that Peduto gives a mouth piece to. The result will be a Donald trump second term and you are probably right how it plays out. Unless you get Biden or Tulsi Gabbard, expect a second term from trump.
I am a minority and lifelong Democrat. I’ve started to vote all parties and sides of the aisle. I
Strongly dislike the far right folks, but now I’m also starting to really dislike the far left vocal liberals. They are just as bad and dangerous as the far right. I wish the democrats could get back to the middle of the road folks instead of pandering to the far left which turns most Democrats off.
You can’t always “pigeonhole” people (and, yes, I know I have been guilty of this too).
I live east of Downtown.
I also...
-Voted against the park tax. Why, pray tell? My city councilor, Deb Gross, made a brilliant post on Facebook urging us to vote no because we vote to elect city councilors for THEM to decide to raise taxes on us (or not) so that we could hold THEM accountable (or not) on Election Day. The end result of this tax passing? There are numerous heated arguments now on NextDoor where homeowners who were opponents of the tax are slamming renters uniformly for voting affirmatively for a tax we won’t pay (as if our rent won’t increase to cover the tax). One even suggested that renters shouldn’t be allowed to vote—at all. Moderators have been deleting replies left and right in these argument threads. Those arguments are taking the “Ok, Boomer” movement to a whole new level.
-Dislike Mayor Peduto’s affinity for media grandstanding, virtue-signaling, and self-aggrandizement. He had ZERO business involving our city in the Antwon Rose case. To date East Pittsburgh has yet to pay Pittsburgh the seven figures we had to spent on police overtime for the protests we incurred for THEIR problem that they were more than happy to kick over to us once Mayor Peduto went hog wild on Twitter and took ownership of the issue. Mayor Peduto also has no business telling companies to not site themselves in Beaver County (and by that same token the fine people of Beaver County have no business telling we Pittsburghers to remove our bike lanes).
-Voted AGAINST Marsy’s Law—despite being loved by my fellow progressive East Enders—because it is abhorrent that one of its statutes would permit a victim to withhold potentially exculpatory evidence from the defendant/defense counsel. If I’ve been wrongfully accused of a crime, and if the one piece of evidence that can exonerate me is being held by the victim, then under Marsy’s Law I could end up wrongfully convicted, as the victim could then be allowed to choose to withhold that evidence. How Marsy’s Law passed in PA in a landslide is beyond my realm of comprehension.
-SUPPORT our law enforcement. If 10,000 out of 900,000 law enforcement officers in our country are pieces of crap, then why should the other 890,000 suffer?
-RESPECT President Trump. No, I did not vote for him. No, I will not vote for him in 2020. No, I do not agree with 90% of the things that come out of his mouth. With that being said he was elected to be the president of our country, and I respect the office he holds. He’s been incredibly effective at delivering MOST things he promised his supporters. Most likely he’ll be re-elected in 2020 and die three years into his second term (obesity + mid-70’s + chronic anger and stress = heart attack). Then we’ll briefly have a President Pence followed by a Democratic successor. In any event he’s a man—not the Anti-Christ.
-Believe major non-profits (UPMC, Pitt, CMU, and Highmark) should each be paying ~$1,000,000 - ~$5,000,000 per year (based upon size) to the city in lieu of taxes. Those funds should go to public safety enhancements. The city overall is safe. I mean our current 31 homicides in mid-November is the lowest it’s been in many years. With that being said Downtown especially now has a growing image of being “unsafe” due to the throngs of mentally ill persons, addicts, homeless, and juvenile delinquent street urchins all intersecting. Those four major non-profits each kicking in just $1,000,000/year would mean many new police officers could be hired.
Wait....aren’t you always saying that Pittsburgh can’t have nice things because people won’t pay taxes to support them and then when they do vote to support them you are against it?
Wait....aren’t you always saying that Pittsburgh can’t have nice things because people won’t pay taxes to support them and then when they do vote to support them you are against it?
s
I would hazard a guess that SCRs problem may be with the lack of public oversight over the use of the tax - its going to a private entity. I would guess that he'd feel differently if the taxes were going to directly support the Parks Department.
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