City Considers Tax Wage

[Petra]

Harrisburg officials are working on ways to dig the city out of debt.

Officials with the mayor's office said one of the options being considered is a wage tax for everyone who works in Harrisburg.

City officials have applied for "financially distressed status" under Act 47.

If approved, the status could open the door for new taxing opportunities, including the wage tax.

Some residents said they may consider leaving the city if the added tax is approved.

A representative of Mayor Linda Thomspon said a wage tax is a long way off.

The state will hold a hearing on Thompson's request for the distressed city status on Oct. 20.

http://www.wgal.com/r/25363496/detail.html

So what do you think? Should this even be an option for cities that are severly lacking funding?

 

[nerffren]

people move to cities because of taxes, and some complain that they want to leave harrisburg if it goes through, o well. We were at 4% here in philly at one point

 

[Salamander_MN]

I don't think I can ever see a situation where raising taxes is the answer. Doing so just promotes more wasteful spending. The best way to get out of debt is to curb spending. That's what every other person needs to do when debt gets out of control, why should the gov't be any different?? I hate the fact that in a "bad economy" where people are already suffering economically, that their answer is to take more. It doesn't get any more ridiculous!

 

[ApolloBalboa]

Boy, if this goes through, next thing you know they'll be taxing tourists. It never ceases to amaze me how some people's minds work when they're considering how to get out of debt.

 

[Jagger69]

There's nothing new about this for many US cities. St. Louis and Kansas City have had a 1% "city earnings tax" for anyone working within the city limits of either municipality for decades. I see this idea proliferating as more and more blighted rust-belt cities continue to lose their property tax bases.

 

[e_love_1919]

what it sounds like to me is that if they pass this wage tax the only way around it is to leave the city which is ultimately going to hurt the economy of Harrisburg even more. The city will ultimately have to weigh out all of their options and make the decision by comparing the pros and cons. Although it is an option it may not be the best one.

 

[xfire]

Ultimately there's no choice but to cut spending and raise taxes to get out of debt. Quit digging is the first thing, then climb out. People who say that cutting spending is enough have obviously never been broke. If I just stop spending that does nothing to address the debt that's piled up. The only recourse is to increase revenue. For governments that means taxes. Someone's going to have to bite the tax bullet.

 

[cbc_rules]

BULLSHIT!

if your city needs money, you alter your budget, you don't make people PAY to WORK...isn't that a bit of an oxymoron?

This mayor OBVIOUSLY has no clue what she's doing and should be taken out of office immediately. I don't want to be the one to say it, and i'm not trying to be discriminatory here but it's idiot moves like this that make women look bad and feed the stereotype. I can guarantee the NEXT mayor will be a man...just like the next president will be white...but i didn't say that that would be racist.

 

[50inches]

if money is short, seems like the only way of fixing it is cuts or taxes. both would make people angry but what can you do?

it says the wage tax is a long way off anyway.

 

[feller469]

the system is broken, the dollar is based on nothing but what other countries are willing to give (or risk political and military reprisal), and there is an unlimited supply of currency (as long as there are materials to make our money)

I love how most of the Nobel Prize winners for Economy are Americans or working in America, yet our economy is in the shitter

 

[TheDude121]

Everything should be considered. People can be so close minded about solutions. There are many different ways to solve a problem, sometimes it sounds and look tough, but in the end it can still work.

 

[maxpower076]

i would leave in a heartbeat

 

[iamaham123]

maybe cities should spent money on stupid s**t to begin with... that would save the city and residents money.

 

[AlejandroZ]

people wont leave with a wage tax but they should consider other options prior to implementing this plan

 

[rock hard]

I haven't seen Harrisburg's books...so I can't speak intelligently on whether their filing for "financially distressed status" is a result of bad governing....or just a symptom of the financial times many cities are in today.

They will probably put the proposed measure on the ballot and let the people decide anyway....I am not 100% sure, but don't think they can just create a tax without hearing from the population. :dunno:

 

[puffypig2]

We have a city income tax here. Always have, tough times, tough measures.

 

[buddyfry5]

I think its silly to have individual taxes for cities. I went to Ocean City and there was a city tax, along with the state sales tax. Just more money out of my pocket for them to use however they please. It doesn't benefit me at all because I dont live in that city or state.

 

[ijinxd]

Honestly? Is taxing the only thing political leaders can think of? Did not work when Obama did it, and it sure as heck will not work when anyone else attempts to do it...

 

[ASSMAN9000]

There are many other better ways to get out of debt other than a wage tax, it doesn't make sense just to tax people when times get rough. It's like the people in charge said "fuck it, let's just tax everyone's wages, that's the easiest thing to do."

 

[vodkazvictim]

It's like the people in charge said "fuck it, let's just tax everyone's wages, that's the easiest thing to do."

Quoted for truth.