Mayor's budget plan: Tax the college students

[texas*princess]

Yipes! What do you think of this?

MSNBC story here

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The mayor of Providence wants to slap a $150-per-semester tax on the 25,000 full-time students at Brown University and three other private colleges in the city, saying they use resources and should help ease the burden on struggling taxpayers.

Mayor David Cicilline said the fee would raise between $6 million and $8 million a year for the city, which is facing a $17 million deficit.

If enacted, it would apparently be the first time a U.S. city has directly taxed students just for being enrolled.

The proposal is still in its early stages. But it has riled some students, who say it would unfairly saddle them with the city's financial woes and overlook their volunteer work and other contributions, including money spent in restaurants, bars and stores

[BabyPiNK_FL]

I'm sure that those students spend plenty of money in the area and don't forget volunteers and young professionals who stay in town after graduation and other benefits on this city that he is not taking into account. Can I get a "DUH" and a great big "FAIL" on for this guy?

Who does this? Does he really think that kids want to pay any extra fees on top of school? Taxing an education? Wow...

[madmax]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Yipes! What do you think of this?

MSNBC story here

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The mayor of Providence wants to slap a $150-per-semester tax on the 25,000 full-time students at Brown University and three other private colleges in the city, saying they use resources and should help ease the burden on struggling taxpayers.



If there are 25,000 full time students then register and vote the mayor out.

[Munchkin03]

That article is kind of misleading. Between Brown, RISD, Providence College, and Johnson and Wales, there are 25,000 students. There aren't 25,000 students at Brown, by golly.

This doesn't bother me at all. I think the schools should be paying the city some sort of premium. I don't know how much J&W is, but the cost of attendance at the other three schools is well over $40K; just about half of all students receive financial assistance. That means you have just about 15,000 students paying full freight; another 10,000 probably pay pretty close to that. An extra $300 a year when students use the water, free city buses, parks, police department (there were some things the PPD could do that the individual college police couldn't), and the roads is merely a drop in the bucket. Plus, since the colleges are tax-exempt anyway (and in the case of Brown and RISD, own land in the most expensive parts of Providence).

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

That article is kind of misleading. Between Brown, RISD, Providence College, and Johnson and Wales, there are 25,000 students. There aren't 25,000 students at Brown, by golly.

This doesn't bother me at all. I think the schools should be paying the city some sort of premium. I don't know how much J&W is, but the cost of attendance at the other three schools is well over $40K; just about half of all students receive financial assistance. That means you have just about 15,000 students paying full freight; another 10,000 probably pay pretty close to that. An extra $300 a year when students use the water, free city buses, parks, police department (there were some things the PPD could do that the individual college police couldn't), and the roads is merely a drop in the bucket. Plus, since the colleges are tax-exempt anyway (and in the case of Brown and RISD, own land in the most expensive parts of Providence).

First of all, I'm guessing the schools pay for students' on-campus water use. Are the other services you mentioned paid for out of property taxes? Otherwise I don't see why college students - especially those who live off campus and likely already pay for those services through rent - should be singled out.

These college kids also are responsible for helping pay the wages (many high wages) of professors and staff employed by the universities, in addition to the money I'm sure they bring in to countless businesses in the area.

[madmax]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

First of all, I'm guessing the schools pay for students' on-campus water use. Are the other services you mentioned paid for out of property taxes? Otherwise I don't see why college students - especially those who live off campus and likely already pay for those services through rent - should be singled out.

These college kids also are responsible for helping pay the wages (many high wages) of professors and staff employed by the universities, in addition to the money I'm sure they bring in to countless businesses in the area.

Exactly. They are already paying for those services. 36k tuition and
10k in room and board. 46k total and Munchkin thinks they are getting free water.

Colleges pay for utilities and all the other servies and then add it to the student's bill.

I say vote the mayor out and then raise his taxes for the free water, free buses, free parks, and free police.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by madmax

Exactly. They are already paying for those services. 36k tuition and
10k in room and board. 46k total and Munchkin thinks they are getting free water.

I don't quite think that's what Munchkin was saying - plus, since she actually went to one of the schools involved, she probably knows the situation better than most people on the board.