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 (sis-ah-LEEN-ee) 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.
Let’s see …. If they live on campus but venture off campus and engage in commerce within the city, is there no tax revenue going to the city? Or … If they have off campus housing and engage in even more commerce, is not more tax revenue going to the city? Why not tax all babies under the age of one. They too use services … like garbage collection and recycling!
Agreed. A head tax for the ‘privilege’ of being a student is absurd.
As the article states the colleges already make voluntary contributions to compensate for their tax-exempt status. The city can tax the income of students who work in Providence and those who live in rented accommodation contribute through their landlord’s property taxes.
This is an excellent idea in one of the best places to do it – one of the most liberal universities in the world. Let’s see them howl about being taxed. There are too many people not paying taxes these days; this is one of the central problems of our republic – not enough people have a personal interest in keeping taxes low. Also, it’s taxation without representation if the students choose to retain residency in their home states – excellent!
There’s also a certain fairness to it given that universities are big business nowadays and the argument that they should be tax exempt is quite weak.
University administrators also object, saying students and their families spend years saving for college and shouldn’t have to bear more costs. Tuition at Brown costs nearly $40,000 a year, with about 40 percent of undergraduates receiving financial aid.
And whose fault is it that Brown tuition is so high? Is that a market-based price?
Students at Rhode Island College, a state school in the city, and the Providence campus of the University of Rhode Island would be exempt.
Why? That sounds like a violation of equal protection to me.
But Susette Holman, a Johnson & Wales freshman also from New York, said her mother works seven days a week, sometimes 14 hours a day, to put her through school. “I have three sisters at home, so how’s she going to be able to provide an extra tuition fee?” she asked.
Where’s dad? If you can’t afford four children, don’t have them.
Sidney, you might be right.
Yes, let’s encourage class warfare on T:19. Also, lets ensure that the sins of the fathers (and mothers) will be passed down.
Do it! No better time to learn about taxes than in the most liberal years of one’s life.
This sounds a little like what has taken place (I’m told) when occasionally a community gets fed up with a military presence, a base or fort. The mayor gets tired of rowdy enlisted men and complains to the commander. The commander in turn decrees no service man shall set foot in the town. After a very short time, the town feels the pinch; those military have money and if they don’t spend it in town it’s noticed. The college should do something similar; see how long the town can live without the gown. Students and faculty should do commerce over the internet exclusively, boycott local watering holes and eateries. See how long the stupid tax lasts.
Left-liberals going Galt? This I gotta see.
I have really been quite entertained at the creativity of liberals over the past few months with all manner of ideas for taxes. Did you hear of the soda tax?
[blockquote]Did you hear of the soda tax?[/blockquote]
There’s a thread on it on down a ways. Our house[url=http://www.wellredusa.com/images/hammer_sickle_b_r.jpg]”liberal in a hurry”[/url] thinks it’s a swell idea.
Sidney, before posting #4, did you consider the possibility that the father died after the fourth child was born?
“But Susette Holman, a Johnson & Wales freshman also from New York, said her mother works seven days a week, sometimes 14 hours a day, to put her through school. “I have three sisters at home, so how’s she going to be able to provide an extra tuition fee?†she asked. ”
What stood out to me was the entitlement – how is she (her mother) going to be able to provide. She is already working 14 hrs a day 7 days a week…..how will she provide for me?
Paul, I had the same thought. When I was a sophmore the family finances took a hit and I started working to cover the hole in place of the unpaid internships I’d had hitherto. Started at 10 hours a week, peaked at 60 a week across three jobs, plus being a full time student. Ten or fifteen hours a week would hardly be noticied from her schedule and more than cover the added tax.
I wonder how many RI students will head elsewhere when dear old Dad and or Mom says sorry kids we can’t pay out any more!!
Sadly, not many. The cost is just a drop in the bucket, less than books for many classes. When you’re shelling out $40k a year (or even a fraction thereof) another $300 a year goes unnoticed. What it will mean is just more student debt. And the lawmakers know this.