Heard in the Hall

Nutter again pushing sugary drink tax to raise school cash

Mayor Nutter appears to be backing a plan to raise new revenue for Philadelphia's public schools by increasing the price of parking meters, hiking property taxes and trying for a second time to launch a new sweet drinks tax, which he failed to do last year.

54 comments

Nutter again pushing sugary drink tax to raise school cash

POSTED: Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 11:56 AM

Troy Graham

How would you raise the money for the School District?

Mayor Nutter appears to be backing a plan to raise new revenue for Philadelphia’s public schools by increasing the price of parking meters, hiking property taxes and trying for a second time to launch a new sweet drinks tax, which he failed to do last year.

The mayor discussed these three options during a leadership meeting this morning with City Council. It seems he is pushing some combination of all three, although details are still murky.

“The time for this is right now. Parents and children need to know as the school year is ending what the next school year is going to look like,” Nutter said outside of Council President Anna C. Verna’s office.

The mayor said he will meet with other Council members today, with the goal of reaching some consensus on legislation that could be introduced tomorrow morning.

He may have his work cut out for him. "I didn't see anybody smiling in that room," said Republican Minority Whip Frank Rizzo after the meeting.

Republican Minority Leader Brian J. O'Neill said he would not support any new or higher taxes right now. "I don't have a solution," he said, "but people are overtaxed."

Backing the mayor’s proposal are a dozen or so education and community advocates with whom he met earlier today. They included NAACP Philadelphia branch President J. Wyatt Mondesire, Debra Weiner of Public Citizens for Children and Youth, and parent group representative Sylvia Simms.

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54 comments

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Comments (54)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:59 PM, 06/01/2011

Let the parents of the children in public schools pay a little something per month. How freaking easy has this government made it for people. When I went to school, my parents paid for my SEPTA tokens; now they're given away free -- hello stop that practice and you'll have the money for the schools. If you want to play football, baseball, hockey, soccer, basketball, bowling, music, art or anything else that isn't school curriculum -- PAY FOR IT. I shouldn't have to pay for that nonsense. Oh, and tax Nutter for being so ugly, first.

— Centrist

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:10 PM, 06/01/2011

This clown can ask for a soda tax for the black hole that is the school district but can't find any money for public safety?? Start the clock....Philly will be Camden in 5...4...3...2..

— hititwheretheyaint

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:11 PM, 06/01/2011

How about we raise the property taxes on families who send thier children to a School District of Philadelphia? That way when if they do not pay they will only have themselves to blame.

It still boggles my mind that Philadelphia politicians continue to throw money(gasolin) at the SDP (fire) and expect the problmes to just go away.

— unclecokes

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:24 PM, 06/01/2011

Couple ideas:

1) Parking permits are $35 with a $10 annual renewal fee. That's
cheap. I'd gladly pay $50 and $25. Phased in, I probably wouldn't
complain about $75 and $50. This would also foster more use of lots,
which would probably charge more, but they could also be taxed more.
Personally, I think that charging more for meters would hurt
hospitality revenue (see Wednesdays in combination with Center City
Sips).

2) Public Libraries are free (hence the name "Free Library"). What if
the libraries remained free, but a once in a lifetime "donation" of $5
(students exempt) or $1 annual "resources" fee were required for the
use of materials?

3) Public Pools are free. That's kind of absurd to me because I
always paid a small fee to go to the public pool when I was little.
How do you think a $1 entrance fee, $10 individual summer pass, and
$20 family pass would fare?

— T

Comment removed.

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:11 PM, 06/01/2011

For you know nothings when you speak about greed and the teachers. We are among the few lowest paid districts in the entire state yet we deal with the most difficult population with the worst physical plants and resources imagineable. My building was built in 1903 and has no A/C...Jealous yet? Get the facts straight before you bellyache !! the Queen might get angry !!

— bull****meter

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:47 PM, 06/01/2011

Looks like Mayor Nutter wants to put back into overdrive the speed of small busineses and tax paying homeowners fleeing over the city border like it was under former Mayor Goode. Don't any Philly Democrats understand freedom/free markets? I believe that Goode lived in the unreal Marxist world of academia but Nutter should know better!

— Bob19006