And... Drink Tax (Redux)

This spoiled my breakfast this morning:

Since their enactment in 2008, Allegheny County's taxes on alcoholic drinks and car rentals have done virtually nothing to ease the Port Authority's chronic financial problems.

Here's why: The new taxes were intended to help the county's budget, not the Port Authority's.

The taxes are generating less than $2 million per year in extra revenue for the authority while producing $30 million to $40 million windfalls that county government has used to avoid raising property taxes.

What? What? WHAT?

"That is very clearly a point of confusion," [Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie] said. "People to this day just don't understand that this was not new money."

Now, that's an understatement. Did I just miss this? Was I not paying attention? Were there squirrels outside my window going at it like... squirrels, I guess, in heat? Was I so hopped up on NyQuil and ground up Flintstone Vitamins that I was delusional?

Please, someone tell me that this was hidden somewhere in the fine print near the bottom, like where the credit card rate jumps from 3% to 4 Gillion % if you don't buy milk on Wednesdays!

I mean, *I* used the might and majesty of this blog to argue that the drink tax was a sensible way of funding mass transit. I severed friendships over this. I burned down an apartment building in a Sambuca fueled haze for the Drink tax. Now I find out that it was just another way to suck money out of Joe Six Pack so that Dan Onorato and the folks on County Council wouldn't have to raise property taxes?

I ruined my liver for the busses, Dan, not so that some estate in Fox Chapel could save a mill or two off their taxes.

I feel dirty now.

Dirty and sober.

The Prevailing Wages of Sin...

And now it's Luke's turn on the Prevailing Wage see-saw:

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl kicked off the second half of a bruising fight over new rules for development subsidies yesterday, proposing his own version of prevailing wage legislation that he vetoed on New Year's Eve...

The mayor's version would exclude infrastructure spending, investments by city authorities, and federal or state funds from the calculation, and would exclude any project in which the remaining city subsidy was less than 10 percent of the total project cost.

It would also exclude any projects that were actually built in Pittsburgh, if my sources in the Mayor's Office are to be believed. Critics of the bill are right to point out that there would probably be only a handful of projects that these new rules would be applicable to, which is either (a) the Mayor's point or (b) a cynical political ploy to pass a prevailing wage bill without really passing a prevailing wage bill.

Of course, these are not mutually exclusive.

But what got me was this provision:

It would only take effect if Allegheny County approved similar legislation.

Which sort of makes sense as the City's commercial market is porous and does not stop at Summer Hill, or Overbrook, or Fairywood, or Regent Square; so, it would be just as easy for a small municipality (where one does not have to deal with the same level of regulation) to siphon off development. This is the same argument that the opponents to the County smoking ban used.

There is an opportunity here for prevailing wage supporters: the cynical side of the coin says that the County would never pass a prevailing wage bill, so the whole damned thing is a moot point anyway. HOWEVER, there is a certain county executive who "has been working very hard to earn the support of organized labor," and expects "o have some announcements coming up. So, what better way to win the doorknocking prowess of the SEIU, than to help them win, not just a City ordnance, but an entire County?

But then, you still have to deal with the reality that grocery stores, for example, would be much more likely to start up in suburban greenfield areas (where they don't need assistance) than in urban brownfield sites (where the need for nutritional security is greatest).

And to answer your question with another question Chris: would Henry George consider prevailing wage a "tariff" on labor?

*Clonk*

And the can gets kicked down the road again:

Allegheny County will appeal a Common Pleas Court order to complete a reassessment of all property over the next four years, County Executive Dan Onorato announced this afternoon.

Mr. Onorato said the appeal would give the state Legislature time to deal with his call for a statewide solution to assessment problems. He appealed to the Legislature after the state Supreme Court earlier this year tossed out the county's decision to assess property at its 2002 value, establishing a base-year system similar to that used in most counties.

Mr. Onorato said the assessment system has to be fixed on a statewide basis rather than county by county. A bill already approved by the state House would provide a two-year moratorium on new assessments in all county while the Legislature studies the issue and tries to come up with a new system.

Now, I'm not disagreeing with our County CPA that the Pennsylvania Property Assessment system is as ridiculous and inequitable as a 14 foot drinking fountain for little people.* It doesn't make sense, when the State Constitution calls for uniformity, that Murrysville can have a base year system, but Monroeville cannot. Indeed, this is going to have to be something that the legislature needs to work out and set right.

Candidate for Governor Danny-boy, can't have the burden of actually undertaking a court mandated reassessment, however. Any reassessment will inexorably lead to higher taxes in the County, which would spell doom for his campaign. Yes, better to letter the judges and representatives in Harrisburg take the fall than to sack up and show some initiative for once, lest the road to the Governor's chair be paved with hard decisions.

Of course, this isn't really leadership on Danny's part -- it's politics.

And the can gets kicked down the road to the next guy.

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* Let this simile roll around in your imagination for awhile.

Property Assesments Part 4,328,489

Well, we're back to square one: the courts have ruled that Allegheny County's base year property assessment system is unconstitutional because of the gross inequities it creates in property values and we're going to see another re-re-reassessment maybe soon enough for the 2010 tax year.

But first, a moment of stupidity from the County Executive in regards to today's property assessment ruling:

"I'm a lawyer, and as county executive I don't believe judges should order something that the people in the county don't want," added Mr. Onorato...

Too fucking bad Dan: Allegheny County's current assessment system violates the standards set in the Commonwealth's Constitution. I don't think any lawyer worth a bucket of warm spit could reasonably argue that it's OK to violate the supreme law of the land if people really, *really* want him to do it.*

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Dan Onorato is doing everything he can to avoid making an actual hard choice on this matter, lest it affect his run for Governor.

I wonder if he knows that the Governor's Office doesn't come with a Commonwealth issued backbone and that he has to bring one himself.

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* For the the record, lawyers who have names that rhyme with, say, "Galberto Onzales" or "Marriet Hyers" aren't worth a bucket of warm spit.

A Brief Aside - Reassessments

Briefly, as I'm busily working on deconstructing the underlying meta-narrative that is carmenformayor.com in order to prove that I'm not some misanthropic shill for any particular campaign, I just wanted to point out that Danny O seems to be a bit craven and cowardly when it comes to this whole Assessments brouhaha.

Now, remember, Danny wants to be governor, and the worst thing any politician could ever, EVER do is make the citizenry pay for services that they receive... I mean, raise taxes. The County, if my estimation is correct, needs to both have sufficient revenue and have consistent revenue in order to make its yearly budget. Assessments, as they currently stand, are providing neither. Rather than manning up and tackling the insane position amongst some residents that the value of their property could never go up from what they bought it for in 1954 (even during one of the biggest real estate bubbles in modern history), Danny opted to waffle, imposing an obviously unconstitutional base-year system.

Now that the PA Supreme Court has laughed the base year system right out of the docket, Onorato's elected for two different routes: first, trying to make a Federal case out of it and, second, trying to screw around with *everybody's* taxes in the Commonwealth. But, this isn't a real solution either and it's not like he's taking real leadership on the matter; he's just trying to pass and spread out blame.

Of course, if, by some strange turn of events, either of these paths actually lead somewhere, Danny-boy might have inadvertently be responsible for raising taxes on everyone in the Commonwealth. Now, obviously he's betting that by the time this case makes it through to the SCOTUS or through the State Legislature, he'll already be in the Governor's chair.

So, in my not so humble opinion, if this 3rd rate CPA wanted to commit political sepuku, he'd actually take a solid position on the assessment, even if that meant that County taxes may, eventually, go up. It may not be politically expedient, but at least it would show some real cajones.

So well done with the political limp-dickedness.

An Open Letter to Dan Onorato

Dear Mr. County Executive,

I know that you want to seem "young," "cool," "hip," "friggie-fresh," or any other word that you think that young people say. And I know that you want to seem like you care about what your constituents think. And I know that you want to seem up on the latest technology like "computers," "the Internet," or "Netscape Navigator." I get all that.

However, what were you thinking in scheduling a "Cyber Town Hall Meeting" at 8:30 in the friggin' morning? Are you really sure you know what you're doing here?

Now, I appreciate that you want to use technology to reach out to the huddled masses and I'm all for that, but the huddled masses are, by large, either at work or going to work at this time in the morning. Frankly, there are also a large segment of us who are at work, but not necessarily at our peak performance until our 2nd or 8th cup of coffee. So, something tells me that you're not really trying to reach the huddled masses.

So, who would be up at 8:30 AM? Well, the retired, that's for sure, unless they're queuing up for the Early Bird Dinner Special already. But, something tells me that the retired and elderly aren't jumping online at this time of day... or ever... when they could just come down to Grant Street and complain in the flesh about the kids on their lawn instead.

Who else would be up at 8:30 and online? Hardcore gamers, I suppose... maybe the unemployed... but unless you're willing to address the struggles of people trying to put manna on their families' tables, I doubt you'll find an audience.

Let's set aside, however, the wee problem that no one is really going to be watching at 8:30 AM, as I suppose the point is that citizens will be now able to download the video at a later date, perhaps remixing it with some Daft Punk or OK Go, and turn you into an Internet sensation, right up there with those dancing Hamsters or that one video of the guy nearly getting hit with a shoe. That might be interesting.

Still, the conceptual problem here is that, Mr. Onorato, what you're doing here is not really a "Town Hall." A Town Hall, in my estimation, involves some sort of interaction between you and the audience. What you have here is really you answering preselected hate mail on video. If you don't really want a hall full of people screaming obscenities at you, it would be easier to get yourself a blog.

Lord know it couldn't be any worse than some of the other inane content in the Burghosphere.

Sincerely,
"O"
The Angry Drunk Bureaucrat

How to Spend $12 Million (Without Really Trying)

Frankly, this story really disappoints me:

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato this afternoon said he will not fight a judge's order requiring him to use all excess revenue collected from the county's drink and car rental levies only on the Port Authority.

Instead, Mr. Onorato said he plans to give all the $12 million he collected in excess from both levies to the Port Authority for capital improvements in fiscal years 2009 and 2010. That will free up $12 million the county would have borrowed to fund the transit agency's capital needs, he said.

That's just sad.

I mean, you figure that even a CPA of Dan Onorato's caliber could figure out a way to reclassify County expenses as PAT expenses. It's really not that big a leap to imagine that there are certain budget items on the County ledger that could have overlap with the Port Authority of Allegheny County, with a bit of tweaking.

There are plenty of County employees that could be reclassified as bus drivers or mechanics. Make them drive the buses once around the lot every other day or give them a rag and have them wipe down an engine or two. Heck, there are so many consultants at DHS that they may be repairing buses for all we know.

Alternatively, Onorato could use Port Authority funds to find out how much bus exhaust do not contribute to the local air quality, instead of making the Health Department monitor the air quality directly. Oh, look: PAT buses didn't contribute 2.1 ppm of particulate matter in Clairton today, it only contributed .01 ppm...

Or perhaps, CYF case workers could be used as "underage mass transit chaperones," to, you know, prevent disturbances on the bus.

Onorato himself is somewhat in charge of PAT as County Executive, so his salary can be easily slipped in to the Port Authority's budget... and, of course, the County Executive needs staff to help him out on all these pressing PAT matters, so their salaries could be covered.

But he's not even making the Port Authority make a low interest loan to the County to cover expenses for 2009!

The milquetoast, underachiever that he is, Danny Boy's given up after only one bout with the Courts.

So disappointing.

PAT, Union Agree to Thunderdome

Following increased pressure from dozens of business and community groups, both the Port Authority and its drivers' union leader agreed to a tentative plan set forth by a federal arbitrator to resolve their dispute in a post-apocalyptic "Thunderdome".

The negotiated mediation resolution was pushed forward by the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the African American Chamber of Commerce; and the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, and Australian actor Mel Gibson.

The authority's board accepted the terms outlined by PA Labor Relations Board mediator Jan Rigler, which recommended that one union leader and one PAT board members be placed into a steel cage and fight to the death. Participants will be tied with bungee cords so, and weapons placed around the cage. Two men will enter, one man will leave.

PAT Board Chairman John A. Brooks, in a statement to the media said "Listen on! Listen on! This is the truth of it: fighting leads to killing and killing leads to warring. And that was damned near the death of us all.... but now when we get to fighting, it happens here. And it finishes here."

Union leaders have criticized County Executive Dan Onorato, who had initially proposed the Thunderdome plan, as merely wanting to beat the crap out of a couple of random union guys.

The original fact finder's report was officially rejected by the union because of proposed changes to healthcare coverage, however, union members have unofficially said that the rejection was the result of a lack of stabbing and fire.

In case of a service shutdown, Pittsburgh residents have already begun to plan carpooling rides, alternative modes of transportation, and have devised post apocalyptic vehicles made to traverse the vast expanses of the Australian desert.

The cost of the structure is expected to result in a fair increase of $2 per trip. The Thunderdome will be built on a vast unoccupied stretch of uninhabitable land inside of Parkway Center Mall.

Onorato, Ravenstahl Endorse George Clinton

In what is being billed as "a cunning political stunt," the Mayor of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Chief Executive have thrown their weight behind funk rocker George Clinton in the 2008 Pennsylvania Primary.

Speaking at a hastily assembled press conference, Mayor Ravenstahl said that Mr. Clinton was "the energy that this party needed to turn this mother out."

"This is a chance to dance our way out of our constrictions... Ready or not here we come, getting down on the one which we believe in. One nation under a groove, getting down just for the funk of it," adding, "Can I get in on my good foot? Good God!"

Mr. Onorato concurred, calling Mr. Clinton's proposed health care and foreign policy proposals "Supergroovalisticprosifunkstic".

Clinton, who is regularly cited as one of the most important funk musicians in that genre, did not return phone calls.

Clinton associate Bootsy Collins, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Funk at Princeton University, called the endorsement an opportunity to bridge the rhetorical divide between races, classes, and parties and an unparalleled chance to "blow the roof off this mothersucker."

Thousands of Clinton supporters today rallied in Market Square, chanting "We want the funk! Give up the funk!"

Candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (no relation) released brief statements to the media. Ms. Clinton expressed disappointment, and, referencing her strong polling numbers, called on Ravenstahl and Onorator to "Give the people what they want, when they wants, and they wants it all the time." Clinton surrogate Geraldine Ferraro, on MSNBC today, repeated the claim that Parliament-Funkadelic was not even a legitimate political party.

Mr. Obama's statment merely stated that it was his campaign that could give the people "what they were funking for."

The Pennsylvania Presidential Primary is scheduled for April 22nd.

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Click poster for full sized version

Onorato Takes Lead for MFX; Slams Fork into Eye for Encore

There are few things in Western Pennsylvania public policy that I get as angry about as the Mon-Fayette Expressway: a heaping, hulking stretch of highway that is supposed to stretch from Downtown Pittsburgh to the the grand metropolis of Morgantown WV, thereby spawning economic development, freeing up transportation opportunities for the Mon Valley, and otherwise launching a wave of unsubstantiatable goals and accomplishments.

Oh, and it'll probably cost a zillion dollars, rip through a whole slew of communities, contribute to the destruction of undeveloped greenfields to the south, aid in urban flight, and bring on the thousand year reign of the Antichrist.

Well, maybe not the last one, but you get my drift.

Of course, Gubernatorial Candidate (né Allegheny County Executive) Danny Onorato is now throwing his weight behind this Public Policy equivalent of a fruitcake: something no one really wants, but everyone, for some inexplicable reason, decides that they have to give away.

On Friday, Chief Executive Dan Onorato convened a meeting of 60 state, local and county political and business leaders to develop a plan to finance the $3.6 billion section of the project that would run through Allegheny County...

"The expressway and Squirrel Hill bypass are critically important regional transportation and economic development projects," Onorato said.

"The Mon-Fayette will provide linkages and open up old industrial sites to jobs and commerce in the south, and its Squirrel Hill bypass will provide important traffic congestion relief to Pittsburgh's eastern suburbs."

Maybe back in the 1970s, right as the United States steel industry was on the verge of collapse and as a preemptive measure for the reuse of old brownfield sites, this policy may have made some sense. Now, it's like closing the barn door after the horse has left, run down the street, gotten on a plane, flown to Hollywood, and married Matthew Broderick. Today, with oil prices rising, the home construction industry collapsing, and the economy on the brink of full on recession, the MFX makes as much sense as the entire female population of Nome, Alaska screaming Thursday's lottery numbers at composer Philip Glass.

And just how bad is this idea, you ask? Well, Luke Ravenstahl seems to be supporting it, if that gives you any indication.

Of course, should he want to make a go at running for Governor, Danny O is going to need some generous contributions from people with disposable cash on hand... let's say, perhaps, people in the construction and building trades. So, you can see how important this policy is to the regional economy and has absolutely, in no way, has anything even remotely to do with anything relating to campaign contributions.

The sad part about this whole thing, however, is that the longer this bad idea stays alive in people's minds, the less people are going to invest in these communities, in anticipation that the Turnpike commission is just going to buy them out anyway. No one wants to buy a house (or even fix up a house) that may just be taken by eminent domain in the near future. Steel Valley municipalities and neighborhoods will keep going down the toilet and the tax payers will, once again, be subsidizing new construction in previously undeveloped areas...

That is, until those areas need a bypass too, and we start all over again.

So, you know, well done Danny, Luke, and everyone. Well done.