Nutter lobbies to raise sales tax
Monday, July 6th, 2009
By: Susan Phillips
sphillips@whyy.org
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter continues to lobby Harrisburg to allow the city to raise the sales tax by one percent and make changes to pension financing. But the outcome is still unclear as state lawmakers prioritize their own budget crisis.
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Mayor Nutter took another trip to Harrisburg this week, but he says lawmakers won't deal with the city's request until they figure out how to close their own $3.2 billion dollar deficit.
Nutter: We continue to make the case that we have a compelling case to be made. We've made enormous steps to solve our own budget challenges, we are not asking Harrisburg for one dime.
But he is asking them to vote for a tax hike. Franklin and Marshall Political Science Professor Terry Madonna says that's a hurdle for some lawmakers.
Madonna: They like him, they respect him. But its still a tough sell. I'm not saying he can't get it but its still a tough sell.
Madonna says legislators' approval may come down to how the proposal is packaged, and whether or not its linked with other tax increases.