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The recent hulaballooby in the form of editorials and articles castigating Janet Evans for confronting the University of Scranton to increase its monetary contribution to the city appears to be a tempest in a teapot.
Accusing her of extortion is ludicrous. One might offer the same argument against the University for its exorbitant tuition rates. So let’s drop that silliness and get to the core of the problem.
Quite appropriately, Mrs. Evans used the concept of quid pro quo with the University. Quid pro quo is an acceptable manner of resolving differences and disputes. Courts use it and call it plea bargaining. Unions and management use it in negotiations to come to a contract agreement. The retail world uses it in the form of bargains and sales in order to get the customer to buy the product. We all use it when we purchase a car or a home.
The time has come to take a hard look at the non-profit organizations. Many of them have outlived their sacred cow tax exempt status. At best, the term non-profit is vague and nebulous.
I find it difficult to accept the non-profit status of the University of Scranton when it spends multi-millions of dollars for land purchase and construction for its further expansion. Yes, it’s good for the community but it further reduces the city’s tax base and places a heavier burden on the common folk who don’t have the luxury of tax exempt status.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Pennsylvania also makes a mockery of its non-profit status when it gives $35 million dollars-plus to the new medical school and pays a $35 thousand dollar stipend to Senator Mellow under the guise of liaison to the state legislature. That money should have been used to reduce the exorbitant premiums of its clients.
The argument that these non-profit institutions contribute millions of dollars to the economy is true but, taxpayers also contribute their hard earned dollars to the economy and they pay taxes that the non-profits don’t.
In the coming years, the tax burden for those who are not members of the sacred cow society of non-profits and KOZ, can expect their taxes to skyrocket, thanks to the pension greed by our state legislature.
The city’s tax base needs an immediate financial transfusion. The mayor and community leaders should put away the crying towel for the non-profits and do what needs to be done, and that is to add many of the non-profit organizations to its tax base.
Submitted by
James W. Patterson
Roaring Brook Twp.
The recent hulaballooby in the form of editorials and articles castigating Janet Evans for confronting the University of Scranton to increase its monetary contribution to the city appears to be a tempest in a teapot.
Accusing her of extortion is ludicrous. One might offer the same argument against the University for its exorbitant tuition rates. So let’s drop that silliness and get to the core of the problem.
Quite appropriately, Mrs. Evans used the concept of quid pro quo with the University. Quid pro quo is an acceptable manner of resolving differences and disputes. Courts use it and call it plea bargaining. Unions and management use it in negotiations to come to a contract agreement. The retail world uses it in the form of bargains and sales in order to get the customer to buy the product. We all use it when we purchase a car or a home.
The time has come to take a hard look at the non-profit organizations. Many of them have outlived their sacred cow tax exempt status. At best, the term non-profit is vague and nebulous.
I find it difficult to accept the non-profit status of the University of Scranton when it spends multi-millions of dollars for land purchase and construction for its further expansion. Yes, it’s good for the community but it further reduces the city’s tax base and places a heavier burden on the common folk who don’t have the luxury of tax exempt status.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Pennsylvania also makes a mockery of its non-profit status when it gives $35 million dollars-plus to the new medical school and pays a $35 thousand dollar stipend to Senator Mellow under the guise of liaison to the state legislature. That money should have been used to reduce the exorbitant premiums of its clients.
The argument that these non-profit institutions contribute millions of dollars to the economy is true but, taxpayers also contribute their hard earned dollars to the economy and they pay taxes that the non-profits don’t.
In the coming years, the tax burden for those who are not members of the sacred cow society of non-profits and KOZ, can expect their taxes to skyrocket, thanks to the pension greed by our state legislature.
The city’s tax base needs an immediate financial transfusion. The mayor and community leaders should put away the crying towel for the non-profits and do what needs to be done, and that is to add many of the non-profit organizations to its tax base.
Submitted by
James W. Patterson
Roaring Brook Twp.
