tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post2938858153626871034..comments2023-12-24T05:26:48.861-05:00Comments on The Pittsburgh Comet: Sunday Monday: Life Marches On...**Bram Reichbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-69878730371748872122009-04-07T20:52:00.000-04:002009-04-07T20:52:00.000-04:00You raise a good point -- and one I'd be all over ...You raise a good point -- and one I'd be all over if I was on council or as controller. This is at the root of the overall problem -- and the solution too.<BR/><BR/>We just don't know. <BR/><BR/>And, the first thing to get a grip on is land. The footprint of the nonprofit holdings need to be clearly documented, understood, calculated and figured.<BR/><BR/>What is what? <BR/>How much do they pay?<BR/><BR/>And, over time, how do we shrink those holdings in terms of raw land.<BR/><BR/>-- <BR/>Back to your point. I think, say, when the bottom floor of Cathedral of Learning at Pitt had an Arby's (managed by O'Connor's people back in the day) -- that section of the building was called 'taxable' and some property taxes would be applied.<BR/><BR/>So, there are slivers of property that might have gift shops and such that are measured and calculated in a different light.<BR/><BR/>But, who knows? <BR/><BR/>Ain't transparent.<BR/><BR/>This is where Michael Lamb should be devoted to detailing -- NOT A TAX ON INCOME.Mark Rauterkushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17157914569686528007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-34489733605845181222009-04-07T19:28:00.000-04:002009-04-07T19:28:00.000-04:00Well, I remember a discussion I believe on this bl...Well, I remember a discussion I believe on this blog, about UPMC's having for profit affiliates that pay real estate taxes for their faciliates. There was a specific mention of a building on Baum between Negley and Graham that was some kind of taxable thing. Someone was saying there are actualy several of these bilding around the City. That was what I had in mind, but I couldn't find anything on Google to back that up, FWIW.EdHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09109361235271107574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-73141696621212662402009-04-07T10:33:00.000-04:002009-04-07T10:33:00.000-04:00Ed, please explain what you mean when you say that...Ed, please explain what you mean when you say that some nonprofits pay some real estate taxes. <BR/><BR/>I know that the Green Building Alliance folks on South Side on Sarah choose to own a building, sustainable, etc -- and never put in for a nonprofit ownership exemption. But, that might be 1 in 10,000. They are GREAT neighbors.Mark Rauterkushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17157914569686528007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-58459562976048648252009-04-07T06:38:00.000-04:002009-04-07T06:38:00.000-04:00Some, I assume most non-profits with hold from the...Some, I assume most non-profits with hold from their employees paychecks for City income tax. They pay a tax based on payroll now. The tax Lamb wants to levy on the non-profits now is something called the payroll preparation tax. I have no opinion one way or the other on whether non-profits should pay that tax, but let's be clear that the employees of non profits do pay City income taxes (and some non profits pay some real estate taxes). <BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, Darlene Harris keeps saying that Dowd's interest in auditing the PWSA bond deal is “politics”. Maybe so, but that doesn't mean there isn't a problem there. Her vote against the audit? Purely <I>apolitical</I>.EdHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09109361235271107574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-68704072900516716022009-04-06T10:37:00.000-04:002009-04-06T10:37:00.000-04:00Of course, Michael Lamb has to work harder and fas...Of course, Michael Lamb has to work harder and faster and SMARTER. <BR/><BR/>The first thing he mentioned, on the night of his election -- over me by the way -- was to call for an audit of the controller's office, a post he just got hired to manage.<BR/><BR/>Yep, there is a lot to do. Let's not spin wheels.Mark Rauterkushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17157914569686528007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-85707038060086430752009-04-05T23:11:00.000-04:002009-04-05T23:11:00.000-04:00Mark - I stand corrected: the Controller apparent...Mark - I stand corrected: the Controller apparently can and does audit Authority business all of his own accord. The real difficulty him auditing the PWSA bond deal (as stated at the table) is there is already a LOT of scheduled audits backing up the system. Darlene Harris for example is still waiting on her Animal Control (or was it Rescue?). The PWSA itself is due for an audit this summer, but even that is not going to encompass the bond swap deal.<BR/><BR/>Now, before you blast Lamb for not being on the ball, Mark, remember that Act 47 has been hacking and gouging at our Controller's office resources; remember our previous Controller went to court for the longest time to try to get the cuts reversed.<BR/><BR/>Now. The bond deal audit that was voted upon preliminarily last week and will come up again this week would be conducted by an <B>outside contractor</B> through RFP and on a parallel track, so we could get some answers while we are still young and it might be useful.<BR/><BR/>Elaine, thanks for that clarification that we are speaking of Mossie Murphy II. My dad was sorry to learn of Murphy Sr.'s not-so-recent passing.Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-41829231384409999452009-04-05T20:54:00.000-04:002009-04-05T20:54:00.000-04:00Mossie Murphy Sr. passed away many yrs ago--ten? ...Mossie Murphy Sr. passed away many yrs ago--ten? Mossie Murphy Jr. followed in dad's footsteps and did a little politics for awhile around here, helping with Klink and some others. His sis, Mary Murphy Kiernan may have helped on that campaign and on small Onorato campaigns, but def. helped on Casey's gov. campaign and I think Mossie helped a little on that one. <BR/><BR/>I think Mossie also is a business owner--a golf pro shop on the upper Northside? At least awhile ago, he was.<BR/><BR/>As far as the bond thing, no idea. Sorry.Lady Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13428096414178188141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-76463298853647925662009-04-05T19:56:00.000-04:002009-04-05T19:56:00.000-04:00If it was not an assault weapon, would it have mad...If it was not an assault weapon, would it have made a difference?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-42596737804436330332009-04-05T19:38:00.000-04:002009-04-05T19:38:00.000-04:00Mark - I'm not positive that Controller Lamb has t...Mark - I'm not positive that Controller Lamb has the authority to audit instrumentalities of the State (i.e. Authorities), at least not without some kind of authorization.<BR/><BR/>I'll have to get confirmation on that, because otherwise, we really are taking the long way 'round the mulberry bush.Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-73467413817730698472009-04-05T18:54:00.000-04:002009-04-05T18:54:00.000-04:00Poorly understood votes should not pass city counc...Poorly understood votes should not pass city council without objection. I agree that city council got hoodwinked. I didn't. It smelled bad from the first minutes. <BR/><BR/>All on council at the time are to blame. They keep the purse strings and are -- or were -- in a slumber.<BR/><BR/>However, the job of doing audits fall on the back of the controller. That's Michael Lamb's job -- not that of city council. <BR/><BR/>The city got in trouble time and time again with the over-reaching of purpose and by doing things that shouldn't be done.<BR/><BR/>Put this investigation into Michael Lamb's court.Mark Rauterkushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17157914569686528007noreply@blogger.com