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Pullman City Attorney Laura McAloon hates students… |
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Written by cougster1
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Monday, 15 September 2008 |
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…or doesn’t understand basic economics. Why do we say this? Because of her quote in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News story on the Pullman Police Officers' Guild opposition to the proposed U-District. In the story she says:
McAloon said Pullman's limited tax base is "based on a much smaller population than Pullman has," and WSU should help provide law enforcement since its students make up a majority of the population but don't help pay the cost to provide city services.
Now clearly she has a grudge against students or she needs to come up to the university and takes some econ classes. Students do pay taxes and for the most part do not use social services. First how does she think landlords pay property taxes on all the houses and apartments in Pullman? They don’t, they just collect them from students in the form of rent. If property taxes go up, who do you think is going to pay them? Students will in higher rent. Of course students buy stuff and pay sales taxes also.
Now lets look at what students take from the city? Well most students do not have kids so they are not costing the city/school district any money but they are paying in to the system. Students are not going to be using most of the social services and since they are younger they generally are not going to be using any medical facilities that often. Of course students are more likely to have interaction with the police because of their age. Then again they will be paying a ton of fines, for MIPs and other offenses. That 5 minutes the Pullman Police Officer took to write you a citation for the heinous crime of drinking on your buddy’s front porch means you will be forced to donate a few hundred dollars to city.
Does Pullman City Attorney Laura McAloon really think Pullman would be better off with out the nearly 20,000 students who spend their money in shops and restaurants that make up the city’s tax base?
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