Stop the City Service Cuts

 Don’t let Philadelphia City Council slam the door on our neighborhoods. Act today to urge City Council to VOTE NO on Bill # 040767

 

This week City Council will vote on a bill that would eliminate the Business Privilege Tax (BPT) and if passed would cause a further deterioration of city services. Already this year good library jobs were eliminated and hours at 20 neighborhood libraries reduced. With proposals to close fire stations, reduce funds for parks and recreational facilities, cuts to the arts and museums, the Mayor’s budget would erode quality of life in Philadelphia. Eliminating the BPT will only create a greater budget shortfall leading to more service cuts, higher taxes on homeowners, or both. The BPT accounts for 10% of the city’s operating budget; eliminating it will severely and negatively affect the residents of Philadelphia.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: VOTE NO on Bill # 040767.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am urging you to VOTE NO on Bill # 040767. This Bill would eliminate the Business Privilege Tax, which represents 10% of the City's budget. Without these taxes, our city services will be drastically cut, our property taxes drastically increased, or both. Tax cuts won't bring business to Philadelphia if our city services are failing.

Philadelphia's job loss is not related to the business tax. Even cities with very low business taxes, such as Baltimore and Detroit, have among the highest unemployment in the nation and lost about 1/5 of their population between 1980 and 2000.

Hundreds of studies confirm that local taxes are not much of a factor when businesses are looking for locations to set up shop. Corporations are far more interested in a skilled, stable workforce, proximity to customers and business markets, access to raw materials and supplies, and public services, such as schools, transportation, health care, police and fire protection, recreational and cultural programs, and institutions of higher education.

I urge you not to fall sway to the pushers of the business tax cut frenzy. Lower tax revenue is directly related to our quality of life in Philadelphia. With the elimination of the business privilege tax, we can expect more layoffs, more cuts in library hours, more dry swimming pools, abandoned recreation centers, and fewer services for seniors and for kids. Please restore the services cut from the Mayor's proposed budget, and VOTE NO on Bill # 040767.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
May 16, 2005


Background Information

Proponents of the measure to eliminate the Business Privilege Tax say the climate for business in Philadelphia is bad. That is simply not the case. New businesses are coming to the city by the hundreds every year. Studies show that taxes are not the major factor when a business decides on a location. For most businesses, State and Local taxes account for less than 2% of the cost of doing business.

 

Supporters of the measure have sought out small business owners in their quest for getting this bill passed. But who really stands to gain if the BPT is eliminated? The companies that make the most profit are companies like Comcast and the giant retailers like Wal-Mart and CVS; the enormous fast food industry; the huge malls. A small business owner doesn’t like to pay on gross receipts especially if they don’t make a profit at the end of the year. There are good reasons to explore remedies to aid small businesses hurt by provisions of the BPT, but smaller companies with minimal profits are only paying a small amount of tax. Fixing tax laws to protect small business should not be done to primarily benefit the major corporations. Bill # 040767 does just that.

 

Don’t be blinded by the tax cut smoke screen. The big companies can afford to pay tax to the city that loves them back (through huge profits). Residents of Philadelphia should not be asked to subsidize the businesses that take their money. But that’s exactly what will happen if the BPT is eliminated. This is not the time to give more tax breaks to the businesses that profit from Philadelphia.

 

JOIN us Thursday, May 19, 9 AM & Thursday, May 26, 10 AM, Room 400, City Hall to tell Council to VOTE NO ON BILL # 040767. To find out more or to help us get the word out, visit http://www.onephiladelphia.org.