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10/28/2009
tyler h
s.a.douglas, philadelphia
in most of pennsylvania, sales tax is the six extra cents you pay on every dollar when you're shopping. you pay it almost everyday, whether you're buying books and school supplies, a video game or a new cell phone.
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06/07/2009
Maryann L.
NEHS pd 5, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Raising Pennsylvania’s sale tax will not help lower its property tax burden on residents, because people in the state of Pennsylvania have to pay different taxes. Increasing one tax and deceasing another will not make a big different, but making a big tax decrease and increasing a low tax may help. Concerning to all the losing customers is even greater in the current economy, where every dollar is needed if a business wants to survive. People believes that it could still decrease sales or at least shift sales towards lower prices items, further decreasing revenues of cash strapped business to make a change to the current economic.
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06/04/2009
Thott
Trinity High School, Washington,Pa
Pennsylvania has enough taxes already. The are other ways of raising funds to lower property taxes.
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06/01/2009
Eric
Elverson Military Academy, Philadelphia
The property tax should be lowered and the sales tax should be raised because if we pay and extra cent or two per dollar and the property tax is lowered u will get more money in the long rune even if it don't look like it you will be gaining money in the long run because the average property tax is 1,937 dollars and sales tax is 6% state wide and 8% in Philadelphia and saving $200 yearly and spending a little more in the checkout stand at the grocery store,
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05/27/2009
Greg B
Trinity high school, washington, PA
I think that the taxes for homeowners should be lowered and the taxes on sales should be raised. I believe this because people buying a house shouldnt be punished for buying a house
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05/26/2009
Derek
Trinity, Washington
I don't think it should be used to lower property taxes. I think it should be used for road improvements in PA.
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05/26/2009
Megan B.
Trinity High School, WAshington PA
A Property tax is just another way for the government to get money out of us. Sales tax is already high enough we don't need to raise it in PA lets try something original.
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05/21/2009
Malik C.
university City , philadelphia pa
I think that they should give people the option to choose whether which tax lowers or raises. Because we the people know which we would prefer. I would personally sat, that they should higher sales tax because housing is more important than sales taxes that aren't important. I also would rather have lower taxes on my house and just pay a little more for clothing and extra things that I really don't need.
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05/21/2009
Channin H
University City HS, Philadelphia, PA
I think raising sales tax would not be good because house's would cost too much and people without a college degree wouldn't be able to afford them.Also that with tax's lower people would have to carry around more change then usually.No I don't agree with the idea of giving each county increasing sale tax.Yes higher sale tax will drive away shoppers and negatively impact because some things that don't look like they cost the price they are people wouldn't want to keep buying those things.Because of this strong tax sided argument I think that each count in Pennsylvania should have the opportunity to decline this increase in tax.
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05/21/2009
Jasmine C
University City High School, Philadelphia,Pa
By raising Pennsylvania sales tax I don't think it would lower property tax because people are still purchasing for there property. I agree that the country should have in options to what they want to do. I think with higher sales tax people would stop buying things because they are adding more money on items. I would advise the representatives of pennsylvania to work with the people. People still have to pay bills and I don't think that its fare for the government to take money from people paychecks and then have to turn around and pay money at the stores. That is too much money, the government already deal with money so they should have enough money.
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05/21/2009
Ekeem T
unversity city, Philadelphia,Pa.
I would star by lowering taxes then working out a stimulus package also get the community more job apparently for 16 an up.
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05/21/2009
Leonard B.
Northeast, Phila. PA
Well, even though it might not be the best plan, raising the sales tax in Pennsylvania might work in order to lower property tax. In order to do this efficiently and not to get to many residents angry, you could make the entire state of Pennsylvania 7% sales tax. This way, the funds raised by the tax raise can go to lowering the property tax. After gaining the funds from the sales hike, you can distribute the money almost like a discount. The people who deserve the tax break, will receive it. This makes it fair, and you can also add new government jobs by hiring people to look over all the records.
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05/20/2009
Atiya B. pd4 Mr. Frank
NorthEast High school, Philadelphia, pa
I personally believe that if you raise the sales tax then the property tax would definitely decrease but not majorly. Any one should be happy about the property tax going down but would it really make that much of a difference. If you lower one thing then people will complain about the other going up. To me people are never satisfied no matter what you do. Things should just stay as they are. Also if you increase the sales tax consumers wouldn't buy as much and business owners wouldn't make any money or meet their goal. This would cause many businesses to shut down. Things are fine as they are and you don't want to hurt the people you want to help them any way possible.
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05/20/2009
K.M. pd.2
NORTHEAST HIGH, PHILADELPHIA
I think property tax and sales tax should stay the same. Either way, the tax will burden citizens despite the type of tax it is. Raising sales tax could hinder the public's purchasing power. I believe the public would respond better to keeping the taxes the same. Raising the taxes could ultimately hurt the economy. Plus I think raising sales tax could possibly raise less money for the government. Therefore, keeping both taxes where they are is the best solution.
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05/20/2009
Shannon L. pd.4
Northeast highschool, Philadelphia/Pa
I believe that it is always a good thing to have lower property taxes so that there will be more Americans that can afford houses but in the same affect more people are affected by sales tax to me. For one I think that they are too high right now anyway. Either way I think that whatever option that is chosen will have in impact if sales tax is higher than it will affect businesses because there will be less people shopping and if property tax stays high then there will also be less buyers.I do think that rasing the sales tax will help though, i just really think that it shouldn't be done.It should be up to the country to choose on their own if that is indeed what they want to do.
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05/20/2009
carlos r.
northeast high school, philadelphia, pa
In the short run, the sales taxes may allow home owners to ease on property taxes. In the long run your looking at the failure of business, which would lead to unemployment and soon a rise in the price of goods. I disagree with this because I'd rather have people maintain an income and just getting bye the to have incomes dropped and the price of goods rise. The unemployment rate would increase, creating a much more serious problem for the homeowner. I would have advice my representatives in my state to cut unnecessary programs and to tax gifts more such as lottery winners maybe just one or two more percent and eventually change it back till things are right again.
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05/20/2009
Shanekqua S. pd. 2
NEHS , Phila.,PA
Yes I do agree with the idea that to give each county the option to impose the increased sales tax. I agree because not evrybody should be affected by this decision. If they just up and decide to raise the sale tax that means everybody will suffer.Us young people do not have to pay property taxes yet but if they decide to raise sale tax we will have to use more of our money in that is not fair.wWe have to take more money out of our pockets just because others want lower property taxes. However I do beleive that raising our states taxes can help lower its property tax burden on residents. I would want my representative to take in consideration that everybody will be affected by raises sale taxes. So it should be fair for everybody so we all can benefit from it.
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05/20/2009
Tessa W.
NEHS, Philadelphia/pa
It seems like a simple solution, but with everything else in Philadelphia rising in taxes, I'm worried this might harm prospective entrepreneurs and tourists, or people thinking of moving here. Philadelphia has had a great drop in population recently, many people are moving away. I can only imagine how much this must stink in NYC. I would advise my representatives to be very careful in these troubled times in a busy city, where crime is already high and people are just struggling to get by as it is.
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05/20/2009
Odanis R. pd4
Northeast, Philadelphia
I believe raising the sales tax would be better. You have to think of these things as a giant scale and which side has the better benefits. I know for a fact that raising sales tax in higher middle class areas will eventually pay itself off with the money saved from reducing the property taxes. Thus making the ability of changing/buying homes that much less stressful and safe.
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05/20/2009
Vivian L. Pd. 5
NEHS, Philadelphia, PA
In my opinion, raising taxes is never a good thing. Either way your paying more taxes, whether its on property or sales. Yes, if sales tax was to increase and property tax was to decrease that does lighten the burden. But either way, you're still paying taxes. It's just that your property tax would have a big impact on you once a year. In an economy like this now, I don't think unnecessary taxes should be raised. If businesses wasn't able to take the hit then maybe it wasn't meant for them to open a business at that time. I would advise my representative to figure out a way to balance it all out, for the ratio to be fair.
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05/20/2009
rydesha h. 2nd pd
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I believe that raising sales tax can help lower property taxes but i will not be what people think. It will not be a dramatic change in property tax it will only be a little change. I do agree with the idea to give each county the option to impose the increased sales tax because some county are doing better then others. And those who are doing worst might not agree do to the fact that there stores are already not doing so good. I would advise my representatives on taxes would be to leave the sales tax where it is and find a different way in lower property taxes. because today it is already hard for people to find 7 cents to get something off the $1 menu at Mcdonald's.
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05/20/2009
Debora B. pd 4 Mr. Frank
Northeast High school, philadelphia, PA
Raising Pennsylvania’s sales tax in my opinion would anger most Pennsylvanians. BEcause Not everyone here can afford to pay more for some items they can get for cheaper. Why sacrifice majority for some people. Yes, great idea if each county could choose its own decision. If one final decision was made for the whole state, different counties would have different views. In this recession, people have had to spend wisely to buy things of necessity. Increasing of tax would drive people away to shop in places that provide low prices. Families struggling to get by would be in some serious trouble especially those who are expecting a baby or have young children. I would advise the representatives of Pennsylvania to not rise the sales tax because unfortunately Philadelphia is a "poor" county.
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05/20/2009
Chad O. pd 2
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I do believe that if we higher our sales tax that we would be able to lower property tax. I don't think each county should be able to choose, i think it should be the same in the whole state. I would tell them that raising sales tax is a good idea.
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05/20/2009
Jennifer M. Pd 5 Mr Frank
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I believe in this situation if the sales tax was increase then that will sure help out lowering property tax. Lowering the property tax can yet be a good thing but a bad thing as well. For example lowering the property tax will benefit a middle class family, but on the other hand might hurt citizens as well because lowering the property tax will increase the sales tax causing the people to pay more.
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05/20/2009
Brian Pd.2
nehs, phila/pa
I think the taxes should stay the way they are because raise sales taxes to decrease property taxes people might be happy at first, but then they wouldn't be happy because they are paying higher sales tax. Things would be more expensive. I think the government should find a way to lower one tax without raising another. If you raise one and decrease the other it would be like still paying the same amount of taxes.
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05/19/2009
Susmitha T. PD.5
Northeast High school, Philadelphia PA
Raising sales tax can reduce property tax if the ratio is maintained uniformly. Problem with this the ordinary man can face larger financial hardships.6 cents increase in each item can be big amount amount and it is an invisible way of squeezing the poor. I would suggest our representatives to reduce 6 cents to 5 cents per item of sales so that it will not be burden to both government and the public.
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05/19/2009
Kurt N pd. 2
Northeast High School, Phila. PA
I think that lowering the property tax wouldn’t really help anyone if the sales tax is going up. Homeowners will just be paying more money for products so the financial burden is not really lessened in any way. Even if the property tax is lowered by $300 through out the year people will be spending at least $300 more in sales tax. So homeowners might feel as if they are saving money when they pay their property tax but in reality when all of the purchases they have made over the year are added up, they have actually spent more. I would ask my representatives to carefully make this decision because I don’t think this is necessarily a great idea. The hike in sales tax would deffinatly hurt businesses who cant afford to lose money in these hard economic times. Because of this strong two sided argument I think that each count in Pennsylvania should have the opporunity to decline this inrease in sales tax.
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05/19/2009
Tatiana Pd2
Northeast High School, Philadelphia/Pennsylvania
Raising property taxes can help out the citizens if the amount of money increased and decreased over both property and sales taxes are divided up equally. Weather taxes are on personal items all the way up to property taxes, lowering sales taxes and raising property taxes would both create and equal ratio in how much money the government takes from the people, because the government is lowering the money from once place and increasing it somewhere else. Large and small business would plummet into worse conditions then that of what are in already if sales taxes were lowered. Many commercial places are already struggling to stay in business as it such circuit city, which closed numerous stores due to money and revenue shortages. People already nickel and dime there money and businesses cannot afford any more cuts in revenue. I think that each individual county should be able to impose they wax taxes are regulated in their county and they should be mandated within that county’s officials. If I could tell the representatives one thing it would be to keep the sales tax the way it is and the property tax the way it is. Property is much cheaper right now in our economy and people can afford to pay the property tax just the way they are. However if business loose their income from sales taxes by even a little percent they could face big troubles leading into a future where our economies stability is not certain.
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05/19/2009
jessics b 5th pd
northeast highschool, phila
I’m sure that it will help, but it will not make a huge difference because if you increase sales tax by one cent; it is just one cent. And one penny out of all of the money that citizens are already paying won’t do much but waste more money. No matter how much you were to raise the sales tax, the citizens would still have to pay a tax on their property and it would be pretty pointless to just raise the sales tax and continue to have them pay a tax on their property. It should just stay as it is. Plus, if sales tax is increase then people may not buy as much stuff from local businesses. And if that happens they will end up going out of business. So I say it would just be best to keep everything as it is now because if you increase sales tax it will hurt the citizens of America more then it will help them
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05/19/2009
Sally J.
Northeast high , philadelphia/PA
I don't think if we raise PA's sales tax will help lower property tax burden on residents, well simply because we already are paying so much for taxes in this economic situation that it will be another huge problem given to residents. i believe we should balance them out, but still leave bit high prices on property tax than sales tax. I think each of the counties in the Pennsylvania area should have a choice if they want to raise the taxes or not. In the end isn't those taxes used for our own benefit? so they should get a voice in this situation. I would tell my county representative to ask people to vote on the raise or lowering on the taxes. Than decide how they should be balanced as of the raise or lower the taxes.
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05/19/2009
QianW PD2
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
No, I don’t agree with this proposal. It does not matter is the sales tax or the property tax, all the money are collected from us. So to lower property tax and raise the sales tax cannot solve the problem at all. I also agree with the opposite side, they believe that the higher sales tax might stymie business. The economy is bad enough, if the consumption decrease, due to the raised sale tax. Then this plan will not help the economy, but might make it worse
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05/19/2009
Marthe -- PD5
Northeast High School , Philadelphia/PA
Lowering property taxes and increasing sales taxes is not going to do us as a country no good. Homeowners and business owners are going to pay more to get the products they need for their company or to build houses. I think the gov't should try to split these two taxes equally and not make neither higher than the other and if they do increase either of them it will affect a good amount of people. Every day people are working real hard to earn their money I don't think that it's fair for the gov't to take it away by increasing sales taxes.
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05/19/2009
Wendy Z. PD:5
Northeast Highschool, Phila, Pa
I think raising Pennsylvania's sales tax might help lower the property tax. It can ease the burden on residents, so they could pay their other bills too. Unfortunately, if they raise the sales tax then the companies might lose businesses because of the sales tax. With our economy like this it's hard to survive. There are good things and also bad things about raising the sales tax to lower the property tax. It's either one way or another.
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05/19/2009
Tajana F.
Northeast H.S, Philadelphia
Raising sales tax is a very efficient way to help lower property tax, but I do not believe it is the right way to to this. Retailers are right in saying that business may decrease, because with the way the economy already is nobody will want to spend even more money on their purchases. I also do not think it is fair because some people have to pay a lot less on property taxes than others, but are still paying more on sales tax. I agree with the idea of giving each county the option to impose the higher sales tax.
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05/19/2009
Andrew A. pd4
Northeast High School, Philadelphia PA
I feel that raising sales tax and lowering property tax isn't going to help much. All the extra money we'll have to spend on sales tax might just end up to be the money we saved on the property tax being lowered. There's no easy solution to this problem. But if they have to raise the sales tax maybe just going up 1 cent can create a little extra funding to relive the property tax burden on residents.
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05/19/2009
Khamida Bpd2
Northeast High, Philadelphia/PA
I don't think that the option of raising sales tax in order to lower property tax will be successful and will give needed relief to taxpayers. This option needs more attention because it might hurt business during a time when many businesses are struggling to stay alive. As soon the sales tax goes up, the consumption spending will decrease, people will cut back which, again, will hurt businesses. I agree with the idea to give each county the option to impose the increased sales tax because they are the ones who know what’s best for their counties. I think we should disregard this issue and leave it to time. Time would be the best solution because we already have increased the money supply in the system and all we got to do is wait and see the results. Also, time could be good solution because stability would create a confidence in consumers and investors which would help businesses without any additional policies.
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05/19/2009
Henry P.
North East High School, Philadelphia / PA
Raising taxes so far has only made people more reluctant to spend their money and thus equalling less taxes. Lowering taxes in one area and raising it in another is just "moving" the problem rather than solving it. Over time the economy will bounce back and grow on its on, like it has for years.
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05/19/2009
Yu-Ting
Northeast, Philadelphia/PA
Increase the sales tax won't have great influence on property tax. Of course if government receive more money from sales tax, they may lower the property tax to keep the balance of government budge. But for most household, increase sales tax may reduce their spending on certain goods and services. Since most local business face a big challenge in such economic situation, decrease of customers will force them to turn down their business..Therefore I will advise the representatives in Pennsylvania do not increase the tax.
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05/19/2009
ilva L.
NEHS, philadelphia
I don't think that raising the sales tax will help lower the property tax. However, since the economy is not in the right track, i think that we should lower the property tax and see how the economy will go. On the other hand, raising the sales tax may cause problems to consumers. The businesses are going through a hard time at this period of time since many people are saving already. With the high percentage of tax, it will slow down the business even more because people will try to save more.
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05/19/2009
Giovanny J
Northeast, Philadelphia, PA
I don’t believe that increasing the sales tax would help homeowners with their property tax in any way. The homeowners would just pay more on the necessities they need in their home. All this is basically doing is moving the money from one end and applying it somewhere else to make it seem like they actually did something convenient. I do agree with the fact to give each county the opportunity on whether to apply the sales tax or not. I think it is giving each county the freedom to decide what they want to do. I would advice them not to do this because you’re not really solving anything you are just taking a problem and moving it somewhere else. What you want to do is solve the problem, and this won’t do it.
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05/19/2009
Kimberly pd 5
northeast , phila
In this situation, i believe that you are going to balance out the sales tax with the property. If you think about lowering property tax it really wont make a difference to anyone if the sales tax is going up. Either way you are going to pay around the same amount. If your housing tax gets lowered, then you will just be spending that extra money towards sales tax. As well, each county should decide for themselves what they want to do. Options and voting on that might reach a good or even maybe a better outcome from the original idea.
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05/18/2009
Tanisha pd2
Northeast High School, Philadelphia/pa
Raising PA's sales tax can not help lower its property tax burden on the residents, the residents would suffer regardless because your adding putting that price somewhere else one or another those taxes have to be placed somewhere. I do agree with the idea to give each county the option to impose the increased sales tax however, we have to understand that these representatives do not represent us as a whole therefore, forcing there beliefs upon us. I believe that this proposal was a thought and a nice try at trying to help property ownership but should receive extra attention because if the tax is moved then think of the people it would be hurting...the same ones.
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05/18/2009
Jennifer G.
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I live in Philadelphia, where the sales tax is already 7%. If the remaining counties were to raise the sales tax from 6% to 7% I don't think it would be all that bad because we survive okay in Philly with our higher sales tax AND we also pay a ridiculous city wage tax on top of everything else. People are going to buy things no matter how hard the times are, so local businesses shouldn't worry that much. However, if the sales tax was raised to 8% then I think that's slightly ridiculous and unneccessary especially during such hard times.
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05/18/2009
Mabinty K.PD:5
NEHS, Philadelphia, PA
I am kind of torn between the two here. I think that it's a good idea to lower property tax bt at the same time raising sales tax may cause a problem to consumers. It will slow businesses down because of the high percentage of tax. A couple of cents here and there acctually add up to a lot now imagine paying more. I know that the property tax is high and it would help to lower it because that way a lot of families will be able to keep their homes. This will also give families a little chicken change after they pay all their bills.So I really don't know.
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05/18/2009
Wilmarie
NEHS, Philadelphia
Yet again, the problem comes down to money. I understand that if we expect something from our country, our country needs our input as well. I don't think that the county should have the option of imposing the increased sales tax.
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05/18/2009
Nina S.
NEHS, Philadelphia, PA
Well, to be perfectly honest, taxes are going to have to be paid regardless of how the government gets it. I think that they should just leave it the way it is. There is no point in changing it now, either way we are going to feel it. But businesses are going through it enough right now and I don't think it would be wise to raise retail prices. People are cutting down on their spending enough already, if they cut down any more, businesses would really be in a tough spot.
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05/18/2009
Amneris H.
Northeast High SSADV - PD 5, Phila., PA
Increasing taxes is usually not encouraged by many. Although it means we would pay a little more when we get to the register at the store, homeowners will probably be pleased to know their property taxes will be lower. I don't think it should be so easy for counties to increase taxes but they should have the option to if it caters to the common good. I would just advise them to try to keep taxes as low as possible and as many citizens content. Retailers might not be as happy when it come to higher sales tax but I really don't think it would affect their sales that much.
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05/17/2009
Yixin L
NEHS, Philadelphia, PA
I think use the sales tax to lower the property tax on residents is a good idea. Beacause when residents pay extra cents on buying something, they may not realize it. However, this plan doesn't fit for now. Since most business are struggling now, increase the sales tax may lead more company to bankruptcy. I think government shouldn't increase taxes to increase government income in this situation. And for any country, I think they may think about to use this plan depend on their economic situatuion.
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05/17/2009
Megan K. Pd.5
Northeast HighSchool., Philadelphia, PA
In my own opinion, I think that either way we will still be in an economic trouble. If the taxes are too low, than government funding and expenses will be too low to even function. And if they are too high, many people complain saying that they cannot afford, nor do they want to pay these crazy amounts of money for something they are not even sure they are getting an equal distribution. I think property taxes should be at a reasonable price because of the fact that everyone has to pay them no matter what. Other things should be taxed but evenly distributed throughout the country.
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05/17/2009
Semi .T. pd 2
NEHS, Phila/PA
I do not believe that raising the sales tax on citizens will help lower the property tax. People spent their money either way but if the sales taxes go up there will be less spending. This will affect many businesses greatly and people will not purchase what they want or what they need due to the high taxes. Also in the United States there are many people who do not own property at all. They live in rented apartments. Trying to increase sales tax to try to lower property tax will not benefit any of these people because they would be paying money for something that will not benefit them but will benefit the people who do own property. The government is trying to make it easier for the homeowners or the business owners but it is making it harder for the consumers.
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05/17/2009
Diana C PD:4TH
NEHS, PHILADELPHIA
In my opinion, I don't think that raising Pennsylvania's sales tax will help lower its property tax burden on residents because it all depends on the economy of the country. I would advise the representatives on taxes in Pennsylvania by telling them to talk with the President about the U.S. economy because it is in bad condition. The President can help in decreasing the property taxes so that there will not be an issue when the store owners charge people sale tax when they go to buy something.
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05/17/2009
Curtis L.
nehs, philadelphia pa
Increasing sales tax can help lower property tax by giving the federal government more money to help pay for programs. This will be a good thing for home owners because this means they will receive more financial help from the government. For example a middle class household high property taxes can force them into foreclosure resulting in them being homeless. So if lowering the property tax by raising the sales tax in can help more Americans they should do it.
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05/17/2009
Sadora_T pd 2
Northeast High , Philly PA
Right now the way that the economy is I don’t think it would be very wise to make sales tax higher just to lower the property tax cause its already hard making the consumers spend money to help the economy but to make sales tax would be not help make the consumers spend money at all. People are already having a hard time buying certain things for themselves and this is not including luxuries, with people finding difficulty buying necessities people don’t have time to spend their money on luxuries. I definitely do believe that raising sales tax will cause consumers to spend less especially since the economy is so bad and we are suffering from inflation. Basically the whole idea raising sales taxes is a very bad idea and if the local government does decide to raise the sales taxes I believe the economy would worsen.
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05/17/2009
Mengan
Northeast High School, Philadelphia
I think by raising the sales tax can help lower its property tax burden on residents. The reason being is that a little increase in sales tax will not dramatically affect consumers spending because if the consumers have a stable source of income then they will not be afraid to buy and spent. But as for property tax if residents have to pay a big yearly fee at once that is about four percent of their incomes to the government can cause a big burden for the taxpayers. So in order for the government to balance our sales tax and property tax, the more sales tax we pay the less property tax we will have to pay. I do agree with the idea to give each county the option to impose the increased sales tax because what United States is all about is to give freedom and rights to people and that the residents should be able to choose what they want. In conclusion, I believe we should increase sales tax and decease property tax in Pennsylvania.
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05/16/2009
Whitney V. pd. 2
Northeast HS, Philadelphia, PA
Well to start off raising sales taxes may have an affect on property taxes. Yes, it may lower property taxes but we are in a recession at the moment which means retailers are already struggling to keep their businesses alive. This means that with higher sale taxes they may lose even more business causing them to possibly have to close down. Therefore my view on this is that it may help in the beginning maybe, but in the long run the Pennsylvania economy is bound to suffer. In order to advise the issue the people in Pennsylvainia would have to show their concern on how it would affect them in the future and not only in the present. We must look ahead to our actions because some things in the long run may end up to be worst than imagined. With that they should think long and hard before imposing anything on raising sales taxes.
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05/16/2009
Muhammad H
Northeast High 4th pd , Phila/PA
In Pennsylvania, people are already paying 6% sales tax. This is too much, but on the other hand people are not making and spending enough money to regulate the economy. If the government raise the sales tax from 6% to 7%, I think it will be helpful to get more money. This money can use to help the lower the property tax to the middle class families. These funds should be distribute in those people who really deserve it
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05/15/2009
Delgr Y. Pd 2
Northeast High School, Philadelphia
I think that raising sales tax can help lower the property tax burden, but to me it mostly depends on by how much will the property tax be lowered because throughout a year the amount of sales tax that you pay can add up to or even be more than the amount taken off from your property tax. Giving each county a choice sounds like a good idea since some counties pay more than others but I think that it would just divide the state.
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05/14/2009
Alexanda P. pd 2
NEHS, Phila PA
Raising sales taxes in order to decrease property taxes is not a good idea. It may seem logical now but at the end of the fiscal year tax payers will probably have payed more money then they would have had the taxes not been changed. Paying 4% of your household income only seems like a lot because its all coming out at the same time. In reality however, paying a few extra cents here and there can really add up. Also, the idea of letting each county choose whether or not they want to increase their sales taxes is insane. Our state should be taxed as a whole.
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05/14/2009
John L. pd 5
Northeast HS, Philadelphia
I do believe that increasing sales tax can help lower property tax because isn't the entire point of the government collecting tax to pay off federal programs and attempt to lower our national debt? If so, it wouldn't really matter which type of taxes the government collects, as long as they obtain the money. If government collects more taxes from sales tax, then they have the option to lower property taxes because they have collected their expected amount. Personally, I like the idea of giving the option to raise sales tax and reduce property tax because of the fact that many people currently are struggling to just keep their homes, and paying off mortgages. Increasing their property tax will probably force them into foreclosure and leaving them homeless.
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05/13/2009
Ricky S. 2nd
Northeast High, Phila, PA
As a consumer, I can honestly say that raising the sales tax anywhere in Pennsylvania is a bad idea. Our sales tax is much lower and much more limited than other neighboring states, such as New York and New Jersey. This brings consumers from out of state. If the sales tax rises and the property tax lowers, this will negatively affect businesses that need these consumers, but it will not lower the property tax of those consumers. Therefore, PA businesses and consumers from neighboring states both suffer greatly. Not to mention the fact that young adults who do not own property still shop, so this change will hurt them also.
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05/13/2009
Mengshi W
Northeast High School, Phila, P.A
I think that raising any taxes would make consumers of considering the prices of the goods and services anywhere in the states. If Pennsylvania's sales tax be used to lower the property tax on property, it won't be such a negative affect because people need to pay their sales tax in order to buy their home. I think that the government wanted the consumers to purchase the property.
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05/12/2009
Alex W.
Northeast High School 5th Mr. Frank, Philadelphia. PA
I think that raising sales tax could be a good thing but also a bad thing because by raising the sales tax were giving people who own their homes a chance to be able to keep their homes. But on the other hand by raising sales tax we are making people who not only don’t own homes but who also cant afford it to pay more. Many people are already struggling and by raising sales tax your really only helping certain people. But in a larger sense our economy is struggling therefore push comes to shove someone will have to give up more than they would like to.
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05/12/2009
Sam P
Northeast High School 4th Mr. Frank, philadelphia PA
Well, you have to take some facts into consideration. For example, the area in some areas the properties are so expensive that almost no one would be able to affort to live there, and in other areas the property price is decreasing badly. My advice to the state of PA would be simply just to even things out in a way so people can afford property for a relatively fair prize. But still enough to be able to pay off the debt. All this areas should work their ideas and come up with a plan that evens things out for everyone, because when you have too much of something in one place and too little of something in another, you tend to have problems. And those problems tend to consume resources and money very quickly.
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05/12/2009
Javeria
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I think its is not good to raise sales tax because everyone is not buying property. If someone is poor and dont want to buy property why he/ she will like to pay tax. This is very critical situation about raising tax because I think we have alot of taxes already and nobody want to spent more money on taxes. If we will have to pay taxes as sale tax it is same thing we have to pay either way. I will say they should get people opinion on this issue and than thay shoud make their last decision.
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05/12/2009
D'Juanl pd4
Northeast High School, Philadelphia
Raising taxes is always an "iffy" topic. There is so much to consider when a decision is made about taxes. If they are too low...programs and funding are low and the city as a whole will not be able to function appropriately. And if the taxes are too high people complain that they cannot afford to pay high taxes especially if they are unsure of the distribution of them. However put, the raise of taxes will cause some kind of uproar. Personally, I think the option for each county to decided whether or not to raise taxes should be left to them and not mandated to each individual county. If I were to advise a representative I would encourage him or her to place taxes on appropriate items and make sure they are distributed according to try to balance property and business taxes.
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05/11/2009
Ashley R.
Northeast High School , Philadelphia, PA
I think this has a positive side as well as a negative side. The good thing is that the Government is trying to lower the burden on homeowners but then again they are just making it worse on consumers. This make cause consumers to spend less and as the economy is already, this will not be a good idea. On the other hand this may also help homeowners and help them to be able to keep their home from foreclosure. I think they should try it and see how it works.
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05/11/2009
Samantha S. 2nd period
Northeast HS, phila, pa
In my opinion, raising the sales tax may make everything worse. It may seem that they would balance out, but not everyone owns a home. Sales tax effects everyone, while property tax effects only the people who choose to own a house. If they really had to change it, they could raise the sales tax very little, but it might seem pointless or strange. You obviously can't pay 6.5% or something like that. I believe that raising sales tax may cause more problems for people to buy things and it would make demand for certain things much lower. It might also be difficult for businesses to stay open with demand going down. Therefore, changing the sales tax will affect more than it seems. If too many people have issues with pay property taxes, then they could just rent.
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05/10/2009
JuridaR 2nd
NEHS, Philadelphia PA
Rising the PA sale tax by like a cent or two wouldn’t hurt any one that much. At the end it will benefit them with the property tax. I think that it will lower the burden on some residents. I do agree with the idea that each county the option to impose the increase sales tax. Because people might now want to be forces to pay something. So it is a good idea to tell the peoples option. My advice to the representatives on taxes in PA is to do what is best for the people and economic.
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05/07/2009
Laura H
Stroudsburg Junior High, Stroudsburg
Personally I do not think that an additional one cent on every dollar will have a very big impact. If there is any impact at all it will be very minimal. Consumers will not let this negatively affect their spending because the cost is so minimal. Either way, citizens will have to pay the money, and it does not make a very big difference whether it is in sales taxes or property taxes. I do think it is a good idea for counties to individually choose if they want to change the taxes. Only they can tell what is truly best for their area because they know what is needed to aid their citizen’s spending.
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05/07/2009
Maegan M.
Stroudsburg JHS, Stroudsburg, PA
I personally do not think that increasing sales tax will take the burden off of Americans because they will still have to pay property tax. I’m sure that it will help, but it will not make a huge difference because if you increase sales tax by one cent; it is just one cent. And one penny out of all of the money that citizens are already paying won’t do much but waste more money. No matter how much you were to raise the sales tax, the citizens would still have to pay a tax on their property and it would be pretty pointless to just raise the sales tax and continue to have them pay a tax on their property. It should just stay as it is. Plus, if sales tax is increase then people may not buy as much stuff from local businesses. And if that happens they will end up going out of business. So I say it would just be best to keep everything as it is now because if you increase sales tax it will hurt the citizens of America more then it will help them.
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05/07/2009
Martin S.
Stroudsburg Junior High School, Stroudsburg, PA
I think that lowering the property tax and raising the sales tax would be really helpful. Yes, people pay attention to tax when they’re purchasing something at a store, but it doesn’t have as large an affect as when they have to save money because they have to pay a larger property tax. If each county has the option, then why not initiate the plan? Then they can reject it if they do not approve and if they think it would help them prosper then they can put it into action. Shoppers will buy what they need and what they want just as regularly as before considering another penny for every dollar will not destroy them financially. If I had to, I’d approve the higher sales tax, and lower the property tax. That way, we will have more opportunity to save money in this time of need during the recession.
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05/07/2009
Timmy K.
SJHS, Stoudsburg PA
If state governments raised the sales tax, this would reduce the property tax. I believe that a lower property tax would really help families. Because families with lower income rates do not buy as many regular items as families with higher income rates will buy more regular goods. So this will even out and the government will have more money so they could spend some of their money on the schools so that families do not have to pay the property tax. So I believe that a higher sales tax will lower the property tax and help out not only the schools but some of the families with lower income rates.
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05/07/2009
Nicholas
SJHS, Stroudsburg, PA
I don’t think that the increase in sales tax would be a good idea. Any increase on sales tax is a bad idea, especially right now. If people aren’t going to buy anything, then how will the economy survive? People will have a lot more money in their pockets, and never want to spend it. I think that unfortunately, people will just have to deal with the property tax. Raising the sales tax will just hurt the local economies, which will hurt the national economy eventually. It’s just not worth it overall.
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05/07/2009
james
sjhs, stroudsburg
No, because Pennsylvania still needs to pay the property tax, and plus I don’t think that the government will lower the property tax just because they raised another tax. Money is money and our government needs money right now. Yes, if each country gets the option to impose the increase of tax sale then there wouldn’t be any problems when they raise it or keep it the same only because the countries got to choose if they wanted to impose it or not. Yes, or at least keep them away for a longer time because if they raised the sales tax then people might not go out every day to go shopping. Instead they would just stay home and wait until they are all out of food and then go shopping for what they need. I would advise the government to lower all the taxes because its hard enough for people to pay taxes but raising taxes for food then that’s crazy. I think that the government should just lower all taxes or just keep everything the way it is.
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05/07/2009
Yianni K.
sjhs, stroudsburg pa
How can Pennsylvania’s sales tax be used to lower the property tax on residents? Pennsylvania’s sales tax can be used to lower the property tax on residents in several ways. If the state government raised sales tax the gov would have more money to spend. If sales taxes were raised and sales tax were lowered that could really help some families. Of course now we are in a recession and families everywhere are becoming bankrupt and losing homes.
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05/07/2009
Hannah C.
Stroudsburg JHS, Stroudsburg, PA
I do think raising Pennsylvania’s sales tax would help lower the property tax burden on residents. This would work because raising the sales tax may not make that much of a difference in the short run; maybe in the long, but it’s worth the trouble when property taxes would decrease. Giving each county the option of raising sales taxes to lower property taxes is a great idea because having the option would give people more time to think about the consequences and benefits before making a final decision. Also, having the option makes the prospect of lowering the burden of property taxes seem all the more necessary. Normally, when decisions are forced on a person they are less likely to agree. I don’t necessarily think that raising sale taxes would scare away customers. Customers may be less likely to buy unnecessary items but I extremely doubt that there would be a sudden decrease in business success. By taking some of the burden off of property taxes and throwing it into sale taxes it balances money out evenly. If I was to advise any of the Representatives of Pennsylvania on the subject of taxes I would say to leave the option open for each county to enforce the raise of sale taxes. In the psychological sense, most people would be more likely to abide by it, if a choice was given.
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05/07/2009
Alex b
Stroudsburg Junior HS, PA
I believe that this plan would help. I also think that each county's officials should be able to decide if the change will take place in their county or not. I would advise our government to do so in order to provide liberation for the taxpayers. This plan would demonstrate whether it works or not in a short period of time. I think this would take great effect on middle class families more than any others. PA’s government would have more funds and capability to advance the state in many ways.
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05/07/2009
Josh V.
SJHS, Pennsylvania
I don’t think it’s a good idea to raise sales tax to lower property tax because it would anger people who live in Pennsylvania. I do agree with allowing each county to choose whether or not to raise the sales taxes. It might enrage people because of the choice but I think they have the right to make the decision. Higher sales tax may drive away shoppers and it may not. People will just be more careful on how much they spend on items.
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05/07/2009
Zach S.
Stroudsburg JHS, Stroudsburg PA
Raising Pennsylvania’s sales tax can help lower its property tax. I agree with the idea to give each country the option to impose the increased sales tax. The counties should have the option for the higher sales tax because I think it will drive away shoppers and negatively impact local business. I would advise the representatives to not increase sales tax because it would make things more expensive and people would but less.
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05/07/2009
Kaila D.
SJHS, Stroudsburg ,PA
I do not think that the increase of sales tax will help much to reduce the property tax. This may lose business in companies and by adding one cent to the sales tax; it really wouldn’t make that big of a change for the property tax, it would be a wasted effort. I think that it’s a good idea to let each county decide whether or not they want to go along with this idea, considering that some counties do things differently and if only a few counties want to do it, then why make all of them go through with it. I don’t think that there will be a significant drop in sales but there might be a difference, especially when everyone is saving their last pennies, including this one. I would advise them to do what’s best for the county, what the people want, do not force it on us if we don’t want it.
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05/07/2009
Kevin S.
Stroudsburg JHS, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
I believe that raising Pennsylvania’s sales tax will help lower its property tax burden on residents because it’s only a one percent increase. I think that most people can afford to increase their sales by a mere one percent. Regardless of how much it is, you would still be getting more money because the fact that you won’t be paying high taxes on your property. Each county should have the option of whether or not they want to increase the sales tax or not in order to keep peace and respect the decision of the people. Higher sales tax I believe won’t drive away shoppers because although were in tough economic times, most people can afford a one percent increase on their sales tax. Local businesses shouldn’t fear because as long as their prices aren’t ridiculously overpriced, there businesses should thrive due to a one percent increase. If I were a representative of sales tax, I would raise the sales tax and in time, would reduce the property tax on citizens of Pennsylvania.
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05/07/2009
Eliseo
SJHS, Stroudsburg PA
Raising Pennsylvania’s sales tax by 6 to 7% would anger Pennsylvanians. Yes so each county could choose its own means of action. If one final decision was made for the whole state, different counties would have opposing views. In this recession, people have had to spend wisely to buy things of necessity. More of a tax would drive people away to shop in businesses that provide low prices. Families struggling to get by would be in some serious trouble. I would advise the representatives of Pennsylvania to not rise the sales tax.
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05/07/2009
Patrick A
sjhs, stroudsburg
I think it would be a good thing if they just did the sales tax. I would tell the rep to do the sales tax.
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05/07/2009
Frankie g
S.J.H.S, Stroudsburg Pa
The sales tax will help but at the same time it won’t because people will still spend a lot of money. The way it is now should stay the same way because the government needs the money and also the school needs that money. Splitting up the money will be more work for government. I believe that the government will be in more debt. Less people will not buy because of the taxes and more stores will go out of business. I think they should just keep the same ways for less hassle.
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05/07/2009
Christopher C.
Stroudsburg JH, Stroudsburg, PA
I believe that the idea of raising the sales tax in Pennsylvania would be a good idea, if the money were sent or re-distributed around the state for the lowering of the local property taxes. Sources say that over 7/10 of the people in PA opposed raising the tax, but if you take time to think about it, raising the sales tax by 1% would actually be a good idea. If you look at the amount people spend at stores, for example, a hardware store, it costs six dollars in tax for every one hundred dollars spent. Raising the sales tax to seven cents would bring it to seven dollars for every hundred dollars spent. It doesn’t seem like that much if you look at it first glance, but if you add up all of the extra dollars for every hundred dollars spent, for every single citizen in PA who spends money, it would add up to be a pretty large sum. Then that money could be re-distributed in the form of a lowered property tax, bringing some relief to those that need it. On the issue of letting counties decide whether or not they want the sales tax increased, I think PA should put out a public vote to every county, to see whether or not the people feel in the right to raise the sales tax. If the state legislatures go and raise the tax without getting confirmation from the people first, it could lead to public frustration or disappointment. This would cause the state officials to lose support, and this would make it harder for certain laws to be passed. If we think about the issue of store owners lowering their costs because of the new sales tax, it doesn’t really make any sense. People will still buy the same amount, and spend the same amount of money. Lowering your prices would only bring less profit to you, and that is the last thing we want in a recession.
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05/07/2009
Shyniece D.
University city high school, phialdelphia,Pa
I think that I would tell the representive that they should lower the sale tax because their are some people out there that can not afford a lot of things because the sales tax are so high.
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05/07/2009
LeQuan C. PD5
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I think either way we will still be in economic trouble. If the sales taxes are increased to reduce the property tax then consumer spending will decrease eventually leading to more stores and businesses closing. Therefore, if our businesses close then our economy spirals down. I do and I do not agree with giving the counties the option to impose the increased sales tax. I agree with it because some counties are doing better than other and might be able to afford and pay the new tax if increased. However, I do not agree because if the sales tax is increased in a county that is not doing so well then their stores will close because of the decrease in consumer spending. I also disagree with this because I think the people of these counties should be consulted with and informed about this so they can try to figure out if a raise in sales tax will be beneficial or harmful.
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05/07/2009
Peter L. pd 5
Northeast High School, Philadelphia/PA
I believe property tax pretty high for the average American as it takes 4% of the Average Americans income right off the bat. However I do not believe sales tax should be shifted in order to compensate for property tax. The reason for this is sales tax is taxed on many of the goods and services Americans consume a year. In addition to the country's GDP, Consumption is by far the largest component. If we were to raise sales tax, this is discourage Americans from cutting back on things a lot. This could result in millions, or even billions of dollars spent less a year. The outcome of this would be a lower standard of living. This is why I believe the property tax is in reason when compared what would happen if we raised sales tax. I therefore do not believe we should lower property tax by raising sales tax.
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05/06/2009
Ashely V. Pd 2
Northeast High School, Phila, PA
I don't agree with each county having the option to impose the increases sales tax. If two counties can't have the option then the proposal is not fair. When you think about it, the amount of products that purchased everyday is a lot. If the tax on just that stuff is raised then it should be able to help our economy. Just from that, property taxes should be lowered. If income stays the same then you can't expect people to be able to pay both taxes, one raised and the other the same. That isn't fair to the citizens especially to Philadelphia and Allegheny.
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05/06/2009
Ariel
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Hey, if it means lower tuition costs for the up and coming college students I'll gladly pay the extra 1%. Its not like many people pay much attention when it comes to the little extras we pay when we bring our purchase up to the register and when you think about it a lot of purchases are done online where taxes don't apply for the time being.
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05/06/2009
Elizabeth
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
I don't think Pennsylvania should impose themselves onto the sales tax. Americans are not making enough money as it is, so by raising the taxes it makes it even harder for people who are struggling. Raising the taxes isn't fair to those who can not afford it.
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05/06/2009
Elizabeth
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
I don't think Pennsylvania should impose themselves onto the sales tax. Americans are not making enough money as it is, so by raising the taxes it makes it even harder for people who are struggling. Raising the taxes isn't fair to those who can not afford it.
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05/06/2009
Austin
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I think the sales tax shouldn't be raised in order to lower the property tax. I think the property tax is fine just the way it is.
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05/06/2009
Alyssa
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown
I think that more people would like it if PA raised their sales tax and lowered their property tax. People are so used to paying sales tax when they buy something. I do not think that people who buy houses realize how much they pay in property tax a year. There are other states that have higher sales tax and when citizens travel there they do not have a problem paying the sales tax there. If this were to happen people would have to be more cautious on what they buy and the price it is because it will differ from county to county.
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05/06/2009
Tyler
Elizabethtown Area High School, elizabethtown, pa
I think that this is a relatively good idea except i think if sales tax are raised it should be one number set by the state not by individual county.The idea of using sales tax overall to ease property tax is a great idea.
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05/06/2009
Tyler
Elizabethtown Area High School, elizabethtown, pa
I think that this is a relatively good idea except i think if sales tax are raised it should be one number set by the state not by individual county.The idea of using sales tax overall to ease property tax is a great idea.
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05/06/2009
Nico
Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I do not like the idea of giving each county the option of raising sales tax to lower it's property tax especially with our current economy. If your county chooses to raise sales tax then people might shop places outside of the county to save some money. When you spend money in another county it is helping out that county and taking money away from your county. It would just be easier for the entire state to keep the same sales tax rather then having it vary from county to county. I'm also wondering why this excludes Philadelphia and Allegheny.
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05/06/2009
Zach
Elizabethtown Area High, Elizabethtown, PA
I personally don't want higher sales taxes, but I could be persuaded to vote for this proposal if I was told how much the property tax would go down, and how much the sales tax would go up.
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05/06/2009
Evian
EAHS, Elizabethtown
I don't agree with it because most Americans can't afford it.
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05/06/2009
Nico
Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I do not like the idea of giving each county the option of raising sales tax to lower it's property tax especially with our current economy. If your county chooses to raise sales tax then people might shop places outside of the county to save some money. When you spend money in another county it is helping out that county and taking money away from your county. It would just be easier for the entire state to keep the same sales tax rather then having it vary from county to county. I'm also wondering why this excludes Philadelphia and Allegheny.
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05/06/2009
Channon
Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I think that if the sales tax is raised, it will be the same thing as what it is now, unless they don't raise it a major amount. If it's only raised a little bit, then it might help property owners to save a little bit of money. But either way, we are paying the government money for our property. I don't like this idea unless it's going to save property owners money.
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05/06/2009
Nicole L
Elizabethtown Area HS, Elizabethtown PA
Giving counties the option to choose a tax increase is a bad idea. It would really hurt the counties that did raise their sales tax because no one would shop there. If they do go through with increasing the sales tax, there is a chance that it can lower the property tax, but they should lower it for lower/middle class homes, because they are affected the most.
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05/06/2009
Channon
Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I think that if the sales tax is raised, it will be the same thing as what it is now, unless they don't raise it a major amount. If it's only raised a little bit, then it might help property owners to save a little bit of money. But either way, we are paying the government money for our property. I don't like this idea unless it's going to save property owners money.
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05/06/2009
Rachael
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, Pa
I do not think that the counties should have a choice on whether or not they want to raise their sales tax. Not only is it not fair that not all counties may vote to do this but then each county that does choose to raise their sales tax to lower property tax will have different taxes in each county. Then we will have to figure out which county did what and have to remember it. I think it will just cause more problems than if we just leave things the way that they already are.
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05/06/2009
Ariel
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Hey, if it means lower tuition costs for the up and coming college students I'll gladly pay the extra 1%. Its not like many people pay much attention when it comes to the little extras we pay when we bring our purchase up to the register and when you think about it a lot of purchases are done online where taxes don't apply for the time being.
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05/06/2009
Shane
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, PA
Personally, raising sales tax is not the best idea for the recovery of the economy. When you think about it, industry is a huge component in revenue of the state. By raising the sales tax, you are severely threatening the success of the businesses that really contributes to the success of our state. Find another logical way to fix our economic deficit.
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05/06/2009
Kayce
EAHS, Elizabethtown PA
I believe that we should keep the laws the same because either way we will be paying more money.
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05/06/2009
Ben
E-town, Elizabethtown P.A.
I think it should stay the same because its not fair that one county is paying more than another. I think if the tax does get raised then it should be state wide so it makes it fair for all and if it is raised then the property tax should be cut.
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05/06/2009
Harry R.
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I don't think this is a good idea, because it could cause people to buy less things, and it could negatively impact the economy. If consumers buy less things, not only do the businesses suffer, but the government still doesn't collect tax, and we're back to square one.
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05/06/2009
Carrie
Elizabethtown High, Elizabethtown
With a raise in sales tax this could hurt the economy just because that would raise prices and some people just don't have the extra money for that to happen. Although i do agree with the property tax will decrease, which i rather the sale tax increase then the property tax increase, because you could always choose the store and item you want to buy.
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05/06/2009
Jake
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
With the national debt already being as big as it is right now, I do not agree with raising the sales tax as it would not help get the nation out of the debt. I think that giving counties the option to raise the sales tax would not work because if people can get things cheaper in another county, they may try to go there and spend less than what they would in the county with the higher sales tax.
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05/06/2009
R.
EAHS, Elizabethtown PA
I don't agree with this idea because you purchase more items then you would have to pay property tax because if you add it all up your going to pay more shopping then paying a single property tax payed every year.
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05/06/2009
Haley
EAHS, Elizabethtown,PA
I think its a good idea.We would pay the same no matter what.
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05/06/2009
Jordan
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I do not think that the sales tax should be increased because people are already paying to much in taxes. Everything should stay the same because either way we are going to end up paying more money.
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05/06/2009
Jordan
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I do not think that the sales tax should be increased because people are already paying to much in taxes. Everything should stay the same because either way we are going to end up paying more money.
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05/06/2009
Tricia
Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown, PA
Raising the sales tax in order to lower the property tax has both benefits and drawbacks, making it difficult to say whether of not it is best. I like the idea because it does lift a burden off of homeowners during the difficult economic times. For me, it is easier to say that this plan should not be put into effect because I am not yet affected by property tax and have no desire to pay extra on sales tax. Homeowners may have a different view, though. That being said, people can choose to spend less on non-essential items, meaning the higher sales tax would not have a great impact on them. If they are paying less for property taxes, they may also be more willing to spend more in other places. However, it would be unfortunate for business owners, who like the lower sales tax to ensure that their business remains stable. People may not be as willing to shop and spend as they have before because they would be required to spend more money, therefore giving the businesses less revenue. This also means that there is less money in circulation, which does not help our economic situation. Although this idea is meant to help homeowners financially, it may not be completely beneficial in the long run.
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05/06/2009
Michael M.
Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown, PA
I think that this proposal is a good idea because the state government would be earning more funds from items being purchased. With the funds earned from sales tax the state would then be able to help more people with taxes problems.
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05/06/2009
Jenna
EAHS, Elizabethtown/PA
As a consumer and as a sales clerk, I can honestly say that raising the sales tax anywhere in Pennsylvania is a bad idea. Our sales tax is much lower and much more limited than other neighboring states, such as New York and New Jersey. This brings consumers from out of state. If the sales tax rises and the property tax lowers, this will negatively affect businesses that need these consumers, but it will not lower the property tax of those consumers. Therefore, PA businesses and consumers from neighboring states both suffer greatly. Not to mention the fact that young adults who do not own property still shop, so this change will hurt them also.
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05/06/2009
Karya
Elizabethtown , e-town PA
At this point in the economy, increasing sales tax will only put us under and people would have to choose to buy cheaper brands. Lowering a property taxes would help home owners.
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05/06/2009
Erin
EAHS, elizabethtown pa
Increasing sales tax, at this point in the economy, would only force people to have to buy cheaper. although the property tax would help home owners, you either narrow is down to helping the home owner or the consumer.
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05/06/2009
Barry
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
I do not at all agree with this. While all Pennsylvanians are paying sales taxes, around 24% of them are not over the age of 18 and most likely do not even own property. Therefore, they do not pay property tax and this increase in sales tax will only effect them in a negative way.
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05/06/2009
Shyniece
University city high school, philadelphia,pa
Well I think that I would want the representative, to know that if they keep raising the sales tax. That the people would probably buy less things. and that means less money for the government.
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05/05/2009
Muhammad H
Northeast High, Phila/pa
In Pennsylvania, people are already paying 6% sales tax. This is too much, but on the other hand people are not making and spending enough money to regulate the economy. If the government raise the sales tax from 6% to 7%, I think it will be helpful to get more money. This money can use to help the lower the property tax to the middle class families. These funds should be distribute in those people who really deserve it.
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05/05/2009
Hanin M, PD5
NEHS, Philadelphia,PA
I believe that everything should stay the same because whether its sales or property tax that is risen we're paying both ways. If the sales taxes rise than the states will have power to increase sales tax as much as they want. in effect people will hold on to their money and become cheap.Raising Pennsylvania’s sales tax would help lower its property tax burden on residents. People would substitute expensive items for cheaper ones.I really don't agree with giving each county the option to increase sales tax. That is because people are already are going through a difficult time. Yet on the other hand, raising the sales tax is better than property tax because you have an option to buy a certain item at a certain department store.
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05/04/2009
Richard L. 4th pd.
NEHS, Phila. Pa
While it would really be bad for those who live in Pennsylvania, the sales tax should be raised. Philadelphia is all ready at a 7% sales tax rate (might go up to 8) and it is not so bad. Sales tax is not really that much of a hindrance unless you are buying something like a flat screen tv. If the state of PA were to raise the sales tax 1%, the property taxes could ideally go down. You could take the 1% and issue that to the people who need it in the form of refunds. Then, the property taxes could go down, and it does not happen too drastically.
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05/04/2009
Stacey B. 4th pd.
Northeast High School, Philadelphia PA
Well, even though it might not be the best plan, raising the sales tax in Pennsylvania might work in order to lower property tax. In order to do this efficiently and not to get to many residents angry, you could make the entire state of Pennsylvania 7% sales tax. This way, the funds raised by the tax raise can go to lowering the property tax. After gaining the funds from the sales hike, you can distribute the money almost like a discount. The people who deserve the tax break, will receive it. This makes it fair, and you can also add new government jobs by hiring people to look over all the records.
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