“Laws are like sausage. It’s better not to seem them made.”
Bismarck was very perceptive. This week we had a U.S. Senator sell his vote for healthcare reform and now we have the Pittsburgh mayor successfully extorting money from University officials.
From Fox News:
Pittsburgh officials shelved an idea for a first-of-its-kind tax on college tuition after two universities and a nonprofit health insurer agreed on Monday to make large contributions to the city.
In any other context this is clear cut extortion in violation of § 3923(a)(4) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (emphasis added):
§ 3923. Theft by extortion.
(a) Offense defined.–A person is guilty of theft if he
intentionally obtains or withholds property of another by
threatening to:
(4) take or withhold action as an official, or cause an
official to take or withhold action.
Now that I think of it, I’d rather watch them make sausage.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Illinois to Raise Income Taxes? // Mar 11, 2010 at 9:11 am
[...] Tuition Tax Update: Extortion in Pittsburgh [...]
2 OECD Recommends Tax Increases to Stimulate Growth // Mar 12, 2010 at 9:07 am
[...] Tuition Tax Update: Extortion in Pittsburgh [...]
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