Editorial: City Council, hear students’ cries

Pittsburgh City Council heard an earful — and rightly so — from a vociferous group of 150… Pittsburgh City Council heard an earful — and rightly so — from a vociferous group of 150 students from area schools, such as Pitt, Carnegie Mellon, Chatham University and Point Park University, on Monday.

There’s no doubt about it. The Council heard students’ message: We’re mad.

Fortunately, student-speakers said it more eloquently than that, but with no less conviction. There’s no denying the fervor behind a petition against the tax that spanned 10,150 names and the labeling of the tax as “stupid” and “a hostage situation.” But did the cries sink in? More importantly, will they result in a nixing of the odious Fair Share Tax?

So maybe it took the City of Pittsburgh’s plundering into students’ very own precious purses in order to get such a historically apathetic group motivated enough to virtually storm the City-County building. Nonetheless, they did it, and it’s making a difference … hopefully.

As of Monday, five of nine City Council members supported the Fair Share Tax. Now, some City Council members want this morning’s vote to be tabled in order to provide time to consider alternatives.

This possible change of course immediately follows Monday’s heated meeting, and we’d like to think this is a result of Council members’ hearing students’ pleas. Yet some members seem reluctant to acknowledge students’ influence.

“It’s what we’ve been trying to do for over a month,” Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith told The Pitt News. “We’re at the point where we’re opening up for conversation,” she said.

It’s rare to see all the Pittsburgh-area colleges united in such a way, and it’s unfortunate our alliance falls under such circumstances. Yet we’ve shown our commitment as a group, and let’s hope all schools continue their efforts. The larger the opposition to this tax, the more likely we’ll see its elimination.

Monday’s meeting saw three Student Government Board members-elect along with a vocal SGB President-elect, Charlie Shull, in attendance. Current SGB President, Kevin Morrison, and some Board members were also in attendance. Part of SGB’s job is to represent the student body and fight for the best interest of students, and we’re glad current members made the trip despite their lame-duck standing.

Similarly, we hope Shull and incoming board members keep up their activism. They’re not quite in the limelight yet, but now is their time to start off right. Given Pittsburgh’s economic standing and fluctuating tuition rates, SGB members should have these city officials in their speed dials.

Shull told the Council that if they instated the tax, he would seek to unite the Pitt student body against Council members during the next election. Students have shown they have a voice, and they’re not afraid to start yelling. Pittsburgh council members, listen up.