Whitehall Woman on Taxes, Public Transit

residents, like many citizens of Pittsburgh's South Hills area, have their opinions on financing of public transit in Allegheny County—especially with service cuts .

Whitehall woman Vicki Brancato made her opinion on the subject known publicly with a Feb. 5 letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Brancato says that cuts to transit services affect more than just those who use them regularly.

"When people write that they do not want their tax dollars wasted on mass transit, they must not realize the long-range effects of eliminating mass transit," Brancato writes. "For those of us who work in the city, the pricing of inner-city parking makes it unreasonable to drive and park. Also to be noted is that if everyone drove, there would not be enough parking. For those who would lose their jobs, the tax burden would increase for those still working."

Brancato, who says that she has never had a child enrolled in the , compares transit taxes to school taxes in that everyone should pay for them regardless.

"If the transit system disappears," she writes, "I recommend that I be given a refund on my school taxes."

Agree or disagree with Brancato? Is her comparison appropriate? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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