Should PA Tax the Arts?

State Senator Bob Mellow (D-22) has held this position since 1970. He's Harrisburg's version of Arlen Specter, including a list of notable accomplishments such as S-CHIP. That program has been replicated nationwide. Although it has achieved the excesses of overly-liberal eligibility.

Firmly entrenched with an opinion that the State knows best and should lead the way for economic vitality through taxing and spending, Senator Mellow wants to tax the arts. And he wants to tax non-profit theatres and museums. By his very words, he says "they're not non-profit because they spend their revenues on salaries." Say what? Is Michael Moore advising him?!?

Moreover, Senator Mellow looks concert and theatre goers in the eye (sports fans are exempt) and says, "This is not a tax. It's a user fee. We're not taxing the arts. We're charging a user fee on the person who buys a ticket."

Accomplishments are what we look for in our public servants. When their policy thinking from too many years in office yields this kind of mumbo-jumbo, it's time Voters in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Monroe Counties consider another Candidate. Voters may reasonably expect that Senator Mellow will not change his Party.

Ron Shegda