Public notice

Don't buy beer or other alcoholic beverages in Allegheny County. You'll be ripped off by having to pay an extra 10 percent "drink tax."

While hardly anyone likes the tax that has been in effect since January to sustain buses, trolleys, the Mon Incline and paratransit, or the alternative that would raise property taxes by 25 percent, the small group of bar owners actively fighting it are sending just such a message to the public.

Every time they go on talk radio, appear on television or comment in the newspaper, local restaurateurs Kevin Joyce, Tom Baron and John Graf advertise the drink tax far and wide.

By fueling the controversy, they give people reason not to come to Allegheny County, not to go out socializing, not to have wine with dinner, not to order an extra beer.

In essence, they're doing a great job of discouraging business for the hospitality industry, clubs and mom-and-pop bars throughout the entire county. Then they blame it on the drink tax when other factors are in play, including the sluggish economy, stepped up DUI checkpoints, competition, other cost increases and owners "rounding up" prices to cover the tax and then some.

This column isn't taking a pro or con position. We'll leave that up to the PG's team of editorial thinkers and writers.

Also, as longtime author of "Getting Around," I have a conflict of interest: I drink. When I do, I pay the tax, just as I pay that or similar taxes in other cities and even in Garrett County/Deep Creek Lake, Md., which has a special "beer tax" and generally adds (rather than includes) a 6 percent sales tax to listed prices.

Inasmuch as the drink tax represents the steady, dedicated funding stream long sought by the Port Authority and many beleaguered riders to help end annual budget crises, fare increases and service cuts, some observations are worth considering:

• The $27.7 million that's to come from Allegheny County, whether via the drink tax, car rental tax or any other tax, represents 15 percent "matching money" that will bring $184.5 million in state operating subsidies for the 2008-09 fiscal year. Use it or lose it.

• Bar, club and restaurant owners don't pay the tax; they collect the tax, along with lots of other taxes. Some places are flouting the law. Some places reportedly are charging patrons the tax and pocketing the money.

• Earlier this month, County Council wisely defeated a measure, 9-4, to lower the drink tax from 10 percent to 5 percent. The same amount of paperwork and headache are involved if the tax is 50 percent or 0.001 percent.

• The woman who complained on radio that the drink tax is costing her up to $10 a night was never challenged by the talk show host. Her bar tab would have to be $100! If she's not a liar, she's a lush and a drunk driver.

• The Port Authority has no other local revenue source, unlike many other metropolitan areas, a subject well-documented by colleague Karamagi Rujumba in a June 12 article in the PG. While the other areas' drink taxes may not be earmarked for public transit, they're still drink taxes. Some people pay up to a 1 percent local sales tax to support buses, trolleys and commuter rail.

• While the bar owners are picking on county Executive Dan Onorato, they should be picking on the state lawmakers in Harrisburg who stuck Allegheny County with two unpopular -- and yes, maybe unfair -- taxes out of 11 options once on the table.

Enough of this.

Harry!

Another IC Light, please.

Overlooked casino 'victim'

With PennDOT's permission, a highway contractor closed the ramp from southbound Route 65/Ohio River Boulevard to North Shore Drive on June 16 as part of traffic improvements related to Majestic Star Casino construction.

Like other contractors, the firm walked off the job on June 30, two weeks after work began, because it had not been paid by the developer, Don Barden.

"Why can't the ramp be reopened?" asked Dennis Pfeiffer, who commutes from Moon and has used the ramp on a daily basis. "This ramp is a critical bypass when traffic backs up on the Fort Duquesne Bridge."

Unfortunately, the ramp was already in the process of being demolished when work was stopped.

"Please be assured the ramp will be restored to its original condition if need be as part of the permit process, regardless of what happens with the casino," PennDOT District 11 spokesman Jim Struzzi said.

With a new developer in the picture, the ramp and other work on the North Shore is expected to resume in the near future, albeit some of it will last through May and pose some inconvenience to Mr. Pfeiffer and many others.