I hope the city collects their 5% Admissions Tax!!!!

@Bill- it's a city run event. What would be the point of collecting a tax on itself, and why is that the first thing that comes to your mind regarding the event?

Because the city makes the rules for the rest of the community, why should they not have to follow their own rules? Other venues have to collect it even during "fund raisers."

@Bill- so, you want the city to collect a tax on itself, pay someone to process that tax, and then put that revenue into it's general fund? Wouldn't that, by logic, end up costing more money to accomplish? Sorry, that just seems stupid and spiteful for no reason.

I think @bill is right on this one. The tax is on the patron and who cares if the event is sponsored by a municipality or a private enterprise. The state constitution yields some explanation-enforcement and collection have to be uniform. There's no big deal: city needs a permit like everyone else, needs to keep records and account for the collection of the tax. If the price is $20, you change the admission to be less than 20 and the tax to be the balance to add up to $20. If the city has specifically exempted itself from the tax, then there is no tax. If not, I think the tax is owed. I know that it sounds like foolishness, but everyone and everybody should expect equal treatment under the law. Does the city collect admission taxes on Easton football games?

see the whole picture.. if the mayor wants to show movies.. level the buildings and have a nice drive-in ,i guess lafayette college did not want that property,and i guess a hockey arena is out of the question

I guess I just find the whole need for the city to tax itself pedantic and unnecessary. I'm not saying that I don't see your point, but it seems penny wide and pound foolish to me.

As for louis's post, the event isn't about the mayor wanting to watch movies. It was started as a was to begin generating interest in the property. Why level it, if it can be redeveloped into a productive property again and retain it's historic characteristic while attracting people to our community?

obsolete and would be too expensive to convert to manufacturing.. i am talking where fredwell and strongwear pants were .. to current standards it is inefficient.. cheaper to tear down

Sal wants this to be "his arena" as Mayor Ed in Allentown. I see no problem with building ice arenas, ballparks, etc. but NOT with taxpayer money. If a private businessman wants to expand his business to benefit his employees and customers the businessman needs to find the money and put his own assets on the "chopping block." What assets of his own does Mayor Sal have on the chopping block? There is plenty to be still done in downtown from the river to 15th St, especially in the West Ward. Why not put all that same effort and money into that area?

BTW Easton is the only city in the Valley to have the Admission Tax. And from what I hear it is not monitored by the city and placed on ALL admissions: i.e.: a band at a bar with a cover charge, should be collected but I'd bet it is not. If the city want a law learn to enforce it and that goes for events the city itself has that have an admission fee. I wonder if this could be added to the city swimming pools. HUMMMM? They're trying to tax everyone to death, might as well add it to swimmers since they have to pay admission to enter the pool, right?

@Louis- I guess the developer sees the current buildings as an asset. Taking your logic further, wouldn't most structures built prior to 1950s be obsolete, if not many more newer than that?

@bill- this project pre-dates mayor Panto. It was actually interim mayor McFadden, who came to office after Goldsmith resigned, who first discussed redeveloping the silk mills. The acquisition of the property was done with a state RACP grant. The vast majority if the funding used after that was done thru federal, state and county sources as well as the EAILD and volunteerism. There are no large sums of city money being diverted to the Silk Mill. As a matter of fact, a large portion of city resources/money are directed towards the west ward, be it police or otherwise.

As for the admissions tax, I've never been a fan of it. It's primary purpose was to single out those who patronize Crayola and the State Theatre, as those two seemed like easy cash cows. It's really not enforceable unless the venue sells tickets. I suppose it could be more strictly enforced, but it seems more like a regressive tax to me. Still, I sounds like it raises nearly a half million dollars annual from what I've heard.

the structure in question is 1900s yes it is a white elephant as it stands.. more costly to renovate it... i do not see people lining up to grab it.. ooops yes i do mayor panto with taxpayer money

@Louis- I'm guessing you missed the part in the article where VM Development had signed on to do the first phase. Can't call it a white elephant is someone's interested in investing private dollars. And If you read my last post to bill you would realize that this project ore-dates Panto by at least 5 years.

waste of money.... what easton long needed was common sense not just easton but easton could have had the world in its hands good examples are .. when private investors wanted the perkins property anyone who would take the property would spend money ..but right away they were given a whole list of b.s. what a couple of the would be investors thoughts on that were in the newspapers for all to read.. what other good things are numerous, including an attempt by a investor to put a chicken restaurant in easton ,but was rejected.. what crap that was ,if the mayor is interested in the property instead of movies invite ainvestor from the allentown area who has lots of money,ideas but apparently not the right politics,he is always being denied his intents ... but just to spend money stupid.. ps. did mayor panto use any of the ideas from his trip from israel? he said he had alot

they should show the trailer for Sins of the Dragon, a new film by Platypus Underground, Ltd. a movie company based in Easton, PA! the movie premieres in the Poconos Dec. 2! www.platypusunderground.com