Consumer Advocate Says Governor’s Sales Tax Plan Could Make Things Worse

[Divernan]

7. Mega business/faux "charity" UPMC avoids property taxes

UPMC is Pennsylvania’s largest nongovernmental employer and Allegheny County’s largest property owner, with 656 acres and $1.6 billion in land and buildings. Eighty-six percent of that property is tax-exempt, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette analysis.

If it were not a nonprofit, and thus exempt from paying certain taxes(property and payroll), UPMC would owe the city $20 million more in taxes every year.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/07/29/UPMC-city-drop-legal-fight-over-taxes/stories/201407290183
That would go a hell of a way to fund county government services, wouldn't it?

But UPMC bullied/bluffed new Pittsburgh mayor Peduto into dropping the city's lawsuit. Meanwhile the county chief executive, Rich Fitzgerald, continues to give UPMC a free ride. He is too busy attacking fellow Democrat, county controller Chelsa Wagner (how dare she audit fellow Democratic office holders - like him, even though that's what she was elected to do? Doesn't she respect the old boy/machine code!?!) He made an unannounced appearance at our Democratic groups' candidates night, even though he has no opposition in the primary, and wasn't on the list of scheduled speakers, purely for the purpose of viciously attacking Chelsa Wagner. I'd prefer him to direct all that vitriol and venom toward UPMC!