Are increased fees/tuitions new taxes?

Great Debates
1

Or are opponents just trying to hit a aural button to gain support?

The NYC MTA wants to raise fares by 33%, from $1.50 to $2.00. In an interview on NPR, the head of the Strapholders Organization (a commuter advocacy group) called it a tax on NYers least able to afford it.

Many years ago, the City University of New York (CUNY) was free. During the 1970s, they started to charge nominal tuition. Now, with the current budget deficits, tuitions might go up by as much as 38%. On the morning news/talk show, a member of a student advocacy group called this a tax on the poorest NYers who are simply trying to better themselves.

Neither group offers alternatives - they rarely do. They often only state that someone else should bear the burden and that gov’t actually has oodles of money. But that’s not my question.

My question, is it fair to characterize these increases as taxes. If so, why?

2

It’s definitely not fair to characterize the tuition increase as a tax. If New York University raised tuition 38%, it wouldn’t be called a tax. Why is it a tax just because it’s a public college? Taxes are what everyone pays, whether they use the services or not. Fees based on use are not taxes.
They’re probably referring to the percentage rather than the dollar amount of the increase to press some buttons ,too. Current resident tuition is about $3200/yr. A 38% increase is about$1200, making the total under $4500.