"Governor Rendell is too late in admitting the
depth of Pennsylvania's revenue deficit, too light in the spending
reductions he is willing to make, and too eager in his push to impose
substantial tax hikes on families and job providers.
When I talk to people across the district, they
overwhelmingly prefer that we cut spending and eliminate programs,
rather than increasing state taxes dramatically. With a weak economy
persisting, the consequences of large tax hikes are severe. If spending
and tax decisions hurt the job climate, it will delay and depress the
economic recovery our state desperately needs to take place.
For several weeks, the Rendell Administration tried
to scare Pennsylvanians about the proposed spending cuts we approved as
a fiscally responsible way of balancing the budget. Now that he is
showing his intent to increase the personal income tax by 16%, he has
found a way to truly scare taxpayers. I think we all know there is no
such thing as a “temporary" tax in state government."
