Feb. 09, 2016
Area lawmaker responds to Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2016-17 budget proposal
HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) issued the following statement on Tuesday after listening to Gov. Tom Wolf before a joint session of the General Assembly and reviewing his proposal for the 2016-17 fiscal year:
“Massive tax increases and higher spending are not the answers to all our problems. My colleagues and I in the House spent seven months fighting for the people we represent. These people told us time and time again that they simply cannot afford the tax-and-spend plans proposed by the governor.
“We need the businessman the people elected to lead. We need him to identify wasteful spending so that we can cut costs at the state level. I believe the people elected a businessman to go through the budget with a fine-toothed comb – not to simply come to the taxpayers and ask them to pay more in taxes and take a pay cut when people are already struggling to get by.
“We need the governor to lead during this budget process and not act as an obstructionist. Over the last seven months, the Legislature sent the governor several budget proposals to which he blatantly said ‘no.’ He could have line-item vetoed the original plan we sent to him on June 30, but he didn’t. And he admitted several times throughout the following months that he wanted to fight for massive tax increases. He did so at the expense of our schools, counties and human service agencies. It was unacceptable then, and it’s unacceptable now.
“The proposal he announced today is just that, a proposal. I am hopeful that where we go from here will be determined by good-faith negotiations, which are essential to this budget-making process. I also hope the governor spends the weeks and months that lead up to June 30 negotiating and working with the Legislature, and not waging more partisan political attacks on those who do not feel massive, widespread tax increases is the cure-all solution to all of Pennsylvania’s problems.”
For more information about this statement, or any other state-related issue, contact Kaufer’s district office in Luzerne located at 161 Main St., by calling 570-283-1001. Information can also be found online at
RepKaufer.com or
Facebook.com/RepKaufer.
Representative Aaron Kaufer
120th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Krisinda Corbin
717.705.2032
KCorbin@pahousegop.com
RepKaufer.com /
Facebook.com/RepKaufer