Aug. 27, 2015
Throughout the budget process, my House Republicans colleagues and I have laid all our cards on the table when showing our “hand” and stating what we support and what we oppose. Today, I am challenging my friends on the other side of the aisle to do likewise.
I have stated my opposition to Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal to increase taxes from day one of this budget impasse. I am coming to realize many of you may not know exactly what I’m talking about because you aren’t hearing the entire other side of the story.
When the governor and House and Senate Democrats promote their budget plan, their focus is on a natural gas severance tax to fund education. They skillfully avoid mentioning the current impact fees on natural gas. They also overlook talking about the other tax proposals that are part of their package. Instead of honestly telling you, “we are going to raise and expand the sales tax,” and “we want to increase the Personal Income Tax,” you only hear vague references to “increased revenues.”
It is no secret that Wolf’s tax agenda would have us pay sales tax on a number of items that are currently excluded. In addition to raising the sales tax to 6.6 percent, the governor’s plan would add the tax to diapers, daycare service, cable TV, dry cleaning, candy and gum, newspapers and magazines, spectator sport and performing arts tickets, garbage collection, non-prescription drugs, nursing care and home health care services, and professional services such as tax preparation, real estate and financial planning. He would have families pay hundreds more to send a child to college by adding sales tax to the cost of textbooks, meal plans, and other college fees. That could add more than $1,700 to the cost of a four-year college education. In addition, college students with a part-time job would see less in their paychecks as a result of Wolf’s increase in the income tax from 3.07 percent to 3.7 percent.
The reason Democrats are hiding from this is no doubt rooted in what took place on the House floor June 1. That day, every Democrat and Republican House member opposed an amendment to
House Bill 283 that was the vehicle to fund Gov. Tom Wolf’s $4.7 billion tax increase. That day, EVERY member of the House said no to a severance tax on natural gas, no to a higher Personal Income Tax and no to an increased sales tax rate.
Democrats have labeled the vote a gimmick, as if they didn’t know what they were doing or were somehow forced to vote against the governor. The only “gimmick” is in their trying to convince people that there exist enough votes for the governor’s tax increases, as completely disproved on June 1.
Since there simply are not enough votes for these increases, and the governor vetoed the fiscally responsible budget bill that was sent to him June 30, it now is up to him to come to the table with a new idea that doesn’t include higher taxes. I look forward to seeing that legislation cross my desk.
Representative Will Tallman
193rd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Scott Little
717.260.6137
slittle@pahousegop.com
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