Working families in Pennsylvania pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than their wealthiest counterparts, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy.
Other highlights (or low lights) from the study:
* Pennsylvania families earning less than $19,000 - the poorest fifth of Pennsylvania taxpayers - pay 11.3% of their income in Pennsylvania state and local taxes.
* Middle-income Pennsylvania taxpayers - those earning between $35,000 and $56,000 - pay 9.6% of their income in Pennsylvania state and local taxes.
* The richest Pennsylvania taxpayers - with average incomes of $1,369,600 - pay only 5% of their income in Pennsylvania state and local taxes.
* After accounting for federal deduction offsets, the discrepancy is even starker: the poorest fifth pay 11.2% of their income in state and local taxes, middle-income families pay 9.1%, and the richest Pennsylvanians pay 3.9%.
* Washington, Florida, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Alabama were named as the 10 Most Regressive Tax States. Pennsylvania ranked ninth.
The review the entire report, "Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States," follow the link below:
Join Pennsylvania Tea Party Coalition, Smart Girl Politics, Freedomworks, and other organizations for a Nov. 14 "March on Harrisburg" to take our message of fiscal responsibility and lower taxes directly to state lawmakers. Please join us for a big march and rally on the capitol steps in Harrisburg!
Who: Coalition of Tea Party groups and taxpayer advocates What: March on Harrisburg (State Capitol Steps) When: Saturday, Nov. 14th from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm Why: To send a message to state lawmakers that we support limited government and lower taxes
FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey will be the keynote speaker at the state capitol.
To RSVP for the March on Harrisburg, click here. For more details on the march, check out www.PAMarch.com
In case you're wondering which Pennsylvania members of Congress supported the Pelosi Health Care Bill, which will raise taxes and put your family's current health care coverage at risk, see the list below.
If you see any of the names on a ballot next May or November, vote for the other person:
Robert Brady (D-PA-1) Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2) Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA-3) Joe Sestak (D-PA-7) Patrick Murphy (D-PA-8) Christopher Carney (D-PA-10) John Murtha (D-PA-12) Paul Kanjorski (D-PA-11) Allyson Schwartz (D-PA-13) Mike Doyle (D-PA-14)
By formally endorsing the House health care bill, President Barack Obama effectively announced that the central promise of his 2008 campaign was a lie, says Americans for Tax Reform, a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups.
During the campaign, Obama made a "firm pledge" not to raise "any form" of taxes on families making less than $250,000 per year but the Pelosi bill would impose those taxes on middle-class familes, ATR argues.
A good column by Brad Bumsted of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about how so-called conservative western Pennsylvania Democrats in the state House let down their constituents by supporting the deficit budget pushed by Gov. Ed Rendell and legislative leaders.
Instead of sticking with House Republicans to oppose the 2009-10 budget and higher taxes, the "Blue Dogs" turned into lap dogs, Bumsted writes.
From Bumsted's column:
On the final tax vote, only two Blue Dogs -- Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, and Rep. John Pallone, D-New Kensington -- barked. They were the only Democrats to vote against it.
Most of the Blue Dog Democrats showed in the end they were team players.
They could have rocked the Capitol on Aug. 3 but chose to take an obvious victory.
From their perspective, getting their leaders to declare that the income tax was dead was significant and it truly ended that debate.
It was a pivotal day in the historic budget battle. Some Democrats might think about it again next year when Republicans are campaigning against them, citing their votes for the "$1 billion state tax increase."
While Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats prepare to enact the largest tax in U.S. history on American consumers at the behest of global warning alarmists, there is growing evidence that the Earth has been cooling for the past 30 years. That's right. Cooling. Not warming, as Al Gore would have you believe.
From a new editorial in Investor's Business Daily:
Al Gore wasn't there to throw out the first snowball, er, baseball, so he might not have noticed that Saturday's playoff game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies was snowed out — in early October. The field should have been snow-free just as the North Pole was to be ice-free this year.
It seems that ice at both poles hasn't been paying attention to the computer models. The National Snow and Ice Data Center released its summary of summer sea-ice conditions in the Arctic last week and reported a substantial expansion of "second-year ice" — ice thick enough to have persisted through two summers of seasonal melting.
According to the NSIDC, second-year ice this summer made up 32% of the total ice cover on the Arctic Ocean, compared with 21% in 2007 and 9% in 2008. Clearly, Arctic sea ice is not following the consensus touted by Gore and the warm-mongers.
This news coincides with a finding published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters last month by Marco Tedesco, a research scientist at the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology. He reported that ice melt on Antarctica was the lowest in three decades during the ice-melt season.
Each year, millions of square miles of sea ice melt and refreeze. The amount varies from season to season. Despite pictures taken in summer of floating polar bears, data reported by the University of Illinois' Arctic Climate Research Center at the beginning of this year showed global sea ice levels the same as they were in 1979, when satellite observations began.
So why are Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi pushing for a cap-and-trade bill that will impose higher energy taxes on American families? You might want to ask your representatives in Congress that very same question.
Colin McNickle of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review takes a shot at state Sen. Jane Orie, a Republican who voted to support the better-late-than-never Pennsylvania budget.
State Sen. Jane Orie has some explaining to do. Americans for Tax Reform chides the Allegheny County Republican, the Senate majority whip, for breaking her pledge to not raise taxes. Ms. Orie was a signatory to ATR's Taxpayer Protection Pledge but voted for new taxes last week. To paraphrase the axiom, if you give her time, she often succeeds in living up to her hypocrisies. Or as the German proverb goes, "When the fox preaches look to your geese."
Orie is not alone. Half the Senate Republicans voted to support a budget that increases taxes on many Pennsylvanians even though they promised to oppose all tax hikes.
NEWS FLASH: Pa. Legislature sends $27.8B budget to Rendell
It took 101 days into the new fiscal year, but the country's most expensive state legislatures has finally agreed on a budget for 2009-10.
From Marc Levy of The Associated Press:
A $27.8 billion state budget was on its way to the desk of Gov. Ed Rendell following a lopsided vote of approval from the Senate — a giant step toward ending Pennsylvania's 101-day budget stalemate, the nation's longest this year.
The 42-7 Senate's vote followed House approval on Wednesday.
The Senate voted without debate moments after signing off on a companion bill to tap more than $1.5 billion from the state's reserves. That bill still awaited House approval.
Rendell has said he would sign the appropriations bill, but it was unclear whether he would do so before the House passes the companion bill.
The appropriations bill cuts overall spending by more than 1 percent, while boosting spending on operations and instruction in public schools by $300 million, or 5.7 percent, a level that Rendell insisted upon.
The politically divided Legislature has been stymied by how to resolve a multibillion-dollar, recession-driven shortfall.
The final agreement relies on a blend of federal budget aid, transfer from reserve funds, spending cuts and nearly $500 million in new taxes on sales of cigarettes, little cigars and businesses that pay the capital stock and franchise tax.
The plan also relies on legalizing and taxing table games at the state's slot-machine casinos and leasing more state forest land to natural gas exploration companies.
State Rep. Curt Schroder (R-155th Dist.) voted against the long-awaited state budget that passed by a 107-93 vote in the House on Thursday.
Schroder offered the following statement on his vote:
"I could not vote for this bill. Like last year's budget, it contained inflated revenue projections and relied too heavily on stimulus funding and one-time revenues. By passing this legislation, the House is making the same mistake it made a year ago that resulted in a $3.5 billion revenue shortfall.
"This budget drains the state's Rainy Day Fund and the Health Care Providers Retention Fund. Without these critical reserve accounts we will be unable to cushion an expected revenue shortfall next year. It also, for the first time, dips into the principal reserves in the tobacco settlement fund. With revenues already $140 million below projections for the year, I believe we will face another deficit next June.
"The House Republicans had proposed a budget that is slightly leaner, balanced, did not raise taxes, funded essential state programs and services, and ensured that the state would live within its means, but it was not considered by the Democrat leadership in the House. Instead, we were forced to consider a budget bill that raises taxes by more than $1 billion during a recession.
"On the bright side, we prevented an increase in the Personal Income Tax, sales tax, taxes on small games of chance and the arts, among others."
The measure goes back to the Senate for concurrence on House amendments to the bill.
This is what happens when Pennsylvania legislators stay up past their bed time.
In a late-night vote Friday, House Democrats pushed through a Tax Reform Code bill that increases taxes on Pennsylvanians by nearly $2 billion.
The measure passed by a 103-98 margin, with all House Republicans except Dennis O'Brien voting "No." Two western Pennsylvania Democrats -- John Pallone and Joseph Petrarca -- also voted "No."
House Republicans were quick to criticize their tax-happy colleagues who supported House Bill 1531. From state Rep. Tom Quigley, R-146:
"Raising taxes during a recession is a disaster waiting to happen, and this bill would raise an additional $1 billion in taxes. Taxes strangle growth and will only keep the Commonwealth from a full economic recovery. These taxes are the antithesis of what is needed to create jobs, increase personal income for our hard-working families and boost consumer confidence.
"This bill is another blow for education, the supposed budget priority of our governor. Not only was all funding for education vetoed from Senate Bill 850 in August, but now the Democrats are trying to reduce funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC). This tax credit allows businesses to contribute to educational programs, including non-public schools, that are not provided for in our state budget. Non-public students are already going without textbooks because of this administration, and now they are going to have to make due with even less.
"The House Republicans have put forth a responsible and balanced budget proposal, in House Bill 1943, that would not negatively impact our economy, as this bill certainly will. I am hopeful that when this bill fails in the Senate, the fiscally sound House Republican plan will finally be considered."
Rep. Curt Schroder (R-155) issued a press release late Friday stating that it appears Gov. Ed Rendell and certain House and Senate leaders are repeating the mistakes in the tentative state budget agreement that got Pennsylvania in the financial mess it is in now.
From Schroder's release:
"This budget does not solve our problems," said Schroder. "It increases spending, relies on one-time revenues and taxes businesses and citizens at a time they can least afford it. Passage of this budget will ensure another budget fiasco next year."
On Sept. 18, Gov. Ed Rendell and three of the four legislative caucuses reached a tentative $27.9 billion state budget agreement without the participation of the House Republicans, who several weeks ago, put forth their own $27.5 billion plan. The Republican plan cut spending below last year's level, did not raise taxes, covered essential government services, provided increased funding for education and preserved the state's Rainy Day Fund. Further, the plan was balanced and sustainable, but House Democrats, who hold the majority and therefore the control in the House, refused to consider it. Instead, House Republicans were left out of the budget process.
"Three months into the new fiscal year, Pennsylvania is the only state without a budget, and the budget being proposed calls for increased spending in a down economy. Ironically, it is awash in walking-around-money or WAMs," said Schroder. "This budget proposal cuts funding for libraries, social services and education. To include grants for legislators' pet projects is an affront to every group getting its funding slashed. It taxes museums, concerts and other cultural events, cigarettes and small games of chance. It expands gambling and drains the Rainy Day Fund, which leaves us without money to cover essential services should we come up short again next year.
"The most disturbing thing is the stealth, secretive way this deal was reached. We will be asked to vote on this deal within days, yet we have not seen the line-item details," said Schroder. "As I see it, the proposed budget will only serve to prolong the pain being experienced by Pennsylvania citizens, and it offers little hope for economic recovery anytime soon," he said.
Rendell, Legislature keep digging a deeper hole for PA
The first rule of holes: When you're in one, stop digging.
While Gov. Ed Rendell and the Pennsylvania Legislature are still trying to figure out what to do about last year's $3.25 billion budget deficit, Pennsylvania is facing another financial disaster for 2009-10.
Revenue collections for the first three months of the new fiscal year have fallen short of projections. That's a fancy way of saying Pennsylvania is headed for another fiscal crisis -- even while elected officials struggle to get the state out of the mess they created last year.
Pennsylvania collected $2.1 billion in General Fund revenue in September, which was $118.6 million, or 5.5 percent, less than anticipated, according to Revenue Secretary Stephen H. Stetler. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $5.3 billion, which is $140.6 million, or 2.6 percent, below estimate, Stetler reported.
Tax revenues from the state's two biggest sources of income fell short for the third consecutive month of the new fiscal year, adding to the 12-month decline in the 2008-09 fiscal year.
From the Department of Revenue's September Collection Report:
Sales tax receipts totaled $633.4 million for September, $38.8 million below estimate. Year-to-date sales tax collections total $2 billion, which is $52.2 million, or 2.5 percent, less than anticipated.
Personal income tax (PIT) revenue in September was $835.4 million, $69.5 million below estimate. This brings year-to-date PIT collections to $2.2 billion, which is $97.9 million, or 4.3 percent, below estimate.
The only bright spot is September's corporation tax revenue collections of $403.9 million, which was $5.6 million above estimate. Year-to-date corporation tax collections total $541.4 million, which is $7.3 million, or 1.4 percent, above estimate.
More from the Revenue Department:
Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $59.1 million in inheritance tax, $3.4 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $181.6 million, which is $6.1 million below estimate.
Realty transfer tax was $23.5 million for September, $1.5 million below estimate, bringing the total to $82.2 million for the year, which is $3.7 million less than anticipated.
Other General Fund tax revenue, including cigarette, malt beverage and liquor taxes totaled $85.4 million for the month, $7.2 million below estimate and bringing the year-to-date total to $259.4 million, which is $1.2 million above estimate.
Non-tax revenue totaled $9.8 million for the month, $3.7 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $52.1 million, which is $10.8 million above estimate.
Click on the link below to view the full September report:
At the 90-day mark in the new fiscal year, Gov. Ed Rendell announced he is setting an Oct. 4 deadline ... or maybe Oct. 6 ... for the Legislature to have an approved budget on his desk.
We know how well the Legislature meets deadlines. It took the leaders of three of the four caucuses 80 days into the fiscal year to reach a budget agreement acceptable to Rendell. (House Republicans still don't want any part of the deal.)
So why the new-found sense of urgency on the part of the governor? Because people are beginning to figure out that the "deal" reached on Sept. 18 was just another red herring to distract Pennsylvanians from the ineptness of the governor and Legislature.
"We've had time," Rendell said Monday. "We should be able to get this done, no ifs, ands or buts about it. And there are a lot of people out there who are depending on us to get this done."
The reality is there is no deal. Rendell and the legislative leaders don't have the votes to get the so-called compromise agreement passed in the state House. They've been trying for 10 days to gather enough votes, but they keep coming up short. And every day that goes by, the "deal" loses more support.
Some house members won't vote for the "deal" because of the controversial tax on admission to arts venues, museums and zoos. Others object to the plan on environmental grounds. Some are upset with the proposal to tax games of chance and bingo operations at fire halls.
It's clear that Rendell and the legislative leadership jumped the gun on Sept. 18. While the Senate could probably come up with 25 or 26 votes to pass the budget deal, the votes are not there in the House, where up to 30 Democrats could bolt.
Democrats hold a slim 104-99 majority. Even if 10 Republicans can be bribed into voting for the deal, that's still not enough votes to make up for the Democratic defectors.
Forget about Rendell's latest deadline. It will come and go. I'm thinking Halloween before a real budget agreement is reached.
Check out more on the unraveling of the "budget deal" at POLICY BLOG
Tax: A Required Contribution or Fee Levied by a Government
George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to Bill Clinton, on ABC's "This Week" grilled the President on how his health care overhaul would raise taxes on the middle class.
The President tried to dance around the issue -- just as he has done on numerous occasions regarding abortion funding in the health care bill. However, he can't dance away from this fact, either.
Politico reports today that page 29 of the bill introduced Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont), says: "The consequence for not maintaining insurance would be an excise tax."
President Obama has developed a serious credibility problem as Factcheck.org, Politifact.com, and now Politico have reported on the President's misleading statements on his health care bill.
However, the American people can't be misled so easily. They instinctively know that imposing new taxes or involuntary payments (mandates) combined with massive spending will only further burden families and the next generation of Americans.
U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach is one of 28 members of Congress who signed a letter sent to the Inspector General of the Housing and Urban Development asking for a review of how the liberal activist group ACORN used taxpayer funds.
Gerlach (PA-6th District) wants HUD officials to make sure ACORN is held accountable for every dollar of taxpayer funding it has received, according to a press release issued Monday.
From Gerlach's press release:
In a letter to HUD Inspector General Kenneth M. Donohue, Gerlach requested a comprehensive audit of ACORN's finances to give the public some peace of mind that their hard-earned tax dollars have not subsidized corrupt or illegal activity.
"In the wake of new, but not unfamiliar, reports of criminal and illicit activity involving ACORN, I believe it is imperative that this organization’s finances be reviewed and investigated by your Department to determine whether improper and illegal use of federal dollars has occurred since ACORN first began receiving federal funds in 1994," Gerlach wrote.
The letter signed by 26 Republican members of the House Financial Services Committee and GOP Congressmen Mike Pence of Indiana and Pete Sessions of Texas.
Video of ACORN employees in New York and Maryland giving illegal advice to two filmmakers posing as a prostitute and a pimp prompted the U.S. Census Bureau to end its partnership with ACORN on Friday. The Senate voted 83-7 on Monday to cut off Housing and Urban Development funding slated for ACORN.
ACORN – which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now -- has been the focus of voter-registration fraud investigations in recent years.
Locally, two ACORN workers in March 2008 pleaded guilty in Berks County Court and were sentenced to jail for creating phony voter-registration forms in order to collect cash from the organization, according to the Reading Eagle.
In July, Dauphin County election officials have investigated over 100 suspicious voter-registration applications submitted by ACORN
And In September 2006, nearly 100 fraudulent voter registration applications were filed in Delaware County, prompting the District Attorney’s Office to issue an identity theft alert. All 100 applications were filled out by four individuals working for ACORN.
Rep. Doug Reichley: Budget deal 'not in the best interest' of many PA residents
Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Berks/Lehigh), Republican vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement Monday following the announcement Friday of a tentative budget agreement between Gov. Ed Rendell and three of the four legislative caucuses:
"I think all Pennsylvanians welcome the end of the embarrassing spectacle of our budget impasse over these last three months. Not only are we the last state in the nation to reach a budget agreement, we were also the only state in the country where the governor was proposing to increase spending in the midst of the worst economy in 70 years. Regrettably, the agreement reached by the governor and Senate Republicans, House Democrats, and Senate Democrats is not in the best interest of the many residents of our state who are struggling with job losses and lower household incomes.
"The governor and these three caucuses have brokered a deal where many businesses will look at a retroactive increase in the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax. This 53 percent increase will then be continued over the next three years, instead of permanently phasing out the tax as was currently stated in law.
"Individual consumers will see a 25 cent increase per pack in the cigarette tax, a new tax on small cigars, a new 20 percent tax on the proceeds from small games of chance, such as raffles and punchcards, and a new sales tax on the ticket price for admission to concerts, museums, and zoos.
"In addition to these new taxes, the concocted plan calls for taking every last cent out of the $750 million Rainy Day Fund, and raiding the state medical insurance fund which is meant to protect health care providers from disastrous litigation awards. This is not a prescription for fiscal stability either this year or next year when we may be faced with similar budget shortfalls.
"What is even more troubling than the tax hike binge is the absolute lack of detail being provided to the general public. We still do not know how libraries, hospitals, service providers, and school districts will be impacted. The governor was pleased that an additional $300-plus million of state tax dollars will be invested in education as well as his other pet programs, but the question remains whether those funds will be distributed equitably or primarily used to benefit Philadelphia, as has happened in the past.
"For five months, House Republicans have proposed budget plans calling for greater reductions in spending than agreed to last week. Our plan balanced the budget without raising a single tax on businesses or individuals. Unfortunately, the governor has convinced the other caucuses to increase taxes and maintain spending at last year's $28 billion budget level.
The governor and the other three caucuses have made their deal. Now let them put up the votes to raise taxes and spending."
Gov. Ed Rendell said Friday night that there are no winners or losers in the compromise that ended Pennsylvania's 80-day-old budget impasse.
Don't believe him. There are always winners and losers in every budget agreement and this one is no exception.
If you smoke, you're going to pay more. If you support the arts in Pennsylvania, you are going to pay more. (The deal expands the state sales tax to cover tickets for concerts, museums, theaters, etc.)
If your church or nonprofit group uses bingo or other small games of chance as fundraisers, you're going to have to pay the state under a new tax inlcuded in the deal.
If you're a business owner, you're going to continue paying some of the highest business taxes in the country. And so on.
Although details are sketchy, (Rendell purposely declined to reveal many details until the rank-and-file state lawmakers are briefed next week), The Commonwealth Foundation offers some instant analysis based on what we do know.
The budget deal includes $821 million in tax increases and fails to address at least $1.7 billion in deficit spending from last years' budget, according to the Foundation.
The state's "Rainy Day Fund" will be exhausted with legislative leaders agreeing to spend the entire $775 million to balance the budget, according to the Foundation.
That's a risky move because the economy isn't getting any better and we could sitting on another huge budget deficit next summer.
I was pleasantly surprised with The Associated Press' coverage of the March on Washington on Saturday, Sept. 12. The wire service, which largely ignored the Tea Parties throughout the year, moved a lengthy article and more than a dozen photographers of the protest. Also, it did not downplay the turnout, putting right there in the lead that "tens of thousands" of Americans marched against Obama and his big government schemes. You can read the AP story and view photos of the event at The Mercury's Web site.
"They made their numbers work on paper, but the numbers won't work in the real world," Gov. Ed Rendell said today of the budget agreement reached Friday by Senate Republicans and House Democrats.
Rendell said he will not sign the budget compromise if it reaches his desk. House Republicans are also opposed to the proposed budget, which is now 74 days late.
Read Rendell's full statement and his list of flaws contained in the budget deal at the link below:
Organizers Predict Thousands of Tea Party Activists Will Attend Saturday’s March on Washington
From CNSNews.com:
"I believe there is a new center in American politics around the idea of what we call 'pocketbook conservatism,' " said Matt Kibbe, president and CEO of FreedomWorks, one of more than a dozen conservative organizations sponsoring the march.
Americans from all walks of life have already pledged to show up, Kibbe said, with virtually every one of them telling organizers the same story: " 'I've never shown up at a Town hall meeting, I've never shown up at a protest, I've never even talked to my congressman, but I have to show up now because things (in Washington) are out of control,' " Kibbe said.
This will likely be the largest gathering of fiscal conservatives ever, according to Adam Brandon of Freedom Works.
Left unchecked, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid plan to run up higher deficits over the next 10 years than all American presidents and Congress have incurred in the last 230 years.
From DefeatTheDebt.com:
Think America is "Unsinkable?"
Every year, the government spends hundreds of billions of dollars it doesn't have, and we sink deeper and deeper into debt. We cannot afford to go down with this ship.
The national debt will grow by more than $9 trillion, according to an August 2009 report by the White House Office of Management and Budget.
How much is $9 trillion, or even $1 trillion? Confronted with enormous numbers like millions, billions and trillions, it's helpful to use comparisons with other contexts. For example, one million seconds will pass in just 12 days. One billion seconds is almost 32 years. And one trillion seconds? That’s 31,688 years. One trillion dollars is a lot of money, and over the next decade the US federal government will borrow that sum nine times over — more than $9 trillion.
In the next 10 years, the federal government will borrow trillions of dollars for spending it cannot afford. But the American people will eventually have to pay the price for this irresponsible borrowing.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has released tax collection numbers for the month of August, the second month of the new fiscal year (although the state still doesn't have a budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year).
Without an approved budget and with last year's budget ending up $3.25 billion in the red, the state remains on shaky financial ground.
Pennsylvania collected $1.6 billion in General Fund revenue in August, which was $19.9 million, or 1.2 percent, less than anticipated, according to Revenue Secretary Stephen H. Stetler. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $3.3 billion, which is $22 million, or 0.7 percent, below estimate, Stetler said.
The state collected 5 percent less in July 2009 ($1.65 billion) than it did in July 2008 ($1.75 billion) when Gov. Ed Rendell's $28.3 billion red ink budget kicked in.
Collections from the two biggest sources of revenue, the sales tax and the personal income tax, were both down in August, as they were in July.
Translation for Gov. Ed Spendell and the dimwitted Democrats in the House who are holding up the budget in order to raise taxes: Pennsylvanians don't have jobs so they can't pay income taxes and they have nothing left after paying off their bills so they can't buy anything to increase sales tax revenues.
From a Revenue Department Press Release:
Sales tax receipts totaled $662.7 million for August, $13.4 million below estimate. Year-to-date sales tax collections total $1.4 billion, which is $13.4 million, or 1 percent, less than anticipated.
Personal income tax (PIT) revenue in August was $683.5 million, $28.3 million below estimate. This brings year-to-date PIT collections to $1.3 billion, which is $28.4 million, or 2.1 percent, below estimate.
August corporation tax revenue of $50.2 million was $3.9 million above estimate. Year-to-date corporation tax collections total $137.9 million, which is $2.1 million, or 1.6 percent, above estimate.
Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $59.2 million in inheritance tax, $2.6 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $122.5 million, which is $2.7 million below estimate.
Realty transfer tax was $29.1 million for August, $2.2 million below estimate, bringing the total to $58.7 million for the year, which is $2.2 million less than anticipated.
Other General Fund tax revenue, including cigarette, malt beverage and liquor taxes totaled $91.5 million for the month, $8.5 million above estimate and bringing the year-to-date total to $174 million, which is $8.4 million above estimate.
Follow the link below to read the rest of the revenue report:
The Mother of All Tea Parties is about to hit Washington, D.C.
Americans who believes in limited government, want to see lower taxes, less government and more freedom are invited to join the March on Washington scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.
The 9-12 March on Washington national coordinators are FreedomWorks.org; TeaPartyPatriots.org; and Grassfire.org/Resistnet.com
They are being supported by a who's who of conservative, anti-tax, libertarian, free-market and patriotic organizations.
POLICY BLOG has a information on buses scheduled to take Pennsylvania protesters to the event.
From the official protest Web site:
"It's time to take the tea party movement directly to Washington, D.C. Please join thousands of local organizers and grassroots Americans from across the country as we gather in our nation’s capital to deliver a message to the politicians: Enough!
We've had enough of the out of control spending, the bailouts, the growth of big government and the soaring deficits. And we reject the future tax increases to pay for all of this spending and debt down the road. We are gathering on 9-12-2009 to deliver our message in person that we’ve had enough!"
That's the minimum number of Pennsylvania jobs that would be lost if the Waxman-Markey bill, better known as Cap-and-Trade, is passed by the Senate. The House already approved the bill and President Obama said he would sign it if passes both chambers of Congress.
The 71,500 estimate comes from the National Association of Manufacturers, which commissioned a study to look at the impact of the Waxman-Markey bill in each state. The job loss number could go as high as 97,500 in Pennsylvania.
More from the study:
Higher energy prices would have ripple impacts on prices throughout the economy and would impose a financial cost on households. Pennsylvania would see disposable household income reduced by $148 to $285 per year by 2020 and $926 to $1,507 by 2030.
The study concluded that bill would cots 2.4 million jobs across the United States.
To review the complete study, visit the National Association of Manufacturers Web site, http://www.nam.org/
Taxpayers must fight Rendell and the 'spending interests'
Lowman S. Henry has some sound advice for Pennsylvania taxpayers: "If YOU don't speak up now, then the outcome of the budget crisis will be determined by those who do."
While it appears nothing much is happening while the state budget impasse marks its ninth week, Gov. Ed Rendell and the "spending interests" are working feverishly to weaken the resolve of Republican lawmakers, who have taken a "No New Taxes" stance.
From Henry's most recent post at his Lincoln Blog:
The spending interests are deploying a new tactic in their effort to inflict higher taxes on the working families of Pennsylvania: they are picketing the offices of their local state senators and state representatives and calling a compliant news media in for coverage.
In an effort to put pressure on fiscally responsible legislators, the spending interests are now resorting to pickets and demonstrations all the while chanting the mantra that it is time to end the stand-off.
I agree the budget stalemate should come to an end - but it should do so with state government living within OUR means and not raising any taxes. Otherwise, the budget crisis can go on until Easter if necessary.
Rendell has been manufacturing all sorts of doomsday scenarios for weeks now. In recent days school district officials - whose coffers are currently flush with local tax revenue - have be whining like spoiled children over the delay in state money, and over the fact Republicans want to give them less of an increase in their allowance, er, subsidies than they want.
Henry suggests Pennsylvania taxpayers give Rendell and the "spending interests" a taste of their own medicine.
"The tactic of demonstrating in front of legislative district offices is one taxpayers and taxpayer groups should emulate. Why should the spending interests be the only ones who make their voices heard?"
It would benefit every taxpayer to take time to call, write, visit - or take to the streets - in front of his/her legislator and senator's offices to either thank them for standing firm against tax hikes, or call upon them to put taxpayers first.
White House estimates of a $9 trillion budget deficit over the next 10 years ($2 trillion more than the White House predicted just a few months ago) are still way off the real deficit projections, according to an editorial in The Wall Street Journal.
The Congressional Budget Office predicts that debt held by the public as a share of GDP, which was 40.8% in 2008, will rise to 67.8% in 2019 — and then keep climbing after that, says the newspaper.
The CBO says this is "unsustainable," but even this forecast may be optimistic, the newspaper says.
From the editorial:
The real fiscal crisis in Washington is that neither Congress nor the White House are offering any escape from these trillion-dollar deficits. Mr. Obama has not called for automatic and immediate spending cuts. He has not proposed eliminating hundreds of wasteful programs. To the contrary, the White House still hasn't ruled out another fiscal stimulus, as if a $1.6 trillion deficit isn't Keynesian stimulus enough. The Administration's celebrated scrub through the budget this summer identified $17 billion in agency savings. That's what Uncle Sam is borrowing every three days.
Obamanomics has turned into an unprecedented experiment in runaway government with no plan to pay for it, save, perhaps, for a big future toll on the middle class such as a value-added tax. White House budget director Peter Orszag promises that next year's budget will have a "plan to put the nation on a fiscally sustainable path." Hide the children.
Read the full editorial, "The Pelosi-Obama Deficits," at the newspaper's Web site.
Rep. Rohrer blasts Rendell plan to expand sales tax
For the past six years, Gov. Ed Rendell has opposed efforts by state Rep. Sam Rohrer's efforts to expand the state sales tax in order to eliminate school property taxes.
Now that Gov. Rendell is floating the idea of expanding the state sales tax to help cover his $3.2 billion budget deficit, Rohrer is among the first state lawmakers to publicly condemn the idea.
From a press released issued today by Rohrer, a Republican who represents the 128th District in Berks County:
"The governor seems unable to understand that, on taxes, no means no," Rohrer said. "There is only one acceptable solution to the ongoing budget stalemate. The state must reduce spending to match its income. State government should not be adding to the burden of working families by raising taxes during this economic recession. That would be cold-hearted and wrong. Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve a compassionate government that does not kick them while they're down."
Rohrer is the Republican chairman of the House Finance Committee and the sponsor of the School Property Tax Elimination Act (SPTEA), a plan to free Pennsylvania homeowners from the burdensome property tax. Rohrer's plan would use an expanded sales tax, among other revenue sources, to fund education in the Commonwealth.
Rohrer warned residents not to be confused by the governor's proposal. While Rohrer's is about eliminating property taxes, the governor's is about expanding the state budget.
"My plan offers the hope of a property tax-free Pennsylvania," Rohrer said. "The governor's proposal is just another attempt to dig deeper into the pockets of taxpayers. He just wants more money to spend on more government."
Rendell is proposing the sales tax expansion after his earlier proposal to increase the state income tax was shot down by the General Assembly.
"The governor just doesn't get it," Rohrer said. "Whether it's an income tax, a sales tax or any other tax hike proposal he cares to offer, people just can't afford it right now. Instead of always expecting taxpayers to sacrifice and do more with less, the governor might actually have to sacrifice for a change."
Rohrer also noted it would be interesting to see which House Democrats would rise to support the governor's call for an expansion in the state sales tax to pay for additional state government spending.
"In the past, some House Democrats have adamantly opposed my plan to use a sales tax expansion to eliminate school property taxes," Rohrer said. "Will those same lawmakers now rise to support the governor's proposal to expand the tax to pay for more government? If that's the case, they would essentially be saying that they'd support a sales tax expansion to help the governor, but not to help homeowners. That's one heck of a message to send to property taxpayers in your district."
Rohrer said he will encourage his colleagues in the General Assembly who have supported the SPTEA to oppose the governor's sales tax expansion.
"The sales tax was instituted in 1953 for education only. It should remain for education only," Rohrer said. "It should not be used as a back door into the pockets of taxpayers to pay for more government spending."
House GOP Leader: Democrats still want to raise taxes on PA residents
House Republican Leader Sam Smith is warning that Gov. Ed Rendell is working on another sneaky tax increase as the state's budget crisis enters its ninth week.
Smith issued the following statement regarding the Sales and Use Tax expansion proposal being offered by the governor as a means to fund his bloated state spending proposal.
For 55 days, Pennsylvania has not had a full operating budget in place, and the latest official budget proposal put forth by the Democrats increases state spending to $29.1 billion, far more than is supported by anticipated state revenues and federal stimulus dollars.
"One way or another, the governor wants your money. In this climate, more taxes can be devastating for Pennsylvania families and employers.
"Last week, Democrats were looking to tax legal services and limit access to the courts.
"Now, we learn 'everything is on the table,' and they have a list of items, including many other 'services' they are looking to tax for more revenues – including each and every ATM transaction.
"Newspapers and magazines; movie, sports and theater tickets; museums, historic sites and the zoo will all have the state Sales and Use Tax added to their costs just to increase state spending. Research and development, advertising, and administrative services will be taxed under the governor’s plan. In order to pay for big government services, Democrats are even looking to tax Unemployment Compensation Claims, mass transit, textbooks, flags and dry cleaning.
"In order to spend, they are looking to tax. More taxes on Pennsylvanians and Pennsylvania employers are wrong and cause harm. Republicans have a better idea.
"House Republicans have introduced the $27.5 billion, no-tax-increase 2009-10 Republican Compromise Budget, House Bill 1943, which includes a $150 million increase for basic education as well as an increase for services to non-public schools; money for hospitals and health care programs that were eliminated from the governor’s proposal; and necessary dollars for human service programs.
"The House Republican proposal is a complete budget that funds the needs and priorities of Pennsylvania. Reflecting the state of the global economy, some may have to do with less, but none will have to do without.
"By using reason and setting realistic priorities, a no-tax-increase budget is indeed possible."
We all know about the $3.25 billion deficit Gov. Ed Rendell ran up in the General Fund budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year, but Pennsylvania is drowning in red ink when you take into account all other state and local debt.
The Commonwealth Foundation has a terrific post at its Web site about the state of "Debtsylvania."
Pennsylvanians owe $115 billion in state and local government debt, according to the Foundation, which reviewed spending from 2002 to 2008.
No surprise here, but the debt has skyrocketed during the tenure of Gov. Rendell.
"Under Governor Rendell, total state general obligation debt outstanding has increased from $6.8 billion to a projected $9.5 billion with his 2009-10 budget proposal, a 40% increase in seven years," The Foundation says.
To read the full report visit The Commonwealth Foundation Web site.
Rep. Sam Rohrer on state budget: 'What's Really at Stake?'
State Rep. Sam Rohrer, Republican chairman of the House Finance Committee, has released the first in a series of videos where he will lay out the facts underlying the ongoing budget stalemate between Gov. Ed Rendell and the General Assembly.
Senate Republican Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi and State Rep. Mario Civera, R-164, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, met with the editorial board of the Delaware County Daily Times to discuss the state's seven-week-old budget stalemate. The two Republican leaders placed the blame for the budget mess on the shoulders of Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.
As long as Rendell insists on raising taxes and increasing state spending, don't look for the Republicans to budge.
This comment from Pileggi doesn't sound like a budget deal will come any time soon:
"The governor is still actively going around the state saying we need to increase the personal income tax by $1.5 billion and we need to increase our spending in the state by close to a billion dollars over last year. This isn't maintaining services. This is massive new taxation and massive increases in spending at a time when we're going through the worst recession in Pennsylvania since the Great Depression ... The problem, and the reason we're so far apart, is that the governor hasn't changed his objective even though the bottom has fallen out of the economy."
Pennsylvania is 40 days into a new fiscal year, but state officials are no closer to agreeing on a new budget than they were on June 30, the last day of the 2008-09 fiscal year.
In a recent poll, 30 percent of the state's voters placed the blame for the budget impasse on Gov. Ed Rendell, but 17 percent blamed the Republicans in the Legislature while 11 percent blamed the Democrats and 28 percent blamed everyone equally.
Pennsylvania finished the 2008-09 budget year with a #3.25 billion deficit, but Rendell wants to spend even more money for 2009-10. And a newspaper is now reporting that Rendell has also spent more than $360 million in borrowed money.
The man has a serious problem, which is why he is being referred to more often as "Ed Spendell."
From a story by Debra Erdley in today's edition of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Faced with the growing impact of a prolonged recession and revenue shortfalls, Gov. Ed Rendell last fall froze state hiring, ordered spending reductions and hunkered down for a coming budget battle.
On the surface, it appeared Pennsylvania was mired in a financial morass that would affect spending at all levels.
But records obtained by the Tribune-Review show one thing hasn't been hampered by the state's revenue woes: Rendell's ability to spend borrowed money.
While he was battling revenue shortfalls and lobbying for an income tax increase, Rendell was running his own economic stimulus program, quietly handing out $361 million in bond money across the state.
Read the full story, "Pennsylvania Governor Rendell doles out $361 million in borrowed money," at the newspaper's Web site.
Fifty-four percent (54%) of U.S. voters say tax cuts for the middle class are more important than new spending for health care reform, even as President Obama's top economic advisers signal that tax hikes may be necessary.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, taken Monday and Tuesday nights, finds that 34% disagree and say new spending for health care reform is more important. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.
It is important to note that this question asked about new government spending for health care reform rather than about the overall concept of health care reform itself.
The partisan and ideological divide on the question is sizable. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Democrats say new spending for health care reform is the priority. But 80% of Republicans and 62% of voters not affiliated with either party favor tax cuts for the middle class.
Seventy percent (70%) of liberals say new spending is more important, while 76% of conservatives prefer tax cuts.
Recent polling shows that 48% of voters now rate the U.S. health care system as good or excellent. That figure has increased significantly since the Congressional debate on health care began.
You keep going down the same road and you end up in the same place.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has released tax collection numbers for July, the first month of the new fiscal year.
Without an approved budget and with last year's budget ending up $3.25 billion in the red, it's hard to figure out where the state stands financially.
Let me just take a wild stab and predict Pennsylvania is on a path to an ever bigger deficit than the one recorded last year.
The news is all bad. The state collected 5 percent less in July 2009 ($1.65 billion) than it did in July 2008 ($1.75 billion) when Gov. Ed Rendell's $28.3 billion red ink budget kicked in. The small monthly deficits at the beginning of the fiscal year turned into a runaway train as the year finished.
(And Rendell actually wants to spend more ($29 billion) for 2009-10 than he did the previous fiscal year. This is why the state does not have an approved budget five weeks into the new fiscal year. Rendell still hasn't come to his senses.)
The Associated Press says the July 2009 revenue total is the 11th straight month in which Pennsylvania's tax collections have fallen short of the same month in the previous year.
Collections from the two biggest sources of revenue, the sales tax and the personal income tax, were both down. Translation for Ed Spendell and the dimwitted Democrats in the House pushing for higher taxes: Pennsylvanians don't have jobs so they can't pay the income tax and they don't have money to spend so they're not paying the sales tax.
From a Revenue Department Press Release:
HARRISBURG -- Secretary of Revenue Stephen H. Stetler today reported that the state collected $1.7 billion in General Fund revenue in July, the first month of the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Sales tax receipts totaled $735.2 million; personal income tax revenue was $639.9 million; and corporation tax revenue was $87.7 million for July.
General Fund revenue figures for July included $63.4 million in inheritance tax and $29.6 million in realty transfer tax. Other General Fund revenue, including the cigarette, malt beverage and liquor taxes, totaled $82.5 million for the month. Non-tax revenue totaled $12.6 million for the month.
In addition to the General Fund collections, the Motor License Fund received $319.8 million for the month.
The Gaming Fund received $59.9 million in unrestricted revenues for July. Gaming Fund receipts include taxes, fees and interest. Of the total for the month, $59.8 million was collected in state taxes for property tax relief. Other gaming-related revenues collected for July included $1.9 million for the Local Share Assessment; $8.8 million for the Economic Development and Tourism Fund; and $21.1 million for the Race Horse Development Fund.
Gov. Ed Rendell released a rambling statement today about the state's budget impasse, blaming the Republican-controlled state Senate for blocking his efforts to raise the state income tax by 16 percent.
Contrast Rendell's rant with the most recent survey of voters and you'll see that Rendell is not dealing with reality.
GOV. RENDELL: "GOP Senators are isolated in their position. The people of Pennsylvania are fed up with their government right now, and I'm fed up that the majority party in the state Senate shows so little regard for getting the job done."
REALITY:Gov. Ed Rendell's job approval rating has shrunk to its lowest level ever, 39 percent, and voters see him as most responsible for the state's budget mess, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. Also, 63 percent of voters reject Rendell's call to raise the state income tax temporarily to balance the budget, the Quinnipiac poll says.
More from the Quinnipiac poll:
Only 28 percent of voters approve Rendell's handling of the state budget and only 33 percent approve of his handling of the economy.
"Voters clearly don't want their taxes raised to solve the budget mess," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Given a choice between raising taxes to maintain the level of services, or cutting spending and leaving taxes the same, 55 percent favor spending cuts and 35 percent say raise taxes."
To read more of Rendell's nonsensical statement, follow the link below.
Lowman S. Henry offers an interesting analysis of Gov. Ed Rendell's mental status as the state's budget impasse enters Day 14 and Rendell is unable to drum up support for a massive tax hike to dig his way out of a fiscal hole.
From Henry's latest post at Lincoln Blog:
The governor is clearly becoming unglued. He is acting like a junkie who can't get his next fix. Which is exactly what he is: a spending junkie. The governor is used to the legislature rolling over and funding his insatiable appetite for spending.
But this year is different. This year, Republicans - and not a few Democrats - are refusing to cave into the governor's demands for new taxes in the midst of an economic recession.
As a result, Rendell is becoming hysterical.
Obviously 4,000 state employees are not going to be laid off. And, if that many could be laid off the question that pops up is: were they even needed in the first place?
Q: How can you tell if Gov. Ed Rendell is lying? A: His lips are moving.
Rendell has spend a lot of your tax dollars riding around the state on a bus to lie to constituents about Senate Bill 850, which reduces state spending and eliminates the need for a tax increase.
The Commonwealth Foundation has caught Rendell ... repeatedly ... lying about the impact of SB 850 on public education.
There's a big debate in Pennsylvania over Gov. Ed Rendell's call for a "temporary" 16 percent increase in the state's personal income tax, which is paid by workers and businesses. Rendell says the increase would only last three years and would raise $4.5 billion, enough to cover the $3.25 billion deficit Rendell ran up this year with some spare change to spend on bigger state government.
The problem with Rendell's "temporary" tax hike is very few people are interested in paying it. Senate and House Republicans in the state Legislature have vowed to fight Rendell on the "temporary" tax hike.
I have an alternative. How about a "voluntary" tax hike?
Since Rendell claims that people want to pay more, here's the opportunity to prove it.
Under my plan, the state will raise taxes only for those who want to give more of their income to Harrisburg. We probably won't be able to collect $4.5 billion, but it's a start.
I'm taking names of Pennsylvania residents who would like to pay more taxes:
HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason was elated after hearing the news that hardworking Pennsylvanian s will not have to suffer the burden of Gov. Ed Rendell's plan for a major increase in the personal income tax.
"I am pleased to see that concrete and positive steps are being taken to reach a fiscally responsible solution to our current budget crisis that does not raise taxes on hardworking Pennsylvanians," Gleason said. "This is a major victory for the taxpayers of our Commonwealth and I am proud of our Republican leaders in the state Senate and House for flatly rejecting the Governor and the Democrat Party's attempt to impose a major tax increase."
Over the last few weeks, Democrats in Harrisburg have proven just how out-of-touch they are with hardworking Pennsylvanians. Democrats everywhere used scare tactics and the Governor traveled the state on the taxpayer dime trying to convince hardworking Pennsylvanians that his 16% tax increase was necessary and that an additional $500 a year wasn't really that much money. Perhaps the most out-of-touch comment came from Rep. Phyllis Mundy of Luzerne County who, in the midst of stressing the need for the Governor's major tax increase, was quoted in The Patriot News as saying, "The people just don't get it."
Gleason added, "Sorry Rep. Mundy, the people do get it! They can't afford another tax increase and they are glad it failed. They also believe that the state government should work to control their spending, just as other Pennsylvania families have been forced to do during these tough economic times.
"Our Party is founded on the principles of lower taxes and fiscal responsibility, and the budget plan being supported by our Republican leaders adheres to those beliefs. This is a big win for our Party and we are ecstatic that we were able to defeat such a major tax increase that would have cut the budgets of hardworking Pennsylvania families."
Keep the pressure on lawmakers to prevent tax hike
As of Friday, 11 state Senators and 73 state Representatives have made the affirmation to oppose new taxes on Pennsylvania families and businesses, according to the Commonwealth Foundation, but it takes 26 Senators or 102 Representatives to stop a tax increase.
Taxpayers must keep the pressure on the Legislature to oppose any of Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed tax increases.
Find out if your area lawmakers have signed the No Tax pledge here.
A day after effectively killing Gov. Ed Rendell's call to raise the state income tax by 16 percent, Pennsylvania House Republicans have enveiled a balanced General Fund budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year that calls for no tax increases.
House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-66) and Republican Appropriations Chairman Mario Civera (R-164) announced the House Republican Caucus' $27.27 billion, no-tax-increase budget proposal at a Harrisburg press conference.
From a press release issued by Smith's office:
"Pennsylvanians expect a balanced budget, and they can't afford more taxes. House Republicans are offering a plan which meets those expectations," Smith said. "House Democrats have gone from one extreme to the other, yet, despite the budget deadline having passed more than a week ago, they still haven’t brought a budget bill to the floor.
"As consequences mount without a budget, Republicans think the Democrats' approach is irresponsible."
The Republican's fiscally responsible alternative increases funding for public education and continues funding for state parks, hospitals and universities.
"Today, we're presenting a $27.27 billion budget with no tax increases that ensures each school district gets increased funding. It continues necessary government services and avoids the thousands of layoffs projected by the governor and House Democrats. The Republican priority has always been protecting public safety, human services and educating our kids ... our budget proposal accomplishes it."
To balance the budget in the face of declining revenues and a $3.2 billion deficit, House Republicans are proposing a tax amnesty program to collect an estimated $1.5 billion in back taxes, as well as leasing of state-owned lands for natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region.
"We have brought to the people of Pennsylvania a balanced and fiscally responsible spending plan that does not raise a single tax. The governor and House Democrats said it could not be done, and we are here today to show them it can," Civera said.
"This plan does what every family in the Commonwealth has to do every day – it budgets what we can afford. It protects the state's priorities like education and public safety, and it ensures we are prepared for what may lie ahead.
"I admit it does not come without some pain. There were a lot of tough decisions made in this budget. But we took leadership and did what needed to be done."
Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Berks/Lehigh), Republican vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in response to news that the state Personal Income Tax (PIT) is no longer the focus of budget negotiations in Harrisburg:
"The voices of the taxpayers and legislators from both parties opposing this PIT increase are finally being heard. Developments today indicate that budget negotiators are backing off their insistence that the 16 percent PIT increase be the crux of negotiations.
"Republicans have been fighting for weeks to remove this $1.5 billion a year tax increase from the negotiating table and we are seeing some wiggle room because House Democrats are not finding the votes within their own caucus in support of this.
"We are also seeing some Republican ideas being incorporated into discussions that would enable passage of a budget that does not include the massive increase. Republican resistance to the tax increase has paid off - we have remained unified, and House Democrats are not seeing broad support for this PIT increase among their rank and file. Republicans have remained steadfast and forced the hand of the governor and Democrats to consider alternatives. The PIT should not be the lynchpin of resolving the state's budget crisis.
"Taxpayers deserve some credit too. Their calls to member offices, editorial letters and their comments in e-mails have put the pressure on all House and Senate members to consider alternatives to resolving the impasse. This collective effort has called into question the wisdom of insisting that a PIT increase is the only solution.
"We still have a tough situation to resolve - the state collected $3.25 billion less than it expected to during the last fiscal year - and we still need to fill that budget gap and gaps foreseen in subsequent years, but there are a number of ideas out there that can help to do this without this onerous $4.5 billion tax increase over a three-year period on wage earners and small businesses that pay the Personal Income Tax.
"People are realizing that if they are forced to live on less, government should take notice and cut costs without increasing the financial burden on taxpayers."
Tax Hike Not the Answer to Pennsylvania's Spending Crisis
By Rep. Curt Schroder R-Chester County
Gov. Ed Rendell has announced plans to raise the Personal Income Tax of Pennsylvania taxpayers by 16 percent, or a half percentage point increase as his answer to the state’s $3.2 billion budget shortfall.
The Rendell administration is spending a lot of time selling the idea that we have a revenue crisis in this state and more money is needed. We don't have a revenue crisis in Pennsylvania. We have a spending crisis and it's time we acknowledge it and begin dealing with it responsibly.
The state Senate recently passed a budget bill that was widely criticized for the depth of cuts it proposed. While the Senate bill was far from a perfect solution, it did reflect the economic realities facing lawmakers and Pennsylvania citizens.
Now is the time to scale back state government, to cut non-essential services and discretionary grant programs, and hold the line on spending. Yet, the governor's original budget proposed $700 million in new state spending even in the face of a massive deficit, at a time when people are losing their jobs and losing their homes to foreclosure. Now he proposes to take even more out of their paychecks. This is not a responsible or acceptable solution.
Last year, before passage of the 2008-09 budget, we were warned by Senate budget analysts that the proposed spending plan would result in a $1 billion deficit this year. They warned that revenue estimates were too high and unrealistic, and one-time revenue sources were being used. I rejected that budget, as did 31 of my House colleagues.
The taxpayers of this commonwealth need to know what is at stake. In order to maintain the level of state spending the governor is proposing, a broad-based tax increase like the one he has proposed would be necessary. Our current economic crisis could have been avoided if Pennsylvania's spending increases had stayed within the rate of inflation during the Rendell years. Under Rendell, the state budget has increased nearly 40 percent -- double the rate of inflation. Had we held spending to a modest 3 percent in each of the past six years, our spending would be in line with the revenues coming in today. Our budget would be balanced, important programs would be retained and there would be no danger of a tax increase.
Instead we are in a budget crisis. We are left with no easy choices, but the choices are clear. We must live within our means or prepare for a major tax increase. I will not vote for a tax increase, and I challenge those members of the General Assembly who are critical of efforts to budget responsibly to come clean with taxpayers and let them know which taxes they will raise in order to pass a budget that increases spending to the levels proposed by the governor.
Rep. Curt Schroder is a Republican who represents the 155th House District in Chester County. For more information, visit his Web site, www.curtschroder.com
The Obama energy tax passed the House by a 219-212 margin, but it can be stopped in the Senate. If you don't want to pay nearly $2 trillion in new taxes on electricity and other forms of energy to give more money to Al Gore and his global warming cabal, contact your U.S. senator and tell him to vote NO on "cap and trade."
The Pennsylvania Cable Network will dedicate Wednesday evening's programming to the state budget impasse.
Beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, PCN will air a block of special "On the Issues" programs featuring key lawmakers involved in the budget process.
Following these one-on-one interviews, Lieutenant Governor Joe Scarnati and Governor Ed Rendell will take viewers' calls during two separate LIVE PCN Call-In Program specials set to air starting at 6 p.m.
Each hour-long Call-In program will give viewers an opportunity to talk directly to the featured guest by dialing toll-free at 1-877-PA6-5001.
The schedule, including replay times, for this special PA budget programming block is as follows:
Wednesday, July 8:
5:00 p.m. – On the Issues: Rep. Mario Civera (R) – House Minority Appropriations Chair Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
5:15 p.m. – On the Issues: Rep. Dwight Evans (D) House Majority Appropriations Chair Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
5:30 p.m. – On the Issues: Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R) – Senate Majority Floor Leader Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
5:15 p.m. – On the Issues: Sen. Jay Costa (D) Senate Minority Appropriations Chair Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
6:00 p.m. (LIVE) – PCN Call-In program: Sen. Joe Scarnati, Lieutenant Governor/PA Senate Pro Tempore Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 9:00 p.m; Thursday, July 9 at 12:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
7:00 p.m. (LIVE) – PCN Call-In program: Governor Ed Rendell Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 10:00 p.m; Thursday, July 9 at 1:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
For updated information about special budget programming and other programming information, visit the daily schedule at pcntv.com
We now know where $1.8 billion in disposable income went during the past fiscal year in Pennsylvania.
Sales at Pennsylvania's state-operated Wine & Spirits stores reached a record $1.84 billion in fiscal year 2008-09, generating more than $494.5 million in sales tax, liquor tax and profits for the commonwealth's General Fund, Patrick "P.J." Stapleton III, chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said today.
From a press release:
"We are fortunate that sales at our Wine & Spirits stores continue to rise, even as the economy slows," said Stapleton. "Our success is all the more important to Pennsylvania taxpayers when you consider the $494.5 million in taxes and profits the Liquor Control Board transferred to the General Fund to help pay for essential services, such as public safety, education, transportation and health care."
Wait a minute. Is Stapleton encouraging Pennsylvanians to drink more alcohol in order to get the state out of its current fiscal crisis? Sure sounds like it.
More from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board:
For the fiscal year ended June 30, the agency collected $265.9 million in liquor taxes and $103.6 million in sales taxes and transferred $125 million of store profits to the state Treasury. The total of $494.5 million transferred to the General Fund is the largest amount in agency history.
"In 2009-10, Pennsylvanians will continue to see significant changes in the way our stores operate, and the Liquor Control Board will remain fully committed to fulfilling this mission," Stapleton said. "We will keep changing for the better to benefit all Pennsylvanians."
Four years ago today, the Pennsylvania Legislature voted itself, the governor and state judges a middle-of-the-night pay raise.
The Legislature has taken hundred of votes since that fateful day, but this is the only one we're still talking about.
The pay raise led to the modern reform movement and launched a thousand bloggers, including this one.
I agree with the assessment below by Lowman S. Henry and I actually said the same thing on my radio show on July 2 when state Rep. Tom Quigley called in to discuss the latest talk in Harrisburg about a potential tax hike to get Gov. Ed Rendell out of the deficit hole he created.
One-third of the Legislature in place during the 2005 pay raise vote is gone, driven into early retirement or tossed from office by voters.
In retrospect, the amount of the pay raise is insignificant compared to the $4.5 billion income tax hike Gov. Ed Rendell is pushing this year.
I told Rep. Quigley to tell his newer colleagues (the ones who replaced the payjackers over the past two election cycles) that if they vote "yes" for any broad-based tax increase, they will be voting to end their political careers.
If the Legislature votes to increase any major tax in 2009, whether it's the income tax or a sales tax, we'll be talking about the vote four years from now.
Balancing the state budget is not rocket science. You simply spend less money than you take in. Pennsylvania families and businesses have to live within their means every day. Why can't Ed Rendell?
"Contrary to the Governor's rhetoric, there are a plethora of reforms and spending cuts that can balance the budget without firing our police, evicting our elderly, or dumbing down our kids," says POLICY BLOG, which offers 10 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Tax Hikes.
Some of the suggestions:
1) Eliminate corporate welfare. The Governor's latest General Fund budget contains over $410 million in corporate welfare.
2) Eliminate, privatize, or implement user fees for "private goods" - such as museums, parks, and the arts. The Governor's budget spends almost $500 million to maintain non-core functions of state government.
3) Control self-service government programs expenses like legislative leadership accounts used to fund illegal bonuses. A number of state programs and expenditures work to benefit of government official and the detriment of citizens. Rendell's revised General Fund budget about $200 million on self-benefiting expenses.
We're more than half way there. As I mentioned before, the magic number is 128, which would constitute a majority in the House (102) and Senate (26) against the Rendell income tax hike.
As of today, 81 lawmakers have signed the "No Tax" pledge sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation. To check if your state senator or representative is on the list, click here.
The important numbers are in the House, where Democrats hold a 104-99 majority. Assuming all 99 Republicans vote against the Rendell tax hike, at least three Democrats must stand with taxpayers.
If your state representative is not on the list, call or e-mail him or her to find out why they want to raise your taxes.
The list is growing. Some 77 members of the Pennsylvania Legislature have signed a "No Tax" pledge sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation. That's up from 57 who were on the list yesterday. Review the full list here.
The magic number to defeat Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to raise the state income tax by $4.5 billion is 128. If 102 House members and 26 Senate members agree not to raise taxes, Pennsylvania families and businesses will be spared.
So far, 30 Republican members of the Senate are on record as opposing a tax increase. But the real battle is in the House, where Democrats hold a 104-99 majority. At least three Democrats have to vote against Rendell's tax hike, but more than the minimum should stand with Pennsylvania taxpayers.
If your state House member is not on the list, contact them today and find out why they want to raise your taxes. There's a complete list of lawmakers posted at http://pleasenomoretaxes.org, where you can also sign an online petition opposing a tax increase.
Pennsylvania finished with a $3.25 billion budget deficit for the 2008-09 fiscal year ending June 30, according to the Department of Revenue, which released estimated final tax revenue numbers today.
The state collected $2.3 billion in General Fund revenue in June, $415.3 million, or 15.5 percent, less than anticipated, according to Secretary of Revenue Stephen H. Stetler
Fiscal year 2008-09 General Fund collections totaled $25.5 billion, which is $3.25 billion, or 11.3 percent, below estimate, Stetler said.
Tax revenues, which were in the red for all 12 months of the past fiscal year, were down significantly in almost every category in June.
From a Pennsylvania Department of Revenue release:
Sales tax receipts totaled $675.6 million for June, which was $67.6 million below estimate. Sales tax collections for the fiscal year totaled $8.1 billion, which is $595.3 million, or 6.8 percent, less than anticipated.
Personal income tax (PIT) revenue in June was $818.4 million, which was $207.1 million below estimate. This brought fiscal year PIT collections to $10.2 billion, which is $1.3 billion, or 11.2 percent, below estimate.
June corporation tax revenue of $411.6 million was $82.2 million below estimate. Fiscal year corporation tax collections totaled $4.8 billion, which is $613.9 million, or 11.3 percent, below estimate.
Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $67.7 million in inheritance tax, $10.6 million below estimate, bringing the fiscal year total to $772.2 million, which is $105 million below estimate.
Realty transfer tax was $27.1 million for June, bringing the total to $294.5 million for the fiscal year, which is $117 million less than anticipated.
Other General Fund revenue including cigarette, malt beverage and liquor taxes totaled $101.3 million for the month, $5 million below estimate, bringing the fiscal year total to $1.1 billion, which is $26.2 million below estimate.
Non-tax revenue totaled $155.9 million for the month, $30.9 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $235.2 million, which is $506.4 million below estimate.
In addition to the General Fund collections, the Motor License Fund received $161.7 million for the month, $38.6 million below estimate. Fiscal year collections for the fund totaled $2.6 billion, which is $175.8 million, or 6.4 percent, below estimate.
A total of 57 members of the Pennsylvania Legislature have signed The Commonwealth Foundation's "No Tax Pledge," promising to "balance the budget, protect public safety and human services, and educate our children without raising taxes."
There are 253 members in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
If your state Senator or state Representative is not on the list, you need to contact them immediately to find out why they are not standing up for Pennsylvania taxpayers.
U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey is reaching across the aisle to extend a pat on the back to four Democratic members of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation for their recent vote against the cap and trade bill.
The climate change tax bill passed the House by a 219-212 margin, with 44 Democrats voting against it.
Toomey commended Democratic Reps. Jason Altmire (PA-04); Chris Carney (PA-10); Tim Holden (PA-17); and Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03) for "joining the bipartisan opposition to the cap-and-trade bill that promises to raise taxes and destroy American jobs."
More from a Toomey press release:
"Along with 40 other Democrats, these Pennsylvania Democrats had the courage to stand up to one-party rule in Washington," Toomey said. "They understand that protecting the environment is an important goal, but they are not willing to sacrifice American prosperity and hardworking taxpayers in the process. It is a shame Rep. Joe Sestak (PA-07) couldn't muster up the same courage. Instead, he voted to support Nancy Pelosi's extreme agenda. The question is, will Senator Specter choose the same path?"
"Only a couple of weeks ago, Senator Specter argued in support of maintaining balance in Washington in order to protect the country from extremism," said Toomey Communications Director Nachama Soloveichik. "He told The Hill newspaper that 'The United States desperately needs a two-party system.' But now that he has joined the Democratic Party, he seems intent on marching in lockstep with his new party in order to avoid a Democratic primary, even if it means throwing hardworking Americans under the bus. Senator Specter has the chance to prove he is serious about bringing balance to Washington — will he have the courage to do it?"
For more on Toomey's bid for a U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania, visit his campaign Web site, www.toomeyforsenate.com
Are you better off today than you were six months ago?
It's a shame we can't cast a vote of no confidence against the Obama Administration. Six months into the era of "hope and change," we've gotten "despair and more of the same."
More than 3 million Americans have lost their jobs since Obama took office, bringing the nation's unemployment rate to nearly 10 percent.
Gas prices are creeping toward $3.00 per gallon.
The trillion-dollar "stimulus" bill turned out to be what many predicted: A Democratic Party pork bill to reward the special interests who helped get them elected.
The government has taken over the banks, the car companies and now wants to run the health care system.
If Cap and Trade passes the Senate, electricity rates will skyrocket.
And what about the price of potatoes? Yes, potatoes.
That's what tipped off Mark Cour at the Circumlocution for Dummies blog that something is terribly wrong with America in the age of Obama.
From Circumlocution:
I'm not sure if anyone other than myself noticed, but the price of practically everything you may set out to purchase has escalated of late. Escalated and then some, I’d say. On Friday I paid $6.99 for a 10-pound bag of potatoes. That same bag of spuds would have set me back for $2.99 as little as a year ago.
And as I was exiting the supermarket with my overpriced veggies in hand, I passed a guy wearing a T-shirt with that “Yes we can” bit emblazoned on it. And after a quick mumble to myself, I thought, Yes we can? Yes we can, what?
Exactly what are we doing?
It get much better. It's one of the best commentaries I've read anywhere about the current state of affairs in this country.
State Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, made the following comments at a PACT with PA Press Conference in Harrisburg regarding the move by Gov. Rendell and House Democrats to raise taxes for Pennsylvania families and business owners:
Can we really afford to raise taxes? What will be the impact on our taxpayers – our small businesses- our struggling economy – on jobs? If taxes are raised, can the honestly be called "temporary?"
These are all great questions and they must be openly discussed, not twisted and spun to try and convince the public that what they know to be poison is really medicine.
Well if we look at history, this legislature hasn't done so well in regard to this principle. In 1991 we were faced with a $1 billion deficit—but instead of cutting back on spending, taxes were raised $3 billion - $ 1 Billion in needed revenue, $2 Billion to “buy” the votes. That $2Billion/yr has resulted in taxpayers losing over $35 Billion dollars. You see raising taxes is VERY expensive.
In fact, this legislature has resorted to raising taxes in every previous recession (1983, 1991, and 2003). Today, we're facing a $3 billion+ deficit from just this current year with the need to address in this budget an equivalent of around $7Billion. Does anyone think we can afford to raise taxes without absolutely destroying our economy and breaking the backs of our taxpayers? So history doesn't look to good. Now is the time to learn from history, consider the negative impact of the previous tax increases and live within available revenues.
Fact 1: Tax Freedom Day, or the day where Americans stop working to pay taxes and start working for themselves, fell on April 13th. Pennsylvanians work a full 103 days, or three and a half months, to pay federal, state and income taxes. During 2009, you and I will pay more in taxes than we spend on food, clothing, and housing combined.
Fact 2: Pennsylvanians in particular shoulder a heavy burden: with the 11th high state and local tax burden in the country, Pennsylvanians pay on average $13,000 PER PERSON (not wage-earner) in taxes. In 2008-2009, our Pennsylvania state and local governments spent $10,000 for every man, woman, and child.
Fact 3: Raising the PIT as the Governor wants to do will destroy jobs: According to the PA State Tax Analysis Modeling Program, or PA-STAMP, a 1% increase in personal income tax would result in a net loss of 47,633 jobs next year.
Can your family afford a state income tax increase right now? If not, you must make your voice heard in Harrisburg, where Gov. Ed Rendell and his doormat Democrats in the House are planning to raise the state income by 16 percent to cover the $3.2 billion budget deficit they ran up in the past year.
If you're tired of sending your paycheck to Harrisburg, if you're tired of uncontrolled spending by professional politicians, you need to send a message to your state House member that you will vote them out in 2010 if they vote to raise your taxes in 2009.
All the propaganda. All the back room deals. All the pork amendments to buy votes.
And all Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi could get was a 219-212 margin to pass the cap and trade energy tax in the House?
Don't be surprised if the $1.9 trillion global warming tax fails in the Senate.
A 7-vote margin in the overwhelmingly Democratic House? That's pathetic. A total of 44 Demcorats voted against cap and trade! It took 8 GOP House members to pass it.
It's not looking good for Obamacare or other future Obama spending sprees.
House Democrats are beginning to worry about their re-election chances in 2010 as the Obama recession continues, unemployment is reaching record levels and the unprecedented debt Obama has piled on the U.S. takes its toll.
Democrats control the House of Representatives by a 255-178 majority, but Nancy Pelosi could barely muster enough votes to pass the $1.9 trillion cap and trade energy tax.
In fact, the Democrats didn't have enough votes until 8 Republicans crossed over to support the largest tax increase in U.S. history.
Michelle Malkin has the names and photos of the 8 turncoat Republicans who sold out the U.S. taxpayer to appease the global warming fanatics.
Electricity rates (and all energy costs) will skyrocket for American families and businesses if the cap and trade bill passes the Senate. Barack Obama has already vowed to sign the tax increase into law.
Read Malkin's full post, "The 8 cap-and-tax Republicans…and the 44 Democrats who voted no" at her blog.
And be sure to remember their names when they're up for re-election in 2010.
PA GOP: DEMOCRATS TO 'TAX THE LIGHTS OUT' OF PENNSYLVANIANS
Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement regarding the Congressional Democrats' "cap and trade" energy tax:
"I am deeply concerned by President Obama and the Democrat's support for the national energy tax known as 'cap and trade'," Gleason said. "'Cap and trade' is an impractical approach to energy independence and will kill jobs and tax millions of hardworking families. In these difficult economic times, it is wrong to force the average American family to pay an extra $1200 in energy costs when many are struggling just to make ends' meet.
"'Cap and trade' will have a devastating effect on Pennsylvanians who work in the energy industry, particularly in the coal and natural gas sectors. Our Commonwealth deserves a comprehensive energy plan. Instead of a massive tax increase that will force millions of jobs overseas, we need to pursue 'all of the above' energy strategies that will decrease our dependence on foreign sources of energy while keeping jobs here at home.
"I urge all members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation to stand up for common sense and stand against this destructive tax increase."
According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, implementing 'cap and trade' would cost this country $144.8 billion, or $1,218 per household. (Andrew Chamberlain, "Who Pays for Climate Policy? New Estimates of the Household Burden and Economic Impact Of A U.S. Cap-And-Trade System," Tax Foundation Working Paper #6, 3/16/09)
In order to demonstrate high costs of 'cap and trade' legislation on hardworking families, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania will be hand-delivering candles to our Democrat colleagues today. If a national energy tax is implemented in this country, candles will be the only way many Americans will be able to afford to light their homes.
As House Democrats prepare to pass a $1.9 trillion global warming tax, let's take a step back and review some of the facts about the greatest hoax in human history.
Climate change Chicken Littles squawked last week and too many supposedly objective media outlets compliantly engaged in global warming stenography.
"The observed climate changes that we report are not opinions to be debated," said Jerry Melillo, one of the chief authors of a White House-released study predicting global warming Armageddon. "They are facts to be dealt with."
Selective facts presented dishonestly and dealt with hysterically, we would add.
Geophysicist David Deming offers some badly needed perspective:
• There has been no sea level rise for the past three years
• Hurricane, typhoon and tropical cyclone activity is at a 30-year low
• Satellite data don't indicate global warming but temperatures about the same or even lower than they were in 1979
• Mean global sea ice is at the same levels as it was when monitoring began that same year.
And then there's this from Dr. Deming:
"The new scare report issued by the Obama administration refers to the work of Stephen H. Schneider six times. You will recall that Schneider is infamous for telling Discover magazine (October 1989) that 'we have to offer up scary scenarios, make simplified, dramatic statements, and make little mention of any doubts we might have ... each of us has to decide what the right balance is between being effective and being honest.'"
Global warming is the greatest fraud ever committed by men against mankind. Who will hold these fraudsters accountable?
Call Your Congressman to Oppose National Energy Tax
Congressman Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement on the House floor in regards to the Democrats' $1.9 trillion national energy tax:
"The Old Book contains an admonition to lawmakers with these words: ‘Woe to you because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry and you yourselves will not lift a finger to help them.' In the midst of the worst economy in a generation, remarkably House Democrats are poised this week to load the American people down with a national energy tax. And the American people deserve to know it.
"Now, there's lots of debate about what this bill will cost the average American but there is no dispute the Democrat cap and trade bill will raise the cost of energy to every household in America, every small business, every family farm, and it will cost millions of American jobs. And the vote is tomorrow.
"If you oppose the national energy tax, I say call your congressman. If you think the Democrat cap and trade bill will cap growth and trade jobs, call your congressman. If you believe the American people deserve an all-of-the-above energy strategy that will create jobs, achieve energy independence and a cleaner environment then endorse the Republican alternative, call your congressman.
"A minority in Congress plus the American people equals a majority. We can reject cap and trade this week and so we must."
Libertarian Party urges 'No' vote on $1.9 trillion energy tax
America's third largest political party is warning that Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats are rushing toward a massive new energy tax on American families known as "cap and trade," or the Waxman-Markey bill.
"With unemployment rising above and beyond what President Obama said it would be with the multi-hundred billion dollar stimulus bill, now is not the time to dismantle our economy with a multi-hundred billion dollar energy tax hike," said William Redpath of the Libertarian Party.
"Libertarians urge House members to defeat this job-killing tax hike on Americans," said Redpath. "Libertarian candidates are out there every day proposing proven solutions to create the jobs we need and restore our prosperity. This $1.9 trillion tax hike would destroy millions of jobs and impose dramatically higher prices for everything."
More from a Libertarian Party release:
At nearly 1,000 pages, H.R. 2454, sponsored by Democrat Reps. Henry Waxman and Edward Markey, imposes new taxes on any economic activity that produces carbon dioxide. Pelosi hopes to rush the bill to a vote, despite no net temperature increase globally over the last decade, significant research showing man-made carbon dioxide isn't changing the climate and opposition from thousands of scientists.
The economic impact would be harsh. According to research from the independent, non-partisan Heritage Foundation, the bill would have devastating impacts on the average American family.
The research found that by 2035, gasoline prices would increase 58 percent, natural gas prices would increase 55 percent, prices for home heating oil would increase 56 percent, and worst of all, electricity prices would jump 90 percent.
While the average American would pay the tax once in the form of higher energy prices, they also pay it again in higher costs for goods that must be manufactured and services that must be provided using energy.
The average family of four could see $2,979 in higher prices per year, paying $4,609 more in 2035 alone. The total costs to the average family in higher prices, from 2012 to 2035, reach $71,493.
The bill would also destroy millions of jobs, even taking into account Obama administration promises of new “green” jobs. The research finds an average annual job loss of 1,145,000 jobs per year because of Waxman-Markey. In the worst years, 2,479,000 Americans will lose their jobs annually under Waxman-Markey.
Rep. Joe Pitts, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, is a straight shooter, especially when it comes to looking out for the taxpayer.
Pitts is warning that Nancy Pelosi and Democrats are rushing the Waxman-Markey energy tax bill through the House before taxpayers can figure out how much it's going to cost them.
From a statement issued by Pitts:
"Every American should be gravely concerned about this legislation. Protecting the environment is extremely important, but we should do so wisely and carefully. This is reckless and extreme legislation that will hurt people who are already suffering and do significant damage to the American economy. It will drive manufacturing jobs out of the country to places like China. It will hurt American competitiveness in the world economy. Pennsylvania will be among the hardest hit states.
"The economics of this are simple: affordable energy is critical to prosperity. This legislation will make energy much more expensive. That translates to a less prosperous America with higher poverty rates, higher taxes, and a much bigger national debt. The right way to protect the environment is to make clean energy cheaper by encouraging proven sources of clean energy like wind, solar, and nuclear along with the development of cutting-edge technologies like plug-in hybrid cars and hydrogen fuel cells.
"I will be offering amendments to this bill in an attempt to limit its damage to the economy. However, I expect Democratic leaders to block votes on those amendments."
Pitts is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has primary jurisdiction over the legislation. He is also a member of the committee's Energy and Environment Subcommittee.
Veteran Harrisburg reporter Brad Bumsted does a good job of getting to the heart of the current stalemate between Gov. Rendell and his doormat House Democrats versus the Republican-controlled Senate.
Rendell and Democratic leaders want to raise the state income tax by 16 percent to make up for the $3.2 billion deficit Rendell ran up this year.
Senate Republicans (and their House counterparts) say they will not support any new taxes.
What's at stake is control of the Legislature in 2010 and beyond. Rendell is a lame duck. What he wants doesn't matter.
If Senate Republicans cave on the tax issue, they lose all credibility with voters and Democrats will chip away at the GOP's 30-20 majority.
If even one of the 99 Republicans in the House caves on the tax issue, Republicans will become a permanent minority.
Voters are angry. Angry about runaway spending. Angry about the state's economic woes, brought on largely by Rendell's failed policies.
Voters changed 1 in 3 members of the House over the past two election cycles since the infamous pay raise vote in 2005. If House members give in to Rendell and approve a tax hike, expect another large-scale voter revolt in 2010.
That's what Busted thinks, too.
From his latest column in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Will the GOP hold the line?
Are we in for a replay of the 1991 budget battle under then-Gov. Robert P. Casey when it took until mid-August to round up the votes for an income tax hike?
That began as an effort to close a $1 billion deficit. In the end, the tax hike was almost $3 billion. About $2 billion in additional spending bought members' tax votes. Hundreds of millions went for increased program spending sought by Democrat lawmakers, along with millions for their pet projects.
But the bigger question comes if the full Legislature acquiesces to Rendell and goes along with a tax increase. With the 2005 pay-jacking outrage still fresh in the minds of many, will a full-scale public revolt be next?
The Republican Party of Pennsylvania released a new Web ad titled "$500" today, examining the true cost of Gov. Ed Rendell and the Democrats' plan to raise personal income taxes by 16% on Pennsylvania families.
From a GOP press release:
"Pennsylvanians should be outraged by the Governor's proposal to increase taxes," said PA GOP Chairman Rob Gleason. "Rather than make fiscally responsible decisions in Harrisburg, he has decided to shift the burden of the state's $3 billion budget deficit to Pennsylvania families by calling for a major tax hike. Governor Ed Rendell's decision to cut the annual budget of every hardworking Pennsylvania family by $500 is deplorable."
The Republican Party of Pennsylvania encourages Pennsylvanians to contact Gov. Ed Rendell and Democrat Party leaders and to pass a fiscally responsible budget that will not increase taxes before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
"For months, Republicans have put forth real solutions that will balance our budget without raising taxes. It is time for Democrats to do the job they are paid to do and make tough decisions in Harrisburg, not force hardworking Pennsylvanians to carry the burden of their out-of-control spending proposals and decision to increase taxes."
Can your family afford a state income tax increase right now? If not, you must make your voice heard in Harrisburg, where Gov. Ed Rendell and his doormat Democrats in the House are planning to raise the state income by 16 percent to cover the $3.2 billion budget deficit they ran up in the past year.
If you're tired of sending your paycheck to Harrisburg, if you're tired of uncontrolled spending by professional politicians, you need to send a message to your state House member that you will vote them out in 2010 if they vote to raise your taxes in 2009.
Rep. Curt Schroder, R-155, on the Rendell drumbeat for higher taxes to help the governor dig out of the $3.2 billion deficit he created:
"The Rendell administration is spending a lot of time selling the idea that we have a revenue crisis in this state and more money is needed," Schroder said in a written statement. "We don't have a revenue crisis in Pennsylvania. We have a spending crisis and it's time we acknowledge it and begin dealing with it responsibly."
Schroder said the Senate's budget bill, which was killed by Democrats in House committee, was widely criticized for the depth of cuts it proposed. While acknowledging that the bill was far from perfect, he said it reflected the economic realities facing lawmakers and Pennsylvania citizens.
"Now is the time to scale back state government, to cut non-essential services and discretionary grant programs, and hold the line on spending," said Schroder. "The governor's budget proposes $700 million in new state spending at a time when people are losing their jobs, and losing their homes to foreclosure. Now he proposes to take even more out of their paychecks. This is not a responsible solution. It's time to cut spending now!"
Let's assume for a moment that 10 members of the Republican Senate majority go insane and vote with the 20 Senate Democrats to support Gov. Ed Rendell's 16% income tax hike, which would drain $4.5 billion from working Pennsylvanians and small business owners over the next three years.
The tax hike would still have to pass the House, where Democrats hold a 104-99 majority.
For any legislation to pass the lower chamber, a majority vote of 102 members is needed.
For Rendell's tax hike to die in the House, only three Democrats need to join the 99 Republicans in voting against an income-tax increase.
In the past two weeks, I've been posting contact information for Southeast Pennsylvania House members who are serving in their first or second terms.
Only three of the lawmakers listed below need to oppose Rendell's tax hike and stand with their constituents against higher taxes and runaway spending.
If you recognize the names below as your representative, click on the link and send them a message that you can't afford to pay any more taxes ... and remind them that you will never vote for them again if they support Rendell's tax hikes.
Another 18,000 Pennsylvania residents lost their jobs in May, bringing the state's unemployment rate to 8.2 percent, up from 7.8 percent the previous month, according to the latest numbers released by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
Pennsylvania has lost 185,000 jobs since May 2008. The 8.2% unemployment rate is the highest the state has seen since 1985.
Despite the continuing recession, Gov. Ed Rendell wants to raise taxes on working Pennsylvanians and small business owners.
A coalition of business and industry groups predicts the loss of an additional 24,000 jobs if Gov. Rendell is successful in persuading the Pennsylvania Legislature to increase the state's income tax by 16 percent to help make up for the $3.2 billion budget deficit Rendell has run up in the past year.
For more labor statistics, click on the link below:
Rep. Barbara McIlvaine Smith is a Democrat who represents the 156th House District in Chester County.
McIlvaine Smith has an important vote to cast on behalf of the residents of the 156th District. Gov. Ed Rendell wants to spend $29 billion for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The only way to balance Rendell's budget is through major tax increases. Rendell's current budget is expected to finish $3.2 billion in the red but he still wants to spend more of your money next year.
McIlvaine Smith is being pressured by Rendell and the Democratic party bosses in Harrisburg to raise taxes on his constituents to continue the out-of-control spending in Harrisburg.
If you live in the 156th House District -- the borough of West Chester; the townships of East Goshen and West Goshen; part of East Bradford Township (South 1 and South 2 precincts) -- you need to remind Rep. McIlvaine Smith that if she votes to raise your taxes, she will not receive your vote in 2010 when she seeks re-election.
Business leaders: Rendell's $4.5B tax hike will cost 24,000 jobs
Somebody should tell Gov. Ed Rendell there's a recession going on.
With tens of thousands of Pennsylvania residents out of work and businesses closing their doors every day, the last thing the state needs to do is raise taxes on workers and small business owners.
That's the message a group of business leaders want to send to Gov. Rendell and the Pennsylvania Legislature as state officials get closer to the state's annual budget deadline.
The National Federation of Independent Business/Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Business Council, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, and the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association issued a joint statement warning that a 16-percent increase in the state's personal income tax would result in the loss of 24,000 jobs.
And that's the short-term consequences, warn business leaders. Higher taxes will worsen the Commonwealth's budget and financial problems, and extend them deeper into the future, the business coalition says.
Gov. Rendell's tax hike also would reduce Pennsylvanians' disposable income by an estimated $1 billion, the group estimates.
Along with the personal income tax increase, Rendell also wants to impose new taxes on tobacco and the fledgling natural gas industry, the business leaders said. There is also a movement in the Legislature to allow counties to raise the state sales tax.
"When you tax something, you get less of it," NFIB state director Kevin Shivers said in a written statement. "The decline in sales tax revenues and income tax collections are a stark reminder that consumers are afraid to spend because they are worried about their jobs and economic uncertainty. Proposing new taxes now would have a chilling effect on Pennsylvania's economy."
More from Shivers:
"Pennsylvania businesses already are being asked to pay $400 million in new payroll taxes to help pay down the $1 billion deficit in the state's unemployment fund. Raising the state income tax -- which is THE business tax for most small businesses -- would be especially harmful in the current climate and impede our ability to recover. Business will be forced to adapt to such dramatic losses in revenue by postponing new hiring, equipment purchases and upgrades; reducing work hours for current employees; and unfortunately cutting jobs."
While Gov. Ed Rendell wants to saddle Pennsylvania's beleaguered taxpayers with a 16% increase in the personal income tax, a group of Republican lawmakers have announced the "Pact with PA" offering a road map to fiscal stability without tax hikes.
"The Pact with Pennsylvania is more than a promise made by the lawmakers who adopt it," said state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks. "It is a promise to their constituents that they will abide by the commonsense principles in the agreement. It is a basic fiscal framework that, if embraced, will assure a workable budget that meets not only the demands of the moment, but the uncertainties of the future."
The Pact is an agreement detailing the five principles that should guide lawmakers' actions during upcoming budget negotiations and the eventual budget vote. Those principles include:
1. No tax increases. 2. No additional state debt. 3. Rainy Day Fund: preserved for original intent. 4. Stabilize existing financial obligations. 5. Proactive tax reform to improve Pennsylvania’s job climate.
"We want a budget that protects the state's savings account, addresses long-term issues, promotes economic growth and that does not raise taxes or increase debt," said Rohrer, who addressed the need to avoid a tax increase as outlined in point No. 1 of the pact. "It is heartless to suggest that, while they're struggling to make it through an economic recession, the state should take more from Pennsylvanians through higher taxes. State lawmakers should not kick taxpayers while they're down. It is entirely inappropriate to add greater tax burdens to our citizens just because that is easier than living within our means."
The Pact has been endorsed Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-128), Republican chairman of the House Finance Committee; Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R-99), Republican chairman of the House Policy Committee Task Force on Budget and Economic Issues; Rep. Mike Turzai (R-28), House Republican whip; Sen. Pat Browne (R-16), Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; and Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr. (R-30), member of the Senate Finance Committee and chairman of the Senate Local Government Committee.
The legislators are encouraging their colleagues in the House and Senate, and the governor, to participate in the agreement between lawmakers and residents.
Copies of the "Pact with Pennsylvania" are available at Rohrer's Web site at SamRohrer.com
Rep. Tim Briggs is a freshman Democrat who represents the 149th House District in Montgomery County.
Briggs has served in the Legislature for five months. His first major vote will be on Gov. Ed Rendell's $29 billion budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The only way to balance Rendell's budget is through major tax increases. Rendell's current budget is expected to finish $3.2 billion in the red but he still wants to spend more of your money next year.
Briggs is being pressured by Rendell and the Democratic party bosses in Harrisburg to raise taxes on his constituents to continue the out-of-control spending in Harrisburg.
If you live in the 149th House District -- King of Prussia, Swedesburg, Swedeland, Gulph Mills, Villanova, Rosemont, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Ardmore, Wynnewood, and Penn Wynne, the townships of Lower Merion (PART), and Upper Merion, and the boroughs of West Conshohocken, and Bridgeport -- you need to remind Rep. Briggs that if he votes to raise your taxes, he will not receive your vote in 2010 when he seeks re-election.
Stop me if you've heard this one before: Gov. Ed Rendell wants to raise your taxes.
The same governor who signed the second biggest income tax hike in state history when he first took office in 2003 wants to raise the state's personal income tax again.
It seems Gov. Rendell has spent all of the money the first tax hike brought in, so he'd like you (the few Pennsylvania residents who still have a job) to send more of your paycheck to him so he can spend it before he leaves office at the end of 2010.
Some good early reaction to Rendell's idiotic plan to raise taxes during a recession from conservative bloggers.
Governor Rendell announced today that to satisfy his appetite for more spending, he would like to increase Pennsylvania's Personal Income Tax (PIT) by 0.5 percentage points - to 3.57%.
As we announced yesterday, a PIT increase would cost thousands of Pennsylvania jobs.
Our updated analysis reveals that Rendell's latest proposed increase would cost 24,000 Pennsylvanians their jobs. This is on top of those jobs already lost during the current recession.
The movie "Hangover" continues to top the box office charts, and here in Harrisburg Governor Ed Rendell's pursuit of a new state budget is about as, well, juvenile.
Like the schoolyard bully given a wedgie, the governor is threatening to take the budget ball and hide in his room until he again gets his way. And he's willing to stay there until at least Labor Day, or so he says.
Yep, that's the latest from Rendell. Give me what I want or nobody gets anything. That is his response to legislative Republicans who have refused to roll over and give him new taxes, and who are insisting that the state trim the budget and spend within our means.
I don't call him "Rundown Rendell" for nothing. Fast Eddie continues to try to destroy the state of Pennsylvania with his old tired "tax and spend" philosophy. His latest idea: a 16% personal income tax increase. Another liberal-genius way to lose tens of thousands of Pennsylvania jobs that Pennsylvania doesn't have to lose to begin with.
While Gov. Ed Rendell and House Democratic leaders are pushing for more spending and higher taxes, a group of Pennsylvania lawmakers will unveil an alternative plan called 'Pact with PA' on Tuesday. Th Pact is an "agreement with taxpayers offers principles for a sound state budget."
Here's some more information about the plan from state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks:
WHAT: A news conference to unveil the "Pact with Pennsylvania," a proposed agreement between fiscally responsible lawmakers and the taxpayers they represent in the state Legislature that offers commonsense principles to deal with Pennsylvania's looming budget deficit and bring spending into balance with revenues.
WHO: Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-128), Republican chairman of the House Finance Committee; Sen. Pat Browne (R-16), Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R-99), Republican chairman of the House Policy Committee Task Force on Budget and Economic Issues; Rep. Mike Turzai (R-28), House Republican whip; and Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr. (R-30), member of the Senate Finance Committee and chairman of the Senate Local Government Committee.
DATE: Tuesday, June 16.
TIME: 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Capitol Media Center, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Brad Bumsted of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review does a nice job of putting the state budget process into the right perspective in his latest column.
Gov. Ed Rendell and House Democrats want to increase state spending (and raise taxes) even though the current budget is more than $3 billion in the red and tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians are out of work.
Republican lawmakers want minimal cuts in state spending and have introduced a $27 billion balanced budget.
From Busted's latest column:
What's at stake between $27 billion and $29 billion is quite simply whether you pay higher state taxes. And talk is aplenty of a state income tax increase to close a projected $3.2 billion deficit.
Rendell's propaganda campaign lays the groundwork for an income tax boost by pointing out all of the "devastating" consequences of spending less.
Busted also questions the use of taxpayer dollars by Rendell to promote his deficit, higher-taxes budget.
"How many hundreds of employee hours and state tax dollars went into preparing these news releases, which are all aimed at spending even more of your tax dollars?" Busted asks.
And how much did the recent propaganda bus tour orchestrated by Rendell cost taxpayers?
Rep. Tom Houghton is a freshman Democrat who represents the 13th House District in Chester County.
Houghton has served in the Legislature for five months. His first major vote will be on Gov. Ed Rendell's $29 billion budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The only way to balance Rendell's budget is through major tax increases. Rendell's current budget is expected to finish $3.2 billion in the red but he still wants to spend more of your money next year.
Houghton campaigned on the promise of reducing property taxes but he is being pressured by Rendell and the Democratic party bosses in Harrisburg to raise taxes on his constituents to continue the out-of-control spending in Harrisburg.
If you live in the 13th House District -- the townships of East Fallowfield, East Nottingham, Elk, Franklin, Highland, London Grove, Londonderry, Lower Oxford, New London, Penn, Sadsbury, Upper Oxford, West Fallowfield, West Nottingham and West Sadsbury and the boroughs of Atglen, Modena, Oxford, Parkesburg, South Coatesville and West Grove -- you need to remind Rep. Houghton that if he votes to raise your taxes, he will not receive your vote in 2010 when he seeks re-election.
Rep. David R. Kessler is in his second term representing the 130th House District in Berks County. Kessler, a Democrat, was elected to the House in 2006.
His first major vote of 2009 will be on Gov. Ed Rendell's $29 billion budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The only way to balance Rendell's budget is through major tax increases. Rendell's current budget is expected to finish $3.2 billion in the red but he still wants to spend more of your money next year.
Kessler campaigned on the promise of reducing property taxes but he is being pressured by Rendell and the Harrisburg party bosses to raise taxes on his constituents to continue the out-of-control spending in the State Capitol.
If you live in the 130th House District -- the townships of Amity, Colebrookdale, Douglass, Earl, Exeter (PART, Districts 01, 03, 06 and 07), Oley, Pike, Rockland, Ruscombmanor and Union and the boroughs of Birdsboro, Boyertown and Fleetwood -- you need to remind Rep. Kessler that if he votes to raise your taxes in 2009, he will not receive your vote in 2010 when he seeks re-election.
Rep. Matthew D. Bradford is a freshman Democrat who represents the 70th House District in parts of Montgomery County.
Bradford has served in the Legislature for five months. His first major vote will be on Gov. Ed Rendell's $29 billion budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The only way to balance Rendell's budget is through major tax increases. Rendell's current budget is expected to finish $3.2 billion in the red.
Bradford campaigned on the promise of reducing property taxes. Ironically he is being pressured by Rendell and the Democratic party bosses in Harrisburg to raise taxes on his constituents to continue the out-of-control spending in Harrisburg.
If you live in the 70th House District -- the townships of of East Norriton (PART, Districts 01 [PART, Divisions 01, 02 and 03] and 02), Lower Salford, Skippack (PART, District 01), Towamencin (PART, Districts 02 [PART, Divisions 02 and 03] and 03 [PART, Division 03]) and Worcester and the borough of Norristown (PART, Districts 01 [PART, Divisions 02 and 03], 03 and 04) -- you need to remind Rep. Bradford that if he votes to raise your taxes, he will not receive your vote in 2010 when he seeks re-election.
Here's a roundup of news coverage of Tuesday's Taxpayers Protest at the State Capitol:
From a story by Lauren Boyer of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Special-interest groups clamoring for a share of taxpayers' dollars are like pigs at a trough, Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe said Tuesday.
"The taxpayers who are providing the feed in this trough have had enough," said Metcalfe of Cranberry, surrounded by dozens of taxpayers gathered for a rally to protest a potential state income-tax increase.
Read the full story, "Taxpayer rally targets special-interest groups" at the newspaper's Web site.
Read "Capitol rally protests possible state tax increases" at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Web site.
Read "Protesters rally against tax hikes at state Capitol" at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Web site.
Read "Taxpayers' protest held in Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg" at the Harrisburg Patriot-News Web site.
Inexplicably, The Associated Press failed to cover the rally. Since most of the newspapers, radio and television stations in Pennsylvania rely on the AP for coverage of Harrisburg news, most Pennsylvania residents did not hear about the rally.
You can find a list of state legislators who are standing with constituents in opposing new taxes at www.statecapitolprotest.com
There's also video from Tuesday's rally posted at state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's Web site, http://www.repmetcalfe.com/
Rep. Paul J. Drucker is a freshman Democrat who represents the 157th House Dist. in parts of Chester and Montgomery counties.
Drucker has served in the Legislature for five months. His first major vote will be on Gov. Ed Rendell's $29 billion budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The only way to balance Rendell's budget is through major tax increases. Rendell's current budget is expected to finish $3.2 billion in the red.
Drucker campaigned on the promise of reducing property taxes. Ironically he is being pressured by Rendell and the Democratic party bosses in Harrisburg to raise taxes on his constituents to continue the out-of-control spending in Harrisburg.
If you live in the 157th District (Schuylkill and Tredyffrin townships, Phoenixville Borough and parts of Lower Providence and West Norriton townships), you need to remind Rep. Drucker that if he votes to raise your taxes, he will not receive your vote in 2010 when he seeks re-election.
The House Appropriations Committee, voting along party lines Monday, rejected the Senate's $27.3 billion no tax increase budget.
That leaves Gov. Ed Rendell's $29 billion deficit budget (with a variety of tax increases) on the table. And Rendell's budget does not address that $3.2 billion deficit in the current fiscal year.
Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Berks/Lehigh), Republican vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement:
"Today we saw firsthand the commitment of House Democrats to avoid passing a budget bill that reins in state spending and averts a state personal income tax increase. Senate Bill 850 spends significantly less than Governor Ed Rendell's budget proposal. The budget supported by Democrats has not been introduced yet, but will likely spend more money than Pennsylvania is capable of taking in without a tax increase amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. They have not offered their own budget, or legislation detailing which taxes they would increase and by how much.
"None of the taxes the governor relies on for his budget have been detailed in bill form. No new proposal has been put forth by the governor now that his proposed budget from February is seriously out of balance.
"There are 22 days until the end of the fiscal year. Republicans will not be voting for tax increases to pay for more spending during this recession no matter how often Democrats tell us that we need to be taxed more.
"I put forth the idea that we can advance the budget process by reporting Senate Bill 850 from committee with a negative recommendation, which is permitted according to House rules, but this attempt to move forward was blocked with a partisan vote to defeat the bill. Now, we're back at square one, no closer to having a budget bill to debate on the House floor and with the governor touring the state to promote higher taxes."
Tony Phyrillas is the city editor and political columnist for The Mercury, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper in Pottstown, Pa. Phyrillas has won several national and state awards for his columns. Phyrillas has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and in The New York Times and is a frequent commentator on radio and television programs. He co-hosts "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" Thursdays at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM.
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Working families in Pennsylvania pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than their wealthiest counterparts, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy.
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