Diamond: Wolf Proposes Massive Tax and Spending Increases
HARRISBURG – Following Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget speech today, Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) said that while the governor addressed many of the right priorities, he’s using the wrong approach.
“I agree with Governor Wolf on the urgent need for pension reform, liquor sales reform, business tax reform, and a solution to the property tax crisis, but $4.7 billion more in state spending is not going to get us there. Pennsylvanians are taxed too much already.”
The $4.7 billion in tax hikes outlined by Wolf would primarily be shouldered by everyday Pennsylvanians in the form of higher sales and personal income taxes.
Although the governor claims that spending under his proposal would increase by only 2 percent to $29.8 billion, Diamond explained why Wolf’s figures are misleading.
“The governor is using clever and complicated accounting methods to remove pension costs from the budget document itself,” said Diamond. “When these and other tax-related expenditures are factored in, the governor has actually proposed $33.8 billion in spending – an increase of 16 percent, which is 10 times the rate of inflation. This translates to $375 in new state spending for every man, woman and child in the Commonwealth.”
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Representative Russ Diamond
102nd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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