Feb. 09, 2016
HARRISBURG – “A lecturer, not a leader” is how state Reps. Dan Moul (R-Gettysburg) and Will Tallman (R-Adams/Cumberland) labeled the man who delivered his 2016-17 budget address today before the General Assembly. While avoiding details during his speech, Gov. Tom Wolf later laid out a plan to raise the Personal Income Tax from 3.07 percent to 3.4 percent for 2016-17, and make it retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year. He also wants to add sales tax to basic cable television bills and movie theater ticket purchases, as well as increase the cigarette tax by $1 per pack.
The representatives issued the following statement in response to the governor’s proposal:
“We showed up today, expecting Gov. Tom Wolf to lay out a plan for the future. What we got instead was an unprofessional lecture from a man who told us to get new jobs if we didn’t want to go along with his plan and then failed to detail that plan for anyone watching on television or online.
“Behind the scenes, he laid out a desire to hit the Pennsylvania taxpayer again, where it hurts the most, and in the same place where he tried before and failed. Legislators on both sides of the aisle repeatedly voted down his prior broad-based tax increase proposals, but he won’t take no for an answer. We’re on the front lines, dealing directly with the people who must pay the bills. The governor does not know these people like we do. They’ve had enough.
“The best leader fights for his agenda but knows when to ‘face the music.’ The governor needs to take another path, one that doesn’t go through the Pennsylvania taxpayers’ wallets. Our citizens expect state government to live within its means.”
Representative Dan Moul
91st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Donna Pinkham
717.260.6452
dpinkham@pahousegop.com
RepMoul.com
Representative Will Tallman
193rd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Scott Little
717.260.6137
slittle@pahousegop.com
RepWillTallman.com /
Facebook.com/RepTallman