Jan. 05, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. George Dunbar (R-Westmoreland) issued the following statement regarding Gov. Tom Wolf’s partial veto of the responsible 2015-16 state budget (
House Bill 1460) that was sent to him by the Legislature on Dec. 24:
“Rather than holding our schools and human service agencies hostage to use as political leverage for increased taxes, the governor should have released this funding back in June, when he became the first Pennsylvania governor since 1958 to completely veto an entire state budget.
“While I am pleased to see that the governor has finally admitted that he has purposely taken budget hostages during the past six months, we must now address the real issue that remains at the core of this ongoing state budget impasse—the governor’s relentless demands for massive income and sales tax increases—which would exceed the level of increased taxation in all of the remaining 49 states combined.
“The $30.3 billion, no-tax-increase spending plan that was sent to the governor’s desk was a prudent, responsible and immediate way to provide necessary, critical funding to Pennsylvania’s schools, human service providers and government agencies. House Bill 1460 earned my vote because of my commitment to working and getting the job done in a way that respects the taxpayers of our great Commonwealth.
“With any state budget proposal, there are always winners and losers, and now with more than 180 days without a complete state budget in place, we are all losing. The time for political posturing is long over and we all need to get serious about working to negotiate responsible fiscal solutions. Television ads, tirades, name calling and distortions, such as deceptively calling House Bill 1460’s record $405 million K-12 education funding increase a $95 million cut to public education, will not help.
“I am always open to reasonable compromise. However, my position against the governor’s broad-based tax increases will not change because the overwhelming majority of District 56 residents do not support paying more in taxes.”
Representative George Dunbar
56th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Ty McCauslin
717.772.9979
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