Feb. 09, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. Judy Ward (R-Blair) expressed disappointment following Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2016-17 budget address, in which he once again proposed increasing government spending and raising taxes on working Pennsylvanians.
In total, the governor is proposing a $33.3 billion budget for 2016-17, which would include an 11 percent increase in the Personal Income Tax that would be retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year. He is also proposing more items be taxed under the Sales and Use Tax, a new 6.5 percent severance tax on natural gas drillers and the expansion of a tax on all tobacco products.
Ward offered the following statement:
“It was incredible to me to hear the governor once again ask for unreasonable, broad-based tax increases on Pennsylvania’s working men and women in order to further grow state government. This is a plan that failed last year due to the lack of support from both the General Assembly and the public.
“Many Pennsylvania families are struggling right now and working hard to balance their own home budgets. I think it is irresponsible of the governor to suggest these same families pay 11 percent more in income tax to the government because he is unable to create a balanced budget with the revenues we already collect.
“Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve to know that every dollar they send to Harrisburg is being stretched to the maximum and that we are continuing to seek out ways to cut waste, reducing spending and basically be more prudent with the money we already have.
“It was disappointing today to hear the governor start the budget process by repeating his tax-and-spend plan from last year. We need to move beyond this and work toward goals that both the governor and the Legislature can support. The people of Pennsylvania cannot afford to go through another prolonged budget impasse that hinders the ability of schools and human services to fulfill their missions.
“To avoid a repeat of the stress created by a potential budget impasse, I am supporting a measure that would prevent the interruption of crucial government services in the event of a future state budget impasse. Essentially, the legislation would create a temporary emergency budget fund, enabling the budget secretary to continue payments to health and human services at the previous year’s level until a final budget agreement could be reached.
“I’m not sure what the governor was trying to accomplish with his proposal today, but I sincerely hope we can put the partisan political attacks aside and get down to creating a balanced budget that reaches common goals and sets new plateaus for fiscal accountability. To do anything less would be a disservice to those we represent.”
To view additional comments by Ward, go to
https://youtu.be/mEFea314WbA.
For more information on the governor’s 2016-17 budget proposal, go to
pahousegop.com.
Representative Judy Ward
80th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
tlehman@pahousegop.com
RepJudyWard.com /
Facebook.com/RepWard