Feb. 09, 2016
HARRISBURG – After a year of unsuccessfully demanding massive tax hikes on Pennsylvania families, Gov. Tom Wolf today touted his plan for more of the same in his formal 2016-17 budget proposal delivered before a joint session of the General Assembly.
Wolf’s proposal calls for enactment of his tax and spending hikes rejected by the Legislature last year, along with dramatic tax increases. Rep. Stephen Bloom (R-Cumberland), who was a leader in standing up to stop the Wolf tax hikes in the House, issued the following statement in response to the governor’s latest tax and spending plan:
“It is wildly irresponsible that Gov. Wolf is now trying to lay the whole foundation for his new budget on tax hikes he wanted but never got last year. Either he’s disconnected from reality or he’s choosing to play pretend. This kind of fantasy budget proposal doesn’t help anyone and only creates more real-world chaos for taxpayers and vulnerable citizens.
“The hard-working taxpayers of Pennsylvania spoke loud and clear against Wolf’s incessant demands for higher taxes and more government spending last year. After enduring seven months of uncertainty and reckless vetoes, they deserve better than a broken-record budget from Gov. Wolf. I was hopeful the governor would have learned more about the budget process instead of repeating the same mistakes. He should understand by now that his confrontational campaign-style attacks against Republican lawmakers who are fighting to protect their constituents from massive tax hikes will not help us achieve a responsible budget for Pennsylvania.
“Though the governor finally signed 87 percent of last year’s budget, the Legislature is still focused on getting dollars to the people hurt by the governor’s unnecessary line-item vetoes in 2015. But now, Gov. Wolf is proposing $3.6 billion more in taxes on our already hard-pressed taxpayers, including the tax hikes we rejected last year. All of the things on the governor’s unrealistic wish list today cost people real money. My House Republican colleagues and I have stood our ground and will continue to do so, but the governor continues to ask the citizens of Pennsylvania to feed his irresponsible and insatiable appetite for unsustainable taxes and spending.”
Representative Stephen Bloom
199th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Abbey Haslam
717.260.6222
ahaslam@pahousegop.com
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