Do Rendell's Budget Numbers Add Up?
Mario Cattabiani and Angela Couloumbis take a look at some of Gov. Rendell's latest budget rhetoric, namely his claim that 50% of Pennsylvanians don't pay the Personal Income Tax, which he is planning to increase.
They find that statement might be technically true, if you count all the children who don't pay the income tax, or folks in prison, or (as discussed before) the growing number of unemployed, who don't currently pay the income tax, but would really like to (i.e. if they had a job).
They also question Rendell's claims that everyone can easily pay higher taxes without hardship, that 800 troopers would have to laid off, and that his $2 billion in "cuts" has resulted in a $1 billion increase in spending
Rendell's spokesman, Chuck Ardo, admits Rendell isn't telling the whole story on the budget:
"The governor uses numbers to make a point," he said. "His numbers are not inaccurate, although sometimes they do not tell the whole story."
1 comment:
I believe Gov. Rendell doth exaggerate to create panic! And do you realize he's never had a budget adopted on time? Now as far as laying off 800 state police, how about taxing those individuals in communities that rely solely on the state police for protection? Has that proposal gotten lost in committee, as most proposals do?
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