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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Against Tax Hikes

The Commonwealth Foundation today launched a new effort to collect names of Pennsylvania lawmakers who agree with President Obama when he said "In an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class."

Here is the most recent list of lawmakers who support this statement. If your legislator in not on the list, you can find their contact information and email them here.

Several legislators joined the Commonwealth Foundation in the Capitol Rotunda earlier today to affirm: 1) “Yes, We Can!” balance the budget, protect public safety and human services, and educate our children without raising taxes; and 2) “We Agree!” with President Barack Obama’s statement.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was one of many media outlets that carried the story as it happened:
"In a rare move, the Republican legislators, led by House Minority Leader Sam Smith of Punxsutawney, said they agreed with a statement made last September by then-Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who said now is "the wrong time to raise taxes on the middle class.''"

3 comments:

creeksneakers2 said...

I was looking around your website for a report on a bill that passed the Senate that cut $3 billion off Rendell's budget. I can't find such a thing, because there is no such thing. That's what I figured. Nothing but a con.

You phonies talk all the time about cutting spending and keeping taxes down, but when the time comes to actually put up or shut up with a valid list of spending cuts and the votes to pass it you never produce anything. Just let the state go broke while you look for cheap political gain.

I know lots of conservatives are gullible, but you'd think that now, after almost 30 years, they'd know what frauds you are. Republicans have had slogans and claims about smaller government since Reagan ran in 1980. They've never once produced smaller government, and never will. The big secret they never tell their followers is the most people like government, they just don't know it. Try cutting something specific for real and see what happens. The GOP would get voted out of office. All you phony Republicans know that too. So they keep lying to the fools and keep getting elected.

Perhaps you can explain how the state can run a $27 billion budget on $25 billion in revenue. Perhaps you can come up with a budget to even have the Senate GOP offer. Until then you should shut up, because your lies do terrible damage to the valuable public debate there really should be about how to solve this major fiscal problem.

I hate people like you.

Nathan Benefield said...

Creek Sneakers,

Thanks for all your glowing praise of our work.

Here is the legislation that passed the Senate in May 2009. It reduces spending from last year by $500 million and from Rendell's proposal by $1.6 billion.

Here is our report identifying $5 billion in wasteful spending and budgetary reforms Pennsylvania should adopt.

Abhi said...

Creek Sneakers,

In response to your comment “The big secret they never tell their followers is the most people like government, they just don't know it.” is simply not true.
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll again shows that voters prefer “smaller government with fewer services” to “larger government with more services”
Also, the question of smaller government is incomplete. More often than not people see large government in terms of more services, but not the higher costs (read taxes).
A few years ago a Rasmussen poll did ask the question that way. The results were that 64 percent of voters said that they prefer smaller government with fewer services and lower taxes, while only 22 percent would rather see a more active government with more services and higher taxes.