Yet Another Tax Hike Proposal

Details are slowly emerging about a potential fifth tax hike proposal in state budget negotiations. This comes after Gov. Wolf’s most recent plan to raise the state sales tax fell apart.

What’s on the latest tax-hike menu?

• Expansion of the sales tax to certain services
• Increase in the cigarette tax
• Taxes on e-cigarettes
• Higher taxes on bank savings

Click here for the menu of the options currently being discussed.

Gov. Wolf’s latest tax-raising pitch supposedly points out that lawmakers came together to raise taxes under Gov. Corbett—specifically, the fuel tax. As a result, Pennsylvania now has the highest gas tax in the country.

Here’s the problem with that argument: Gov. Wolf promised to be a new type of governor. Instead, he’s calling for raising taxes, just like Gov. Corbett did, just like Gov. Rendell did, and just like nearly every past governor has done.

The reality is, raising taxes on working families is the same old same old.

Higher taxes won’t solve Pennsylvania’s fiscal and economic problems. Rather, we need real pension reform, true liquor store privatization, controls on the growth of government spending, and meaningful labor reform.

Families and businesses deserve more than a repeat of the same failed policies of the past.