PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher Taxes

Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans is again trumpeting the calls for a higher state income taxes in the Tribune Review.

Despite billions in federal dollars flowing into PA with the stimulus, a Senate budget that increases spending 36% under Gov. Rendell, and universal acceptance that higher taxes undermine the economy, Evans continues to push the idea our state government needs more to spend.

Even Evans’ defense that other Governors increased taxes during recessions (a defense that doesn’t work for six-year olds claiming everyone else is doing it), ignores some simple facts that the article notes.

• Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax has never been this high before a tax increase (and our state and local tax burden is already at the highest leven in Pennsylvania history).  
• After both the Thornburgh and Casey PIT increase, the tax rate was reduced after the immediate crunch (in fact, in Thornburgh’s case, the rate was lower after 18 months than it had been before).  Only Rendell has failed to lower the PIT after increasing it.
• Rendell would be the first PA governor to need to raise taxes twice during his term, thanks to a spending binge.