Audio: Smarter Spending, not More Spending, Key for State Budget

Education proved to be the centerpiece of Gov. Wolf’s budget address, but his facts on school funding get a failing grade.

This morning, Nate Benefield, CF’s Vice President of Policy Analysis, gave radio host Gary Sutton the real facts about Pennsylvania’s school spending, saying that Gov. Wolf’s plan to simply throw more money at schools will not mend a broken system.

Nate adds that overwhelming Pennsylvania families with more taxes, when they already pay one of the highest tax rates in the country, is not a sensible solution. Gov. Wolf’s budget would afflict an additional $1,419 on the average family of four per year—not exactly the “fresh start” he promised.

Gov. Wolf’s plan to increase the sales tax rate and expand what is taxable (including diapers, daycare service, funerals, doctor visits, etc.) would ensure Pennsylvanians are taxed from “the cradle to the grave.”

Listen below for more of Nate’s analysis of Governor Wolf’s budget address:

The Gary Sutton Show airs daily on WSBA 910AM in the York area.

Follow Commonwealth Foundation’s SoundCloud stream for more of our audio content.

And for mobile listening, get the SoundCloud iPhone and Android apps.