Still has a spending problem
To the Times: Last year, the Pennsylvania Legislature approved – and Gov. Wolf signed – a $650 million tax increase. The result? The state economy slowed to a crawl, nearly 100 vape shops closed, and a $1.6 billion budget deficit emerged.
Lawmakers would do well to learn from that mistake.
Pennsylvania doesn’t tax families too little, we spend beyond our means.
If government spending had grown by the rate of inflation and population growth over the last three years, General Fund spending would have increased by more than $1 billion … and we’d have a balanced budget.
Instead, under Gov. Wolf, the state budget ballooned by $2.9 billion— more than the prior eight years combined.
A tax on families’ cable bills, on homeowners’ heating bill, or on bar patrons won’t correct this problem. These tax hikes will only feed the harmful habit of spending more than economic growth allows.
Thankfully, lawmakers can balance the budget with real reforms that control spending and grow our economy, rather than higher taxes on families and job creators. Letting private stores sell wine and liquor, reforming welfare programs to promote selfsufficiency, and reducing corporate subsidies like the $250 million in horse-race handouts would put taxpayers first and help prevent a repeat of last year’s mistake. chart a course for comprehensive immigration reform.
President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security posted guidance on June 15 indicating that DACA recipients will still be eligible for renewal, and that no one’s work permits would be terminated early.
Let’s be clear about who Dreamers are. We are talking about young immigrants who were brought to this country as children. They know no other home but America. To send them back to countries they may not even remember is just cruel. Moreover, these young people only want to be productive members of our society. They have gone through rigorous screening and tests to prove they are not a threat, all just to have the opportunity to live, work, and study in the land they call home. Dreamers have jobs, pay taxes, and want to enjoy the freedom America offers.
I am calling on our leaders in Washington to pass meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform once and for all.