Rhoades Urges Support For Valuable Government Programs In State Budget

HARRISBURG – In response to Governor Rendell's annual Budget Address, Senator James J. Rhoades (R-29) urged continued support for government programs that benefit the state's most vulnerable citizens.

"In such a tight budget year, our top priority should be maintaining proven government programs that benefit Pennsylvanians before we start spending money on any expensive new budget items," Rhoades said. "The Governor has presented some new proposals that could have a positive impact on our Commonwealth, but we have to weigh all of the pros and cons of these programs in regards to the economic realities we face in this budget year."

The Governor's $27.4 billion budget proposal includes a 5.25 percent increase in state spending and more than $2.5 billion in new annual taxes. The bulk of the tax hike would come from a 16 percent increase in the state sales tax, from 6 percent to 7 percent. The budget proposal also included increased taxes on energy, oil, municipal waste disposal, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

The Governor outlined a number of budget priorities that would require increased state spending, including increased funding for transportation and mass transit, providing more affordable health care coverage for uninsured adults, promoting the use of renewable alternative fuels, and additional funding for the Department of Education's Accountability Block Grant Program.

"We must be prudent with the taxpayer dollar to ensure that we do not harm the state's economy by overtaxing our families and businesses," Rhoades said. "I look forward to working with my colleagues in the General Assembly to examine how all of the Governor's proposals will impact the Commonwealth, both in terms of the cost of these programs and the benefits they could potentially provide."