Feb. 03, 2021
HARRISBURG – Calling it an insult to taxpayers across the Commonwealth who have endured the governor’s countless executive orders to stay home, shutter their businesses, homeschool their children and dramatically alter their daily lives, Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong/Forest) expressed frustration with his state budget proposal for the 2021-22 fiscal year.
She offered the following statement upon watching the governor’s address and reading his proposal:
“Millions of Pennsylvanians – and thousands here in the 63rd District – have suffered through the COVID pandemic during the past year. Many have gotten sick and lost loved ones. I appreciate their endless sacrifices to protect health and safety. In doing so, they abided by the governor’s often-changing and less-than-transparent orders. And now, after a year of sacrifice, he has decided that the taxpayers haven’t given up enough.
“I understand the pandemic led to historic drops in state tax revenue, which was luckily offset somewhat by federal stimulus packages, but this size of a tax increase is far from the cure-all and is designed for new spending. At a time like this, the governor’s administration has failed the people of this Commonwealth on so many fronts, and I strongly oppose his efforts to have the taxpayers give him so much more.
“Instead of working to ensure that our communities have an ongoing supply of vaccines and get our economy back on track, he has put together a plan to raise income taxes by nearly 46%. Fortunately, his budget proposal is just his ‘wish list,’ and very few of his policy goals, which he has repeatedly put forth for the past six years, have generated any type of large public support during that time. I don’t expect this tax proposal to ever see the light of day.
“My colleagues and I are continuing to lead every step of the way to ensure that our economy can successfully and quickly recover and residents can get vaccinated and return to their normal lives. They deserve no less.”
Representative Donna Oberlander
63rd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Algoe Keaton
717.705.2094
jkeaton@pahousegop.com
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