Rendell is a Compulsive Spender
by Ron Marsico
State Representative (R-Lower Paxton)
HARRISBURG -- Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Lower Paxton) was shocked that the governor's budget address included the growth of government spending in a depressed economic climate and issued the following statement:
"Governor Rendell is overspending once again. Last year, the governor's compulsion to spend Pennsylvania taxpayers' money would have resulted in approximately $230 million in new taxes. However, none of these new taxes ended up in the final budget last year, thanks to the Republicans in the House. Rendell has tried to raise taxes for years, instead of finding alternative ways to balance our state's budget, examine the worth of every state program and monitor every penny being spent. It's just the easy way out.
"Instead of implementing new state programs and increasing welfare spending, we must pare the budget down to core government functions, fulfill our obligatory funding needs and prioritize our funding.
"We must implement strict fiscal responsibility. We need to control further state spending and become very creative with our resources. For instance, there is $268 million in prior-year budget balances that could alleviate the financial crisis, but the governor is offering to use less than half of that to help close the budget gap.
"The spending difference between last year's enacted budget and this year's proposal is $705 million. The governor's decision to freeze more than $550 million in state spending in the current year's plan means the actual projected spending for this fiscal year is $27.7 billion. So the proposed $28.9 billion in spending for next year actually represents a $1.2 billion increase.
"This includes more money going to criminals through increased corrections, probation and parole budgets and maintaining the governor's illustrious $75 million Hollywood Film Tax Credit.
"I always find it a little disconcerting that the governor comes up with an extravagant budget proposal and then leaves the legislature to completely overhaul his budget in order to pass something that is realistic.
"I do not support the governor's proposed budget. His ideas of how to help Pennsylvanians through these tough economic times are dangerous and harmful to our Commonwealth. If we back the governor's proposed budget, it's going to cause even more damage to our ailing economy. I vow to do everything in my power to see that a responsible budget is passed this year."