Wolf budget plan doomed
It is disappointing and stunning that Gov. Tom Wolf would propose a massive tax increase, which despite a proposed increase in the exemption for lower income families, would hit countless middle-class families through a boost of almost 50% in the state’s levy on income, taking it from 3.07 to 4.49%.
The governor would be the first to acknowledge that this is a time of hardship for many whose good jobs no longer exist, or who are working reduced hours for lower wages. How can he justify taking more from them in a time of such economic challenge?
The governor’s goal to massively increase funding for public schools is noble, but the means of achieving it is severely flawed. Can he possibly believe that anything close to his proposal will garner the support of the Republican-controlled General Assembly? Has he not learned the lessons of prior years in which his spending and taxing plans have been derailed?
Supporters of the governor’s grand plan will tout the fact that Pennsylvania’s state income would remain one of the lowest in the country even at 4.49%. That argument overlooks a number of facts:
The state income tax is imposed on virtually all income, including wages, capital gains and dividends;
Nine states impose no income tax on wages, five impose no sales tax;
Pennsylvania is one of a small number of states that imposes a death tax, which takes as much as 15% of an inheritance, the only exemption being when the heir is a surviving spouse;
Ever-escalating Pennsylvania property taxes continue to take a huge bite out of the assets of homeowners.
The governor may have scored points with those who advocate for huge boosts in public education funding, but his plans are doomed.
Oren Spiegler
Peters Township聽