PA State Democrats and Ed "If It Ain't Philly It Don't Mean Nothing To Me" Rendell About to Hose us Over...Again

It's amazing that this incredibly dishonest and underhanded group is in control of the government. I think I'm still a bit dumbfounded that Lynn Swann lost to Rendell in the last election, just to throw that out there. Of course, Rendell's political machine in Philadelphia, the only place the man cares about, is pretty much the only reason he won seeing as how it's the only thing he cares about. So a new round of elections are coming up and the Democrats in state Congress are gearing up to pull a fast one on the people of Pennsylvania. First, was this article, from Penn Live, which is special in that it shows just what "property tax relief" means to the Democrats:

Taking up a major promise to the voters, Democratic leaders in the state House plan to open debate today on a series of property tax measures.

Most of the bills are designed to shift the burden of school funding onto state income and sales taxes, allowing local property taxes to drop.

The principal plan advanced this week, sponsored by House Finance Committee Chairman Dave Levdansky, D-Allegheny, would raise the state sales tax to from 6 percent to 6.5 percent and increase the personal income tax rate from 3.07 percent to 3.29 percent.

Coupled with revenue from the state's taxes on casinos, Levdansky says, the plan would cut the statewide property tax burden by about $2.5 billion.

Democrats will reduce property taxes, which was supposed to be achieved by the revenues of the slots alone, ONLY if they RAISE TAXES on SALES TAX by 8.3%, and on PERSONAL INCOME TAX by 7.2%. Substantial increases. It is unforgivable for the legislature to do this. The property tax was going to be lowered through the increase in revenues from the slots. Instead, congressional Democrats have increased their spending by wide margins and will now raise the overall tax burden on Pennsylvanians.

Meanwhile, Rendell, is being dishonest by not fully disclosing the tax increases he wants in order to push through his socialized health care proposal, trying to spout off about decreasing spending, while he tries to initiate new spending projects backed by Liberal and Democratic interest groups while damaging the free market. Here's some meat from that article:

The Governor says approval can be done while still helping doctors pay for their medical malpractice insurance. He proposes to accomplish both by using available surpluses and combining them with other CAP funding sources. The Governor has called for an increase in the cigarette tax by 10- cents and the state's first ever tax on smokeless tobacco.

Now we're talking about increasing CIGARETTE TAXES and a NEW TAX ON SMOKELESS TOBACCO. Funny how Liberals go all drug dealer on smokers such as myself by saying how smoking is an addiction and the tobacco companies are predatory, all the while raising and raising tobacco taxes like a drug dealer would do to a drug addict. He also want to start to outlay money by helping doctors PAY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE. Cap the limits on lawsuits and the insurance costs will go down genius. Finally, he tops this all off by telling Pennsylvanians that, well, he's going to increase taxes even more in the near future and blow the state surplus instead of cutting taxes, and cutting spending which will help the economy and help bring much needed jobs into the state. Sure, he mentions he wants to cut spending, but, hey Ed, all these new spending proposals you are pushing through shows just how committed you are to that idea.

So to recap here's SOME of TAX INCREASES and SOME of INCREASED SPENDING state Democrats are pushing:

-Sales Tax
-Income Tax
-Cigarette Tax
-Smokeless Tobacco Tax
-Socialized Health Care
-Medical Malpractice Insurance

Unless we rally in November, we are headed for financial disaster and a hemorrhaging of jobs. Rendell and the state Democrats are going to do serious, serious damage to this state and we must take a stand.

-Caomhin