PA GOP Says Let's Raise Taxes

What Happened!? What caused the world to turn upside down? It used to be that the Democrats were always in favor of tax hikes and the Republicans fought against them.

Now our once-proud Delaware County House Republicans voted in lockstep for a big income tax increase raising the rate from 2.8 percent to 3.25 percent.

When Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, his fifers played "The World Turned Upside Down." His soldiers, instead of stacking their muskets neatly, hurled them angrily to the ground.

Our local GOP representatives do not even have the dignity to display anger. Instead, they are capitulating to King Fat Eddie. They go before him on bended knee to kiss his ring.

It appears that the Senate Democrats from Philly are riding to our rescue. Sen. Vince Fumo, a powerful South Philly Democrat, may save us. He says the bill contains too much pork and he will not support it. Good for Vince.

The only Delco Representative voting against the bill was Greg Vitali, a Democrat.

We are told the money is desperately needed to fund medical services (read tort lawyers and overpaid administrators) and education (read teachers' union and overpaid administrators).

Heed the plight of David Pitone, who lasted a little over two days as a computer science teacher at Philadelphia's Audenried High School.

He said he tried to send students who fought and cursed him to the principal's office. They were sent right back. Pitone took the case to court, but the judge who "felt great compassion" tossed it out, saying the court could not micromanage the school district.

Throwing money at Philadelphia public schools has never solved any problems. It is time for our legislators to approve a school voucher system that will allot each Pennsylvania child a set sum of money to attend the school of his or her choice.

Steve Barrar (R-160) was on Jeff Katz's talk radio program Thursday afternoon, explaining his vote to raise the tax. Steve said he had to do it because hospitals and schools were losing money and Republicans couldn't be seen as obstructionist to Gov. "Fast Eddie" Rendell.

The state Senate had not voted on the plan and was expressing skepticism. Steve was critical of them for showing a lack of leadership.

Personally, I hope the Senate is serious when it says the tax hike is DOA. There are other ways of funding our schools and hospitals. How about tort reform? That would provide grants of $1 million or so to each of the hospitals that we have left. That's about how much malpractice insurance has increased per hospital in the last two or three years.

How about a special 50-percent tax hike on hospital CEOs? This means of their $800,000 to $2 million-plus salaries, they would have to survive on a mere $150,000 to $500,000-plus.

How about a special 10-percent tax on public school superintendents? This means they'd have to give back another $13,000 on their $130,000 salary to the state.

*** The most important highways in the East -- I-76 and I-95 -- do not have an interchange despite their crossing. Building one would cost at least the salary of Donovan McNabb. Here's a much cheaper way of getting pretty much the same effect -- rename Route 1 between I-76 and I-95 as I-95 Aux. Instead of a thin red line on road maps it would become a thick one. All it would cost would be a few road signs.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, the oversexed drunk from Massachusetts, continually preaches against President Bush's tax cut and his monetary plans to aid Iraq.

He also harshly criticizes the way Homeland Security is being run and financed. Well, har har de har, this besotted recipient of the Mary Jo Kopecne drunk-driving award finally got something right.

Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) is seeking legislative improvements to the grant funding.

He pointed to Massachusetts as an example. He said, "... the Steamship Authority, which runs ferries to the resort island of Martha's Vineyard and one of the vineyard's harbors was awarded $900,000 to upgrade port security."

"Oak Bluff's harbor master told the Vineyard Gazette newspaper, 'Quite honestly, I don't know what we're going to do, but you don't turn down grant money.'" Even so, Pennsylvania will not be outdone by Massachusetts. Citizens Against Government Waste named our own Sen. Arlen Specter as "Porker of the Month for October" for his fine work.

Some of that money might have been better spent at Fort Stewart, Ga., where hundreds of sick and wounded U.S. soldiers, including many who served in the Iraq war, languished in hot cement barracks while they waited -- sometimes for months -- to see doctors. The situation has now been alleviated, but only after United Press International brought it to light.

ping

The tax hike is not a done deal. It's still being considered by the Senate

But still, I'd like to once again say thank you to all the Rendell Republicans.

When I see liberal states raise their taxes, I think "good for them." I live in Florida, a conservative state, and we don't want higher taxes here. Liberal states should stop clamouring for higher federal taxes which will be imposed on all of us, and start demanding that their own legislatures increase their own taxes to pay for their own state services. The federal government should not be subsidizing state services with federal taxes. If individual Democratically controlled states increase their taxes to provide for their own spending, then the voters of those states are less likely to demand higher taxes at the federal level. So good for them.

I heard him and to be honest I thought it was a lame excuse that Rendell would hold up important items till he got his tax increase

They should call Eddie's bluff ... He's the Gov. let him take the heat for blocking

Barrar's a good guy and I don't want to see him knocked out (note all the Dem papers are now digging up that no-tax pledge he made.)

But you are right. If Pubs told Rendell to pound sand they would win. What would be a brilliant strategy would be to propose a tax cut & put Fast Eddie on the defensive.

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