County senators speak out on budget
HARRISBURG — Here is what state senators who represent Butler County say about Gov. Tom Wolf's proposed $33.8 billion state budget.
These comments were edited from their news releases.
Comments by the county's state representatives were in Wednesday's edition.
• Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47th, “The new taxes and new spending in Gov. Wolf's budget are staggering, the biggest in history. Under his plan, working Pennsylvanians would have more money taken out of their paychecks and pay more for their basic necessities.
“I do not believe that massive tax increases will help make Pennsylvania a stronger state.
“I am extremely disappointed that Gov. Wolf is also proposing an onerous extraction tax on the Marcellus Shale industry. Pennsylvania already has a special tax on the natural gas industry, it's called the impact fee.
“In the long run, the Governor's tax would slow that industry and have a serious impact on jobs and the economy of numerous Western Pennsylvania communities.
“Our citizens and Pennsylvania employers need real reforms and relief, not increased burdens.
• Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, “I plan to thoroughly review the governor's proposal, but the bottom line when it comes to the state budget is that we must exercise due diligence in spending taxpayers' money and hold the line on taxes.“Governor Wolf's proposal seems to do neither of those.“It is one thing to increase spending when the state economy is robust, it's totally different when — such as in this case — the governor is digging deeper into the pockets of hardworking Pennsylvanians to pay for that largess on the part of government.“To say that we must be cautious and prudent in our consideration of these tax increases would be a major understatement.”
• Sen, Don White, R-41st, “I am very disappointed the governor is so eager to increase the tax burden on Pennsylvania's working families. His proposal includes major tax hikes that would have a negative impact across my district and it is especially problematic that he has targeted the development of natural gas in particular.“For all the wonderful programs Governor Wolf wants to support, the benefits will be offset by the increased cost families and employers will face to heat their homes and businesses.“Let's face it, any tax on natural gas extraction will be passed directly on to the consumer. This is a hidden tax on the middle class and employers.“Any discussion about reducing school property taxes must also include cost containment. If the objective is to reduce the property tax burden on homeowners, there must be a check in place to ensure those reductions remain in effect.“Secondly, the governor's plan would send more taxpayer money to Harrisburg with no guarantee the funds will be distributed fairly and equitably among the local school districts I represent. Sending billions more in taxpayer funds to Harrisburg without assurances they will be redistributed fairly is not a gamble I am willing to take.”
