Will Your Legislator Agree NOT to Raise Taxes?

[Commonwealth Foundation]

This email was just sent to your state Senators and Representatives... Stay tuned!
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June 30, 2009

Dear Senator/Representative:

President Barack Obama said, “In an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.” We couldn’t agree more! And we hope you do, too.

That’s why we encourage you to let the citizens of Pennsylvania know where you stand on raising taxes during our current recession.

We believe WE CAN balance the budget, protect public safety and human services, and educate our children without raising taxes on working Pennsylvanians and job creators. Do you?

Attached, I have provided an opportunity for you to publicly state whether or not you agree with President Obama. You can let citizens know whether or not you believe we can reduce spending—rather than raising taxes—to balance the budget.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 1st at 10:15, we will be announce our public education effort in the Main Capitol rotunda. A number of legislative caucus leaders will be joining us. You are welcome to attend too (just let me know). Then, every day at 10AM in the Main Capitol rotunda, we will unveil how many legislators are saying, “Yes, We Can!” and “I Agree!” with President Obama. I hope I can add your name to that list, which will also be posted at PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org.

Please fax, email, or mail the enclosed form with your name, signature and date. You can also hand-deliver it to us when we’re in the Capitol each day. We’d love for you to check off your own name and put your signature next to it on our over-sized billboard.

Please feel free to contact me at 717.671.1901 with any questions.

Sincerely,

Matthew J. Brouillette
President & CEO
Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives
www.CommonwealthFoundation.org

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Contact your legislator to make sure the budget passes without tax increases!

You can find your legislator's contact information here.

And don't forget to sign the PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org petition and leave your comments for the Governor and Legislature. Tell your friends to sign it too!

[WhiteFeather]

Just got this email from Rep Metcalfe and since its a Related topic posting it here:

Taxpayers' Protest Answers
Rendell Spend-a-holics & Special Interests

The June 30 state budget deadline is ignored once again by a Governor who has little respect for the law or the people he was elected to serve. Rendell has not completed a budget on time since he became Governor in 2003.

The state budget deficit estimate is expected to be $3.2 billion as we end the state's fiscal year on June 30, 2009. The Governor has claimed that he has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the budget. The truth is that Rendell has proposed to spend $29 billion this year, compared to a $28.3 billion budget last year. He has increased spending, not reduced spending.

During a recent visit to Butler County, the Governor announced his plan to increase the personal income tax. Continuing his insatiable appetite for our tax dollars, he has also proposed to create new taxes on natural gas extraction and smokeless tobacco. To ensure that his fellow tax and spend county commissioners have more to spend, he has also proposed allowing counties to increase our sales tax by 1%. They are trying to sell it as a way to reduce property taxes when in fact only 60% of the increase will go to property tax reduction. The remaining 40% of the increased taxes will be used for additional spending!

As a continuation of my Taxpayers First initiatives, I worked with staff and concerned citizens to organize the first ever Pennsylvania State Capitol Taxpayers' Protest on June 9, 2009. The press conference portion of the protest included speakers representing the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens against Higher Taxes and many others.

Every year during budget time, the halls of the capitol are normally filled with special interests who are requesting more from taxpayers. This year was the first time since I have been in Harrisburg that taxpayers from across the state travelled to the capitol to visit legislators and deliver a message for reducing government spending and passing a responsible budget with no tax increases.

Rendell's main accomplices in his efforts to increase taxes are the Democrat leadership in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The PA Senate passed a budget bill with no tax increases which was sent to the House, but the Democrat leadership has refused to allow a budget bill to come before the House for debate. I signed onto a discharge resolution with the majority of my Republican colleagues in the House in an effort to bring a budget bill to the floor for debate.

I was told by a couple of my colleagues that one of the Democrat leaders has asked if the Republicans have "needs," in an attempt to open dialogue on how their votes can be bought for tax increases. Legislative leaders and Governors using our tax dollars to make promises of tax dollars for individual legislators' pet projects, in order to gain the legislator's vote, has been one of the corrupt practices in the legislature. I have cosponsored legislation that would make this type of corrupt activity illegal.

I will continue the fight to protect taxpayers in Harrisburg.
If you enjoyed this Metcalfe Memo, please feel free to forward it to your friends and family. If you received this Metcalfe Memo from a friend or family member, and you would like to be added to the distribution list, please send an e-mail to sclarke@pahousegop.com. If you do not want to receive future editions of the Metcalfe Memo, click the "unsubscribe" link below and you will be removed from this distribution list.

BTW the Commonwealth Foundation had a guest speaker at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Taxpayers' Protest on June 9, 2009, unfortunately I didn't get a chance to meet him after the rally and before talking with Reps in offices.

video of rally here http://repmetcalfe.com/

[falcn]

Just got this email from Rep Metcalfe and since its a Related topic posting it here:

....
I was told by a couple of my colleagues that one of the Democrat leaders has asked if the Republicans have "needs," in an attempt to open dialogue on how their votes can be bought for tax increases. Legislative leaders and Governors using our tax dollars to make promises of tax dollars for individual legislators' pet projects, in order to gain the legislator's vote, has been one of the corrupt practices in the legislature. I have cosponsored legislation that would make this type of corrupt activity illegal.
....

This kind of bill needs to also be introduced in the Federal Gov't. I hate pork barrel bill additions, etc.

This guy sound alright! (Metcalfe)

[Commonwealth Foundation]

UPDATE: just over 55 lawmakers have signed the pledge!! Call your legislator to see if he or she is on board NOT to raise taxes!

[ehidle]

UPDATE: just over 55 lawmakers have signed the pledge!!

I hate to piss in your lemonade, but they'll almost always sign something like this and then later tell you how much it breaks their little hearts to have to raise taxes because they simply have no other choice - though they tried... I can hear the violins now...