The always quotable governor of Pennsylvania stopped by the offices of Lancaster Newspapers following his appearance at Filling’s this afternoon. Rendell was pitching his proposed “revenue enhancers” — an expansion and reduction of the state sales tax, closing the state’s notorious Delaware Loophole and taxing cigars and smokeless tobacco, as well as drilling in the Marcellus Shale regions. They’d generate about $2.5 billion over the next two years — money Pennsylvania needs to help plug projected deficits of $6.5 billion in 2013.
He also made reference to the no-tax-hike pledges made by some of the gubernatorial candidates, namely Republican frontrunner Tom Corbett.
“When you hear the political candidates — both Democrats and Republicans — say, ‘We don’t have to raise taxes. We can do it by cutting the budget,’ there’s no way they can do it by cutting the budget,” Rendell said.
Both Republican candidates for governor, Corbett and primary opponent Sam Rohrer, have signed pledges not to raise taxes. And Corbett, the state’s attorney general, told Republican State Committee people last month that the state should cut spending.
Rendell, referring to Corbett, said: “I see that the leading Republican just signed a no-tax pledge. He needs to have his head examined.”
Rendell said Corbett and Rohrer should be challenged on their pledges.
“One of the things I think the media should do is, when someone says that, say, ‘Where? Tell us where you’re going to cut and what the consequences of that should be. If you’re going to cut the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 20 percent, what parks are you going to close? The citizen have the right to know. What museums and what scenic outposts are you going to close?’” Rendell asked.
Rendell’s prediction?
“Whoever the governor is and whoever the Legislature is will have to raise taxes. No question,” he said. “But they won’t raise enough taxes. They’ll make some illusory cuts and they’ll pass the tax burden to the local property tax.”
