In Brief...
When it comes to Taxes:
- Taxes and spending are out of control.
- Over the past 50 years, the cost of Pennsylvania's government has been growing more than three times faster than the rate of inflation!
- I promise to veto every single tax increase.
- I'll aggressively use the line-item veto to eliminate unconstitutional and pork barrel spending.
- I'll introduce a series of budgets that will completely eliminate the Pennsylvania personal income tax over four years.
Note: You can link to this page directly by using
http://KenK.org/taxes
In Depth...
Taxes are too high.
The reason why taxes are so high is because spending is too high.
The reason why spending is so high is because politicians love to glad-hand your tax dollars on unconstitutional programs, pork barrel spending, and flat-out self-serving schemes.
Taxes and spending are out of control. In fact, over the past 50 years, the cost of Pennsylvania government has been growing more than three times faster than the rate of inflation. In 1964, Harrisburg took in an average of $100 per person, but today it's over $2,300 per person, and still growing. It doesn't matter if it's a Republican in office or a Democrat in office. It doesn't matter if there's low inflation or the hyperinflation we experienced during the Carter years. It doesn't matter if it's good times or bad. Pennsylvania government has been growing at more than three times the rate of inflation for over 50 years. Today, giveaway programs now account for a whopping 80% of the Pennsylvania budget, and that number continues to grow. You can't rely on Republicans to hold the line -- because they haven't. You certainly can't rely on Democrats to hold the line -- they keep pushing it.
But when I'm governor, that trend will end. Using the powers granted to me by the Pennsylvania Constitution, I can single-handedly hold the line on taxes and spending. How? I promise to veto every single tax increase that crosses my desk. I'll aggressively use the line-item veto to eliminate unconstitutional and pork barrel spending. And with the savings, over the course of my term I'll introduce a series of budgets that will completely eliminate the Pennsylvania personal income tax.
Taxes are too high. Spending is too high. And both will remain too high until we elect a Libertarian governor.
