HARRISBURG — Republican Party of Pennsylvania Communications Director Megan Sweeney released the following statement regarding news that former Governor Ed Rendell is taking part in a Bucks County fundraiser for his third term. While actually a fundraiser for Rendell’s former chief tax collector and protégé, multi-millionaire Secretary Tom Wolf, it’s clear Ed Rendell hopes Wolf will faithfully follow in his footsteps to borrow more money, grow the size of government and increase tax burdens on the private sector and middle class Pennsylvanians.
“Tonight, Secretary Tom Wolf will be taking a refresher course on taxing and spending from the school of his mentor, Governor Ed Rendell,” Sweeney said. “After eight years of fiscal irresponsibility, high taxes and higher unemployment, Ed Rendell has anointed his protégé Tom Wolf to carry on his third term.
“Will Ed Rendell be asking Tom Wolf why he hasn’t released his tax returns to the public yet? Maybe former Governor Rendell can ask Tom Wolf why he won’t release a plan to address Pennsylvania’s state pension crisis? Perhaps Ed Rendell can ask Secretary Wolf why he’s paying a drastically lower tax rate than the average Pennsylvanian?
“Pennsylvanians aren’t looking to give Ed Rendell a third term by electing his protégé, multi-millionaire Tom Wolf. Voters rejected the reckless Rendell-Wolf agenda when they sent Tom Corbett to clean up Harrisburg, and you can bet they aren’t looking to send back someone who will borrow, tax and spend more of their money.”
Under Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania’s unemployment soared to 8.7%, budgets were late for eight straight years, taxes were increased and hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost. Rendell selfishly cut the state’s investment in our public schools and masked it with one-time federal stimulus money from his friends in Washington, DC. Rendell also proudly left a $4.2 billion dollar budget deficit waiting for the Corbett administration on his way out the door.
Multi-millionaire Secretary Tom Wolf was proud to assist, right up until he was succeeded by the friend he defends to this day for betraying the public trust. Secretary Wolf served as Ed Rendell’s voice in the legislature, lobbying for a higher sales tax, and increased taxes on garbage, electricity and home heating fuels, with revenue projections so far off, the legislature decided to create an Independent Fiscal Office. (State Representative Stan Saylor, “Legislature Expected to Consider Two Budget-Related Bills in September,” 8/16/10)
Now, Wolf has followed with proposals of his own to hike income taxes on hardworking Pennsylvanians and job-killing new energy taxes.
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