Pa. State House Appropriations Committee Kicks Off Weeks Of Hearings On Gov. Wolf's Budget Proposal
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa., (CBS) -- Battle lines are taking shape as the Republican-controlled state House held the first day of hearings on Democratic Governor Tom Wolf's ambitious budget proposal.
Governor Wolf has proposed increasing the sales tax and the PIT -- the state's personal income tax -- to generate money for property tax relief. After three hours of questions and answers from the governor's revenue secretary, Delaware County Republican Bill Adolph, the House Appropriations chairman, came to this conclusion.
"This is a gigantic tax increase. Okay? A gigantic tax increase. I do believe the PIT and the sales tax [increase] is on the middle class. And the governor picked and chose where he sent the money to."
But Joe Markosek, ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said it's a matter of tax fairness.
"It's not a question of winners and losers… it's a question of everybody paying their fair share."
Republican Adolph, meanwhile, characterizes the governor's plan as not well thought out.
