Budget deal no good
Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget deal is going to place more of a tax burden on Pennsylvania citizens (via higher sales tax rates).
This will come on top of what is already one of the highest tax rates in the nation at the gas pump, and would not put a tax on natural gas producers who are extracting one of our natural resources that we as a state collectively own (and have been giving away to the natural gas companies for a pittance).
Never mind the disproportional burden it places on the poorer citizens. Look how Alaska helped all of its citizens by taxing oil production — no sales tax, no state income tax and a cash bonus paid to its citizens to boot.
The gas companies go where the gas is — they already have most of their wells drilled in our state so they can extract future gas at minimal cost. To argue that the gas companies will stop producing gas because of higher taxes on their production is crazy. It’s not like a manufacturing plant; they can’t move production to states that have no gas.
The proposed property tax reduction is minor for most property owners and will be negated by the higher sales tax. Buy a new $25,000 car and you’ll be paying an additional $375 in sales tax, most likely well beyond the savings on your property tax, not to mention the additional tax you’ll pay all year on your purchases. This budget deal stinks.
Sidney L. Mapes
Clearfield
This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 12:59 PM with the headline "Budget deal no good."