Senator Mike "Citizen Mike" Folmer's Statement on Gov. Rendell's Budget Proposal

"I am disappointed that Gov. Rendell has chosen to seek another budget with higher taxes, higher spending, and more borrowing. With a warning light blinking on the dashboard of our nation’s economy, with a rise in inflation and unemployment over the horizon, with Pennsylvanians' disposable income shrinking, we need to rein in spending and provide real tax relief to spur the economy and help people make ends meet. Our goal this year should be a zero spending growth budget, with a ceiling on new spending equal to that prescribed in the Taxpayer Protection Act, of 3.29 percent. Otherwise, we risk creating more 'forgotten people' – those who pay their bills, worry about their jobs, and put food on the table for their families. These are the people who simply cannot continue to afford high taxes to pay for increased government spending and borrowing."