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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Jesse White
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Blue Dog White helps stop Personal Income Tax hike
HARRISBURG, Aug. 4 -- Forget about any increase in the Personal Income Tax in the new state budget, thanks to Rep. Jesse White and several of his Democratic colleagues who have adopted the name "blue dogs," in honor of the conservative Democratic group in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Harrisburg's blue dogs have gotten House Democratic leaders to publicly announce that they have removed an increase in the PIT from the table as efforts continue to hammer out a complete budget for fiscal year 2009-10.
"It took weeks of quiet but hard-nosed political discussion for two dozen of us 'dogs' to reach this point," said White, D-Washington/Allegheny/Beaver.
The group's actions set the stage for today's House passage of Senate Bill 850. The bill is headed to the governor to sign, giving Pennsylvania funds to pay employees, including the back pay that they are due.
The governor is expected to use his line-item veto on other portions of the stopgap spending bill. The veto means the General Assembly and the governor will have to work out final revenue and spending plans, including spending cuts -- but an increase in the PIT is off the table.
"The added bonus for the people is that our getting the PIT off the table should force the hand of the Senate Republicans, who have refused to credibly negotiate a full budget package," White said. "Their leader is on record as stating that the Republicans would be open to compromise if any PIT increase proposal disappeared. Now, we've eliminated the PIT from the mix; let's see them live up to their word."
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