PA Rep Metcalfe Says Pay Raise Backlash Underscores Larger Taxpayer Mandate for More Conservative Government

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe 12th District Pennsylvania House of Representatives (724) 772-3110 (717) 783-1707

http://www.repmetcalfe.com

Contact: Ty McCauslin

House Republican Public Relations

(717) 772-9979

http://www.pahousegop.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 26, 2005

Metcalfe Says Pay Raise Backlash Underscores Larger Taxpayer Mandate for More Conservative Government

Enactment of Taxpayer Protection Package represents positive step in the ‘Right’ direction

HARRISBURG—Although he voted “no” on the state pay raise and the 2005-06 state budget that funded it, and also did not accept the unvouchered expense portion of the salary increase, State Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) provided some words of advice today on how state government can begin to address the ongoing and extremely vocal taxpayer backlash.

“Anyone who thinks the current outrage against this pay raise is only about the pay raise is sadly mistaken,” said Metcalfe. “What we have seen over the last several weeks underscores a much larger taxpayer mandate for a more conservative public policy agenda firmly grounded on the founding principles of protecting life, liberty and property. The only right way for state government to restore the public trust is to start taking immediate steps to put more money back into the pockets of the hardworking Pennsylvanians who earned it.”

Introduced earlier this spring, Metcalfe’s Taxpayer Protection Package is designed to cut state government spending to the core through three far-reaching, fiscally responsible and lasting ways:

1. Fully restoring private property rights (House Bill 25)

The right of Pennsylvania citizens to truly own property is currently impossible, since every property owner must pay what amounts to a never-ending lease called property tax. Metcalfe’s legislation is one of the few reform proposals currently before the Pennsylvania House that would eliminate all types of property taxes by relying as much as possible on sales tax revenue generated from voluntary consumer purchases.

2. Requiring any future local school and municipal tax increases to be approved

through voter referendum (House Bill 188)

The simple fact that school boards and other elected local officials all across Pennsylvania continue to wield unilateral power to exclude taxpayers from all school and municipal funding decisions is one of the most blatant examples of “taxation without representation” in the 21st century. If enacted, House Bill 188 would require any and all future local tax increases, excluding those necessary for public health and safety concerns, to be approved by voter referendum.

3. Constitutionally limiting state government spending (House Bill 1352)

For more than three decades, the Commonwealth has endured a series of bipartisan failures to limit the growth of both taxes and spending. Passage of Metcalfe’s Tax and Expenditure Limitation (TEL) Act would leave Pennsylvania lawmakers with no choice but to stop the annual budget insanity by limiting state government spending to the concurrent growth of inflation and population growth. Once enacted, this amendment to the state constitution could only be temporarily suspended in specific cases of declared emergencies and a three-fourths majority vote in both houses of the General Assembly would be required to do so.

“When government no longer acts in the best interest of its citizens, but devours their income, savings and property, the time has come for policy changes that will re-empower the people whom government was originally designed to serve,” said Metcalfe. “It is my hope that the public outrage over this pay increase will act as the catalyst for real conservative reform in Pennsylvania government.” # # #

Vice Chairman of Voter Education

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http://www.InformedPA.com