At a hearing outside of Harrisburg yesterday, State representative Chris Dush sounded off on the State Senate’s passage of a revenue package for the state budget, saying it’s “a tax, upon a tax, upon a tax.” Dush’s 66th District represents a portion of Indiana County.
The hearing in New Cumberland was conducted by the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Caucus and featured comments from seven House members of the caucus, along with business owners, organizations, and constituents.
Dush said the Senate plan, which includes $405 million in higher or new taxes, “would have a cascading effect on taxpayers.”
Lawmakers, business representatives, and citizens all spoke out against the Senate plan. Perhaps the most pointed comments came from Barry Fenicle, a taxpayer who told the lawmakers, “I have an idea: find out the revenue first and THEN figure out what to spend.”
Under the revenue plan, a $100 natural gas bill would be taxed an additional $5.70. Electricity bills would go up a half-percent and the tax on your phone bill would increase by one percent.
