Wolf: Would seek to impose a 5 percent severance tax on natural gas extraction. Would seek to change Pennsylvania's personal income tax law by excluding
taxation on income below a certain amount and increasing the rate to shift the burden to higher earners. Would seek to lower the corporate net income tax rate.
Source: The Patriot News on 2014 Pennsylvania governor debate
May 10, 2014
Tom Corbett:
Tax increases choke growth; tax people less
Tax increases choke growth. Every credible study on the subject has taught us this: the states that have grown the fastest, attracted the most jobs, have stayed out of the way. If you tax less, people will see the point in earning more.
If you regulate more sensibly, businesses will be able to maneuver in the turns of tight economies. The third reason not to increase taxes is pretty simple. The voters said no. We are four months out from the election that sent us here.
Source: 2011 State of the State speech to Pennsylvania legislature
Mar 8, 2011
Tom Corbett:
Tax increases choke growth; tax people less
Tax increases choke growth. Every credible study on the subject has taught us this: the states that have grown the fastest, attracted the most jobs, have stayed out of the way. If you tax less, people will see the point in earning more.
If you regulate more sensibly, businesses will be able to maneuver in the turns of tight economies. The third reason not to increase taxes is pretty simple. The voters said no. We are four months out from the election that sent us here.
It was run on a three part theme: jobs, jobs and jobs. And every time someone was asked about new taxes they gave a three part answer: no, no and no. It's time to connect the dots. So, to the people of Pennsylvania, the taxpayers who sent us here,
I want to say something you haven't heard often enough from this building: We get the picture. It's your money.
Source: 2011 State of the State speech to Pennsylvania legislature
Mar 8, 2011
Ed Rendell:
Eliminate 74 exemptions & reduce sales tax from 6% to 4%
We should eliminate the 74 non-essential exemptions to the state sales tax. Under our proposal, there will still be no sales tax imposed on essential items like food, clothing, and prescription drugs. And it preserves sales tax exemption for our
manufacturers and non-profit cultural institutions. But we will eliminate exemptions for professional services like fees for lawyers and accountants.By closing these loopholes, we can broaden the base of the state sales tax and actually reduce it from
6% to 4%. Let me put it another way: my proposal will cut the sales tax statewide for every Pennsylvanian by one-third.
The sales tax today is a testament to the power of lobbyists and special interests. There is little rhyme or reason why we tax some
items or services and wholly exempt others, except that in years past someone lobbied to secure favored treatment for themselves. My proposal calls for the elimination of these loopholes so that everyone pays his or her fair share of the sales tax.
Source: Pennsylvania 2010 State of the State Address
Feb 9, 2010
Bob Casey:
Repeal tax cut on top 1% of earners
Q: President Bush wants his tax cuts to be permanent. What do you say to that?A: The answer is simple when it comes to the top 1%. I said in front of 1200 business leaders in Philly: If there is an opportunity to repeal the tax cut to the top 1%,
I’ll do that. We can’t afford it any longer, in a time of crises in health care, a time of staggering deficits, trade deficit, and national debt. But we can have tax relief for the middle class.
Source: Second 2006 Pennsylvania Senate Debate
Apr 19, 2006
Ed Rendell:
Cut property taxes for regular families
What does it say about us as leaders if we allow families to be driven out of their homes because they can’t afford their property taxes? I ask for your help in reducing school property taxes by an average of 30 percent this year.
I say, let’s cut these crushing taxes now, and restructure our tax system in ways that make Pennsylvania more attractive to investors, and more equitable to homeowners while restoring vital services that are important to our economic growth.
Source: Budget Address to Pennsylvania General Assembly
Mar 4, 2003
Page last updated: Feb 12, 2018