Rendell the con artist

It appears I'm not the only person who isn't impressed with Gov. Ed Rendell's tenure. Check out this Letter to the Editor published in The Pottstown Mercury.

Rendell is a master con artist

We have a governor who is a master of the shell game con. In one breath he announces he's going to make hard and drastic, perhaps permanent, cuts in some programs and in the next breath proposes a budget with nearly a $2 billion increase. He claims he's counting on federal funds from the economic stimulus package but shouldn't that money, whatever the amount, be returned via a Personal Income Tax cut to the Pennsylvania citizens who paid it in the first place?

If he hadn't increased the state budget every year he's been governor, the state wouldn't be in a deficit situation to begin with. Now he's looking at the stimulus package as simply one more way to increase spending.

I'm counting on my spokespeople, state Sen. John Rafferty and state Rep. David Kessler, to say "No!" and to insist on a realistic barebones budget.

In these harsh economic times Pennsylvania needs a zero based budget which totally eliminates every spending program that isn't absolutely necessary.

The question is whether our legislature has the fortitude to not cave in like they've done year after year during Rendell's entire term of office.

RICHARD J. MARTINO
Douglassville