PA GOP: 'Tax Day' is the Democrats' favorite holiday

Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement concerning Tax Day 2009:

"Higher taxes, less income and a struggling economy are a combination that has made Tax Day 2009 a tough day for many hardworking Pennsylvanians. Unfortunately, higher taxes are something Pennsylvanians are going to have to get used to if President Barack Obama and Gov. Ed Rendell continue to expand their agendas of bloated government spending proposals and wasteful pork-barrel spending projects. Trillions of dollars in hardworking American tax dollars are being wasted and the Democrats' only response is to continue to increase spending on the backs of the taxpayer.

"In less than 100 days in office, the Obama administration has already demonstrated its blatant lack of respect for the American taxpayer. President Obama and the Democrats were so excited to spend our money and increase the size of government that they passed the largest spending bill in American history before allowing many in Congress to even read the bill. President Obama is also seeking tax increases that will hurt small business owners as well as Americans who offer donations to charitable organizations."

President Obama's budget is littered with increased taxes and fees, including:

* $989 billion in new taxes over the course of the next 10 years beginning in 2011 (Jake Tapper, "Almost $1 Trillion In New Taxes Over Next 10 yrs., Starting 2011," ABCNews, 2/26/09, http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/02/obamas-budget-a.html)

* A new tax on charitable donations that many have predicted would sharply decreased the amount of money donated each year, some predicting the new law would result in a transfer of more than $7 billion a year from charities to the federal government (Martin Feldstein, "An Anti-Charity Tax, at the Worst Time," The Washington Post, 3/25/09, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032402462.html)

* Additionally, after examining Obama's budget proposal, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the President's policies would result in increased government spending that would far outpace the money collected in tax revenue, even after all of Obama’s tax increases were implemented. They calculated that Obama's budget would force the nation to borrow nearly $9.3 trillion over the next 10 years. (Lori Montgomery, "U.S. Budget Deficit To Balloon, CBO Says," The Washington Post, 3/21/09, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032001820.html)

Gleason continues: "Further proving the disconnect between President Obama and the average hardworking American, he chose to nominate four of his Democrat cronies to high-ranking positions in his Administration in spite of the fact that they failed to pay their taxes. Thanks to President Obama, we currently have a Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, who not only failed to report income on his taxes, but admitted that he needed the assistance of a software program to fill out his forms. The fact that a sitting Treasury Secretary would need the assistance of tax preparation software is inexcusable and would be akin to Bill Gates seeking the advice of a computer technician he found on the internet to fix his laptop.

"The assault on the taxpayer is also evident in the policies of our own Gov. Ed Rendell, whose proposed $29 billion budget includes a staggering $281 million in tax increases. At a time when thousands of Pennsylvanians are struggling to keep their homes and support their families, our Governor wants to increase our state spending and make the taxpayer foot the bill.

"It's time for the Democrats to realize that history has proven that tax relief empowers the American people to do what they do best – strengthen our workforce and keep our economy competitive. As the cost of living continues to outpace the rate of inflation, it is critical that families have the economic freedom to make ends meet. The government must allow middle-class families to keep more of their hard-earned money!"