Taxpayers to invade Harrisburg

Camp Hill's Bill McIntyre is among the many Pennsylvania taxpayers planning to invade Harrisburg Tuesday for a day-long protest of government spending and high taxes.

McIntyre sent this letter, dated Saturday, June 6, to his "Friends of Responsible Government" roster inviting them to join him in Harrisburg on Tuesday, June 9:

Dear Friends,

65 years ago today, the battle to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany began and is known as D-Day. Untold thousands of troops, ships and planes enabled the allies to establish a beachhead in France that led to the eventual defeat of the Nazis; thus freeing millions of people across Europe.

Next Tuesday, June 9th, another invasion is planned; not in Europe, but in Harrisburg. The beachhead in this battle will be Pennsylvania's Capitol Building. The objective will be the defeat of those in power who would impose higher taxes and fees to support their insatiable appetite to spend everyone else’s money but their own. The battle starts at 9:30 AM and continues until we win.

The state has a nearly $3 billion shortfall in our annual budget ending the end of this month. Yet Gov. Rendell has proposed a 2.5% increase in spending over last year's disastrous budget. This is insane!

In today's Harrisburg Patriot-News, the lead headline by Charles Thompson on the front page read – "Rendell discusses short-term tax hike." Rendell stated – "If we raise taxes at all, we need them just to get us over first the recession … and then we're going to need something when the federal stimulus money goes away. We're going to need something to cushion that blow. So I think if you looked at raising that broad-based tax (presently the 3.07 personal income tax), we'd look at sunsetting it after three or four years and having it go away." Now that's hilarious!

To assist the victims in Johnstown, PA after the flood of 3/17/36; the state imposed a temporary tax on spirits sold in our state stores. That tax still remains 73 years later. I do not know of one imposed temporary tax that has ever gone away. I stand to be corrected if I'm incorrect in this assumption.

My wife and I were too young to help on D-Day 65 years ago. We will be in the front lines next Tuesday in the Battle of the Budget at the Capitol. The only weapons we have is our presence and our voice. We intend to use both to hold the line on out-of-control government spending. Will you join us?

Sorry for the delay in writing, but life sometimes gets in the way of the best of intentions. Family, friends, hospitals and illness, along with funerals, travel and personal business has interfered with my letters. Hopefully the worst is behind and more attention can be given to those who govern us and take our money. We haven’t that much more to give as we've experienced the recession like the state and everyone else.

Praying for better days ahead,

Bill McIntyre
Ready to do battle next Tuesday; looking for help!

CC: Gov. Ed Rendell
Executive, Legislative & Judicial Branches of PA Government