Jeff Harris – 12/21/08

This page was last updated on December 29, 2008.

Rendell’s spending at root of woes; Jeff Harris; Beaver County Times; December 21, 2008.

The Times neglected to mention Mr. Harris was a candidate for state representative of the 14th Legislative District in the 2006 Republican primary.

Since Mr. Harris wrote a similar letter in mid-2007, please read my critique of that letter for most of my comments.

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“A Nov. 30 editorial (“Budget crisis”) spoke of an expected state budget revenue shortfall of $1 billion to $2 billion in the coming fiscal year (2008-09).

“I would like to provide the readers a quick history lesson of spending by the Rendell administration.

“The first state budget Gov. Ed Rendell was responsible for, in 2003-04, was for $45.9 billion. Here are the following budgets: 2004-05, $50.1 billion; 2005-06, $52.5 billion; 2006-07, $54.2 billion; 2007-08, $59.1 billion) and 2008-09, $61.3 billion.

“In six years, our state spending has increased an average of 6 percent per year from $45.9 to $61.3 billion. If this rate of growth continues, Rendell’s final budget in 2010-11 will be $68.9 billion.

“Should the state increase your taxes to make up the shortfall, or is it finally time to cut spending in Harrisburg?”

[RWC] In responding to comments on the Times website, Mr. Harris wrote, “I wanted to be one of the true fiscal conservatives …” Other than the “combining related departments and eliminating wasteful spending” statement we routinely get from both Democrat and Republican candidates, there was nothing on his 2006 campaign website that led me to believe Mr. Harris would “be one of the true fiscal conservatives,” including his property tax proposal.