This page was last updated on February 28, 2010.
Next governor can’t avoid a tax hike; Oren M. Spiegler; Beaver County Times; February 28, 2010.
Mr. Spiegler is such a prolific letter writer the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review gave him a little tribute back in 2003. Google “Oren M. Spiegler” and you’ll get more hits than you know what to do with. Unfortunately, prolific is not a synonym for competent. Mr. Spiegler claims to be a Republican. In my critique of “Breathing more freely,” I cited reasons why I was “beginning to believe Mr. Spiegler is simply another Republican impersonator,” but he sealed the deal with “Greatest foreign policy debacle.” Subsequent letters have been more confirmation.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“Republican gubernatorial candidate and widely-presumed victor, Attorney General Tom Corbett, has shifted gears and taken a ‘no new taxes’ pledge.
“I wish I could believe him.
“The commonwealth faces enormous challenges in the next few years. One-time fixes such as liquidation of the $750 million rainy-day fund have been exhausted, federal stimulus money, which has provided billions of dollars per year, will end, and a state employee and public school teacher pension spike thrust on us by legislators eager to gorge at the public trough is expected to add billions of dollars in annual taxpayer liability beginning in 2012.
“Where on earth would a Gov. Corbett find billions of dollars in spending cuts and how would he be able to secure the cooperation of state legislators to slash popular entitlement programs so as to approve such barebones, doomsday budgets?
“I detest excessive taxes and tax increases, and I decry the vast overspending and idiotic decisions by our ‘leaders’ that have led to the state’s day of reckoning.
“That day, however, is at hand. Corbett’s heart is in the right place, but it is realistic to fear that whoever becomes governor next year will raise our taxes.”
[RWC] Here’s the difference between Mr. Spiegler and me on this topic. Mr. Spiegler appears to believe it’s impossible to get PA’s budget right by spending cuts; I don’t. Frankly, the solution is a combination of spending cuts and tax rate cuts. Would Gov. Corbett keep candidate Corbett’s promise? I don’t know, but I haven’t thrown in the towel.
© 2004-2010 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.