Pittsburgh Area GOP Senator Says "No" to Tax Hike

Pittsburgh area Republican State Senator Jane Orie is blasting Governor Ed Rendell's proposal to raise the state income tax from 3.07% to 3.57% for three years. Rendell says the state cannot balance the budget without additional revenues and severe spending cuts proposed by Senate Republicans will hurt education, job training and economic development in Pennsylvania.
Orie says the Republican budget passed by the GOP-controlled Senate is a good first step because it cuts $2 billion in spending "and there is more fat to cut." Orie said during these tough times the state should "fund core services till the economy bounces back" and that Rendell can't make the tough choices. She says her constituents are telling her "no tax increases."
Orie says the tax hike proposal is Rendell's modus operandi "wait till the last minute and create controversy, crisis and panic across Pennsylvania.......and that's unacceptable."