Public Funds Used To "Sell" Increasing PA Taxes

From: Christopher Dodds:

Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak traveled to 14 school districts on a five-day bus tour that also featured Rendell and U.S. Senator Bob Casey. The mantra was that taxes have to be raised “for the children,” some of whom were pulled out of class and used as political props.

At each stop the secretary repeated the lie that the Senate's budget proposal (SB 850) would drastically cut education funding, leaving school districts with no choice but to increase property taxes. As the secretary knows, however, SB 850 would increase each district's funding support to its highest level in history (an 11.7 percent increase, on average).

Zahorchak said SB 850 would leave a “canyon in education funding” after the federal stimulus monies (on which the legislation draws heavily for school districts) discontinue in two years. However, Rendell is insistent that not only will the economy soon rebound, but that tax revenue collections will increase by 10 percent—to levels capable of filling the gap. If Rendell is wrong and the economy doesn't rebound, his spending plan will leave Pennsylvania in a bigger canyon than SB 850 would, and with yet another painful tax increase as the only tool for climbing out. Read more...

How is it that the governor can use tax dollars to travel around the state in order to promote his “Tax Me More” tour? How is it that children can be pulled out of class to lobby for more taxes?

Governor, if you want to do political lobbying, use your own campaign $$$$!