Senator Bob Robbins sends Email Update–the first in months (or longer)

Written by Roberta Biros

I honestly can’t tell you the last time I received an automated email newsletter from the office of Senator Bob Robbins. It is a FREE medium, so Senator Robbins has no interest in it (although his latest pet legislation will force all Pennsylvanians to use on-line methods to research “legal notices”).

I was pleasantly surprised to find one such newsletter in my inbox yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, Senator Robbins’ office still doesn’t get the idea of actually including important information in the text of the email message itself. Instead you are forced to click through to his website for details. A minor point but aggravating none-the-less.

Upon clicking through to the Senator’s website, I found the following statement from our fine Senator regarding the proposed increase in the Personal Income Tax. It read as follows:

Statement of Senator Bob RobbinsGovernor Rendell’s Proposed PIT
Increase

“I have several very serious concerns about the Governor’s proposed 16
percent increase in Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax. Imposing a broad-based
tax increase to fund increased spending is not, in my opinion, the best strategy
for state government, especially considering the current economic climate in
Pennsylvania and particularly in the Northwestern Region.

“This 16.3% increase in the PIT would have a direct negative impact on a
majority of Pennsylvania’s families and small businesses. Many are already
struggling to make ends meet and as we’ve seen in the past these types of tax
increases almost inevitably result in job losses and negatively impact the local
economy.

“The Governor and the Legislature must control state spending and keep it
in line with revenues. We simply cannot afford to increase programs and
discretionary spending during hard economic times.”

I find it interesting that Senator Robbins failed to mention that he would completely support a tax increase if it meant a pay raise for him and his colleagues. I suppose he thinks that there is some sort of charge by the word for on-line announcements . . . so he decided to leave that extra sentence out of his comments. One can only speculate.

ONE INTERESTING SIDE NOTE:

I took an extra minute to peruse Senator Robbins’ website. As a public service, he provides copies of his press releases back through 2004. I did a quick check, and I found that in November of 2005 Senator Robbins published two press releases stressing that he voted to repeal the ‘infamous’ middle-of-the-night pay raise. I notice, however, that there was never one mention of the fact that he had originally VOTED FOR that same middle-of-the-night raise in July of that year.