Tem·po·rar·y – an adjective meaning lasting, used, serving, or enjoyed for a limited time. Derived from the Latin tempora rius, from tempus, tempor-, time.  Synonyms include temporary, acting, ad interim, interim, provisional. Antonym is permanent.

Governor Rendell continues to press for a temporary, 16 percent increase in the Personal Income Tax (PIT), which he argues is the state’s “best option” to balance the state budget.

He says a PIT increase wouldn’t be as bad since roughly half of Pennsylvania households would not pay it. For the half that would end up footing the tax bill, the Governor says the increase would be “less than $5 per week.”

Milton Friedman said:  “Congress can raise taxes because it can persuade a sizable fraction of the populace that somebody else will pay.”

Although $5 may not seem a lot to the Governor, this “temporary tax” adds up to $20 a month, or $240 a year – money I am sure individuals would rather spend elsewhere.

From a look at the definition, “permanent” is an antonym of “temporary;” that is exactly what has become of other “temporary” tax increases throughout Pennsylvania history.

The most famous (or infamous) temporary tax is the 1936 Johnstown Flood Tax.  Enacted as a 10 percent tax on liquor, the toll was set to expire May 31, 1937.  Over the years, the sunset date was extended numerous times until the tax was made permanent in 1951.  The current rate is 18 percent.

A year prior to the Johnstown Flood Tax, the Cigarette Tax was enacted as another emergency tax of 0.1 cent per cigarette. It became permanent in 1951, and the current rate is 6.75 cents per cigarette.

Other “temporary” taxes include the Realty Transfer Tax – enacted in 1951 as a 1 percent temporary tax. The tax was made permanent in 1961 and the rate remains at 1 percent.

The Corporate Net Income Tax (CNI) was first imposed in 1935 at a rate of 6 percent.  The rate “temporarily” was raised in 1977 to 10.5 percent, which was made permanent in 1982.  In 1991, the rate reached a high of 12.25 percent, and in 1995, lowered to its current rate of 9.9 percent.

The Sales and Use Tax was enacted in 1953, and eventually evolved into support for public education.  The tax started at 1 percent and currently is at 6 percent. The initial 6 percent imposition was also to be temporary until 1969, however, later that year the 6 percent was made permanent. Philadelphia and Allegheny County impose another 1 percent on purchases in their jurisdictions.

The Personal Income Tax (PIT) was imposed in 1971 at 2.3 percent.  Throughout the years, the rate has varied and some increases automatically sunsetted.  The PIT reached its current high in 2003 when Governor Rendell raised the rate to its current 3.07 percent.

As you can see, temporary taxes are rarely temporary and higher taxes are simply no good for Pennsylvania’s future or economic recovery. We must get government spending under control and have additional choices other than raising taxes – even if only “temporary.”

Mike Folmer [send him email] of Lebanon, Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania State Senator who represents the 48th Senate district, which includes all of Lebanon County and portions of Berks, Chester, Dauphin and Lancaster Counties.

This is a nice compilation of the highlights. If anyone has additional footage, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

And, thanks for Leo S for the link, here’s nearly 200 pictures from the event:
10th Amendment Rally Pictures

Politicians in Washington, D.C., have been exerting undue influence on the states and it’s time for them to stop. That’s the sentiment behind a rally Rep. Samuel E. Rohrer (R-128) and Sen. Mike Folmer (R-48) will hold at noon on Monday in the Capitol Rotunda.

“If you think the size and scope of the federal government has far exceeded our Founding Fathers’ intentions, then we hope you come out Monday to support our cause,” Rohrer said. “For too long, Congress and the president have been encroaching on policy areas that ought to be decided by the states. This rally is the equivalent of posting a ‘no trespassing’ sign.”

The rally will focus on a resolution Rohrer is introducing in the House to defend Pennsylvania’s sovereignty under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Folmer will introduce a sister resolution with language identical to Rohrer’s in the Senate.

“When our country was founded, our Fathers envisioned a form of government in which the federal government served as an agent of the states – not the states serving as an agent of the federal government,” said Folmer. “Today, federal legislation and funding compel states to serve the federal government, a total reversal of the structure originally intended.  This rally seeks to remind federal officials of their constitutional limitations while affirming Pennsylvania’s 10th Amendment rights.”

The lawmakers’ resolutions are part of a larger national trend of state lawmakers who are reasserting the sovereignty of their independent states under the 10th Amendment. At the rally, Rohrer and Folmer will be joined by lawmakers from other states who have introduced similar measures in their own state legislatures.

The rally is free to attend and open to the public. For more information about the rally or to acquire driving directions to the state Capitol, residents are encouraged to visit Rohrer’s Web site at SamRohrer.com.

Rep. Samuel Rohrer
128th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(610) 775-5130
(717) 787-8550
www.SamRohrer.com
Contact: Dan Massing
House Republican Public Relations
(717) 772-9845
www.pahousegop.com

The danger of being number 10 is that no one really knows who you are. George Washington was our first president; but how many can name number 10 off the top of their head? And Sir Edmund Hillary was the first person to climb Everest, but does anyone know who the tenth person was to reach the summit?

And then consider our amendments to the United States Constitution: most of us know the 1st Amendment verbatim, but do you know what the Tenth Amendment says?

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Sometimes thought of as an afterthought, to “sweep up” anything the Founders may have forgotten, the 10th Amendment today is taking on monumental importance as increasing federal intrusion into state affairs threatens to completely destroy the balance between state and federal power.

In the Federalist Papers, authors Jay, Madison, and Hamilton labored to convince a monarch-shy colonial population that they needed a strong government to preserve a free, cohesive nation. The authors took pains to outline how the Constitutional structure of the government would prohibit the federal government from becoming big enough to overwhelm the powers of both the states and the democratic process.

The 10th Amendment was foundational to this system of checks and balances, constitutionally restricting the federal government to covering issues related to commerce, national defense, the postal system, and the like.

“Power begets power,” though, as the saying goes, and the federal government slowly began expanding its powers. One of the most effective and insidious ways that the federal government has taken over control of state affairs is by first passing a mandate and then offering federal money to states with significant strings attached.

Whether the issue is welfare, Real ID, No Child Left Behind, or health insurance programs, tantalizing packages have been dangled in front of state governors and legislators, promising to stop the budget gap or expand a politically successful program. States have taken the money and over time, the requirements and restrictions on those state funds have slowly but surely changed the direction of state policy.

Instead of developing programs to fit the needs of state citizens and altering them to best use the state resources, programs are instead clumsily built around the federal funding requirements, so the state does not lose a single available dollar. This significant paradigm shift should be a wake-up call to every citizen not only in Pennsylvania, but also across the nation.

Therefore, because the Supreme Court allowed the federal government to offer funds on conditions, states have subjected themselves to Washington. This submission completely distorts the checks and balances inherent in our Constitution, and enshrined in the 10th Amendment.

In order to raise awareness of this improper delegation of power, I have joined with representatives, senators, Democrats, and Republicans from over 30 states and introduced a resolution into the Pennsylvania General Assembly that reaffirms Pennsylvania’s constitutional powers under the 10th Amendment.

This 10th Amendment Resolution (House Resolution 95) is little more than a restatement of the last amendment to the Bill of Rights, reminding state legislatures that the federal government must no longer be allowed to commandeer our rightful authority.

As difficult as it is to believe someone could oppose a resolution as plain as reaffirming a basic tenet of our Constitution, sadly, opposition is too often the case in our state legislatures. This issue, however, is gaining traction among American citizens who are unwilling to sit back while Washington blatantly ignores their voices.

Supporting the 10th Amendment Resolution is a grassroots effort if ever there was one. I encourage you to spread the word and contact your family, friends and relatives, in and out of Pennsylvania, and encourage them to speak up. This issue will not go away—and it gives a voice to those who have grown frustrated and disillusioned with our federal government.

The 10th Amendment Resolution simply yet powerfully affirms our belief in the constitutional structure of our government. Join me today in that affirmation.

Rep. Rohrer will be holding the “10th Amendment Rally for the State of Independence” on Monday, March 16 at noon in the Rotunda of the State Capitol. Please make plans to join him there. Visit www.samrohrer.com for more information.

Samuel E. Rohrer is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (R-Berks).  To contact him, visit his website at www.samrohrer.com.