2012 Penn. Senate Debates: on Tax Reform


Tom Smith: Supports flat tax; remove loopholes but keep exemptions

Tom Smith released his economic-policy plan, calling for a "flat tax" on all earners. But he said a flat tax would be an improvement on the current tax code, which he described as full of "gimmicks" and "loopholes" and "10 times the length of the Bible without any of the good news."

"If you pay a flat tax, you know what your tax is going to be. The people who work and make more," Smith said, "they are paying more." Smith's flat tax would not be truly flat. He said he would allow exemptions for mortgage interest, charitable giving, and student-loan interest, all features of the current tax code beloved by the middle class.

He would do away with federal taxes on capital-gains investment income. He said he would consider having no tax for the poor, but declined to say what income level should qualify for such an exemption. That could depend "on how well we do in getting this debt under control," he said.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer on 2012 PA Senate debate Sep 6, 2012

Sam Rohrer: High taxation comes from ignoring the Constitution

Each of the candidates thought the federal debt is the nation's greatest threat. Rohrer said the federal debt merely is a symptom of other problems. Over time, he said, people have been elected to office who ignore the Constitution and use their positions for personal gain. As a result, over-regulation, bailouts, failure to enact an energy plan, and high taxation have followed.
Source: Williamsport Sun-Gazette on 2012 PA Senate debate Mar 23, 2012

  • The above quotations are from 2012 Pennsylvania Senate Debate.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Marc Scaringi on Tax Reform.
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Candidates and political leaders on Tax Reform:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 04, 2018