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Numbers questioned

2 min read

While I realize letters to the editor are inherently opinion based, I find it difficult to believe that the Herald Standard would choose to print the web response to the “Wolf will fail” letter given the volume of inaccuracies and fallacies it contained.

First, I would love to know the source used to determine that Pennsylvania is the 50th most financially stable state in the union. I can’t find a single source that does not name liberal Illinois as the most unstable state financially. Most don’t even put Pennsylvania in the bottom 10.

Secondly, reducing state revenue by not introducing another tax that wasn’t in place already? Perhaps if there were a tax in place and Gov. Corbett removed it, an argument could be made that this was the cause of a decline in revenue. Not implementing a new tax however, doesn’t result in a loss of revenue. Perhaps the loss of revenue could be attributed to companies moving to states with lower corporate tax rates? Pennsylvania does have the second highest corporate tax rate in the union.

Finally, the idea that jobs weren’t created is laughable. Unemployment within the state stood at 8 percent when Gov. Corbett took office. Last month the unemployment rate came down to 5.4 percent, the lowest it’s been in the state since 2008. Want to talk about real numbers? There are now more than 100,000 additional people employed in the state than when Corbett took office.

Next time one considers writing words that may be published for others to read, they ought to consider verifying what they write. For the record, my numbers can be verified by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Kiplinger, and the Tax Foundation.

Jonathan Behlke

Hopwood

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