08/03/2011 - STATEMENT: Indiana Democrats respond to Congressman Mike Pence’s cut-and-hope tax plan

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker issued the following statement in response to Congressman Mike Pence’s policy announcement this morning that he would cut Indiana’s individual and corporate tax rates to 3 percent if he is elected Governor:

"Last month, Mike Pence told Hoosiers he couldn’t be bothered talking about policy until next May. Today, he decided to haphazardly throw out his first proposal of the campaign, and it’s exactly the kind of thing a Washington insider would propose: cutting taxes with no way to pay for it.

“Someone needs to explain to the Congressman that unlike in Washington, we have to balance our budget, and our budget is barely ‘balanced’ right now because we received federal stimulus funds that helped plug a gaping hole, and Republicans took the rest from local governments and schools.

“Hoosiers aren't looking for more GOP Beltway rhetoric from a guy who voted against the very funds he’s now trying to re-allocate. They're looking for a real jobs plan that will create a long-term infrastructure we can use to rebuild our ailing economy.

"While we're delighted that the Congressman has decided to forgo his anti-policy pledge, we'd urge him to spend a little more time researching his ideas before he throws them out there.”