“Ladies and gentlemen, a couple of weeks back, I talked about bipartisanship. I told you that we want to work together. I told you that we have some pretty good ideas on this side of the aisle. But we have to be heard, and when we don’t get heard, this is what happens.
Earlier today in committee, we were told that this budget is taking care of people from the cradle to the grave. We were told that this is fiscal restraint. We were told that everyone will see themselves in this budget. And we were told that this budget will get people out of poverty. These all sound like talking points from a governor who’s running for president.
I have to respond to this Governor. There is a lot that is going on here. Regarding ‘cradle to grave’, the people in the district that I’m honored enough to serve do not want to be taken care of from cradle to grave. They want to work hard, they want to do their share, they want to pay their fair share. Government is not supposed to be everything to everyone forever. Yes, we have to help the most needy, we have to be there, but not for generations at a time.
Everyone in the district that I’m honored enough to serve can see themselves in this budget. They know what’s coming: a huge tax increase because we can’t afford to pay for everything in this budget. We were told that it was taking people out of poverty, but I submit to you that it is putting people in poverty. They can’t afford to pay their property taxes, they can’t afford to do anything because of all the taxes that this Governor is putting on them.
The Governor can rain hell down on the taxpayers of this state, but they are a resilient bunch and they will stand fast against this. It’s time that we start thinking about these folks first. It’s time that we start working together. I don’t know how to get it through people’s heads that we want to work together. Let’s start committees in January working on the budget together. Let’s actually meet. Let’s make sure people aren’t kicked out of these working groups.
I’ve heard time and time again that it was a Democrat working group. That has to stop. There are other people in this state that are paying their fair share, and their voices are not heard. When will you listen to the people in this state? They don’t want more taxes. They don’t want more government. They want to be able to raise their families in a state that isn’t taking everything from them to try to give them everything. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”