This week, Pennsylvania State Senator Jane Orie joins the program to give us an update on the 2010 budget battle that continues in Harrisburg. The bottom line is that Republicans in the State Senate passed a balanced budget that does not raise taxes on individuals or businesses. Governor Ed Rendell’s competing budget raises the state income tax, freezes the reduction in the Capital Stock and Franchise tax, and increases government spending at well above the rate of inflation. And he wants to do all of this in the middle of a deep recession! The good news is that Republican State Senators are “holding the line” against Rendell’s fiscally irresponsible and destructive budget proposal. Governor Rendell will use many negative, strong-arm tactics in the coming weeks to raise our taxes, including a limited government shutdown, closing state parks for the Independence Day weekend, and sending government union workers into the streets of our cities protesting “cuts in critical government spending,” etc. Similar to the past six years, the lies and hyperbole will be coming fast and furious from “fast Eddy’s” office. We must all strongly encourage our Republican State Senators to stand firm against these pressure tactics and just say no to more irresponsible government spending and no to additional tax increases that will damage our commonwealth in the short and long runs.

Adrian Hong, co-founder and former executive director of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) also joins me in a continuing discussion on North Korea. With its gulags, torture, frequent executions, and starving population, North Korea is a Hell on Earth. The left wing, communist regime that runs the country remains in power in part by claiming that they are protecting North Koreans from slaughter at the hands of America. Adrian reinforces the fact that negotiations simply will not work in dealing with Pyongyang, because any treaties made would “water down” the controlling impact these fictitious claims have on the North Korean people. Please read my column, “The Hard Facts of North Korea” for more information.

What kind of society do we want? Do we want to be a society of grown up “adolescents” who depend on government to give us jobs, provide our health care, and pay 100% of our retirements – a society that discourages success, stifles growth and innovation and becomes weaker economically because we believe that Americans really can not take responsibility for themselves? Or, do we want to be a society of self reliant, adult men and women, who are free to work, invest, grow businesses and families, and build a stronger America and a freer world? I will be speaking about these issues at two upcoming tea parties. The first will take place on July 2 at the Washington County Courthouse (beginning at 5:00 pm), and the second will take place on July 4 on Flagstaff Hill in Pittsburgh beginning at 9 am (Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, will deliver the keynote address). I can’t imagine a better way to spend your Independence Day holiday than by standing up for independence. Please bring your children and grandchildren and stand up for the principles that have made America strong.