Senator Jay Costa:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Thank you very much for joining us here today.  We want to welcome all of you.  Also those who are viewing on the web stream.  My name is Jay Costa, and I have the honor and privilege of serving as the Democratic leader in the State Senate.  I’m joined here today by a number of my colleagues. 

And as we discussed our focus on the task in front of us, most importantly, negotiating our 2013-2014 budget for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Our priorities remain the same as previous sessions: growing jobs, investing in education, strengthening our social safety net, and providing for long-term sustainability of Pennsylvania businesses and families, with those families businesses provide.

Under this governor, however, we have watched the foundation that we and our predecessors and the hardworking people of Pennsylvania have worked to build slip away, piece by critical piece.  Whether it’s families and their children losing health insurance, the siphoning away of valuable State assets, or the focus on building relationships abroad while jobs here are lost at home, the hand this governor continues to deal to us is flawed. 

Last year we found ourselves fighting to restore and maintain funding to critical programs and services that Pennsylvanians depend upon, and we were successful in doing so.  When the governor proposed cuts to basic education, we were able to negotiate an increase to dollars that would ensure our children have the tools and resources necessary to be successful in school.  Steep cuts to higher education were proposed, and we pushed back, restoring level funding for higher education. 

And we fought for stable prison reform, sustainable and sensible prison reform measures, which are also aimed at cutting ballooning correction costs.  And we identified a need to help our counties fund important human service development programs that were provided—that provided the needs to so many families across Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is a place bursting at the seams with opportunity and potential.  And we have again an opportunity and responsibility to seek new investments, and to use available resources to change the direction in which this administration is leading us.  The plan my colleagues and I are putting forth today would grow jobs, invest revenue and increase revenue, and provide for the future, while protecting vulnerable families.

We collectively have a vision for Pennsylvania, mapping out through our budget priorities.  Every component is equally important, but as a whole, this plan has the potential to bring Pennsylvania back to its status as a leader among states.

We believe that our plan can generate 120,000 jobs quickly by enacting a responsible transportation plan, and by expanding Medicaid, and using economic development policies outlined in our PA Works plan that we mentioned before. 

We need to focus on restoring devastating cuts to education, and working to end a five-year freeze on funding for special education, and restoring important funds to the Accountability Block Grant program. 

We are proposing moving Pennsylvania forward by refocusing business tax credits, and eliminating the loopholes, including one for the corporate net income tax. 
           
And we will continue our fight to protect vital Pennsylvania assets, like the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.  Our priority is reforming the current system, and taking the handcuffs off, if you will, allowing the system to modernize and not privatize.  Doing so will provide benefits to the consumers, and at the same time, the system as a whole, while protecting nearly 10,000 family-sustaining jobs.

And finally, and most importantly, we need to repair and protect the social safety net in this commonwealth.  Folks, Pennsylvanians are struggling—struggling to make ends meet and struggling to make difficult decisions for their families, many with limited resources due to continuing economic downturn.

As you’ve heard my colleagues and I repeatedly, countless times in the past two months, we call upon the governor to weigh the facts and do the math, and opt in to the Medicaid expansion.  The benefits certainly outweigh the risk you may be concerned about. 

Pennsylvania families are waiting, and they cannot afford to wait any longer.  We owe it to each and every one of the families to fight for more, and to ensure we’re doing everything we can to open the doors to opportunity for them to become self-sufficient once again.

This includes our veterans, who we owe a great deal of respect and admiration for their service and commitment to our country.  The least we can do is to make assistance available for those individuals once they return from deployment. 

We need to regain the ground we have lost.  We need direction and we need leadership.  Our Senate Democratic plan provides that, and we look forward to working with our colleagues on making this plan a reality on behalf of all Pennsylvanians.

To my right, you will see two panels that indicate exactly what Senate Democrats are referring to in terms of our budget priorities, as well as how we generate the revenue to pay for those priorities and expenditures.