HARRISBURG, February 7, 2012 — “The governor’s budget address touched on the themes of compassion, reform, and responsibility. His words don’t reflect the cold and painful reality behind the numbers. [audio:https://senatorcosta.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012budgetaddressreaction.mp3|titles=2012budgetaddressreaction]
Cutting funding to early childhood education programs, higher education and tuition assistance, and programs which help bring care and comfort to our veterans and disabled is not compassionate or responsible.
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Pennsylvanians also value fairness – and fairness is something in short supply in the governor’s budget. For a second year, the budget sends the message that the middle class doesn’t matter. The governor has shown us where his priorities lie. Pursuing a Marcellus Shale policy which allows billion-dollar companies to get this resource at one of the lowest rates in the country does Pennsylvania a disservice. Big businesses get a break, but if you own a home, send a young child to a public school, or have a teenager going off to college, you take a hit. That is not fair. It is also not wise. Pennsylvania’s next generation is going to find it harder to get an education, get a job, and provide for their families. It won’t make our state appealing to anybody – not even big business.
Passing along tax increases to local governments in the form of higher property taxes is passing the buck. It is not responsible. Pennsylvanians know better.
The governor also announced another commission, this one to study post-secondary education. In one year in Pennsylvania, we have seen commissions meet, make recommendations, and move on. We can’t continue to talk about problems. We need to truly be responsible and do something to address these problems. Our roads and bridges don’t become safer and our public transit systems don’t improve through discussions. The time for talk is over.
In the coming months, we will do all we can to make the state budget a better reflection of Pennsylvanians’ priorities.”
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