On Tuesday, Governor Tom Corbett announced his budget proposal for fiscal year 2014-15, telling lawmakers that the $29.4 billion spending plan continues to drive the values of strategic investment and prudent fiscal management to address the commonwealth’s core funding needs.
“This commonwealth is the sixth-largest economy in the United States,” Corbett said. “And we’ll be running at full strength as long as we concentrate on three priorities: Education, jobs and healthcare.
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Local democratic lawmakers from the state house said they are disappointment at best. State Reps. Tina Davis (D-141) and John Galloway (D -140) ripped the Governors fiscal plan
“I had hoped for some election-year enlightenment in his budget address but instead came away very disappointed,” Davis said. “Pennsylvania workers, families, students and retirees have been harmed by his policies of the last three years, and nothing he said Tuesday would suggest a change for the better.”
According to Davis, Corbett and Senate Republicans have slashed spending and promised that would bring the commonwealth to fiscal health, but “Instead, the state has fallen to 48th among all states in job creation and 41st among all states in projected job growth,” she said.
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Galloway is also critical of the budget plan.
“He’s one of the most unpopular Governors we have in the country and that’s because he keeps making the middle class pay while big corporations don’ t”
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Galloway said the Governor can make the argument he hasn’t raised taxes while he’s been in office but the fact of the matter is his plans have forced, for example, local school boards to raise tax rates as a result of his budgets, which is passing it on to the backs of the middle class.
“The answer lies in Republicans and Democrats coming together in the middle, setting a reasonable tax marcellus gas companies for one and coming up with responsible ways of raising revenue and cutting government waste,” Galloway said.
“We need to create jobs. It’s a must,” Galloway said.
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“The Governor has failed miserably with job creation. States all around us, New York, New Jersey and Ohio are thriving again and we’re 41st in job creation” he said.
“Both sides have to compromise” Galloway said.
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According to state department of Labor and Industry unemployment, for the first time since 2009 that fell under 7 percent (to 6.9) for the month of December. Those gains, according to Philly.com. However, can be attributed to a number of factors not having to do with anything government has done.
Davis agrees with Galloway about states around Pennsylvania showing budget surpluses and recovering economies.
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“While Pennsylvania faces a $1.4 billion budget deficit and no hope on the horizon from the governor other than election-year mirages,”she said
Education, tourism and disease-prevention programs continue to be cut while he continues to cut taxes for big business and special interests,” Davis said. “The governor’s priorities are the wrong priorities for Pennsylvania.”
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In addition to unveiling his Executive Budget, the governor renewed his charge to the legislature to enact two key pieces of pending legislation: pension reform and liquor privatization. Over the past several months legislative leaders and members have worked in a bipartisan fashion to further both efforts,” a press release says.
For more information about the proposed budget click here
Editor’s Note: Republican State Rep. Frank Farry will be commenting at a later time. Farry’s interview was rescheduled after he suffered a minor injury at a fire call.
