Pa. Budget 'Unfair' to Families, State Rep. Says

The state’s new $28.375 billion spending plan, signed into law Sunday by Governor Tom Corbett, is unfair to Pennsylvanian families, Newtown’s state Rep. Steve Santarsiero said.

Santarsiero, a Democrat representing the 31st district, voted against the budget, saying it underfunds education while expanding corporate tax breaks.

The budget “continues to underfund basic K-12 education, colleges and universities while expanding giveaways to large multinational companies with no guarantees of job creation,” Santarsiero said in the statement.

“When my colleagues say the budget is balanced, I disagree because it is not balanced for the people of Pennsylvania,” Santarsiero said. “Our priorities should be with the families and the working men and women of this state and not with giving away our tax dollars to large multinational companies without any assurances of new jobs created.” 

Santarsiero said he takes issue with the level of education funding in the budget. “Council Rock School District’s state funding is down $700,000 from fiscal year 2010-11,” the statement said. And colleges and universities don’t fare much better, Santarsiero believes.

“The political leadership in our state has turned its back on Pennsylvania families by not adequately investing in the education of our youth,” Santarsiero said.

The newest budget is the third on-time spending plan of Corbett’s tenure, but it was missing three objectives the governor called for earlier this year – transportation funding, liquor privatization and pension reform, PA Independent reported.

Corbett said he wasn’t disappointed that lawmakers didn’t deliver these issues to his desk. He called them unfinished business, PA Independent reported.

“These aren’t easy things to do,” said Corbett. “There are, as you know, many interest groups with many different perspectives in a bill like this, so I can’t be disappointed.”