HARRISBURG, Feb. 7, 2012—State Sen. Judy Schwank today said that, for a second straight year, the governor’s Pennsylvania budget proposal calls for short-sighted cuts and no long-term solution for moving Pennsylvania forward.
“Once again, we have been offered a budget proposal that focuses more on short-sighted cuts than long-term strategic investment,” Schwank said of the $27.14 billion 2012-13 state budget. “The budget proposal announced today fails to foster job creation, close corporate tax loopholes or find a long-term transportation infrastructure funding solution.
“While the governor’s budget proposal includes no state tax increases, we will certainly feel the pain of the budget cuts in our wallets,” Schwank said. “School districts are once again victims of the budget. They will be forced to cut programs, lay off more educators, and turn to the taxpayers to make up the difference through property tax hikes.”
“Higher education has also become a target of significant budget cuts,” Schwank said. “These cuts will not only hurt the quality of education that our colleges and universities provide, but also put an affordable college education further out of reach for too many families.
“Foreign companies will continue to take advantage of the Delaware Loophole and avoid paying taxes to this commonwealth, but the middle class will be forced to empty their pockets at a time when money is already so tight,” she said.
Schwank said she has seen the consequences of failing to assist existing local businesses that want to expand and create jobs.
“When we turn our backs on the businesses that want to be here, they are lured away to other states, and we lose,” she said. “In the coming months I will be working with my senate colleagues to develop a more sustainable and responsible budget.”
Schwank delivered the Senate Democratic Caucus response to the governor’s budget address, which can be viewed online.
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