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Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola (R-15) issued the following statement today regarding passage of the state budget.
“This is not a good budget. But it is also not a bad budget. The last two year’s budgets were bad budgets raising spending 6 and 7 percent, an unaffordable level for the people of Pennsylvania. This budget depending how you figure goes up by three or four percent, still a bit too high but a significant improvement. What we need to do is enact a meaningful Taxpayer Protection Act as soon as possible to rein in obscene spending increases once and for all.
“This budget contains no new tax cuts. That is bad with surpluses and tax revenue expected to continue to go up. But there are not tax increases and that is good. What we need to do next is to enact tax reductions to give back to the people and the job creators these unnecessary dollars. We must cut taxes and cut them soon so next year we don’t have the people’s money to spend burning holes in our pockets.
“Education and welfare representing over half the budget are growing by almost 6 percent and 4 percent respectively. That is bad since despite huge increases in education spending by the Commonwealth property taxpayers have received no relief, and the needs of those dependent on government in Pennsylvania are increasing faster than our growth. However, the cost of the rest of state government has actually gone down in real dollars and that is good.
“This is not a good budget or a bad budget so how does one decide how to vote? I have decided to vote yes for one reason and one reason only. This budget offers a glimmer of ‘hope.’ Hope that we can enact real spending discipline and keep Pennsylvania government affordable. Hope that we can enact significant tax cuts that will move Pennsylvania forward. There are nuggets of hope in this budget and that is why I am voting yes. I hope that this ‘hope’ is not false hope and that this ‘hope’ is not misplaced. Time will soon tell.”
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