State’s Fiscal Crisis Calls for More than Cuts to Services
By Sen. Shirley Kitchen

As the General Assembly continues to debate the 2009-10 Pennsylvania budget and fill our historic $3.2 billion deficit, we are essentially faced with two fundamentally opposed positions.

The governor has recommended a plan to cut spending, combined with a small Personal Income Tax increase from 3.07 percent to 3.57 percent.

The governor’s tax hike would cost about $5 more per week from the average Pennsylvania family and would help maintain essential services and pay for health care for veterans, state police protection, money to keep our parks open and give our children access to health care.

No one wants to raise taxes, but it may prove necessary if we want to balance our budget and maintain many of our beneficial state programs that millions of Pennsylvanians count on.       

Meanwhile, the Senate Republicans, who claim they are opposed to any form of a tax increase, offered a spending plan in May that makes harsh cuts to numerous core programs and services. These cuts would most certainly impact most Pennsylvanians negatively. This plan, Senate Bill 850, passed the Senate along party lines, but stalled in the House.

Their plan to slash spending everywhere puts public safety, economic progress, state parks, education, veteran’s services and children’s health care at risk.

Specifically, the cuts could lead to the layoffs of 3,500 state workers and 4,000 school district employees.

It would also take away health care coverage for thousands of children; force the School District of Philadelphia to cut important early education programs; raise property taxes; close parks and cripple the very economic development programs we are relying on to stimulate our economic resurgence.

The cuts would not include any new funds for Medicaid modernization, and eliminates all funding for critical access hospitals, trauma and burn centers and obstetrical and neonatal services, according to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.

Finally, many of these cuts could imperil our share of billions in federal stimulus dollars.

It is also important to note that this plan is already significantly outdated given the current state of our growing deficit. The Republicans would have to nearly double the $1.7 billion in cuts they have already proposed to close the gap in state spending. 

This is a risk we cannot afford to take for the sake of politicians touting a no tax-increase plan.

No citizen wants to pay more taxes and, likewise, no public official wants to raise taxes. However, we are faced with an unprecedented fiscal crisis that demands a close look at all options.

            State Sen. Shirley Kitchen (D) represents the 3^rd Senatorial District in Philadelphia.