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This publication is
your opportunity to receive regular updates
on the work and the issues that I have been
involved with, both in Harrisburg and
throughout our community.
Please visit my Web site,
www.senatorhughes.com, where you will
find a comprehensive overview of our work,
various phone numbers and contact
information to assist you in solving
problems, opportunities to volunteer and
assist us in our programs and opportunities
to
give your feedback. |
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Republican Budget Predicts a Dire Future
for Pennsylvania Workers
Pennsylvania is
facing a budget crisis; there is no
doubt about that. Our budget shortfall
is at $3.2 billion, an unprecedented
high. This is all due to the current
international economic downturn.
Pennsylvania, in
recent years, has stayed above water in
this financial crisis, while other
states like New York and New Jersey have
had to deal with financial difficulties.
This is because Pennsylvania has always
displayed sound judgment and prudent
economic policy that created jobs,
preserved our Rainy day Fund and kept a
close watch on our budget bottom line.
However, due to well
documented forces beyond our control,
Pennsylvania has finally had to face the
economic crisis head-on. While there is
no doubt this will be a difficult time
for Pennsylvania, it is the goal of this
legislature to pass a state spending
plan that is equitable and continues to
put hard-working citizens first.
Last month, the
Senate Republicans put forth their
version of a state spending plan,
Senate Bill 850, that is
drastically leaner than the plan
proposed by Gov. Rendell during his
February 4 budget address.
It is
important to note that Gov.
Rendell, in his February
budget address, already
proposed cutting 350 line
items and eliminating a
hundred more. The Republican
spending plan cuts even more
deeply into the bone, by
$1.7 billion dollars -- the
extra cuts would drastically
reverse job growth, reduce
job creation and lead to
another wave of massive
lay-offs, swelling reliance
on state-funded programs
that serve the unemployed,
the uninsured and the
growing pool of families
struggling to make ends
meet.
Not only
that, but the state would be
putting billions of federal
stimulus funds in jeopardy
with the Senate Republican's ill-advised
spending plan, including $4
billion in Federal Medical
Assistance Percentages (FMAP) stimulus
funds due to cuts to Medical
Assistance programs.
My Democratic
colleagues and I fought hard to see that
this ill-crafted, short-sighted spending
plan was defeated in the Senate. Alas,
we were unsuccessful and the measure
passed on May 6, 2009 in the Senate with an entirely
partisan vote, by a count of 30
Republican members to 20 Democratic
Members.
The Republican plan
includes devastating cuts across the
board to many critical services and
programs in Pennsylvania.
-
Education would
be cut by more than $1 billion
-
Economic
development and job creation programs
would be cut by more than $200
million
-
Welfare and Aging
programs would be cut by $350
million
-
Arts & Museum
assistance would be eliminated
-
Tourism would be
cut by $10 million
The following table
shows a comparison of how much some
Departments would be cut in comparison
to what they were allotted in the
2008-09 budget:
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|
Department |
Republican Proposed Budget |
2008-09 Budget |
|
Aging and Long Term Living |
$
798,209,000 |
$
1,097,307 |
|
» Long Term Care |
$
630,632,000 |
$
906,620,000 |
|
Community and Economic
Development |
$
192,933,000 |
$
617,783,000 |
|
» World Trade PA |
$
0 |
$
14,075,000 |
|
» Community and Regional
Development |
$
0 |
$
15,900,000 |
|
Tourism Marketing |
$
4,493,000 |
$
16,909,000 |
|
Education |
$
8,955,003 |
$
10,095,283 |
|
» Pre-K Counts |
$
43,206,000 |
$
86,412,000 |
|
» Head Start Supplemental
Assistance |
$
19,740,000 |
$
39,480,000 |
|
» Classrooms for the Future |
$
0 |
$
45,000,000 |
|
Public Welfare |
$
8,058,890 |
$
9,171,145 |
|
» Child Welfare – TANF |
$
0 |
$
20,000,000 |
|
Veterans Homes |
$
69,783,000 |
$
84,962,000 |
|
Grants to the Arts |
$
0 |
$
15,225,000 |
|
Museums |
$
19,543,000 |
$
33,768,000 |
For a full detailed
table on spending cuts proposed by the
Senate Republicans, visit:
http://www.senatorcosta.com/appropriations/2009-2010proposedbudget.htm.
|
 REPUBLICAN
BUDGET MEANS EXTREME LOSS OF
JOBS
Impacts
of the Senate Republican
Budget include:
-
7,500
Pennsylvanians will lose
their jobs.
-
Cuts
to basic education would
mean 4,000 staffers in
local school districts
would be laid off.
-
There
will be a $222.6 million
reduction in funds for
the Philadelphia School
District from the
Governor's already
austere budget.
-
The
Port of Philadelphia's
budget will lose an
additional 70% from
their budget.
-
Thousands of workers who
provide comfort to the
sick and the infirmed,
grant approvals for
work, safeguard our
food, water, clean our
state parks and keep our
citizens safe will be
shown the unemployment
line.
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CHIP CUTS
HURTS PENNSYLVANIA CHILDREN This budget also does a huge
disservice to Pennsylvania
children by cutting into
CHIP funding. You must
remember that Pennsylvania
was the national leader in
establishing a children’s
healthcare program and the
PACHIP program was the model
for the
 federal program and
for other state programs
like CHIP.
Under the Republican
spending plan funds would be
reduced to $86.9 million,
meaning CHIP would cover
approximately 24,000 fewer
children than in Gov.
Rendell's February 4
proposal and (number) fewer
than were provided for in
the 2008-09 state budget.
How can we, in good
conscience, remove any child
- let alone the children
that need these benefits
most - the low-income child
- from CHIP rolls? It is a
cruel way to balance the
budget. It is a budget
balanced on the backs of the
vulnerable.
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PHILADELPHIA HOSPITALS STAND
TO LOSE MILLIONS
Philadelphia hospitals that
rely on Medical Assistance
funding will be directly and
negatively impacted by the
Republicans’ plan.
Hospitals
in Philadelphia would lose
at least $85 million some of
which is necessary to get
federal assistance money.
The
Republican proposed budget
eliminates payment to
Philadelphia Mercy Hospital;
$1.5 million state/ $1.8
million federal.
Temple
University Hospital and 7
other Philly hospitals with
trauma centers would lose
12.3 million dollars in
state Medical Assistance
funding and 15 million
dollars in federal funding.
Philadelphia hospitals with
OB and Neonatal services
would lose a total of 5
million dollars in state
Medical Assistance funds and
6 million dollars in federal
funds.
Burn
centers would lose a total
of 5.1 million dollars in
state funds.
These are
CRITICAL services that
depend on Pennsylvania
funding to receive matching
federal funds.
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SCHOOLS
STAND TO LOSE FUNDING
The
already struggling
Philadelphia School District
will see a cut in funding of
$222 million in this budget,
ensuring that this school
district will continue to
suffer even more if the
Republican plan is approved. |
 |
|
A vote
for this budget also means a
vote for Property Tax
Increases for several of
Pennsylvania’s School
Districts, including a 64%
property tax increase for
the School District of
Philadelphia.
According
to the Pennsylvania School
Funding Campaign, the
following school districts
would see increases in
property taxes under this
budget:
-
Bristol Borough (Bucks)
– 10%
-
Avon
Grove (Chester) – 6%
-
Clearfield Area
(Clearfield) – 15%
-
Carlisle Area
(Cumberland) – 4%
-
Steelton-Highspire
(Dauphin) – 19%
-
Interboro (Delaware) –
3%
-
New
Castle Area (Lawrence) –
42%
-
Allentown City (Lehigh)
– 28%
-
Northwest Area (Luzerne)
– 14%
-
Mifflin County (Mifflin)
– 19%
-
Norristown Area
(Montgomery) – 4%
-
Easton Area
(Northampton) – 4%
-
Pottsville Area (Schuykill)
– 31%
-
Norwin SD (Westmoreland)
– 6%
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ARTS AND
MUSEUMS TAKE A HIT
Tourism,
Pennsylvania’s second
biggest industry would be
hit hard by the Republican
budget with $10 million in
cuts to that budget.
Philadelphia Museums would
also take a hit if this
budget is passed. |
|
Institution |
RepublicanProposed Budget |
2008-09 Budget |
|
University of Penn
Museum |
$
0 |
$
251,000 |
|
Franklin Institute |
$
0 |
$
759,000 |
|
African American
Museum of
Philadelphia |
$
0 |
$
354,000 |
|
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We owe
our constituents more than a
budget with misplaced
priorities that doesn't look
out for the best interest of
the people.
This budget
proposed by the Senate
Republicans does not take
into consideration the
thousands of Pennsylvania
citizens that depend on
critical services cut by
this budget. Luckily, this
budget still has to pass in
the House of Representatives
and be signed by the
Governor before the spending
plan is passed.
It is my hope that my
colleagues in the House and
the Governor realize the
devastating impact this
budget will have on the
entire Commonwealth.
There is no doubt about
it, drastic measures will
have to be taken if
Pennsylvania's economy is
going to survive the effects
of the national economic
downturn, but I am prepared
to tackle the grueling, hard
work of crafting a spending
plan that recognizes the
plight of Pennsylvania's
working families. |
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Offices of State Senator
Vincent Hughes |
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