State House Approves $27 Billion Budget, Local Reps Dissent

The state House approved a $27 billion budget on Wednesday night, and three Democratic representatives from the Plum-Oakmont communities are saying they voted against it because it cuts school funding, slashes Medicaid programs and protects big corporations.

The budget passed with a 109-92 vote largely along party lines. The Senate passed the bill on complete party lines on Tuesday, and Gov. Tom Corbett is expected to sign it today, Thursday.

Though the state budget didn't increase state taxes, Democrats noted that it is actually a "tax shift" because has forced school districts and counties to raise local property taxes to meet their basic needs, according to a statement from the Pa. House Democratic Caucus.

State Rep. Frank Dermody (D-Oakmont), whose district covers Oakmont and Plum, said he's not happy with the budget.

"This budget is a huge disappointment to me, to my fellow Democrats and to middle-class families and seniors all across Pennsylvania," Dermody said in a statement. "This budget was negotiated behind closed doors with Republicans only, and the end result is a budget that does tremendous harm to children in our public schools, seniors in nursing homes, the chronically ill and the disabled—and homeowners who will bear the brunt of these cuts through property tax hikes."

According to the statement, Democrat representatives agree that spending cuts are necessary to achieve a balanced budget, but they said Republicans went too far and cut too deeply, despite the fact that there will be $1 billion in tax revenues available for the next year that was not previously anticipated.

"This budget is full of smoke and mirrors that mask, for the short-term, the pain that will be felt by residents in every corner of the state,” said Rep. Joe Markosek, D-Monroeville—his district covers Plum. “When this budget is implemented and the smoke clears, residents will see increases in property taxes, the elimination of jobs, increased tuition and cuts in services to our most vulnerable residents, which will increase costs to families caring for ill and elderly loved ones."

Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Penn Hills, whose district covers Plum and Verona, said state funding for schools in his district has been slashed by $3.1 million, medical assistance transportation by $10 million, child care programs and services by $35 million and programs for the disabled by $69 million.

DeLuca said the $200 million cuts in higher education will result in tuition increases and may put colleges out of reach for working, middle-class families.

"These cuts are cruel," he said. "Governor Corbett had no problem cutting 40,000 people from the adultBasic health insurance program earlier this year, so the budget cuts are just a continuation of his drastic financial maneuvering."

State Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-Pittsburgh)—his district covers Oakmont—voted against the budget in the state Senate.

“This is a budget plan that the Republican majority will have to live with and live down," he said in a statement. "It is a budget that was secretly developed with not one word from Democratic leaders and it does not reflect the needs of our citizens.

“It is a budget that will further erode the state’s already fragile recovery and force local governments to increase taxes to remain functioning. Hard times call for hard decisions, but this budget goes too far.  Our top priority should be investing in Pennsylvania’s growth, not hindering it through ill-conceived budget cuts.”

Sen. Jay Costa (D-Forest Hills)—his district covers Verona—said the Republican budget bill will result in thousands of layoffs and massive program cuts, despite a $700 million state surplus.

"To get a budget done by June 30 without taking into consideration the $700 million budget that we have going forward is inappropriate," he said in a video on his website. "We recognize we need to cut costs—we do that in this budget—but we need to take some of that additional surplus and be able to use it this year, put away some in the rainy day fund for the next couple of years and also put some away for the budget 2012-13 year cycle."

State Sen. Jim Brewster (D-McKeesport)—his district covers Plum—also does not agree with the budget.

“Revenue has been ripped from our communities and school districts,” Brewster said in a statement. “This drop in state support will add undue burdens on already cash-strapped families.

“The ill effects of the budget will emerge with time and then, the good people of Pennsylvania will see firsthand what their governor has done to them, their families and their communities.”