by Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin)

There are three words that best describe the state budget recently approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell:  out of touch.

While finally passing a budget on time is laudable, at what price was that mark met?

At a time when most families are trimming expenses and cutting back, the state is actually spending more and charging more on the taxpayers’ credit card.

And somehow, even though the state will spend more this year than it did last year, some important programs and services were drastically cut.

This year’s state budget will spend a whopping $28 billion, representing a more than $200 million increase over last year.  While taxpayers are learning to do more with less, state government is simply spending more.

On top of the $200 million spending increase, the state budget agreement also calls for a $600 million increase in state debt.  The state plans to not only spend more, but also borrow more money as well.

Some of the projects that debt will fund have appropriately come under heated media scrutiny.  Approximately $20 million has been earmarked for two legacy projects for long-serving Pennsylvania politicians. 

One legacy project will use $10 million in debt for a library at Philadelphia University that will be named after Sen. Arlen Specter.  Another legacy project will use an additional $10 million to pay for a public policy center named after the late Congressman John P. Murtha.

Taxpayers are rightfully asking why their dollars will be used to pay for these debt-financed projects.

Specter and Rendell are two of the top campaign fundraisers in Pennsylvania history.  Surely, if these projects were worthy of investment, these two long-serving politicians would be able to raise the funds.

Taxpayers also are justly asking, what makes these two projects “too big to fail?”  If private investors won’t put their money behind these schemes, why should state government throw taxpayer dollars at them? 

While the federal government uses taxpayer money to prop up car manufacturers and Wall Street banks, the state is using it to fund projects named after politicians.  No wonder there is a sense of outrage among the working families that pay government’s bills.

Perhaps most striking are the gimmicks used by state government to “balance” its budget.  Some of these tricks would be enough to make an Enron accountant blush.

For example, the state budget plans to spend $850 million in federal funds that have not yet been approved by Congress.  That’s right – the state budget literally spends dollars that are not there.

If that money does not materialize, a series of staggering cuts will have to be made.  Those cuts will be on top of some that were already made to programs and services that help our neediest residents.

Remember, the state budget actually increases spending this year by more than $200 million.  However, money for epilepsy support services was decreased and funding to help Pennsylvanians suffering from Lupus was slashed by 12 percent – to name just two examples.

And, while the state will borrow $10 million to pay for a library named after Arlen Specter in Philadelphia, the state budget actually cuts funding by more than $5 million for public libraries scattered across the Commonwealth.

I voted against this year’s state budget and do not support the legislation to increase the state’s debt because both of these measures show a real disconnect between state government in Harrisburg and the people back home it is supposed to serve.

Government must represent the people.  Otherwise, the people will resent their government.

Rep. Kerry Benninghoff
171st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(814) 355-1300
(717) 783-1918

www.KerryBenninghoff.com

Contact:  Dan Massing

House Public Relations

(717) 772-9845

www.pahousegop.com