HARRISBURG — Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement in support of Governor Tom Corbett’s budget proposal.
“We all know that Pennsylvania’s fiscal house will crumble if our elected officials don’t act quickly to put us back on the path towards fiscal solvency. Governor Corbett has led the conversation by creating a fiscally responsible budget that doesn’t raise our taxes by a single cent while making key investments into our Commonwealth’s future. Without a doubt, Pennsylvanians demanded leadership last year, and Governor Corbett has delivered,” Gleason said.
“Unfortunately, some Democrats in Harrisburg have been resorting to scare tactics and misleading information to stop the tides of reform and maintain our Commonwealth’s unsustainable status-quo.
“It’s time to separate fact from fiction and set the record straight on Governor Corbett’s FY011-2012 budget. We have launched a website — “Corbett’s Taxpayer’s Budget” to debunk the tall tales, myths and outright falsehoods about Governor Corbett’s fiscally responsible budget.”
A few highlights include:
- Governor Corbett’s budget actually increases the amount of Pennsylvania dollars spent on basic education.
- While public schools complain about under-funding, they have over $3 billion in reserves.
- Over the past 10 years, higher education funding has amassed over $4.8 billion in state appropriations, while at the same time, tuition has increased by 45%.
- Even with a $500 million dollar revenue surplus, Pennsylvania will still be $3.5 billion in debt.
“Pennsylvanians deserve to have an honest conversation about government spending. In stark contrast to the past eight years, Governor Corbett’s budget confronts our spending problem without tax increases or one-time gimmicks and puts Pennsylvania on the road towards prosperity. The Republican Party of Pennsylvania wholeheartedly supports Governor Tom Corbett and his mission to get our Commonwealth back on the path towards fiscal solvency,” Gleason said.
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