Despite Democrat Calls To Spend “Surplus” Funds, Governor Tom Corbett, Lt. Governor Jim Cawley and The GOP State Legislature Restore Responsible Leadership To Harrisburg
HARRISBURG — Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement applauding Governor Tom Corbett, Lt. Governor Jim Cawley and the Republican state legislature for ensuring our Commonwealth was in the economic position to handle the recent damage to roads and bridges caused by flooding.
“Just a few months ago, ‘spend the surplus’ became a rallying cry for state Democrats during the June’s budget negotiations, Governor Tom Corbett, Lt. Governor Jim Cawley and our Republican leaders in the state legislature did the responsible thing and put our Commonwealth in the financial position to financially weather the recent damage caused to Pennsylvania’s roadways and bridges.
“While it personally is difficult for anyone who has not conquered remedial mathematics to argue that we could possibly have a $800 million surplus when our state was facing a $4.2 billion deficit, that is exactly what Democrats did earlier this year in a blatant attempt to spend more of Pennsylvanians’ hard-earned tax dollars at a time when many are working to make ends meet with less.
“As we look back on the last few months, Pennsylvanians can feel validated that they made the right decision to put our state in firm Republican control as Governor Tom Corbett, Lt. Governor Jim Cawley and our Republican legislature provesagain that good fiscal planning is good government.”
At our recent State Party meeting, Governor Corbett said that the state may need to spend state resources to ensure public safety by inspecting roads and bridges damaged by recent flooding:
Defending his decision not to use more of the state’s excess revenues to restore portions of his budget cuts, Gov. Tom Corbett said this morning that those dollars now may be needed to repair flood-damaged roads and bridges.
Mr. Corbett, speaking to a gathering of Republican State Committee members here, said 1,500 bridges throughout the northeast and central regions had to be inspected following the massive flooding that resulted from Tropical Storm Lee. (Olson, Laura, “Corbett says surplus may be needed for damaged infrastructure,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/17/11)
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