State Budget and Taxes

#NameTheCuts

Posted by Marc Stier on April 4, 2016 5:36 pm
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It appears that some elements in the Republican Party of Pennsylvania have one and only one goal – to not raise taxes. 

It doesn’t matter if spending in our classrooms, and especially in the classrooms in our lowest income communities, have not recovered from the Corbett cuts of 2011-12; they won’t raise taxes.

It doesn’t matter if waiting lists for mental health and intellectual disability services grow; they won’t raise taxes.   

It doesn’t matter if tuition keeps rising for our colleges and universities. 

FAQs about the $75 million CUT in state funding to schools in the 2015-2016 Republican budget

Posted by Susan Spicka on April 1, 2016 8:37 am
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The following is a guest post from Susan Spicka, Director of Education Voters of Pennsylvania.

An Explanation of Our Infographic, “Especially for Poor Districts, Drastic Corbett Education Cuts Remain”

Posted by Marc Stier on March 31, 2016 8:10 am
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So what difference does a budget actually make? Why should we care that we wound up with the Republican budget for this year (HB 1801), rather than the bi-partisan budget agreed to in December 2015 (SB 1073), let alone the budget Governor Wolf proposed in March 2015?

Gov. Wolf Should Veto Hidden Tax Increase That Could Hike Water Rates by Hundreds of Millions

Posted by Stephen Herzenberg on March 28, 2016 12:58 pm
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As most readers of this blog know, Pennsylvania just concluded a 2015-16 budget process nine months late because the legislative majority was unwilling to raise enough revenue to begin funding schools more adequately and equitably.

Winners and Losers

Posted by Marc Stier on March 24, 2016 9:20 am
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Governor Wolf decided yesterday to allow the latest Republican budget to become law. We were hoping he would veto it.

No One Wants Leviathan

Posted by Marc Stier on March 18, 2016 1:52 pm
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Listen to the extremist Republicans who are blocking a Pennsylvania budget deal and you might hear the echo of American revolutionaries standing up to King George.

The stakes seem to be beating back a Governor who seeks to drastically expand the size and scope of our state government.

Need some examples?

The Rising Fiscal Cost of the Budget Impasse

Posted by Mark Price on March 9, 2016 12:50 pm
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The Inquirer’s Joseph DiStefano reported last week that Standard and Poor’s is threatening to cut Pennsylvania’s credit rating due to the states failure to address the structural budget deficit. Ratings on debt issued by Pennsylvania have been downgraded five times in the last four years and every downgrade costs the commonwealth tens of millions of dollars on each billion dollars of borrowing.

Senator Corman's Budget Fantasy

Posted by Marc Stier on February 23, 2016 4:41 pm
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The Independent Fiscal Office’s projection that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania faces a $1.8 billion structural deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is now beyond dispute. And we at the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) believe that there are only two ways forward. One path leads to a relatively small tax increase that closes the deficit and restore funding for education and human services. The other path leads to devastating cuts in education and human services. 

Pennsylvania at the Crossroads

Posted by Marc Stier on February 9, 2016 3:18 pm
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Pennsylvania is at a crossroads. We face a stark and profound choice between two different paths. The first path would build on the broad consensus about public policy that animated our politics for generations. That consensus, forged by both Democrats and Republicans, recognizes that without good public education, our kids won’t succeed and our economy will stall.  It accepts responsibility for taking care of the disabled, ill and aged who, through no fault of their own, need our help.

KRC/PBPC Insider News Special Blizzard Edition 1-23-16

Posted by Jan Jarrett on January 23, 2016 2:17 pm
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Special blizzard edition ... yeah we’re snowed in, but we know you’re just watching your email for our weekly news so here it is, delivered despite the weather.

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