PENNSYLVANIA STATE BUDGET

I have been voicing my concerns and opinion over the last 3-months, and have been active in contacting various members of our elite elected State officials, who by the way kept getting a paycheck while others had to suffer, that their personal issues as to who is better, Republican or Democrat, was destroying the State and the people. WOW!! Today I received this E-mail from my State Senator, Lisa Baker.

Thank you for your advocacy and the information you provided regarding the state budget. Over the past three months, I received calls, letters, and e-mails on behalf of many of the programs funded through the state budget. I understand the deep concerns you and others have expressed, and your insights were invaluable to me throughout this process.

The impacts of the state budget impasse have been severe. Service providers, local governments, schools, students, and families should not have had to suffer the uncertainty, the disruptions, and the costs inflicted because of the prolonged dispute. Our process is clearly flawed, and I am working to determine how we can change things so we do not suffer a repetition of this budget ordeal that has been so frustrating for taxpayers and so disruptive to state-funded services.

This budget does not reflect the principles I laid out at the beginning of this process, or the priorities many people in my district told me were most important, so I could not vote to support it.

While we were successful in preventing increases in the state personal income tax and the sales tax, other tax increases approved despite my opposition will adversely impact small businesses, which only delays the economic recovery our state desperately needs to take place.

The expansion of gambling is not a responsible solution to our problems. Because people have such strong opinions about gambling and gambling expansion, table games should be openly debated. It is not the sort of thing that should be just waved through because the state is desperate for dollars.


There are also substantial inequities in funding for important programs, services and institutions that matter to our communities.


I have attached a link to the final general fund appropriations for your information http://www.senatorbaker.com/PDF/2009/HB1416.pdf. Please let me know if you have additional questions or concerns.


Again, thank you for contacting me. Your interest and involvement are greatly appreciated.


Lisa