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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Stephany Dugan |
State Rep. Nick Kotik |
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Kotik reacts to 2007-08 state budget
HARRISBURG, July 17 – State Rep. Nick Kotik, D-Allegheny, today issued the following reaction to the 2007-08 state budget:
“The state budget that was signed into law Tuesday morning reflects smart, fiscally responsible investments in Pennsylvanians for this fiscal year. It targets virtually every issue that impacts our daily lives from transportation to health care, to education to the environment.
“We were able to make these investments without creating any new taxes or increasing any existing state taxes. We’ve invested in students from one end of the spectrum to the other. Thousands of high school students will get the tools they need to be ahead of the game when they graduate with a major boost in funding to the Classrooms for the Future program and $100 million in funding will help our youngest students get the best educational start in life as possible with targeted investments in pre- and full-day kindergarten programs. Students from South Fayette, Sto-Rox, Montour, Cornell, Chartiers-Valley and Carlynton school districts will directly benefit from this funding, which will produce real results in the lives of all students.
“We kept our commitment to reforming our health-care system in this budget with key portions of Prescription for Pennsylvania becoming a reality. For example, right here in Allegheny County certified nurse practitioners now will be able to order in-home health and hospice care and medical equipment and nurse practitioners also will have a greater ability to determine if disabled patients qualify for state or federal assistance. We also passed legislation to reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections, moving us closer every day to achieving the goals of better quality care at a lower cost and health care that’s easier to access.”
TRANSPORTATION
“Addressing our looming transportation crisis was of paramount importance during this budget process. This budget package includes critical funding that will fix our bridges and roads and keep our mass transit systems running not just throughout this year, but for at least the next decade. Without highways and bridges that can be traveled on or fully operational public transit systems, every other aspect of our economy would suffer in the long run. We needed to solve this funding problem today.
“Over $500 million will be dedicated to fixing our crumbling bridges and deficient roads. This will go a long way to helping people get to work, to their doctor, and to other appointments in their daily lives easier and in less time. For the thousands of residents of Allegheny County who rely on our mass transit system everyday, they will now be able to ride it with peace of mind that it’s going to be here for many days and years to come.”
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