|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. Jennifer L. Mann |
|
Mann comments on state budget compromise plan
HARRISBURG, Sept. 11 - State Rep. Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh, issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement of a tentative, bipartisan agreement on the state’s 2009-10 state budget:
"It’s important to note that this is a bipartisan agreement. This budget compromise addresses the fiscal needs of the Commonwealth without a broad-based tax increase.
"Even in the midst of a national recession that has had a negative effect on the state’s economy, the Commonwealth will hold spending to below what we spent last year.
"We’ve said from the beginning we were willing to negotiate and compromise and we did that many times throughout the process. It’s good to see that our Senate Republican colleagues got on board and met us halfway.
"Our priorities were to fund a budget that addressed our fiscal issues while protecting the services that our most needy residents depend on. House Democrats stood our ground throughout the process – we made sure there was support for education, senior citizens and the elderly, children, poor and disabled.
"This compromise will provide adequate funding for our core government services, preserve the social safety net for our most needy residents, and continue to invest in education to preserve the progress we have made in that area.
"We were able to negotiate a plan that doesn’t have any broad-based tax increases or an increase in the Personal Income Tax - we listened to the overwhelming majority of Commonwealth residents who adamantly opposed a tax hike.
"Not everybody will get what they want when the final budget is enacted. Some groups are going to see their funding cut significantly, but the point is that they will still receive funding. These are part of the hard choices you have to make when you experience this kind of fiscal crisis.
"It has been very difficult for schools, county governments and human service programs to wait for their funding. But we had to get through this process so we could ensure we would have adequate funding to give them.
"Adding table games will mean significant job creation for the Lehigh Valley, which is already home to one of the state’s casinos. These are long-term jobs that will pay good wages and contribute to the overall economy.
"Although the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax phase-out on business assets will still be delayed, a portion of the revenue we receive from the delay will be used to give businesses other and much-needed tax breaks on the operating loss and single sales factor portion of the Corporate Net Income Tax."
Mann said the six-member panel of the House/Senate legislative budget conference committee will work through the weekend to draft the legislation necessary to enact the agreement. The full House and Senate could vote on it as early as next week.