|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
|
State
Rep. W. Curtis Thomas |
|
House passes state budget
HARRISBURG, July 2 – State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas made the following statement regarding House passage of the 2010-11 state budget:
"I voted in favor of this budget because I refuse to go through another year of having state workers, child-care providers and non-profit organizations suffer because of a late state budget. In approving the fiscal year 2010-11 budget on time, we have taken an affirmative step to make sure these critical services are not disrupted the way they were last year.
"This budget, however, leaves much to be desired. First, I am extremely concerned that Lincoln University received just $159,000 in ARRA higher education funding while the three other state-related universities, Temple, University of Pittsburgh, and Penn State received over $7 million each.
"Additionally, the budget fails to provide a clear plan for job creation and retention, affordable housing opportunities or accessible health care for those in need. Yes, we passed a budget on time, but the architects of this budget chose the path of least resistance.
"I hope we find the will and compassion to clean up this budget between now and November of this year. The people of this Commonwealth are in need of a comprehensive workforce strategy which gets people back to work, creates new job opportunities and gives our young people the foundation needed to stay in Pennsylvania. That's why I plan to continue the good fight to advance policies that move us in the right direction – which is to put the people of Pennsylvania first."
###