FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Dom Costa D-Allegheny www.pahouse.com/DCosta

Costa: We should be embarrassed by this budget

2011/12 spending plan short changes children, seniors and the poor

HARRISBURG, June 29 – State Rep. Dom Costa plans to vote no on the 2011-12 state budget. He released the following statement:

"This budget so grossly underfunds early and basic education that it threatens our children's ability to attain the knowledge and skills they need to compete in a global economy. It also opens the door for property tax increases as school boards try to make-up the shortfall in state support.

"This budget so grossly underfunds human service programs that it jeopardizes the health and welfare of senior citizens, the poor and the disabled.

"We could have done better. We are sitting on an additional $700 million in tax revenues that could have been used to ease these cuts. We could have imposed a natural gas severance fee on out-of-state drilling companies getting rich on our Marcellus Shale. Or we could have closed the Delaware loophole that allows corporations to skirt state taxes.

"This budget is unfair and does not 'share the pain' as Gov. Corbett promised," said Costa, D-Allegheny.

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