Dems Blast PA Senate Budget

The head of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania has stepped into his bully pulpit to rail against the Republican crafted budget passed Wednesday by the PA Senate. Chairman T.J. Rooney says normally he does not comment publically about the budget process but he felt compelled to do so this year. The senate budget trims an additional $2 billion from the Governor’s $29 billion budget proposal. Rooney says the cuts will take insurance away from poor children, prevent young adults from going to college and force homeowners to pay more in property taxes. Rooney says he saw the heads of the four legislative caucuses meeting every week to hash out a budget this year and thought the partisan politics was being put aside for while but this budget “turns back the clock” to the time of the “horse and buggy.” Rooney says the programs being cut in the Department of Community and Economic Development were responsible for the creation or retention of 100,000 jobs last year and could have done the same this year. He says this budget will only prolong the recession in Pennsylvania. Rooney goes on to say the Republican backed spending plan only pushes the hard decision on to other elected officials. He says school boards will be forced to raise taxes to make up for lost state funding. The budget now goes to the Democratic controlled house.