NOTE there are two actions.
Say NO to State Budget Raid of Environmental Funds
From PennFuture (http://www.pennfuture.org):
PennFuture needs your urgent help TODAY. When a major newspaper in the Commonwealth compares the current state budget shenanigans in Harrisburg to “a clown car headed off a cliff,” it’s tempting to laugh. But a $2 billion hole in our state budget is no laughing matter. Not only are vital state programs hanging in the balance, but if the legislature is unable to fund the budget bill they have already passed, our state’s credit rating will suffer as well. That means all of us will end up paying more and getting less.
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center has looked at the budget as a whole. They note that House Speaker Mike Turzai and other extremists in the Republican caucus remain opposed to any tax increase. Instead, they are considering a dangerous and sketchy plan to raid special state funds to balance the budget (see action below concerning the budget as a whole).
Responsible legislators realize that the state must raise revenue, but this group of extremists is willing to sacrifice almost anything before raising a cent. This group, led by Representative Dan Moul, is now claiming they can balance the budget without raising taxes and without borrowing any money. How do they achieve this miracle? Their plan is a one-time draining of the bank accounts of 40 different programs that provide a wide range of services to Pennsylvanians.
Here is how the environment will be impacted:
- $50 million will be taken from the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund, which can be the only source of money to cleanup and restore old hazardous waste sites.
- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has about 200 staff positions that are at least partially funded by the HSCF.
- It takes $100 million from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund that supports state and community parks, preserves, as well as other public sites.
- It takes $30 million from the Volkswagen Settlement, which was part of a payment for environmental damage caused when the company botched its vehicle diesel emissions. Instead of using that money to mitigate the air pollution caused by the diesel emissions, this proposal would send the settlement to the general fund.
One way or another this money grab could hurt every Pennsylvanian, but that’s just the beginning. With very little new revenue in the Moul plan, we’ll actually be worse off next summer than we are now. We’ll still have a structural deficit in our budget, but we’ll also have 40 more under-funded state programs.
The vote is THIS WEEK, so please contact your state representative as soon as possible at https://pennfuture.salsalabs.org/saynotostatebudgetraidofspecialfunds/index.html!
Act Now to Stop the PA Budget Crisis
From the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (http://www.pennbpc.org):
The Pennsylvania budget stalemate is now a budget crisis. If action is not taken soon, our kids, our vulnerable friends and neighbors, and our air and water will all suffer. That’s why we’re writing to ask you to click here to urge your state representative to be part of the solution.
In July, the General Assembly enacted an austere budget of about $32 billion. It increased spending very little over last year but used savings in many areas to direct more money to education, as well as to intellectual disabilities services, mental health services including opioid treatment, and child care.
But two months later, the General Assembly has not enacted legislation to fully fund the budget. The Senate passed an imperfect revenue bill. It could be improved in the House. But House Speaker Mike Turzai and other extremists in the Republican caucus remain opposed to any tax increase. Instead, they are considering a dangerous and sketchy plan to raid special state funds to balance the budget.
Please take action now at https://actionnetwork.org/letters/no-more-games-fund-the-pa-budget and tell your state representative to insist that Speaker Turzai bring a revenue bill to the House Floor.
The General Fund will be depleted by Friday, September 15th. Without action soon, credit agencies are likely to again lower debt ratings, and, because so much of the state budget consists of expenditures mandated by federal law or contractual obligations, Governor Wolf will be forced to cut discretionary spending 12%.
Ask your legislator to take action to avoid this disaster.
A 12% cut in spending would mean:
- An education funding cut of roughly the same $1 billion cut by Governor Corbett in 2011.
- Elimination of funding for Penn State, Pitt, Lincoln, and Temple Universities and reduction of funding for the PASSHE schools, leading to huge tuition increases at Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities.
- Sharp reductions to early childhood and special education programs.
- Deep cuts in funding for human services for people with intellectual disabilities, mental health and substance abuse issues, and those who need child care or help finding a job.
- Funding for critical access hospitals and burn centers in rural will be drastically cut.
- The Department of Environmental Protection will not be able to protect our air and water quality.
- Thousands of state workers could lose their jobs or be furloughed, crippling local economies especially in rural areas.
Pennsylvanians must demand action on the budget before the worst consequences of the budget crises are felt. Please be one of them by clicking here.
Thank you for standing up for a Pennsylvania for everyone.
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