Hennessey August 2010 Newsletter

[email protected] State Representative T im Henness ey 26th Legislative District DISTRICT OFFICE: 1038 East Lincoln Highway, Coatesville, PA 19320 Phone: (610) 380-8600 SATELLITE OFFICE: Old Elverson T rain Station, P .O. Box 255, Elverson, PA 19520 Phone: (610) 286-9194 Pottstown: Phone: (610) 326-2626 HARRISBURG OFFICE: PO Box 202026, Harrisburg, P A 17120-2026 Phone: (717) 787-3431 Budget Fails to Meet Proper Priorities money (which we don’t have), it fails to plan for the future, and its priorities are out of balance. is budget relies on federal funds that were uncertain and overestimated, which creates a chaotic situation for individuals and agencies that rely on state funding. Keeping the film tax credit, and raising it to $60 million, while making cuts in state parks and libraries and providing only very modest increases for mental health services, makes little sense. In addition, the budget cuts funding for agriculture, Pennsylvania’s number one industry. e film tax credit, an acceptable idea in good economic times, should have been jettisoned in our current economic straits. We’ll have serious consequences to face in coming years unless the deficit is brought under control. Federal stimulus funds are gone after this year, and we face a $4 billion to $5 billion structural deficit in fiscal year 2011-12. Another troubling aspect of this budget plan is the level of borrowing that is authorized. In our current economic climate, we should not run up the state “credit cards” by creating large amounts of debt for future generation s to pay off. We’ve all seen this in Washington, and in this budget, $600 million in new borrowing was authorized in Pen nsylvania. e Commonwealth debt load has grown from $6 billion to mor e than 10 billion during this administration ’ s tenure, a whopping 66 percent! I voted against this borrowing in March, when it was originally proposed, and again when it came back from the Senate in July. e promised $250 million increase for public education may need to be scaled back because the $850 million expected from Washington has been reduced by Congress. A new and separate funding package from D.C. has suddenly emerged which may bring the Commonwealth an additional $300 million targeted to “public school administration costs,” whatever that means. We’re left with lots of unanswered questions about what funds will be available even as we begin the new school year. We must restore fiscal s anity to state government. Rep. Hennessey is shown here taking part in a House Republican Policy Committee hearing on special education.

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Hennessey August 2010 Newsletter