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State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski in “Robbing agricultural funds no way to balance the budget,” criticizes the Republican state budget proposal despite its efforts to protect taxpayers and the agricultural programs he strongly supports.
The budget proposal redirects money from unassigned, growing savings accounts to eliminate the deficit and balance the budget without tax hikes. Instead of dipping even further into Pennsylvanians’ paychecks, it uses just 14 percent of the $9.6 billion already taken from the taxpayers and sitting unused.
Each agency, including conservation districts, will receive the money they’re promised. What’s more, many of the reserve funds will still have surpluses after the proposed transfer.
One-time transfers aren’t ideal, but they are far superior to the alternative of $1.2 billion in borrowing and nearly $180 in new taxes per family to make up for the government’s chronic overspending.
The $650 million tax increase last year didn’t lessen the deficit, and another tax hike or more of the same is, as Pashinski says, true insanity. Legislators and the governor can protect their constituents, including farmers, by scrutinizing every dollar before asking families to once again tighten their own budgets.
Jessica Barnett
Harrisburg