Here's the low-lights of Corbett's last budget proposal

[JPZenger]

Last edited Tue Feb 4, 2014, 04:39 PM - Edit history (4)

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/02/winners_and_losers_of_gov_corb.html#incart_maj-story-1

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/02/tom_corbett_pennsylvania_state_1.html#incart_maj-story-1

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/02/five_takeaways_from_gov_tom_co.html

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/20140205_Corbett_unveils_budget_with_focus_on_school_funding__pension_reform.html

There is some new money for public schools, but the funds are only a fraction of what was cut. Most of the money will be distributed through a new "Ready to Learn" program, which is supposed to reward "high performing schools." The details of how the money will be distributed are confusing, particularly since most of the schools with the highest needs and the most low income and non-English speaking students typically don't show high test scores. Also, because this new program will replace a public school funding program that Corbett has tried to kill 3 years in a row, it is unclear how much of this money really represents a net increase.

Zero additional money for public universities, almost of whom are experiencing faculty layoffs. Corbett's past cuts are intended to be permanent, and become worse each year because of inflation and pension costs to the universities.

A fourth round of corporate tax cuts are proposed, bringing the the total during the Corbett years to well over $2 billion.

http://www.pahouse.com/HACD/series/2773/REV_Corbett_Corporate_Favors_FF_Update_012414.pdf

The spending on the state prison system will exceed $2 billion a year. Yeeaaa! (Part of the rise in prison costs results from an increasing number of geriatric prison inmates, who are not of much risk to anyone.)

First, the good news - more money will be available to improve State Parks and Forests. The bad news is that all of that new money is coming from increased fracking on those public recreation lands.

Scheduled payments for underfunded pensions are proposed to be greatly reduced from current levels, to buy some budgetary breathing room in an election year.

The Repubs interrupted him 35 times with applause.

Oh, yea, Obamacare is evil, and we are only going to let the federal government give us billion of dollars for health insurance for poor Pennsylvanians if the Federal Government meets all of Corbett's demands. Meet all of his demands, or the poor people die.

(Dems estimate that accepting the Federal money would not only create thousands of health care jobs, but also free up $400 million a year of current state spending, which could be re-directed to education. What do they know - they aren't the Governor)

[ladywnch]

1. the only good news is that polls show 63% belileve it is time for him to go.

so if PA can just hold out a little longer and keep him from doing too much more damange.,......let alone 'permanent' damage...till the next election.......we just might survive his governorship......


Hang tough PA!

[JPZenger]

2. Slashing pension payments to pay for corporate tax cuts and election year goodies

Corbett proposes to reduce the state's share of pension contributions from 16 percent of payroll to about 2.3 percent for State Employee Retirement System in 2014-15. He would cut the state's and school district's share of State Teacher's Retirement System contribution from about 17 percent of payroll to about 2.3 percent.

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-corbett-budget-proposal-0204-20140204,0,6894453.story#ixzz2sO1SYsSt

I can understand some adjustments to avoid huge scheduled increases in pension payments, but Corbett is proposing to slash what is already being paid.

The following link shows how additional revenue could be easily generated to fund public education, without slashing pension payments and without increasing income taxes. For instance, PA is the only state that does not tax cigars and chewing tobacco. It just makes sense to tax things that kill people.

http://www.pahouse.com/HACD/series/2773/REV_Corbett_Corporate_Favors_FF_Update_012414.pdf

[Curmudgeoness]

3. And after all those extreme cuts in pension funding,

we know what the next step would be......there is no money for pensions.