Governor Tom Corbett tonight commented on the $29.1 billion spending plan for the 2014-15 fiscal year passed by the General Assembly:
“We are elected to serve the best interests of the people of Pennsylvania. Leadership is not always about the popular choices; it’s about difficult choices.
“The budget I received tonight makes significant investments in our common priorities of education, jobs and human services. It does not address all the difficult choices that still need to be made.
“It leaves pensions, one of the largest expenses to the commonwealth and our school districts, on the table, leaving the weight on Pennsylvania taxpayers and perpetuating the tug of war over state funding every single year.
“Pension costs are consuming more than 60 cents of every new dollar of general fund revenues.
“For the single parent who struggles to pay the bills every day, for the child going to school who deserves a quality education, for the elderly couple living on a fixed income, I will continue to fight for pension reform and real relief for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers.
“Every dollar saved through pension reform is a dollar we have to invest in Pennsylvania’s children, to reduce waiting lists for much-needed services for our most vulnerable, and to make improvements to our public safety system.
“I will continue to work with the legislature toward meaningful pension reform. I am withholding signing the budget passed by the General Assembly while I deliberate its impact on the people of Pennsylvania.”
“We are elected to serve the best interests of the people of Pennsylvania. Leadership is not always about the popular choices; it’s about difficult choices.
“The budget I received tonight makes significant investments in our common priorities of education, jobs and human services. It does not address all the difficult choices that still need to be made.
“It leaves pensions, one of the largest expenses to the commonwealth and our school districts, on the table, leaving the weight on Pennsylvania taxpayers and perpetuating the tug of war over state funding every single year.
“Pension costs are consuming more than 60 cents of every new dollar of general fund revenues.
“For the single parent who struggles to pay the bills every day, for the child going to school who deserves a quality education, for the elderly couple living on a fixed income, I will continue to fight for pension reform and real relief for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers.
“Every dollar saved through pension reform is a dollar we have to invest in Pennsylvania’s children, to reduce waiting lists for much-needed services for our most vulnerable, and to make improvements to our public safety system.
“I will continue to work with the legislature toward meaningful pension reform. I am withholding signing the budget passed by the General Assembly while I deliberate its impact on the people of Pennsylvania.”