To The Editor,
We have a pension crisis in Pennsylvania. It was created by Governor Ridge and the legislature, when the passed Act 9 of 2001, then kicked down the road by Governor Rendell and the legislature for the 8 years that he was in office. In 2011 the pension crisis was addressed by Act 120, a balanced bipartisan solution to a long-term problem that moves the state toward paying off the bill.
Now Gov. Corbett, in an effort to get reelected, has decided to kick that pension reform can down the road yet again, by taking funds dedicated to reducing the amount that the government should pay on this debt and using those funds elsewhere. This debt was accumulated during a decade of government underfunding which the legislature knew would have to be paid eventually and chose to ignore. In realistic terms, it is like paying the minimum amount on a credit card and spending wildly on gifts. This is not fiscal responsibility. It’s irresponsibility for what appears to be a re-election tactic.
We need to ask exactly what new money is Gov. Corbett going to use to fund the things that he has promised in his budget proposal and is it sustainable funding? We know he is banking on hundreds of millions in savings for proposals that have yet to be approved, like his Medicaid plan. We know he’s asking to cut funding to Emergency Services, Veterans needs and Natural Resources. We know he is also suggesting that we postpone nearly $400 million in payments to businesses that provide care to the disabled. Making only 11 payments in a fiscal year, instead of 12 to make it appear that there is money to be had. Granted this kind of slick accounting has been around in government for a long time, but that doesn’t make it right. It’s business as usual and it needs to stop. The people of Pennsylvania deserve honest accounting and fiscally responsible spending.
Gov. Corbett and the legislature should be focusing on the long-term fiscal health of the state. We should be closing the corporate tax loopholes that allow more than 70% of businesses to avoid paying taxes. We should expand the federal Medicaid plan into Pennsylvania that would help struggling families and bring thousands of new jobs into Pennsylvania. We should also be creating a fair natural gas severance fee that is in line with other states and focus on growing good jobs in Pennsylvania.
Can this be accomplished? You bet it can!
Susan Rzucidlo
Candidate, 158th House District
www.SusanforPA.com
Guest, you apparently missed the 2nd sentence of this letter:
“We have a pension crisis in Pennsylvania. It was created by Governor Ridge and the legislature, when the passed Act 9 of 2001, then kicked down the road by Governor Rendell and the legislature for the 8 years that he was in office”
Your hatred for Milne clouded your eye sight. Or perhaps you just can’t read.
Susan makes a lot of sense & should be commended for calling out the legislature and two republican governors. She did conveniently skip over Rendell who was in between.
My question is
Will Susan follow Duane Milne for higher taxes with no benefit reform of the unacceptable status quo (40 year teachers pocket 100% of their highest salary plus social security for life) or will she stand up to the unions who own Milne and vote for a fix that is fair to all. 6 years of self serving press releases by state reps and the education killing pension crisis remains unaddressed. At one dollar per self serving we are working on it state rep press releases the funding gap would have been closed long ago. Why not? Well a state rep in the even more lucrative state rrp pension after 40 years gets 120% of salary and social securityfor life. No wonder Milne begs for reelection. And then he has the 2nd taxpayer pension plan at West Chester U. Milne says let them eat cake. What pension crisis? Not for double dip Duane.