Mustello: Governor’s Budget Address is a Fiscal Fantasy Land
HARRISBURG – Rep. Marci Mustello (R-Butler) today joined her colleagues in a joint session of the General Assembly as Gov. Tom Wolf presented his $43.7 billion budget plan, which is the largest spending plan in Pennsylvania history. Mustello released the following statement on the governor’s proposal:
“If there’s one thing the governor has shown time and again with his budget address is his consistency. For the last eight years, he has consistently conjured up countless ways to spend more and more of your hard-earned money. It’s sad that in his last year, Gov. Wolf did not want to plan for the future fiscal security of the Commonwealth and, instead, he focused on planning to spend all of your money. And again, it is only the legislature who stands in his way. I will continue to work to ensure that instead of spending our way into his version of prosperity, we will instead invest in programs and policies that will bring a better tomorrow for all Pennsylvanians.
“The governor’s proposal equates to $17 million per day and $1,055 annually per working Pennsylvanian in new state spending. The money he is proposing to squander could be better spent over the next several years to prevent massive tax increases.
“I am disappointed that this proposal does not include one penny to supplement our Rainy Day Fund, which is currently at $2.76 billion. This fund is meant to help us weather short-term economic slowdowns. We can use these funds to meet our obligations rather than turning to taxpayers to send more of their hard-earned money to Harrisburg.
“Our small businesses have had a rough time thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. We must strive to make it better for them. The governor’s massive spending plan comes at a time when we are trying to help business owners get back on their feet. His plan will require large tax increases for Pennsylvania taxpayers and job creators to meet the level of spending the governor proposes. Every action that affects our economy and that we take as a government should be to help, not hinder.
“I will continue to fight for economic recovery, protecting families and making sure that our government works for the residents of the 11th District.”
The governor’s address is the beginning of the annual state budget process. The House Appropriations Committee will conduct a series of hearings starting Tuesday, Feb. 15, to examine the details of the governor’s plan and how state agencies are spending their funding. A schedule of the hearings is available at
pabudget.com/wolfproposal.
Representative Marci Mustello
11th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Rick Leiner
717.260.6437 (office), 717.497.8478 (cell)
Rleiner@pahousegop.com
RepMustello.com / Facebook.com/RepMustello