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It has been more than two weeks since Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a Republican budget bill. With little progress since then, now is a good time to take a step back and look at Gov. Wolf’s original budget plan and why he proposed it.

Even before he was elected, the governor spent a tremendous amount of time traveling the state listening to people from all walks of life: senior citizens, homeowners, business owners and professionals. He visited neighborhoods, workplaces and schools in rural, suburban and urban settings, and, once elected, reached out to every member of the state Legislature to gather information about the people and communities they represent.

A consistent theme resonated from across the state that Pennsylvania, in different ways for different people, just didn’t seem to be working.

From school administrators and teachers, he heard how devastating budget cuts during the previous four years had forced staff and program cuts and undermined the quality of our children’s education. From middle-class families and senior citizens he heard about the growing burden of the rising property taxes caused by state cuts.

He heard complaints about Pennsylvania’s unfair tax system from both individual taxpayers and small businesses. The question “Why do so many huge corporations get away with paying little or no taxes while families and small businesses always seem to pay more?” was repeated throughout the state.

And how could we have a budget deficit when we have such an abundance of natural gas? And how could we be near the bottom nationally in job growth?

Gov. Wolf heard the people of Pennsylvania, so in March he proposed a comprehensive budget plan that is both bold and transformational. It is a budget plan he heard the people of Pennsylvania saying they were ready for.

The governor’s proposed budget:

1. Makes education a priority. The governor’s budget calls for a reasonable, commonsense extraction tax on natural gas drilling that would help to restore funding for our schools and provide benefits for all Pennsylvanians.

2. Provides historic property tax relief. The governor’s budget calls for $3.8 billion in property tax relief for middle-class families and senior citizens. The average homeowner earning less than $100,000 a year would see a reduction of at least 50 percent in their property tax bill, and 270,000 senior citizens would have their property taxes eliminated.

In my legislative district alone, homeowners in the Wilkes-Barre and Hanover Area school districts would receive a reduction of approximately $800 and Crestwood approximately $400. These reductions would be provided in 2016.

3. Grows our economy. The governor’s budget would grow our economy by reducing business taxes and eliminating the loopholes (The Delaware Loophole) that allow larger corporations to avoid paying their fair share. It also would invest in the types of economic development initiatives that have been proven to retain and create permanent jobs with family-supporting wages and benefits. It would reverse Pennsylvania’s recent economic stagnation, which left us trailing the rest of the country in job growth.

Most importantly, Gov. Wolf’s budget would regrow Pennsylvania’s middle class. Good schools, good jobs, fair taxes and a healthy, financially stable government are all essential ingredients of a Pennsylvania that works for all of us. The alternative is the status quo, and we simply can’t afford that any longer. If the people remain silent, this budget stalemate will go on for months, causing unnecessary harm and substantial financial loss to the people of Pennsylvania.

If you agree, I urge you to contact the state’s Republican leaders and urge them to come back to the table and negotiate a budget based on the people’s plan – one that funds our schools, reduces property taxes, makes big oil and gas pay their fair share, and fixes the deficit – one that moves Pennsylvania forward for all of us.

Rep. Mike Turzai, 717-772-9943.

Rep. Dave Reed, 717-705-7173.

Sen. Joe Scarnati, 717-787-7084.

Sen. Jake Corman, 717-787-1377.

You can find more information about the Pennsylvania budget and links to help you contact your legislators at www.pahouse.com.

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State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski

Contributing Columnist

Eddie Day Pashinski, of Wilkes-Barre, is a state representative serving the 121st Legislative District.