Grimm Krupa: Relief for Communities, But Fiscal Recklessness from Harrisburg
HARRISBURG – Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette) issued the following statement after final passage of the General Appropriations Act and
House Bill 416, the Fiscal Code bill that authorizes the state’s spending plan:
“I’m glad our schools, counties and local organizations will finally get the funding they’ve been waiting for. They’ve been held hostage by Harrisburg’s delay for far too long, and our communities deserve stability and certainty.
“But let’s not sugarcoat it; this budget represents a 4.7% increase in spending, more than $2.27 billion in new obligations. It’s a spending spree that drains our surplus and leaves taxpayers holding the bag when the money runs out.”
Krupa blasted the process behind the 141-page Fiscal Code bill, which lawmakers only received less than three hours before the vote.
“Dropping a 141-page bill on our desks at 10 a.m. and demanding a vote before lunch is not transparency: it’s government by ambush,” Grimm Krupa said. “This is how waste and bad policy get buried in the fine print.
“Before Harrisburg pats itself on the back for spending more, we should be cleaning house by rooting out fraud, waste and abuse in existing programs. Every taxpayer dollar should be treated like it came from someone’s kitchen table, not a bottomless piggy bank.”
Grimm Krupa said she’ll continue to fight for fiscal discipline and common sense in government.
“We need to be mindful with spending, not reckless, and start working toward lowering taxes, not draining reserves. You can’t spend your way into responsibility and you can’t grow the economy by growing government. That’s why I voted against both of these bills.
“This budget may bring relief for now but make no mistake, it’s built on borrowed time and borrowed money. We owe Pennsylvanians better than that.”
Representative Charity Grimm Krupa
51st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Contact: 724-438-6100
RepGrimmKrupa.com / Facebook.com/RepGrimmKrupa