The state budget impasse puts the health of our economy and our most vulnerable citizens at risk

At some point in our lives, most of us learn the "penny wise, pound foolish" lesson. And usually, for those of us who are stubborn, we learn the hard way. We put off dealing with that rattle in the car, we push roof repairs to the next season, or we opt for "quick fixes" that we hope will resolve whatever problem looms on the horizon. But as soon as our luck runs out and we get stuck with an even bigger repair bill, or serious damage to our homes, our cars, or sometimes even ourselves, we learn that cutting corners and refusing to deal with challenges only makes things worse.

We usually learn pretty quickly, because we have to. As workers, students, and retirees, most of us can't afford to make big, costly mistakes, let alone repeat them. But repeating them is exactly what some state lawmakers seem determined to do right now as they continue the budget standoff with Governor Wolf.

Despite all the evidence that the "cuts first" approach taken by former Governor Tom Corbett and Republican lawmakers over the past four years has hurt rather than helped the state's finances and our families, lawmakers are lining up once more behind a budget that slashes the things working people care about and the programs that keep our must vulnerable citizens healthy. Making sure that our state's most vulnerable residents, like low-income children and families, people with disabilities and seniors, don't fall through the cracks or languish in illness requires that these programs be fully funded.

The choices our legislators make in this budget process will determine what kinds of lives our most vulnerable residents will lead. Will they be lives filled with fear and uncertainty? Or will they be lives made more stable and more hopeful with the peace of mind that help — to recover from an illness or an addiction — is affordable, accessible, and available in their community?

The answer depends on what lawmakers do in the next few weeks. The budget proposal put forward by Governor Wolf restores the steep, severe cuts made to county human service agencies in the past four years. It increases funding to give older Pennsylvanians more choices to "age in place," living at home rather than in institutions, and gives more funding to programs that help Pennsylvanians with disabilities live independently.

Importantly, Governor Wolf also seeks to invest $7.5 million in new funding to target the heroin crisis in Pennsylvania. Local county drug and alcohol agencies have sounded the alarm on the urgent need for a coordinated strategy to contain the growing opioid epidemic. In contrast, the Republican budget plan keeps the cuts to county programs made during the Corbett administration, which will continue to reduce services available to Pennsylvanians with behavioral health issues and intellectual disabilities, including autism and substance use disorders.

Over the past four years, we've been forced to deal with the human and economic consequences of a "penny wise, pound foolish" approach to budgeting. Governor Wolf is making the tough, but responsible choices necessary to move in a smarter, more fiscally sound direction and to do it without forcing our most vulnerable residents to shoulder the burden. We urge lawmakers to work in a good faith effort to reach a final agreement that protects both our fiscal and physical health as a Commonwealth.

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