Representatives Propose Putting State Government on a Diet

State Representatives Mike Turzai and Tom Quigley unveiled a plan to cut about $170 million wasteful spending from the Pennsylvania state budget ($130 million relative to Gov. Rendell’s proposed budget) by cutting a number of corporate welfare programs. All of these cuts, along with many others, were identified in our report, Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009. 

Turzai-Quigley Cuts (Thousands of Dollars)
Program	2008-09 Enacted	2009-10 Proposed
Opportunity Grant Program	$28,000	$18,268
Infrastructure Development	$22,500	$20,500
Community Conservation and Employment	$44,610	$24,913
Infrastructure and Facilities Improvements Grant	$27,000	$35,500
Economic Advancement	$17,800	$9,910
Community and Regional Development	$15,900	$12,570
World Trade PA	$14,075	$8,986
Total	$169,885	$130,647

Turzai and Quigley also propose reducing the state Personal Income Tax from 3.07% to 2.99%.