Corbett 'not going to go into' transit-cut solutions now
Share with others:
Gov. Tom Corbett today again declined to give details of how he plans to deal with the state's transportation funding crisis, and said he couldn't guarantee a solution that would avert record transit service cuts in Pittsburgh.
In an interview on KDKA radio, Mr. Corbett dismissed a question about what he meant on Tuesday when he said he had "developed some workable solutions," saying "we're not going to go into this right now."
He said he needs to find out what legislators are willing to do in an election year to generate more revenue for roads, bridges and transit.
"We have to sit down and see if there's the will in the Legislature to do something," he said, adding that the matter is complicated by uncertainty over when the state will be able to hold its primary elections.
Asked if he could guarantee worried Port Authority transit riders that their service will be preserved, the governor said, "No, I can't tell them that ... I don't know that right now."
The authority has announced plans to cut 35 percent of service on Sept. 2 if it doesn't get help with a projected $64 million budget deficit.
Transportation funding is a problem that has developed over many years, Mr. Corbett said, and any solution must be sustainable.
"We just can't react and take a quick shot at it," he said.
He defended his proposal for a second round of deep cuts in state funding for universities, including 30 percent reductions in aid to Penn State and Pitt, saying "we're trying to right-size to what we have available ... When we don't have the money we've got to pare back."
He said the proposed cuts amount to 2.1 percent of Pitt's operating budget and 1.6 percent of Penn State's.
Asked by KDKA's John Shumway if his budget puts "the boot on the neck of poor people," Mr. Corbett touted his plan to issue block grants to counties and let them decide how to spend on human services programs.
"We're trying to not reduce the safety net as much as we can. We don't have as much money," he said.
The grants will allow counties more flexibility to shift funding where it is most needed, he said.
Mr. Corbett unveiled a $27.1 billion budget proposal in a speech to the Legislature on Tuesday. It would cut overall spending by about one-tenth of 1 percent.
First Published February 8, 2012 8:44 am
