Corbett says unspent surplus could be used to fix flood damage
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HARRISBURG -- Gov. Tom Corbett defended his decision not to use more of the state's excess revenues to restore budget cuts, saying that some of those dollars now may be needed to fix flood-damaged roads and bridges.
Mr. Corbett, speaking Saturday to a gathering of Republican State Committee members in the capital, said 1,500 bridges throughout the northeast and central regions of the state had to be inspected after the massive flooding that resulted from Tropical Storm Lee.
While some federal dollars will be available to help pay for damage, the governor said assistance from Washington will only cover about 75 percent of the costs.
"We're going to be looking at what that 25 percent is," Mr. Corbett told reporters.
During the June budget talks, Democrats asked that more of the nearly $800 million in excess state revenues be used to reduce the cuts to education and social service programs.
"They said, 'Let's spend the surplus,' " Mr. Corbett told the ballroom crowd. "I don't know how you have a surplus when you have a $4.2 billion deficit. I didn't learn that kind of math."
He later added to reporters that the state "may need some of that money" in order to clean up after the recent storms.
Those repairs are in addition to the billions that the state already needs to update hundreds of aging roads and bridges.
In his remarks to party committee members, he noted that more than state funding will be needed to rebuild the affected communities. He urged them to volunteer with the cleanup or donate clothing.
The governor also stood by his backing of a controversial proposal that would change how the state's electoral votes are allocated.
He told reporters he views the plan to divide the 20 votes based on the winner of each congressional district as more reflective of the state's popular vote, but said that he will keep an open mind as the Legislature begins fall hearings.
"I'm always open to listening, but I support Sen. [Dominic] Pileggi's bill," Mr. Corbett said.
First Published September 18, 2011 12:00 am
