Shapiro, visiting Mt. Lebanon, blasts GOP critics of budget proposal

Gov. Josh Shapiro came out swinging against his Republican critics Wednesday during a visit to Mt. Lebanon.

Shapiro was touring the South Hills community’s Washington Road commercial corridor to boost his budget proposal and advocate for increased state funding for main street improvements across Pennsylvania.

He is proposing $25 million to invest in downtowns and main streets as part of his $48.3 billion budget proposal — a jump from about $7 million this year. It’s all part of his 10-year economic plan, the first the state has seen in about two decades.

Republicans, who control the General Assembly’s upper chamber, have bristled at Shapiro’s proposals, arguing that the spending requests are too high.

Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, said last week the governor’s proposal would likely lead to tax increases for residents and business owners.

“Shapiro’s spending plan is reckless in a ‘unicorns and rainbows’ way and would lead to significant tax increases for Pennsylvanians at a time of historic inflation and uncertainty for our nation’s economy,” Ward said.

On Wednesday, Shapiro responded and said Republican criticism is “flat-out wrong.” He called the proposal “aggressive, bold and balanced.”

He said the state has a $14 billion budget surplus and now is the time to invest some of that.

Shapiro added that his budget proposal doesn’t raise taxes and will leave the state treasury with an $11 billion surplus.

“It shouldn’t be a badge of honor of any party to brag about taking money from the good people of Pennsylvania to bring it to some bank account in Harrisburg and then hold it there,” Shapiro said at a news conference inside Empire Music guitar shop on Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon’s main commercial drag.

He said the increased funding is necessary to help the state attract new businesses, fully fund public education and revitalize business districts that have fallen into disrepair.

Shapiro said larger investments in the state won’t take root without strong and vibrant commercial districts. He said Mt. Lebanon’s main corridor is a good example of how investment in streetscapes and infrastructure can help businesses thrive.

The strength of a community runs through their Main Street — and Mt. Lebanon is no exception.

Glad to join so many folks at Orbis Caffe, CommonWealth Press, and Empire Music on a main street that we've invested in and supported. Let's pass my budget so we can invest in more main… pic.twitter.com/0oGLdicwNU

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) February 14, 2024

The municipality recently completed a $4 million improvement project, adding new sidewalks and lighting, as well as improving accessibility to public transportation and for people with disabilities.

Joe Ravita, owner of Empire Music, said foot traffic has increased greatly since the upgrades.

Ward said in an interview Wednesday with TribLive that her criticism of Shapiro’s proposal stems from the independent budget office’s assessment, and that Shapiro is assuming new revenue generators such as recreational marijuana and higher taxes for skill gaming will be passed.

“He is assuming things that might not happen,” she said. “The numbers don’t add up.”

Ward said getting things like recreational marijuana passed quickly through the Legislature won’t be easy. She said the issue has not been discussed enough and that getting any bills passed in Harrisburg usually takes time.

“Getting things passed through the House and Senate is not an expedient process because control is split between Democrats and Republicans,” Ward said. “Even if there were solid Republican majorities, it is not easy.”

Republicans control the Senate, but Democrats hold a slim majority in the House.

Shapiro has seen a marked change in rhetoric by Republicans in his second year as governor. His first action during his first year was passing a bill championed by Ward.

His inaugural budget was billions of dollars cheaper than this year’s proposal. The first-year budget saw a protracted fight in the Legislature and passed just before the year’s session ended.

On Wednesday, Shapiro criticized Republicans, claiming they were “just knee-jerk” against anything he proposes.

“My job is to bring Democrats and Republicans together, as we have done in the past, to get stuff done,” he said.

Shapiro also took the occasion to celebrate Democrat Jim Prokopiak’s special election victory Tuesday in a Southeastern Pennsylvania state legislative seat.

He said Democrats “obliterated” the Republicans in that race. Shapiro said the victory was another sign of Democrats’ momentum in Pennsylvania elections, and he took the opportunity to boast about liberals’ prospects in the November presidential election.

He said pundits have consistently underestimated Democrats’ appeal to Pennsylvania voters, and he believes that same dynamic will happen for President Joe Biden’s upcoming race.

“What we are learning is that people care about freedom and opportunity,” said Shapiro, citing Democrats’ support for abortion rights and investments in infrastructure and the economy. “And those people are voting for Democrats.”