Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Bill Goldsworthy condemns Dems' raiding of MCare Fund

Here is a press release by Bill Goldsworthy running in the 120th District.

Bill Goldsworthy

For State Representative 120th District



Contact: 570-237-1810



On April 16 the Pennsylvania taxpayers were dealt another blow – thanks to Rep. Phyllis Mundy and the House Democratic Leadership.

To balance last year’s budget, Mundy voted with the House Democrats to raid a Medical Trust Fund (MCare Fund) which was established by doctors (your Doctors) and medical facilities to cover exorbitant medical malpractice claims. This money was supposed to be held by the state in a trust fund. But the trust has been broken!!

House Democrats took the entire $100 million from MCare along with another $750 million from the Health Care Providers Retention Account to balance the state budget – the one that was 101 days late. Doctors and the medical facilities are outraged – and rightfully so.

Taxpayers should be outraged too, because on April 16 the Commonwealth Court agreed with the Pennsylvania Medical Society and Hospital Association that the state wrongfully used this money and ordered it to be returned to the trust fund.

And rightfully so – it is their money. They placed it in the fund.
But while Commonwealth Court has reversed this terrible wrong by the Democrats, we, the taxpayers, face a dilemma again.

This creates another huge funding gap for next year’s budget. This $800 million, plus the projected shortfall of $1 billion for this year, the non-acceptance of tolls along Interstate 80 ($500 million), adds up to a total shortfall of $2 billion-plus.

All thanks to Mundy and the House Democrats.

The Pennsylvania budget has grown by approximately 45 percent over the past eight years, even though the inflation rate was about 24 percent.

They just don’t get it! The answer to our financial woes is not irresponsible spending and the raiding of trust funds.

Controlled and reduced spending is the way to balance the budget.

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