Staff Reports
Prepare yourselves, folks, because Gov. Josh Shapiro has just unleashed his wild and wacky plan to blow $48.3 billion of your hard-earned tax dollars on revamping Pennsylvania’s failing education system and legalizing marijuana for all the grown-ups out there. Can you believe this guy?
Shapiro thinks he’s got the golden ticket to fixing the state’s schools by throwing an absurd $1.1 billion at K-12 education. But get this, he wants to use YOUR money to do it. And that’s not all – he’s also aiming to splurge another $200 million on higher education, without even considering where the cash is coming from. It’s like he thinks money grows on trees!
Oh, and let’s not forget about his big plan to puff up the state’s revenue by legalizing recreational marijuana. He’s banking on a whopping $250 million in annual cash from this scheme. But wait, there’s more! He’s tossing an additional $5 million to scrub clean the records of folks who were locked up for toking up. What’s next? Using tax dollars to buy everyone a bong?
And hold onto your wallets, because the spending spree doesn’t end there. Oh no, Shapiro’s also aiming to pump $280 million into public transportation and $31 million into updating police vehicles and aircraft. Guess he’s not worried about where all this money is coming from because, hey, it’s not his, right?
Now, you might think Shapiro’s plan sounds like a one-way ticket to bankruptcy, but not according to him. In his grand speech, he blabbered on about how this extravagant budget is just what the doctor ordered for Pennsylvania. He’s probably hoping we’re all too dazzled by his grand ideas to realize they’re all just a bunch of liberal nonsense.
And of course, the Democrats are drinking the Kool-Aid, cheering on Shapiro’s spending bonanza like it’s the best thing since sliced bread. But thank goodness for the Republicans in the Senate, who are calling out this ludicrous budget proposal for what it really is – a disaster waiting to happen. Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward hit the nail on the head, calling it a fairy tale full of unicorns and rainbows.
Folks, hang onto your hats because this wild ride isn’t over yet. Shapiro’s got a long road ahead as he tries to push this budget through, facing pushback from the more sensible Senators and having to jump through countless hoops before it could become reality. But don’t worry, the budget won’t come into play until July 1, 2024, so there’s still time to stand up and say, “No way, Mr. Shapiro!”
