Wolf: Moving Pa. forward with a balanced budget and smart investments in what matters most

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The start of a new year is always a time of reflection. As I enter my final year in office, I want the people of Pennsylvania to know that I continue to be deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve you as governor. It has been the greatest honor of my life, and I am proud of the progress we have made on behalf of this great commonwealth.

The past few years have been challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I remain deeply optimistic about Pennsylvania’s future. We have made great strides in vaccinating Pennsylvanians, sending our children back to classrooms, and reopening our economy.

Gov. Tom Wolf
Gov. Tom Wolf

As I enter my final year in office, I will continue to rebuild and focus on the issues that matter most to Pennsylvanians —- education, job creation, keeping people safe and healthy, and protecting our seniors. Seven years isn’t enough time to fix all the problems Pennsylvania faces, but I’m proud of the progress that we’ve made together.

When I first took office, Pennsylvania was in a dire fiscal situation. We had $230,000 in the Rainy Day Fund and a $3 billion structural deficit. It was simply unsustainable — and it meant that our state didn’t have all the tools we needed to solve the problems that are most important to Pennsylvanians.

More: Gov. Tom Wolf's 2021 agenda for Pennsylvania: Public health, economy, schools

As a former business owner, I know what it takes to balance the books. Through sound fiscal management, we’ve put Pennsylvania back on track. Today, the commonwealth has $2.8 billion in the Rainy Day Fund that allows us to budget responsibly and save taxpayers money.

By balancing our budget, we’re able to make investments that make a difference in Pennsylvanians' lives. One major example: I restored the previous administration’s drastic cuts to our education system and invested $2 billion into our schools to give our kids the education — and the future — they deserve.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf meets with residents of Snowden Avenue in Bristol Township, whose homes were flooded this past week after 10 inches of rain fell on the area in a short period of time, on Friday, July 16, 2021.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf meets with residents of Snowden Avenue in Bristol Township, whose homes were flooded this past week after 10 inches of rain fell on the area in a short period of time, on Friday, July 16, 2021.

Parents want their children to have the best opportunities in life — but as a parent and grandparent myself, I know I’m not alone in wanting my kids and grandkids to stay close by. To keep our children from moving out of the commonwealth in the future — and to attract new Pennsylvanians — we need to make sure we have a robust, diverse, equitable economy that will support opportunity for all. I have strengthened our economy by eliminating the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax to make Pennsylvania more business friendly. I have also invested billions of dollars in job creators, workforce development, and skills training to ensure our economy is positioned for continued growth and our workers have the resources they need to build careers and lives in the commonwealth.

To support our economy and keep Pennsylvanians safe and supported throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, my administration oversaw the massive rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, administered $145 million to support the restaurant industry, and invested millions of American Rescue Plan dollars to support small businesses, help renters and homeowners, bolster the child care industry, and keep schools open.

More: Gov. Tom Wolf: Republicans' election lies are tearing our commonwealth apart

To ensure Pennsylvanians have access to the health care they need, I expanded Medicaid and launched Pennie, Pennsylvania’s one-stop shop for health insurance through the marketplace. Today, more than 3 million Pennsylvanians are covered by Medicaid, and nearly 344,000 Pennsylvanians purchased health insurance through Pennie in the program’s first year. During my term, Pennsylvania’s uninsured rate hit the lowest it has ever been. We also created Community HealthChoices to provide seniors and Pennsylvanians with disabilities the support and services they need to maintain greater independence and age in place.

The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex is seen from State Street on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, in Harrisburg.
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex is seen from State Street on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, in Harrisburg.

We’ve also reformed our pension system, enacted an administration-wide gift ban, raised the minimum wage for state workers and contractors, made strides to end the opioid epidemic, and strengthened our communities through criminal justice reform.

More: Wolf's right. Pa. kids deserve fair school funding now

Moving into 2022, I will continue to prioritize the issues I’ve worked on throughout my administration to keep Pennsylvania on solid financial ground and build on our progress.

I will work with the legislature to further fund the Fair Funding Formula so that every child, no matter their ZIP code, will have access to a high-quality education. I will also continue to support and protect our workers, including by fighting to increase our embarrassingly low minimum wage. All of our neighboring states have a higher minimum wage than Pennsylvania, and our workers deserve fair wages to sustain a better quality of life for themselves and their families.

More: Editorial: There should be no such thing as the 'working poor,' raise Pa. minimum wage now

I will remain focused on reducing gun violence without infringing on lawful gun owners' rights, protecting the freedom to vote, and addressing climate change. These are all bipartisan, commonsense issues that Pennsylvanians widely support.

Finally, my administration will put Pennsylvania on a path of fiscal prosperity for years to come. I will be the first governor in nearly four decades to leave the commonwealth with a structural surplus instead of a deficit. By balancing our budget and making smart investments in our communities, I know we can make Pennsylvania an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Tom Wolf is governor of Pennsylvania.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Gov. Wolf on Pa. budget, education spending, job creation and COVID