Harrisburg, PA - Today, several prominent Democratic elected officials came together in Montgomery County and Allegheny County to discuss the disastrous effects the Republicans' budget proposals will have on their communities and the entire state of Pennsylvania ahead of a predicted Monday budget vote in the House of Representatives.

Commissioner Joe Hoeffel (Montgomery County), Sen. Daylin Leach (SD 17), Senate Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes (SD 7), Rep. Mike Gerber (HD 148), Rep. Josh Shapiro (HD 153), Rep. Tim Briggs (HD 149), and Rep. Matthew Bradford (HD 70) spoke on the steps of the Montgomery County Courthouse while Allegheny County Council President Jim Burn, Sen. Jim Brewster (SD 45) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Dan Frankel (HD 23) spoke in Allegheny. Commissioner Hoeffel and President Burn addressed the fact that the budget proposals shift the burden to the counties, and the legislators discussed the impact the budget will have on education, social services, and the middle class in their districts, and what they will do to try to stop it in Harrisburg.

"Republicans are simply shifting the burden off themselves and onto local communities, like Allegheny County," said Allegheny County Council President Jim Burn. "The Republicans' budget could hurt our communities and families in a number of ways including program cuts at schools, higher property taxes and tuition increases. The Republicans' budget is unfair to middle class families and it will hurt our communities."

"It is really important that the State Legislature pass a budget that is fair and balanced in these tough economic times," said Commissioner Hoeffel. "There must be sacrifices, but it has to be a shared sacrifice."

"I think as Pennsylvanians start kicking the tires on this budget," said Rep. Gerber, "Governor Corbett's going to realize this is not what Pennsylvanians want. Hopefully then he and the House Republicans will start working with the more moderate Senate Republicans, and maybe even us, the Democrats, to engage in some reality-based budgeting. But clearly they need to stop with the political pandering and posturing, and get serious about what this budget proposal means for the people of Pennsylvania."

"What Governor Corbett's budget says is that those who can't bring lobbyists down the halls of the Capitol and press their case are going to suffer," said Rep. Shapiro. "Case in point, our children. Our children lose out big time in this budget. More than a billion dollars is cut out of K-12 education and millions of dollars more is cut out of social services for our children. A budget that doesn't take care of the state's children does not reflect the values of Pennsylvanians, and that's why we will fight this to protect middle class families across the state."

"The governor's proposal stated that all Pennsylvanians have to 'feel the pain'," said Rep. Briggs, "but its obvious that in his proposal major campaign contributors, gas drillers and large corporations are not paying their fair share. So next week, when we go to Harrisburg, we have to advocate to our Republican colleagues in the House to stand up to the well funded, special interests and fight to protect middle class, working families in Pennsylvania."

The House Republicans plan to bring their budget proposal to the floor for a vote on Monday. Governor Corbett's proposal would slash K-12 funding by over $1 billion and higher education funding by more than $600 million. The House Republicans' proposal would cut education by nearly $1 billion and the Department of Public Welfare's budget by $470 million.