Pittsburgh Review

Gov. Tom Wolf and members of the state government have continued to urge the Republican-led General Assembly to support a $1.7 billion spending plan he proposed in February. The plan would use unspent American Rescue Plan Act funds to help those in need in a variety of ways.

Wolf was recently joined by Rep. Joseph Hohenstein, Sen. Tina Tartaglione, Philadelphia City Councilman Allan Domb and restaurant owner Nemi Jesus Garcia in support of the action plan, a press release from the governor's office said. The plan includes $500 million for direct payments to residents; $204 million for direct property tax relief for approximately 466,000 residents; $325 million for the health care system; and $450 million for conservation, preservation and revitalization of communities. Climate change will also be addressed due to flooding and high amounts of rainfall in recent years. 

Notably, $225 million would go to recapitalizing the Small Business Assistance Program, which provides $5,000-to-$50,000 grants to businesses across the state.

"Families and businesses all across Pennsylvania are facing economic challenges as inflation goes up and prices rise right along with it," Wolf said in the release. "People all across Pennsylvania are hurting, but we have the money to help, and we need to spend it now. I am calling on the General Assembly to use Pennsylvania's unspent American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help Pennsylvanians get back on their feet."

In 2020 the program helped 10,000 businesses with $192 million in funding; and if the proposal is passed by the General Assembly, another 11,000 businesses across Pennsylvania could benefit.

Tartaglione also spoke in favor of the plan, saying that small businesses should be the ones leading the way in bringing the state back economically because they are the economic drivers of the community.

"If we want to ensure we are putting Pennsylvania on the strongest footing possible, we need to support the true economic backbone of our commonwealth," she said in the release.

Hohenstein noted that the plan will be what helps Philadelphia residents recover after the pandemic, which has brought struggles to local businesses and community members across the board.

"The governor's proposal to increase funding to the Small Business Assistance Program, the PA Opportunity Program and other funding for low-income families addresses the fact that so many of us are underwater and need a working-class bailout," he said in the release.