Brewster+critical+of+new+state+spend+plan

=By Patrick Cloonan= =Published by the McKeesport Daily News= =7/8/12= = = = = = = =State Sen. James R. Brewster, D-McKeesport, is not a happy man as he and his fellow lawmakers return home for a recess until Sept. 24.=

=Brewster said in an interview last week that he is not criticizing Gov. Tom Corbett personally, but said Corbett needs to take responsibility for the impact of the 2012-13 state budget on local communities and school districts.=

="I think we all needed to cut spending and do it responsibly," Brewster said. "I'm not sure it was done responsibly."=

=In a statement, Brewster said he was pleased there was no tax increase in the 2012-13 state budget, but voted against the budget because "it fails to use the state's resources responsibly and needlessly hurts too many people."=

=In remarks made after issuing that statement, the 45th District senator pointed to cuts in spending for public education and the waivers that allowed 199 of the state's 500 school districts to raise taxes.= ="In effect the governor is raising taxes," Brewster said.=

=He also decried the failure of the Republican-controlled General Assembly to find ways to take advantage of "new revenue" from the state's gas fields, but settle instead for an impact fee.=

="They left $300 million on the table by not instituting a 5 percent severance tax on Marcellus shale as my bill would have done," Brewster said. "We settled for less than 2 percent. We need to ask why."=

=Brewster proposed what would have been a 7 percent tax with tax credits of up to 2 percent. He said half of the proceeds would have been earmarked for education, with 25 percent each going toward environmental programs and local government services.=

=The McKeesport Democrat also was critical of the General Assembly for not closing what has been called the Delaware corporate tax loophole.=

=House Bill 2150 was proposed, requiring companies to add back fees paid to subsidiaries headquartered elsewhere, such as Delaware, where corporate net income isn't taxed or is taxed but at a far lower rate.=

=Critics said House Bill 2150 would not have set clear standards for such "add backs." In any case, the House passed the bill 129-58 on May 2 but no action has been taken since the bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee.=

=Brewster also isn't happy with the situation in Duquesne City School District, saying he wants the people of that city to have more involvement in what happens to their public schools.=

=One of the bills passed prior to the recess authorizes an increase in the number of students that can be tuitioned out of Duquesne, opening the door for the transfer of seventh- and eighth-grade students from Duquesne Education Center to other districts.=

=Brewster's staff will be busy during the summer recess. The senator's office announced a continuation of its outreach to local municipal buildings throughout the 45th District.=

=On Tuesdays, staff can be found from 9 a.m. to noon at Arnold city hall and borough buildings in Dravosburg, Pitcairn and Wilmerding, then from 1-4 p.m. at the Elizabeth Township municipal building.=

=On Wednesdays, staff can be found from 9-noon at Lower Burrell city hall and borough buildings in Brackenridge and Turtle Creek, then from 1-4 at the Plum borough and Washington Township buildings.=

=On Thursdays, staff will go from 9-noon to borough buildings in Rankin and Tarentum.=

=Brewster also has offices in McKeesport's public safety building along Lysle Boulevard, One Monroeville Center along Northern Pike in Monroeville and New Kensington city hall.= = = = = =news= =home=