Many of us are still in shock, or worse, after the election. But here at the Penn Policy Center we are getting ready to fight back against some of the Trump administration’s legislative initiatives.
We are deeply concerned about plans to cut federal funding for Medicaid and SNAP (formerly “food stamps”), in order to extend and expand the 2017 tax cuts, which mainly benefit the ultra-rich and wealthy corporations. Medicaid and SNAP cuts would hurt Pennsylvanians with low -incomes and , substance use problems, as well as seniors who rely on the program to pay for care in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. Hospitals in both rural and urban areas are threatened as well because they rely on Medicaid to cover part of the care they provide. And the state budget — which is already facing a deficit — is likely to suffer a devastating reduction in revenue due to cutbacks in the federal spending.
We will be in touch with all of you soon to give you more information about these issues and to tell you how you can join us in fighting back against the devastating policies we foresee coming out of Washington.
And the award goes to….
This year, City & State Pennsylvania held its annual Impact event. Impact honorees aren’t just making a difference — they’re creating novel ways to effect change in the commonwealth. On this year’s list of Pennsylvania’s premier changemakers are labor leaders and bankers bringing diversity to traditionally homogeneous fields, engineers thinking differently about sustainability and health professionals taking on some very modern challenges, from opioids to the behavioral health workforce. And more than one honoree draws on cultural inspiration to champion political power for previously underrepresented groups. From education to law, real estate to telecommunications, there’s inspiration aplenty in these bold thinkers — and more than a little impact. Our own Marc Stier was part of this prestigious group. See his mention, below!
“Scholar and activist Marc Stier directs the Pennsylvania Policy Center, where he worked to create the State Revenue Alliance and the PA Tax Justice Campaign to advocate for fairer state and national tax systems. He also guides the PA Schools Work campaign, helping secure $1 billion in new state funding for K-12 education. Stier, a former professor of political philosophy, previously directed the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center and has led grassroots issues campaigns to raise the minimum wage and broaden health care access.”
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Please join us TOMORROW for our last Policy Action Zoom of the year!
With the holidays upon us and a new year just around the corner, the PPC team is working closely with allies in PA and across the country to gear up for the fight against the Scrooges, Grinches, and neofascists and their Project 2025 agenda to destroy America. While we recognize that they will undoubtedly advance as many of their pro-billionaire-anti-worker policies as they can in the years ahead — cutting benefits for kids and seniors, giving undeserved handouts to billionaires and greedy corporations, and trampling our fundamental rights — it will not be without a fight. Make no mistake: the Trump-GOP agenda will unleash devastation on Pennsylvania. And it WILL fail. Abysmally. And we invite you to join us in doing EVERYTHING we can to make it as difficult as possible for the Trumpers and their ilk to dump their garbage on us. Join us on Zoom at 1 PM on Thursday, December 19, for our monthly Policy Action to learn about Trump’s Project 2025 and how you can help defeat it! https://bit.ly/PolicyAction12-19.
Notable/Quotable: Castin Stone, Policy Analyst
“Whether they’re hidden in web archives or plain sight, I have found that the most impactful data can also be the most obscure. Transforming information from spreadsheets, text documents, and PDFs into usable insights accessible to anyone is my favorite part of being a policy analyst. Data is one element that has united every topic I’ve worked on, from analyses of Costa Rican soil’s potential to sequester greenhouse gasses to breakdowns of Pennsylvania’s education funding system. While at work I analyze patterns, in my free time I create them; I spin poi, choreograph, and put together multimedia collages. I believe that understanding the patterns of power is the key to transforming small pushes into history changing results.”
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Get to Know… Adrienne Standley, Deputy Design and Digital Director
Hi, all! I’m PPC’s deputy design and digital director, which has me working on various projects across the organization, including social media graphics and ad campaigns, persuasive writing, and virtual events.
I initially came into this work through volunteer advocacy on healthcare issues, and I’m an aspiring policy nerd with a particular interest in drug policy and harm reduction. I’m also a community organizer, and in 2017 I helped to co-found Philadelphia SOL Collective, a community organization for harm reduction education and supply distribution.
I have a fine art degree, and my career background has been a bit winding, but I think doing years in the trenches working retail and customer service really prepared me for….well…a LOT. If I can handle screaming customers on Black Friday, or a drive-thru line down the block in the summer with no AC, I can handle Harrisburg politicians
When not at work, you can find me sitting outside at a bar with heat lamps, attending a local drag show, making harm reduction kits to distribute, or at my neighborhood’s monthly free market.
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Won’t You Join Us?
At Pennsylvania Policy Center, we are working for a brighter future for all Pennsylvanians: we work to ensure that policies crafted in Harrisburg promote fairness, transparency, and opportunity for families, workers, and communities across the Commonwealth. We are also the proud state affiliate of the nationally recognized Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBBP).
In 2024, we:
- partnered with the PA Schools Work campaign, to add $1 BILLION unprecedented funding for historically underserved schools;
- organized and took a cohort of over 20 citizens and activists from across the commonwealth to Washington DC to demand tax justice from our congressional representatives
- released new reports on the economic contributions of immigrants in PA and across the country
- held a budget summit at the state capitol with our partners and hundreds of activists to demand a budget that works for ALL Pennsylvanians- not just the wealthy and corporations
2025 will be a CRITICAL year for policies at the state level because we anticipate many challenges federal level. We are preparing to meet those next challenges and we need you now.
We can’t do this alone. We need your help! This year we will:
- take up the fight to protect Medicaid and work to keep federal protections with grassroots organizations across PA.
- continue our tax justice work by taking Mr. Riggs, our 12-foot inflatable “fat cat” around PA to demand the ultra-rich and corporations pay their fair share.
- protect the billions in school funding so our kids get the K-12 public education they deserve.
As the year closes, we thank you for believing in the power of informed, principled advocacy. Together, we can build a stronger and fairer Pennsylvania.
With gratitude and until next year,
Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center and the Pennsylvania Policy Center Team of Adrienne, Castin, Dwayne, Erica, Jeff, Levana, and Kirstin
