Harrisburg, Pa., August 22, 2025 — This Sunday, after eight consecutive weeks of public fearmongering, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will enact self-imposed service cuts. Though completely avoidable, these cuts aim to extract yet another taxpayer-funded bailout.
This is not a true emergency; it is a manufactured crisis, fueled and exploited by Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania House Democrats as leverage in a protracted budget impasse of their own making.
Meanwhile, SEPTA sits on nearly $400 million in reserves and a line of credit it refuses to tap—a clear sign that service disruptions are an act of political theater, not necessity. If Shapiro and House Democrats truly cared about transit riders, they would demand years-overdue structural reforms to end SEPTA’s chronic mismanagement and financial bleeding.
Today, Commonwealth Foundation launched a new TV and digital ad campaign highlighting Governor Shapiro’s appalling partisan political games, using kids and families as pawns to continue the already protracted budget impasse.
Commonwealth Foundation Director of Legislative Strategy Kevin Kane issued the following statement in response:
“Pennsylvanians deserve better than a tax and spend government that masks its incompetence by manufacturing a crisis, spreading fear and worry as Gov. Josh Shapiro, House Democrats, and SEPTA have done over the past few weeks. Instead of supporting real reforms, safety and accountability, and fiscally responsible solutions, Shapiro and House Democrats have allowed SEPTA to shutter rail lines just as the school year starts.
“The service cuts are wholly avoidable. Last week, House Democrats blocked the Pennsylvania Senate’s plan to use existing funds to fully fund transit without raising taxes. Furthermore, SEPTA has hundreds of millions in reserves that could be used today to address their budget shortfalls. Despite the supposed urgency of SEPTA’s financial woes, the Senate’s $419 million proposal was rejected and money already allocated to mass transit continues to sit unused.
“All the while, Gov. Shapiro and House Democrats continue to play politics rather than govern. It’s equal parts disturbing and annoying that the mass transit hype crew is not blaming Shapiro for his failure to lead on transit funding for the past three years.
“Pennsylvania is facing far greater challenges than bailing out mismanaged transit agencies. Increased spending on public assistance programs must be addressed, combined with much needed reforms to ensure that resources go to the most vulnerable. We must also provide educational options for students trapped in failing and violent schools as Gov. Shapiro promised in his campaign.
“Pennsylvanians shouldn’t have to pay for broken systems. It’s time to stop the scare tactics and focus on real solutions that demand accountability, deliver better opportunities, and keep taxpayers from forking over more of their hard-earned money.”
Additional Resources
###
The Commonwealth Foundation transforms free-market ideas into public policies, empowering all Pennsylvanians to thrive.
