We Are Not Dumb — Stop Lying About the Budget Bill

Your recent attempt to “set the record straight” on the disastrous budget bill you voted for is nothing more than an embarrassing exercise in gaslighting your constituents. You can try to dress it up with buzzwords and talking points, but the truth is plain: this bill is a massive betrayal of working families, seniors, and the most vulnerable among us — all so the wealthiest Americans and corporations can keep cashing in. Your editorial was so riddled with spin and half-truths that even LNP | LancasterOnline refused to publish it unedited — and rightfully so. When a local outlet known for publishing a broad spectrum of views feels compelled to step in and correct the record, that should tell you something. But instead of engaging in honest dialogue, you doubled down on your misinformation and played the victim. Let’s be clear: • This bill slashes critical safety net programs — including Medicaid and SNAP — under the guise of “reform.” That’s not responsible budgeting. That’s cruelty, plain and simple. • It funnels billions more into unaccountable enforcement agencies like ICE, while gutting investments in healthcare, education, and infrastructure. • It delivers handouts to the ultra-wealthy through tax breaks and deregulation, further deepening inequality and hardship for everyday Pennsylvanians. You can repeat your talking points as many times as you want, but voters are not dumb. We see exactly what’s happening. You are selling out our district to corporate interests while pretending it’s for our benefit. It’s insulting. You’ve chosen to back a bill that robs the future to enrich the already-powerful — and then lied to our faces about it. That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice. We deserve better than propaganda and condescension. We deserve representation that puts people first. Your record is clear, and no amount of spin will change that. We will remember this vote — and the lies you told to justify it.