Pennsylvanians elected Governor Tom Corbett to make the tough, necessary decisions to get us out of the mess left behind by years of higher taxes, out-of-control spending, and fiscal disarray.  As we enter into year two, it’s clear that Governor Corbett has kept his promises in year one and has produced a series of big wins for Pennsylvania’s working families and taxpayers.

In spite of the fact that Governor Corbett inherited a $4 billion dollar budget gap, he passed a historic budget that didn’t raise your taxes by a single cent. While Democrats clamored for tax increases on Pennsylvania’s working families to fund their addiction to spending, Governor Corbett choose to keep his word to the people of Pennsylvania and delivered a budget that eliminates waste, protects taxpayers, and passed it on time for the first time in 8 years.

Governor Corbett continues to push job-friendly policies to help put Pennsylvanians back to work. While Democrats wanted to protect the special interest groups that donate to their campaigns, Governor Corbett took the necessary steps to make Pennsylvania more business and jobs friendly by signing legislation called the “Fair Share Act” that will curb frivolous lawsuits which have hurt small business and job creators.

Rather than being satisfied with some students trapped in failing schools, Governor Corbett championed an innovative education reform package, allowing poor families to have a say in their children’s educations. From day one, the Governor has put Pennsylvania’s children first and has reshaped the conversation on education reform. He passed legislation that protected property owners from large tax increases while at the same time restoring the state resources for education to 2009 levels – the highest ever. Most pundits will not tell you that the state portion of education funding under Governor Tom Corbett was higher than what was in Governor Rendell’s last budget.

Finally, Governor Corbett’s leadership was certainly tested by crisis in 2011. From hurricanes and floods to earthquakes, the Governor demonstrated his ability to be in command during a crisis and show steady and strong leadership under pressure. Despite the toughest of times, Governor Corbett has shown the courage and willingness to make the tough decisions to put Pennsylvania back on the track to prosperity.

After passing a balanced budget, implementing job-friendly policies, moving education reform forward and keeping our citizens safe, it’s clear that Governor Corbett had an incredibly successful year. As we enter 2012, additional challenges will certainly lie ahead, but by building on their record of achievement, Governor Tom Corbett, Lt. Governor Cawley and our Republican legislature will be able to continue to advance an agenda that puts working Pennsylvanians first and our Commonwealth back on the right fiscal track.