Letter to the editor: State leaders should follow Innamorato's lead

From her first day in office, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato has prioritized engaging directly with her constituents to identify and address their concerns and priorities. Innamorato’s 2025 budget proposal demonstrated the leadership we need to put the county in a stronger fiscal position while remaining focused on creating an economy where everyone can thrive.

Having worked closely with Innamorato, a former state representative, to create legislation to improve area businesses and the financial lives of working people through employee ownership programs, I can say firsthand that she understands how to govern and to positively improve communities, and the lives of our citizens.

We are living in unusual and often divided times. Innamorato understands that caring for people is good business and is intelligent economics and does create prosperity for all. None of us welcomes taxes, but all of us benefit, long term, from the prosperity that sensible, human-focused investment creates. She is taking the long view, embracing governance and planning that is truly needed.

I urge our elected representatives in Harrisburg to also look toward the future by protecting affordable health care and pharmacy benefit options, holding down the cost of prescription drugs, supporting economic initiatives that keep and grow jobs, and developing opportunities that support local businesses, unions, employees and patients.

Innamorato is doing her part to insulate our region from future financial strain. It is my sincere hope that elected officials in Harrisburg follow suit.

Kevin McPhillips

Havertown

The writer is executive director/CEO of the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership.