I Support the Governor Using His Veto Pen

I don't know any better than you all do what the Governor will decide to do with the GOP passed budget. For those of you who haven't followed Pennsylvania's budget fight closely, it's six months late, and a GOP driven stunt put a bill on his desk that doesn't meet any of his principles put forward in his 2014 electoral victory. The current GOP budget bill reaching Governor Wolf:

• Does not adequately address our school funding in Pennsylvania. It leaves in place a system that leaves kids in poor communities behind, and doesn't help many other kids get ahead either.
• Does not address our pension system, either with a bulk payment, real systemic changes that protect the workers and the taxpayers, or protect our cities and municipalities from feeling a crunch.
• Does not address rising property taxes, or the crunch they put on seniors with fixed incomes.
• Does not fairly and adequately tax natural gas drillers and their huge profits.

And that's just to name a few.

A lot of people voted for Governor Tom Wolf in 2014. A lot of people had expectations of what he would do as governor of this commonwealth. The Republicans in the legislature seem intent on pretending that he was not ever elected governor, because they don't agree with him. They refuse to acknowledge any of his plans and demands in the budget process, pretending that the legislature is the only portion of our government that matters. A few rebels in the legislature, lead by Senator Wagner and Speaker Turzai, are demanding their way on no new taxes and complete privatization of the liquor stores. They are demanding the governor completely give in to their demands.

Governor Wolf has waited six months already, and the pain being felt in Pennsylvania is real. It would be less painful for many people if he signed the budget, or parts of it, for the short term. If he chooses to do that, I will respect that his judgment told him putting people through pain over the childish objections of legislators who care about no one but themselves was just not worth it. With that said, I hope he vetoes this terrible budget. The legislative leaders and the Governor had a framework in place for a $30.8 billion deal in which everyone made concessions. Speaker Turzai and Wagner-backed extremists on the Senate side refused to take "yes" for an answer. If you're willing to hold out for six months for the future of Pennsylvania's children, it's worth fighting for as long as it takes to make these bullies relent.

I hope the Governor vetoes this bad budget. I hope the Republicans come back to the compromise budget deal. I hope people are not hurt by their childish behavior.