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.

It's Time for the PA GOP House to Compromise

The PA House GOP isn't taking yes for an answer. They're getting a budget deal with some changes to existing liquor laws, some changes to the state pension system, no Marcellus Shale tax, and the education funding that Governor Wolf demanded. In other words, they are giving him one thing, to get partial victories on two things, and a full victory on another. Sadly the property tax relief is out, and sales tax changes are in, but that's the way compromise works. In all reality, legislative Republicans are getting the better deal.

The House GOP is saying no though. They want more yet. They want less education spending and more cuts, or they won't pass a budget. This is all about Speaker Turzai wanting total victory on liquor and pensions of course, and trying to hold out in the 11th hour of negotiations to force his way. It's not a politically tenable position, but then again, neither is a budget standoff for six months. With the gerrymandered seats as they are, most of the GOP thinks they can get away with this. The sad thing is, many of them might.

Of course, there should be a price at the ballot box for this behavior. It's certainly not in the state's best interest for Turzai to get his way. While the current deal is awful, it beats what Turzai is peddling. It's time for the PA House GOP to come to Jesus, and accept the compromise deal.

Pennsylvania Budget Deal Looks Good, Leaves Some Room for Improvement

So there is a framework for a state budget, apparently agreed on.

* The sales tax would be raised to 7.25 percent, generating about $2 billion to be used to create a new fund for property tax cuts. All the money raised from the higher sales tax levy would be restricted to that purpose.

* Taxes collected from the state's 12 casinos that now go for property tax reductions - $616 million in fiscal 2014 - would be re-purposed to help pay the state's ballooning pension system contributions.

* That shift of the slots money, in turn, would free up dollars in the state's general fund that could be used for increases in state aid to public schools, public universities and other needs.

Wolf administration sources noted Monday they've received commitments from GOP leaders that control commanding majorities in the state House and Senateto increase the main state aid line to public schools by $350 million this year,plus another $50 million in additional funding for special education.

Wolf had initially asked for $520 million in new funding for those lines; the GOP-drafted budget that the governor vetoed contained about $110 million. The new package is $400 million, with the promise of another round of increases in 2016-17, administration sources said. 

First off, good job by Governor Wolf. He absolutely had to get education money, and he got it. He also got help for the pension system and seniors being crushed by property taxes. He did have to let the Republicans off the hook on the severance tax on natural gas, which is ridiculous, but that's the price he had to pay. The bottom line is that the budget makes good on his promises to Pennsylvania, even if that issue gets kicked down the road. He did well here. Legislative Democrats should vote for this deal. He didn't give in on liquor stores, or killing pensions, and they didn't cave on taxing the drillers. Yet, the people who needed help now got it.

Next year is a critical election year. More Republican gains in the legislature, which could happen under the gerrymandered map we have, would embolden them to push for a better deal in the future. The agreement we got here is a fair one, but it could be improved upon, quite frankly. Bringing our taxation on gas drilling up from the 1% impact fee to a level that at least matches places like Alaska and Texas would allow the state more room to breathe. Democrats should help pass this budget, and then take their case to the people for future budgets.