Lawmakers dreaming
Harrisburg politicians seem trapped in a dream world where Pennsylvania doesn't have a deficit and the public is so in love with them that they can take their time reaching a budget agreement.
Harrisburg politicians seem trapped in a dream world where Pennsylvania doesn't have a deficit and the public is so in love with them that they can take their time reaching a budget agreement.
In reality, the legislature has an abysmal 15 percent approval rating in a new Franklin and Marshall College poll, and Gov. Wolf isn't that much better at 33 percent. With a record seven-month budget impasse, it's no wonder that 67 percent of voters think the state is off the rails and that its biggest problem is its government.
The politicians' intransigence has forced schools to borrow $1 billion to pay their bills through the stalemate. The loans have cost $50 million in interest so far, says Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. "The longer you go [without a budget], the more expensive the deal is going to get," he said. Schools will have to borrow again in March, or sooner, when money runs out from the state's stopgap budget.
Those aren't the budget stalemate's only costs. Wall Street has downgraded the state's credit rating, which adds millions in interest and other charges when the state, counties, towns, and school districts try to borrow money. That cash won't be available to improve services, cut taxes, or reduce the $2 billion deficit. What a waste.
Undaunted by their failure to agree on a budget for the current fiscal year, the politicians are going through the motions of preparing next year's budget. Wolf has been traveling the state to marshal support for his new education funding plan and is scheduled to unveil his budget for next year on Tuesday.
It's hard to be optimistic given the governor's novice political skills and overmatched staff. They need a better strategy to isolate Republican ideologues and work with GOP legislators who are ready to find common ground.
Wolf has made concessions, backing away from his proposals to raise the personal income tax and impose a shale-gas severance tax. He also altered his positions on pension system reforms and maintaining the state's liquor sales monopoly. But he was slow to make those moves, which allowed extremists to badger any Republicans who might compromise into submission.
When it looked like a deal might be made, Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) recessed the House. The spin machine has been running at full speed ever since, with Republicans accusing Wolf of "single-handedly" cutting education spending when he is in fact arguing for more money for schools.
It's clear now that Wolf made a mistake signing a stopgap spending plan that he believed would pave the way for compromise on a final budget. Instead, it has reduced the incentive for Republicans to do more than complain about Wolf. But if the polls are right, the impasse may be generating the hostility among voters needed to shock the politicians out of their dreams and into action.
