100 days.
No, that’s not a new book about the fledgling Obama Administration.
That’s how many days Pennsylvanians have been waiting for their elected officials to put a budget in place.
The state is supposed to have a fiscal plan in place by July 1. But it almost never happens. Then again, it almost never wanders into the middle of October before getting a deal done either. Even in the political swamp that is Pennsylvania, this standoff is entering some rare territory.
There was some progress reported yesterday, with a couple of sticking points remaining over drilling for gas on state land as well as adding table games at casinos.
One of the voices still decrying the budget is our own Rep. Greg Vitali, D-166, of Haverford. Vitali has made the environment his own personal crusade, and he doesn’t like what he sees in this budget.
“The viciousness of the cuts to the Department of Environmental Protection reflects more an attitude, a contempt for environmental protection, than it does a need to marshal scarce resources,” Vitali complained.
I still think the guy who most wants to see this thing resolved just might be veteran state Rep. Mario Civera, R-164, of Upper Darby. After all, it’s the last state budget the longtime state rep will put his signature on as the minority Appropriations Committee boss.
Civera is leaving Harrisburg, running for a seat on County Council.
Now, no one expects a Democrat to actually win a seat on the all-Republican council. But Civera can’t exactly be out there campaigning when they’ve yet to sign off on a budget in Harrisburg.
Anyone care to bet if there will be budget in place before election day?
Too bad all these guys aren’t on the ballot, so we could vote all of them out for this shameful mockery of the citizens who employ them.
No, that’s not a new book about the fledgling Obama Administration.
That’s how many days Pennsylvanians have been waiting for their elected officials to put a budget in place.
The state is supposed to have a fiscal plan in place by July 1. But it almost never happens. Then again, it almost never wanders into the middle of October before getting a deal done either. Even in the political swamp that is Pennsylvania, this standoff is entering some rare territory.
There was some progress reported yesterday, with a couple of sticking points remaining over drilling for gas on state land as well as adding table games at casinos.
One of the voices still decrying the budget is our own Rep. Greg Vitali, D-166, of Haverford. Vitali has made the environment his own personal crusade, and he doesn’t like what he sees in this budget.
“The viciousness of the cuts to the Department of Environmental Protection reflects more an attitude, a contempt for environmental protection, than it does a need to marshal scarce resources,” Vitali complained.
I still think the guy who most wants to see this thing resolved just might be veteran state Rep. Mario Civera, R-164, of Upper Darby. After all, it’s the last state budget the longtime state rep will put his signature on as the minority Appropriations Committee boss.
Civera is leaving Harrisburg, running for a seat on County Council.
Now, no one expects a Democrat to actually win a seat on the all-Republican council. But Civera can’t exactly be out there campaigning when they’ve yet to sign off on a budget in Harrisburg.
Anyone care to bet if there will be budget in place before election day?
Too bad all these guys aren’t on the ballot, so we could vote all of them out for this shameful mockery of the citizens who employ them.
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