Gov. Ed Rendell and Republicans in Harrisburg exchanged early Valentines yesterday.
At least they got the color right: Red, and lots of it.
The state is once again drowning in red ink. Rendell referred to it as a 'fiscal tsunami,' somewhere in the vicinity of $5.6 billion as he prepares to leave office.
Rendell, adamant on ensuring his legacy as the 'education governor,' is pushing for another huge increase in education funding, a 6 percent boost.
To fund his $29 billion spending plan, Rendell is looking to tweak the state sales tax, actually cutting it from 6 percent to 4 percent, while applying it to 74 services that are currently exempt.
Republicans had a quick response. They insisted the governor's tax plans were 'dead on arrival.'
Rendell and the Legislature have been down this road before. He has presented seven prior budgets. Not one of them has been approved on time, before the July 1 deadline.
Don't look for this one to be any different.
Much has been made of moves by both sides to change that, to ensure the state does not go through another nightmare scnario similar to the 100-day standoff from last summer.
Pennsylvania may be up to its eyeballs in new gambling, but I wouldn't bet on them getting a deal in place before the deadline.
In Harrisburg, it's deja vu all over again. Forget Valentine's Day, this is 'Groundhog Day,' over and over again.
At least they got the color right: Red, and lots of it.
The state is once again drowning in red ink. Rendell referred to it as a 'fiscal tsunami,' somewhere in the vicinity of $5.6 billion as he prepares to leave office.
Rendell, adamant on ensuring his legacy as the 'education governor,' is pushing for another huge increase in education funding, a 6 percent boost.
To fund his $29 billion spending plan, Rendell is looking to tweak the state sales tax, actually cutting it from 6 percent to 4 percent, while applying it to 74 services that are currently exempt.
Republicans had a quick response. They insisted the governor's tax plans were 'dead on arrival.'
Rendell and the Legislature have been down this road before. He has presented seven prior budgets. Not one of them has been approved on time, before the July 1 deadline.
Don't look for this one to be any different.
Much has been made of moves by both sides to change that, to ensure the state does not go through another nightmare scnario similar to the 100-day standoff from last summer.
Pennsylvania may be up to its eyeballs in new gambling, but I wouldn't bet on them getting a deal in place before the deadline.
In Harrisburg, it's deja vu all over again. Forget Valentine's Day, this is 'Groundhog Day,' over and over again.
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