They actually might do something today that they have not done in Harrisburg since Ed Rendell moved into the governor’s mansion.
There is a deal in place on a new state budget, with the deadline looming tonight at midnight.
But there weren’t many smiles in the Capitol yesterday. And with good reason.
This austere spending plan can be summed up in one word. Pain.
Rendell admitted as much, saying there was no way to put together a fiscal plan in this economic climate, with revenue in the toilet, without some serious pain.
That means cuts. While Rendell was able to shield for the most part his beloved education budget, not every one else was as lucky. Here’s who is going to feel the pinch: 11.7 percent in the Ag Department; 11 percent at Conservation and Natural Resources; 10 percent at Labor and Industry;
9.2 percent at Environmental Protection; 9.1 percent at libraries; 7.5 percent in the Governor’s Office; 7.3 percent at State Parks; and 6.9 percent at State Health Centers.
And that is only if the feds kick in a huge chunk of federal funds they are withholding right now. If that doesn’t arrive, the cuts will get a lot deeper.
Ouch!
There is a deal in place on a new state budget, with the deadline looming tonight at midnight.
But there weren’t many smiles in the Capitol yesterday. And with good reason.
This austere spending plan can be summed up in one word. Pain.
Rendell admitted as much, saying there was no way to put together a fiscal plan in this economic climate, with revenue in the toilet, without some serious pain.
That means cuts. While Rendell was able to shield for the most part his beloved education budget, not every one else was as lucky. Here’s who is going to feel the pinch: 11.7 percent in the Ag Department; 11 percent at Conservation and Natural Resources; 10 percent at Labor and Industry;
9.2 percent at Environmental Protection; 9.1 percent at libraries; 7.5 percent in the Governor’s Office; 7.3 percent at State Parks; and 6.9 percent at State Health Centers.
And that is only if the feds kick in a huge chunk of federal funds they are withholding right now. If that doesn’t arrive, the cuts will get a lot deeper.
Ouch!
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