May 11th, 2009

According to the Bucks County Courier Times everybody from museums, to agriculture groups, to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association, to AFSCME are riled up and speaking out against the Senate GOP’s $27.3 billion budget proposal, which cuts spending by 2.6% from the current year.  Republicans defend their proposal by explaining that they don’t like making these cuts, but are working with the money they have available without raising taxes.

Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, of Bensalem, said, “This budget reflects the actual money we have. If the governor wants to add something, my question is how do you want to fund it?”

Meanwhile The Patriot-News editorialized against the Governor’s and the Senate’s drastic cut to pubic televison, reducing state funds down to a mere $2 million. 

In a change of pace, the Altoona Mirror applauds the Senate GOP for introducing a plan showing it’s possible to reduce spending and not increase taxes at the same time.  Although the editors admit that some of the cuts will definitely hurt, there is no way around that this year.  While the Sun-Gazette asks that Governor Rendell actually compromise with the GOP this year, and that they create the budget in a more transparent process than years before.

Finally, political columnist John Baer asks that some legislator be brave and introduce legislation which would stop legislators from getting paid after the budget deadline of June 30, until a budget is passed.  Baer thinks that perhaps this will speed up the process and actually a get a state budget passed on time for the first time since Governor Rendell has been in office.