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John Baer: Ed, for the love of reason, give us a budget
GOV. ED'S the last man standing.
Guvs of the only other states with no budget - Arizona and Connecticut - are women, and Republicans: Gov. Jan Brewer and Gov. Jodi Rell, respectively. And the governor of the last state to sign a budget, North Carolina, Aug. 7, also is a woman: Democrat Bev Perdue.
Aides to Brewer and Rell say that talks in their states continue. The issues are the same as here: raise taxes or cut spending to close deficits.
So, for now, you know, Ed's "the man." And, likely, Pennsylvania soon will be the only state without a budget because Ed's also Ed.
See, while we share other states' budget issues, we have that extra, added attraction of partisan one-upmanship. It drives our bus, which is why our bus now careens down a curvy road.
Need a Democratic tax hike for more spending? Hold state workers hostage.
Need a Republican bargaining chip for talks? Bottle up Philly's sales-tax plan.
Oh, and overall? We're dead stuck because Democrats want to spend $28.6 billion and Republicans want to hold at $27.6 billion.
(Note to reasonable people: wouldn't $28.1 billion get 'er done?)
So, today, 50 days after the fiscal deadline, Pennsylvania remains in limbo while our pols play who-holds-the-political-edge?
Initially, Senate Republicans grabbed it by staking claim to the ever popular "no new taxes."
The Guv then paid state workers, while vetoing most state spending, and said he'd stop pushing to raise the personal income tax.
(Note to reasonable people: These are two things he could have/should have done June 30. There never was a chance for an on-time budget. There never were the votes to increase the income tax.)
Ed then stayed in Harrisburg, a great personal sacrifice, and canceled his planned African safari vacation, which I can't imagine was much of a sacrifice.
And Monday he called out Republicans - "No more vacations. No more hiatus. No more going to the shore" - and said that there's "no excuse" not to get a budget within two weeks. Advantage, His Edness.
So, Republicans yesterday struck back with a plan to override Ed's vetoes and pass $2.2 billion worth of targeted spending for the homeless; food banks; veterans, drug, alcohol and domestic-violence programs; rape crisis and more. GOP heroes help the downtrodden.
Senate GOP chief Dominic Pileggi cited Ed's "lack of compassion" in vetoing such funding. Override votes are planned today.
(Note to reasonable people: This is something the Senate could have done two weeks ago right after the Guv vetoed the funds.)
What now?
Well, there's no guarantee that overrides happen. They require two-thirds approval in both chambers. If they pass the Republican Senate (with the help of three Democrats) they go to the Democratic House. When I ask Democratic spokesman Brett Marcy if votes are there for overrides, he says, "If it comes to us I'll talk to you."
The Guv doesn't like the override plan. He says that legislative leaders should get to work on a final budget resolution.
Pileggi says that such talks continue but with little progress: "I'd like to tell you we made great progress, but we've only made some small steps."
I ask Pileggi if he has counted votes for overrides or if it's just a shot in the dark that could further prolong a full budget settlement.
He says that while there has not been a vote count, he "fully expects" some Democratic support. As to furthering delay, he says, "It's the middle of August. I don't think we could move much slower."
(Note to reasonable people: The budget was previewed last December and offered back in February; do you think just maybe it might be time we elect some reasonable people?)
Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com.
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