Editorial: GOP dilemma

It's easy to see why Senate Republicans in Harrisburg are upset with worthy last-minute budget changes by House Democrats after the two sides had reached an accord.

House Democrats now want to replace two unpopular taxes with a tax on cigars and the extraction of natural gas. But Republican opposition suggests a link to campaign money from tobacco and energy companies.

Thus the embarrassing budget impasse nears its 100th day.

House and Senate leaders cut a backroom budget deal on Sept. 11 that resulted in a plan to tax arts performances, museums, and small games of chance at VFW halls and other clubs.

But then a little thing called democracy intervened.

Arts groups and social clubs protested, and persuaded House Democrats to kill these taxes. It was a rare development in Harrisburg: representatives listening to their constituents, rather than following their party leaders like sheep.

House Democrats instead proposed to tax cigars and smokeless tobacco, two ideas with broad public support everywhere but in the Senate GOP. Could this be because the tobacco industry donated more than $415,000 to political candidates and their committees in Pennsylvania in 2008 - 81 percent of it to Republicans?

Lobbyists for tobacco giant Altria reportedly persuaded legislative leaders to tax cigarillos but not big cigars. Altria owns cigar-making plants in Limerick and King of Prussia.

That may help explain why Pennsylvania is the only state without a tax on smokeless tobacco, and one of only two (Florida is the other) without a tax on cigars.

It may also explain why when deals get cut in a smoke-filled room, fat cigars remain tax free.

House Democrats also proposed a severance tax on natural gas drilling. But the Senate GOP and Gov. Rendell oppose the tax.

It can't be ignored that Senate leaders Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson), Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware), and Jake Corman (R., Centre) have received more than $200,000 in campaign donations from energy interests this year alone. And Rendell has received $15,000 in campaign donations from Reliant Energy, an oil and gas company.

Dance troupes and VFW halls can't match those donations.

House Democrats also propose higher licensing fees for table games at casinos. Anybody besides a couple dozen Senate Republicans and casino owners have a problem with that?

The proposed changes in the budget deal by the House Democrats come late in the game and after an accord was reached. But they are worthy changes that improve a lousy budget deal.

Late yesterday, senators were back at work on yet another plan.

They need to listen to voters, rather than big donors, and end this unconscionable, senseless gridlock.