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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Three things to watch for in Rendell's budget address

This morning, Gov. Ed Rendell will give his eighth and final budget address. The speech, which is scheduled to start at 10:30 am, will set the priorities for his last year in office. You can watch it live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network, if you're so inclined.

Below are three big questions about the budget that remain up in the air. Keep checking back for more analysis as the day goes on.

How long will the budget process take? Last year, the legislature passed a budget more than 100 days after the June 30th "deadline." State workers and agencies providing services under contract stopped getting paid. No one is eager for a repeat of that performance, so expect to hear a lot of talk of getting things done quickly.

Can Republicans and Democrats get along? The last process was delayed partially because of partisan politics. Both sides were eager to engage in petty fighting rather than tough decision making. We're now in an election year. Will the rhetoric intensify, or will legislators work together to avoid anti-incumbent sentiment?

How will Rendell propose to deal with the $450 million deficit? Although Pew ranks Pennsylvania as one of the most fiscally secure states in the country, Pennsylvania still has a deficit to deal with. The governor will probably propose two new taxes -- one on natural gas extraction and the other on smokeless tobacco -- to help handle the problem.

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Posted by Ben Waxman @ 8:38 AM  Permalink | 1 comment
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  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:51 AM, 02/10/2010
    Tax toilet paper at sporting events
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