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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Does Pennsylvania really need to pass a budget?

Two things are clear about Pennsylvania’s broken state budget process:

Every proposed compromise has annoyed a new set of constituencies. And, the many rallies held to blast legislators over the lack of budget haven’t produced much pressure.

On this, the 100th budget-less day for fiscal 2009-10, an ad hoc organization representing more than 80 nonprofits intends to try again, holding a rally at the Municipal Services Building near City Hall at noon. I doubt the message sent by these advocates for the elderly, children and the sick will launch lawmakers into action.

Pennsylvanians profess to be embarrassed that their state is the only one in the nation still without a budget. But embarrassment alone hasn’t been enough to convince lawmakers to pass one.

The fact is the absence of a state budget has meant little to the daily lives of many Pennsylvania residents. Quite frankly, I’ve barely noticed the difference between a Pennsylvania with a budget and one without.

On a mid-July morning, I renewed my driver’s license with unexpected ease. The photo license center had me in and out in five minutes.

In late September, I drove to Pittsburgh to attend the Group of 20 Summit, taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Save for several miles of “shovel-ready infrastructure” work, it was a painless, if long, trip.

This being anachronistic Pennsylvania, I had to go to a state store to buy a bottle of wine recently. The shelves were full. No inventory shortages for the Wine & Spirits shop.

Kids are in school. State police continue to patrol the highways. You can still visit most state parks. Gamblers keep dropping their cash into state-regulated slots parlors.

In short, there’s been no disruption in here akin to California’s issuing IOU’s.

Gosh, if the state runs so well without a budget, who really needs one?

Well, we all do. I have a household budget that I’ve been trimming over the last year. Businesses cut their budgets heading into 2009. Nonprofit organizations have reacted to a decline in donations.

We’ve all adjusted to the financial reality created by a brutal recession. Either Pennsylvania lawmakers don’t see that same reality or they refuse to adjust to it.
Posted by Mike Armstrong @ 2:05 AM  Permalink | 7 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:51 AM, 10/08/2009
    Nice post, am I at the right site? After Plan C was averted, was anyone paying attention here?
    — dreinterests
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:00 AM, 10/08/2009
    The reason for the lack of urgency is, of course, that our esteemed legislators made sure that they and their associates would continue to receive paychecks no matter what happened to their constituents.
    — ralcarbo
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:48 PM, 10/08/2009
    I'm still stuck on "who needs one". The Commonwealth has demonstrated that it can functions to whatever level it normally functions without one. I haven't seen a single State Trooper standing on the side of the Turnpike holding up a gas can next to his car yet - so clearly they have found a way to pay them, maintain their fleet and put gas in them. If there are point needs like funding for the non-profits, why can't the legislator use the same spending methods for them that has kept Troopers in ticket books AND forget the budget. Does anyone actually believe that budget or not, the government will spend whatever it wants on whatever it wants? Of course not. I say forget it and try again next year.
    — Vonred
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:25 PM, 10/08/2009
    You will notice when the school start running out of money because the State hasnt been giving them any. You would notice if you relied on some of the programs that are lessening services because they arent getting any money from the state. You would notice when the City you lived in raised your taxes because some of the grants they are relying on from the state arent coming in. How can someone intelligent write such a stupid blog.
    — Pat c
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:34 PM, 10/08/2009
    I think the point the blog makes, subtly, is that PA spends so much that when it stops spending on all but essentials, the average voter hardly notices.
    — CleanupPhilly
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:53 PM, 10/08/2009
    Cleanup Philly, don't you work for a government office? Maybe we could do without your position.
    — kidsfirst
  • Comment removed.


7 comments
About Mike Armstrong
Mike Armstrong, a business editor and writer for nearly two decades, is the Inquirer's business columnist and PhillyInc blog editor. Contact Mike via e-mail or at 215-854-2980
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