Wolf aide: 'Hope is waning' in budget talks

HARRISBURG - Budget negotiations took another tense turn Wednesday, with a top administration official accusing Republican legislative leaders of throwing up "a wall of ideology" to hamper talks.

"Hope is waning," John Hanger, Gov. Wolf's policy secretary, said late Wednesday afternoon after a negotiating session with House and Senate Republicans.

Hanger said the GOP has refused to seriously discuss the governor's proposed 5 percent tax on natural gas drilling - money that would be used to fund public education - despite the administration's efforts to offer a compromise.

According to Hanger, the counteroffer from Republicans was "zero" - no tax at all.

"What we're encountering here are career politicians who are not interested in negotiating a deal," he said. "They're interested in playing to an ideological base and putting on a show."

Hanger said that Wolf is not a career politician and "is not going to play party to that kind of sham."

Steve Miskin, spokesman for House Republicans, dismissed the criticisms, noting that talks are continuing even as the Tuesday-night deadline looms to enact a budget.

Miskin said there has not even been agreement on how much money should be spent in the next fiscal year, let alone how to pay for it.

"They are looking to raise taxes for no other reason than to raise taxes," Miskin said. "That is wrong, and that is not the 'different type of governor' people anticipated. And that is definitely not government that works."

Added Jennifer Kocher, spokeswoman for Senate Republicans: "You don't start with a pot of money and then say, 'Let's figure out how to spend it.' We don't want to raise taxes unless it is absolutely necessary."

Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers, have been working behind the scenes to craft an alternative spending plan to send to Wolf. Though they have been slow to release details, some could emerge by the end of the week, GOP officials said.

Hanger declined to say whether Wolf would veto their proposal. Nor would he discuss the administration's plans if there is no deal before the deadline.

Although Pennsylvania is not constitutionally required to enact a budget by July 1, there are financial repercussions to a stalemate. Among them is that the state would be unable to pay vendors.

Wolf has insisted that any compromise include more public education funding as well as property-tax relief for homeowners. His proposed $30 billion spending plan would raise the sales and personal-income taxes to finance property-tax cuts in every school district. (In Philadelphia, that money would be used primarily to target the wage tax.)

Republicans have said Wolf's proposal contains excessive spending. They have also said that any compromise will have to include a long-term fix for the skyrocketing cost of public employee pension funds.