Wolf, GOP still talking about budget - and not agreeing

For the second time in a week, Gov. Wolf has met with Republican legislative leaders, but once again they failed to find common ground on a new budget, now more than a month overdue.

After a 30-minute meeting late Monday afternoon in Harrisburg, their differences remained canyonesque, the sticking points the same - a new levy on natural gas drillers, increased sales taxes, education funding, overhauls to the state employee pension system, and government-controlled liquor stores.

The Democratic governor met with House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson). He also met with Republican leaders last week with similar results.

Meanwhile, the lack of a new spending plan means that money has stopped flowing to child-welfare organizations that receive funds through county agencies.

Among them are theVillage, a nonprofit based in Rosemont that looks out for more than 100 children, mostly in Philadelphia, who are at risk of being placed in foster care or already in it.

TheVillage gets about $350,000 a month in state funding. Much is reimbursement for payments to foster parents or caseworkers who make sure that the children go to school and or that parents have medical insurance.

The group already has increased a line of credit, which will soon cost an extra $500 a month.

"But at a point, we just have to be paid," said Darlene Hewett, theVillage's CEO. "We're taking care of the state's most vulnerable children. Making sure those dollars flow should be a priority."

Both sides contend it is. But after several meetings, they remain far apart.

Jeff Sheridan, a Wolf spokesman, said Tuesday that Turzai and Scarnati "have not moved a dime" on Wolf's education funding proposal or his call for a new severance tax on natural-gas drilling.

"They have not been willing to discuss anything in good faith about what the people of Pennsylvania want," Sheridan said.

Figuratively miles away - but in the same room - the Republican leadership said the people of Pennsylvania do not want to pay more in sales taxes for diapers and nursing home services, which Wolf's budget calls for.

"We have not been able to bridge any gaps," said Stephen Miskin, a spokesman for House Republicans. "Our constituents are not asking us to raise their taxes exponentially."

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