In Harrisburg, everybody gets paid

IF THERE ARE any pluses to Pennsylvania's budget stall, now headed toward its fifth month, one might be that ordinary voters (for a change) are asking questions about state government.

And that can raise basic issues, help explain the stall and, in a more perfect world, even lead to reforms.

For example, a recent email from Joe B. asks if the folks who can't get 'er done in the Capitol are still getting paid.

He notes, "People seem to care more when it affects them."

Joe, of course they're still getting paid, except for Gov. Wolf, who donates his salary to charity. Which means his salary's still being paid, just not to him.

See, all tax dollars are being collected even though not all tax dollars are being spent.

Maybe there's a secret plan to pile up this dough then start paying off the deficit with the interest.

And the reason lawmakers are still getting paid is because they make the rules and because the state Supreme Court (and you know how pure it is) says so.

Doesn't matter that they didn't do the one thing they're required to do: pass a balanced budget by the July 1 start of the fiscal year.

No sirree.

It's like their annual automatic pay raises that come no matter what they do or don't do.

* REFORM IDEAS No. 1 and No. 2: No budget, no pay; and end automatic annual raises.

An email from Mike C. seems an appropriate follow to Joe's query.

"Is there a process," he writes, "to recall our elected leaders?"

Well, Mike, some 20 states have recall provisions. We do not.

What we have is impeachment and a process known as "direct address," but both require legislative action. So, apart from Kathleen Kane, who has nothing to do with the budget, who do you think is in harm's way?

* REFORM IDEA No. 3: Adopt a recall provision giving citizens more say in the government they pay for.

Jan W. wrote the other day asking if schools aren't getting their money, if nonprofit social-service groups that actually help people aren't getting their money, "exactly how and why are legislators getting theirs?"

Well, Jan, we answered the why. Here's the how.

Lawmakers in both parties traditionally hoard (and what a nice tradition for them to honor) hundreds of millions of dollars in your money year after year.

So they've drawn that money down to pay salaries and benefits for themselves and their staffs since July.

You've no doubt already gotten a thank-you note.

Now they're taking out tens of millions of dollars in loans - at your expense.

The full Senate and the House Republicans are getting loans from banks, costing you $115,000 in fees plus interest, according to the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

House Democrats are paying their folks with stop-gap-type funding they got from the state Treasury Department.

This would be the same Democrats who oppose stop-gap funding for the state budget. And the same Treasury Department that just denied a loan to the Erie School District.

Money for lawmakers? No problem. Anybody else? No can do.

* REFORM IDEA No. 4: Legislature cannot incur extra tax-paid expenses such as loan costs while continuing to pay themselves for failure to do their jobs.

But in case you're getting the impression nothing ever gets done in Harrisburg, allow me to note House Bill 823.

It unanimously passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by Wolf last week. It provides for continuing-education programs for local tax collectors.

Good idea; so taxes get collected better.

* REFORM IDEA No. 5: Require state leaders to undergo continuing education in political science and the art of governance so that Harrisburg gets better.

Hey, with all the ethical, legislative and actual sleeping going on, there must be room for dreams.

Email: baerj@phillynews.com

Blog: ph.ly/BaerGrowls

Columns: ph.ly/JohnBaer