DN Editorial: BUDGETING BLAME

BECAUSE OF THE failure of Harrisburg to act on a new state budget, people across the state are beginning to feel the hurt. And it's only going to get worse.

Seventy two cents of every tax dollar sent to Harrisburg gets returned to local governments and school districts. And they cannot operate without regular infusions of state aid.

That aid stopped July 1, when the deadline for a new state budget came and went. Over the summer, as the budget stalemate continued, districts and local agencies found ways to cope. Some borrowed money. Some furloughed workers or cut back on hours.

Unless the state Legislature and Gov. Wolf resolve their differences and pass a budget, local agencies won't be able to meet payroll. They will have to shut down, unless employees agree to work for free.

It may be hard to believe, but there may be few schools open by the time Thanksgiving arrives. And there will be no services to the mentally disabled, to elders, to pregnant women, for homeless shelters and a myriad of local government services.

When that time comes, people will suddenly look up and ask: Who is responsible for this mess? The instinct will be to blame everyone in Harrisburg, but that will be wrong.

When you boil it down, this fight is over taxes. Gov. Wolf, a Democrat, wants to increase taxes. The Republicans, who control the Legislature, are dead set against it.

Wolf's case is compelling. For years, the state has not had enough money to properly fund its operations. But, because of Gov. Tom Corbett's "No new tax" pledge the problem was papered over. School subsidies were cut. Department budget were frozen. Gimmicks were used, such as a one-time infusion of funds.

Wolf says this has to stop. No one wants to pay higher taxes, but the state needs a stable funding base. He also wants to restore the cuts made in subsidies to public schools.

The Republicans laughed at those proposals when he first made them. Then, they said they would not act on anything until the governor agreed to two of their pet plans: privatizing the liquor system and reforming the state employees' pension system.

It took a while, but Wolf heeded that call. He advanced proposals about pensions and the state store system. Everyone knew they weren't the final word, but it was a step forward, a beginning place to bargain The Republicans still said: "No."

Lately, the governor has scaled back his tax package, removed a plan to increase the sales tax. What remains are his call for a tax on shale gas and an increase in the personal income tax.

The Republicans still said "no."

This week, the state House brought up his latest tax proposals for a vote and not a single Republican voted for the bill.

While the governor has offered compromises, the Republicans have spurned each one. While the governor makes his case for more money for public education and a stable state government, the Republicans are silent. They want to sent a message that they are in control of government, not Tom Wolf.

They could care less about the hurt it will cause. When the situation worsens and people ask who is responsible for this mess, the answer should be clear.