Pa. does what it does best: Roll the dice

Yo, Mike Turzai. We noticed this week you formalized what most everybody already knew. Yep, the Republican House Speaker from Allegheny County wants to be governor. We also can’t help but notice that still can’t buy beer, wine and alcohol in one place in this state. Sure, some supermarkets now will let you buy a six-pack and bottle of wine, but not booze. That means the state Liquor Control Board – and this state’s archaic method of dealing with the sale of alcohol – is still in place.

If our memory serves correct, weren’t you the guy promising to do away with this system, blow up the LCB, and turn the entire process over to private enterprise? Turzai actually got it through the House, and it was passed once by the Senate, but it never got past Gov. Tom Wolf, a foe of privatization.

Oh, and we still don’t have a severance tax on natural gas. The means Pennsylvania remains the only gasproducing state in the nation that does not have such a levy in place.

We noticed that just such a tax passed the Senate, pushed in large part by a contingent of southeastern Pennsylvania senators led by Sen. Tom McGarrigle, R-26, of Springfield.

But it died in the House, in large part because you and your Republican pals who were adamantly opposed to anything that could be construed as a new tax would not even let it go out onto the House floor for a full vote.

But, take heart, Pennsylvanians.

We are making progress in identifying an official state amphibian.

We’re not kidding. The state Senate this week signed off on legislation to make the hellbender the state’s official amphibian.

What the hell is a hellbender? Good question. It’s an aquatic salamander that can grow up to 2 feet long.

Here’s an even better question?

Why are our elected officials in Harrisburg – part of one of the most expensive ruling bodies in the country – spending time debating the merits of the hellbender?

Have you looked closely at that compromise they put together to close the state’s burgeoning $2 billion-plus deficit and fully fund the $32 billion budget. You know, the one that was passed back on June 30. It only took them four months to come up with a way to fund it.

So did they finally do away with the LCB, or perhaps realistically address a recurring revenue stream from the state’s natural gas drillers.

Nah. They did what they always do. They rolled the dice. Literally. Oh, sure, they also are going to borrow lots of money. This time they’re going to tap into the funds derived from that landmark settlement with tobacco companies.

But the real guts of this deal is exactly what you have come to expect from Harrisburg: When all else fails, turn to gambling.

There are provisions for online gaming, sports fantasy wagering, gaming in some airports and truck stops, and online sales of lottery tickets. But the big ticket item is a the plan for 10 new “mini-casinos” that will be scattered across the state, so long as they are more than 25 miles away from an existing casino.

Pennsylvania already ranks No. 2 in the nation, behind only Nevada, when it comes to gambling revenue.

It is the largest expansion of legal gambling since the Commonwealth first took this plunge more than a decade ago.

While all this gambling is expected to be recurring revenue, it does little or nothing to resolve the state’s serious fiscal woes.

And it does so on the backs of those who can least afford it.

Don’t look for that to change. Next year the governor’s mansion will be on the ballot. Republicans, Turzai included, can’t wait for their shot at Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf.

Every member of the state House also will be running for re-election. Think they will want to address this situation or stand behind any new taxes?

Don’t bet the house on it.