It’s time for the budget two-step in Harrisburg
There is nothing quite so dangerous in Harrisburg as an incumbent governor who cannot run for re-election.
Meet Tom Wolf. The Democrat spent his first three years in office sending grandiose budget plans to the Republicandominated Legislature, only to have them promptly stamped “dead on arrival.”
Having campaigned for office largely on a call to restore education funding cuts that took place under former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, Wolf banked his massive increases in education funding on a severance tax on the state’s natural gas business.
Only one problem. Republicans in the Legislature consider tax hikes to be something akin to anathema. For two years they swatted the proposal back in Wolf’s face, pointing in part to their support for a “impact fee” put in place by Corbett, who had campaigned on a pledge not to raise taxes.
The severance tax would create a much larger revenue stream for the state, putting it more in line with almost every other gas-producing state in the nation.
Wolf, apparently tiring of playing games with Republicans, decided to take another route.
He actually toyed with the idea of hiking both the sales and personal income taxes to create the revenue he needed. Republicans almost laughed themselves silly.
Then a funny thing happened last November. Democrats made inroads into the Republican majorities in both the House and Senate.
Inroads, but not entirely flipped. Republicans still hold majorities in both chambers.
Now that June has arrived, talks will begin to heat up concerning Wolf’s $34 billion budget proposal and spending increases.
In addition to that blue wave, Wolf also has another source of ammo in this annual battle. Revenue is up in Pennsylvania.
Wolf, with what appears to be bipartisan support, is pushing for some step increases to Pennsylvania’s embarrassing $7.25 minimum wage.
Those low-grade and entrylevel jobs have not seen a boost since 2008, when it was hiked a whopping 10 cents.
We made the argument in this space Sunday that the move deserves support. That’s not all we’d like to see put in place.
Wolf wants to spend $4.5 billion on a plan called Restore Pennsylvania, targeting the state’s crumbling infrastructure. It’s desperately needed and long overdue. He’s been crisscrossing the state seeking support for the measure, and pointing to his tried-and-true standby – a tax on Marcellus Shale gas production – to pay for it. Only this time that tax is not actually included in the budget document, but will have to be taken up separately.
Meanwhile, Republicans have been saying little, huddling behind closed doors as they plot a strategy to block the plan. They want to store the money in the state’s reserve accounts.
Wolf also is pushing for increases in the minimum starting salaries for state public school teachers and a takeover of the online health insurance exchange that has been operated by the federal government under the Affordable Care Act.
Wolf and Democrats, suddenly feeling their oats on the back of that resounding showing at the polls in November, still likely will tread carefully when it comes to the annual budget showdown in Harrisburg.
Here’s what we see happening: The same thing that always happens in Harrisburg, not a heckuva lot.
Bank on another no-tax-hike spending plan being in place by the mandates July 1. Neither side wants to revisit the misery that comes with blowing past that deadline, shutting down the government and laying off workers.
But don’t bet on a lot else, including that boost in the minimum wage, or Wolf’s new pride and joy, the Restore Pennsylvania Plan.
With Republican majorities still holding court in both the House and Senate, Wolf still doesn’t have the clout to get what he wants.
Even when it’s best for the state.
To do that, the message will still have to be delivered at the voting booth.
When Democrats control either the House or Senate, then maybe they can finally push through a Democratic governor’s wish list.
But that likely won’t be under Wolf’s watch.
Life goes on in Harrisburg.