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1 - Common Sense
- Exchanger
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Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
Read the full story here:
Gov. Tom Wolf threatened Wednesday to veto a fresh piece of spending legislation that Republicans offered as an end to an eight-month budget fight, but that the Democrat criticized as "irresponsible and unbalanced" without a tax increase.The partisan standoff has left billions of dollars in limbo and the state operating on a $23.4 billion budget, nearly $6 billion less than last year.
Public schools are borrowing to stay open while Penn State has threatened to shut down agricultural extension offices across the state.Meanwhile, the state is funding prisons and Medicaid costs without legislative authority two-thirds of the way through the state government's fiscal year, while a projected deficit of approximately $2 billion looms next year.
Last edited by Common Sense (3/16/2016 3:27 pm)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”
- Rongone
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
If the proposed budget plan is 'irresponsible and unbalanced', I'd say it should be vetoed.
Hey, this political tennis ball has been batted back and forth over the blame net for 10 months. It's time to end this politically partisan blame game for the benefit of the people of Pennsylvania. Or, how about for the benefit of educating our children and grandchildren.
A bunch of smug, self-centered, elected officials in Harrisburg have put their egos and party politically partisan games ahead of the citizen's needs. Anybody that votes for an incumbent state legislator in the upcoming elections needs to have their head examined. They have all failed to satisfactorily perform their constitutional responsibility. They are derelict in their duty. They have abdicated their responsibility to the citizens that elected them. The voters should loudly reject them at the voting booth in November.
Last edited by Rongone (3/16/2016 4:08 pm)
- tennyson
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
Seems like I saw that headline 200+ days ago !
"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
- The Man
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
I'm at the point now where I don't even want to see a budget passed. I'm thinking about 2019, when a new governor takes office. Maybe then we can get serious about enacting a budget?
- tennyson
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
The Man wrote:
I'm at the point now where I don't even want to see a budget passed. I'm thinking about 2019, when a new governor takes office. Maybe then we can get serious about enacting a budget?
I would agree IF we totally clean house of the whole lot !
Last edited by tennyson (3/16/2016 4:57 pm)
"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
- Brady Bunch
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
I'm interested to know how a tax increase that the Governor wants now would work for the 15-16 fiscal year that is 9 months done?
I don't believe they would be able to make the tax retroactive. I don't see the tax increase would help with this years budget, it seems more like a way to get him the tax increase he wants for next year.
At some point the Governor is going to have to realize the legislature is not going to increase taxes or he has to figure out a better way to negotiate with them to get what he wants
- Rongone
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
I'm interested to know how a tax increase that the Governor wants now would work for the 15-16 fiscal year that is 9 months done?
I don't believe they would be able to make the tax retroactive. I don't see the tax increase would help with this years budget, it seems more like a way to get him the tax increase he wants for next year.
At some point the Governor is going to have to realize the legislature is not going to increase taxes or he has to figure out a better way to negotiate with them to get what he wants
From the Pennlive article:
The Senate debate was delayed for part of the day for a last-ditch effort by Democrats to engage GOP leaders in a new round of negotiations.
But those talks fizzled, sources familiar with the effort said, over demands that Republicans commit to significant tax increases in fiscal 2016-17 to help close a income / expense gap that some have said could reach $1.8 billion.
Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, said Republicans are committed to closing that deficit, but they aren't willing to bind themselves to a tax hike before all other measures are explored.
If the republicans in the senate have "other measures" to balance the budget while still providing needed funds for programs the have passed, why haven't they presented them?
- Just Fred
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
If the republicans in the senate have "other measures" to balance the budget while still providing needed funds for programs the have passed, why haven't they presented them? - rongone
Good question. Who knows?
- Brady Bunch
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
So yes, they are basically voting against this budget (15-16 SFY) because they want a commitment to a tax increase in next years budget. At this point it has nothing to do with this years budget, but they are already fighting over next years budget.
It is so late in the fiscal year, they just need to finish this budget and start the fight for next years budget. It is an increase in spending for basic education (more than half of what Wolf wanted) and more money for state colleges and universities. In general, it is a 3% spending increase over 14-15 SFY. Wolf may not have received what he wanted (a tax increase and all his education funding), but he did get an increase.
It is time to move on to next years budget and start fresh.
- The Man
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Re: Wolf threatens veto of GOP's Pa. budget bill
One question I have about the PA budget. It is mandated by the PA constitution that a budget be enacted by the end of June 30. So, is there a clause in the constitution that says "unless they don't want to"? If not, why are there no repercussions for the legislature and the governor not fulfilling a duty that is mandated by the constitution? What good is a constitution if they can just ignore it and do whatever they want anyway?