Posted by
Jay Kern on Saturday, January 31, 2009 5:38:01 AM
I admit I was slightly encouraged last week when Ed Rendell said in a news conference that across the board tax increases were off the table for next year, and that state layoffs were likely in order to balance the budget. Then came word last evening from one of his biggest supporters (the head of the State Worker's Union) that layoffs were NOT an option and that the state had better find a way to fund the projected shortfall in funds.
I have some bad news for the State Worker's Union. You ARE going to lose positions this year. Ed knows damned well that he can't justify a tax increase after preaching for the past 2 years how casinos were going to save the world. At the same time it's much easier to cut 1,000 state jobs (or whatever the total number will be) rather than cut programs that are vital to Ed's Progressive Budget.
If you asked me about the projected 2.3 billion dollar shortfall, I'd tell you to pull the budget back to 2006 levels. Yes, it's only 2 years, but the budget in 2006 was also the level of funding that is currently being projected.
Jay