PA-BGT: Preview: Wolf Sticking to His Guns (VIDEO)

On the eve of his second budget address, Gov. Tom Wolf is ready reiterate his demands from last year.

On Tuesday, the second-year Democrat will call on the state legislature to pass a budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year that “meets our needs and continues to restore the cuts to our schools.”

Negotiations over next year’s budget will begin once Wolf makes the first move tomorrow, though it’s unclear whether there will be any movement after that.

By the time Wolf speaks, the 2015-16 budget will be 32 weeks late. There are no signs of a light at the end of the tunnel for schools and social service providers across the state, who have been the main pawns in state lawmakers’ games.

“We must, however, acknowledge that a failure to act has severe consequences that will be felt across the Commonwealth,” Wolf said in a budget address preview. “If we do nothing, and continue the status quo, our schools will face impacts that cut deeper than anything we have faced in recent memory.”

Wolf again warned about the dangers of allowing the state’s structural deficits to “balloon,” something he spent much of his first year doing.

“Bond ratings would be lowered again, while debt costs and local property taxes would soar upward, and our deficit would balloon to over $2 billion,” Wolf said. “We must take action to avoid this from happening to our state and to our future. We still need schools that teach, jobs that pay and a government that works.”

6 Responses

  1. When I attended IUP back in the 1970’s, the Commonwealth covered about 65% of the costs for all students attending. Now it is 25%. College is no longer affordable for a vast swath of our population and all of us are the poorer for it.

  2. Repubs must need to change their underwear at this point. They never thought that Wolf would be tough enough to stand up to their bluster. This is going to make them look horrible to voters in a year with a huge anti-incumbent fever to begin with. With each week that passes, they are giving more and more ammo to the Dems, while facing a possible Democratic wave election in November. Way to hang tough, Repubs!

  3. This guy is clearly not interested in reelection. Nor does he care about the position his fellow Democrats will be in for following his lead. If I’m a Dem that cares at all about keeping my job, I abandon ship right now!

  4. Looks like another year without a budget AGAIN. What a bunch of incompetent idiots in Harrisburg!

  5. Repeating the same thing over and over again with the same negative results equals insanity. Wolf and his pack are clearly in over their heads. Either to proud to find real policy/political people to guide him or just too stupid. Can you say 2nd (one term) Tom? What do Corbett/Wolf both have in common, Both have Tom names, both lost after one term and both surrounded themselves with kiss asses. Wolf- a suggestion for you, find people that aren’t a Wolfpack dipshit, find political/policy people that will tell you the truth. Let the losers you have hired go hold Wolf re-election signs while qualified employees guild you through a budget process. Or resign but do one of the two. You currently are a joke from all parts of Pennsylvania.

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