Surplus brightens state budget talks

[Freddie Stubbs]

Rendell tries to rein in lawmakers giddy about the state's improved financial picture
Tuesday, June 08, 2004

By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



HARRISBURG -- If a family has to argue over money, it's better to argue over having too much rather than too little.

That's the situation that a family of 253 -- the Pennsylvania Legislature -- faces. Members flocked back to the Capitol yesterday for three final weeks of work on Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed $22.7 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.

And what a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, Rendell and legislators were wrestling with a budget deficit that was headed toward $2 billion.

But for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, projections are for a surplus of at least $500 million. That's due to an increase effective Jan. 1 in the state's personal income tax rate, an increase in the cigarette tax, the improving economy and better-than-expected results from the sales tax and corporate tax and several hundred million dollars in spending cuts ordered by Rendell.

more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04160/328630.stm

[NMDemDist2]

1. i lIke Rendell, I think he should be in the VP stakes eom

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. It's too early in his first term for that

I'm sure that Kerry will play the game of hinting that he is considering Rendell every time he visits the state to campaign, just as Dole and Bush did in regards to Ridge. Rendell needs time to get his agenda passed, which still hasn't happened yet. And you can bet that if he would be picked the GOP controlled legislature will stop cooperating in order to embarrass him.

Ed's day in the sun will come, but not this year.