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Counties should not be the fall guys for state budget woes

The state’s budget woes, if they are not solved, will definitely have a trickle-down effect on the budgets of counties and perhaps municipalities, boroughs and school districts.

Lycoming County Commissioner Tony Mussare’s reaction to the budget prospectus of Gov. Tom Wolf was: “It looks like it’s going to be another tough year.”

Specifically, he is worried about hints that mental health facilities and prisons might be closed as a way to solve the state budget crunch.

He said closing state facilities would mean adding more stress to county facilities.

We share his concerns, especially given the county’s own budget stress.

Human services and prisons should not be viewed as the fall guys to solve the state’s budget dilemma. The real problem is that state spending across the board has risen 40 percent in the past decade.

Other public entities and human services should not be punished for consistent over-expenditures on the state level.

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