Dueling budget ideas a ‘chain saw’ or would ‘further depress’

State Rep. Rick Mirabito, D-Williamsport, Thursday ripped Republicans for proposing to use a chain saw to cut programs as a means of solving the budget impasse.

"The Senate bill had one tool, which was a chain saw. With revenues dropping by $1 billion since February, their chain saw is no longer effective," he said.

Senate Bill 850, rejected by the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month, amounted to a $27.3 billion no-tax-hike proposal.

Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed a $29 billion spending plan that includes tax increases on cigarettes and new taxes on cigars and smokeless tobacco.

He has proposed as well a 16.3-percent increase on the personal income tax and taxes on natural gas drilling.

Mirabito said that while he does not embrace tax hikes, the reality is that revenues simply are not otherwise available.

"If people don't want to raise revenue through raising taxes, you have to find cuts," he said. "I'm not in favor of Senate Bill 850. It's kind of misleading to people."

It's a spending plan, he said, that is more than $1 billion out of balance.

State Rep. Matt Baker, R-Wellsboro, asked what budget plan House Democrats are willing to put on the table.

He stated that even Democrats are hesitant to vote on one containing the largest tax hikes in recent budget history.

"We understand that tax increases only depress the economy further and adversely impact the business community and employers, hence, employment, thereby creating an even worse hardship on hard-working employees and families," Baker stated in an e-mail. "Conversely, Republicans are ready to act and lead right now by offering a new and alternative budget proposal that is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers and does not increase taxes upon already hard-pressed working families and job creators."

Like Baker, state Sen. E. Eugene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, would like to see something from House Democrats.

"Everybody just keeps ripping Senate Bill 850, but there is no counterproposal coming back," he said. "Okay, if you don't like this, what is your proposal? You can't just criticize. You have to come up with a plan of your own."

He said the idea of raising taxes is not a concept that sits well with his constituents.

And it may be high time for government to pull back on what it does for residents.

"I think government spending has gotten so far out of hand. All of this is coming home to roost," he said. "If we looked to just provide public services, we would probably be ok."

Mirabito said that Republicans scream about the need to cut programs while still wanting to keep in the budget some of their pet projects.

He added some of the cuts proposed by Republicans severely would slash funding for agriculture, hospitals, nursing homes, libraries and even bring about a closing of state parks.

Yaw scoffed at the idea of state parks being closed, calling it a scare tactic perpetuated by Democrats.

"They are going to remain open," he said.

Mirabito pointed to cuts proposed by Republicans in basic education funding, noting that taxpayers will end up absorbing property tax hikes to pay for the programs.

Yaw said things could get interesting if the state continues to be without a budget next week.

Next Friday could mark the first "payless pay day" for state workers since the budget deadline of June 30.

"This thing (budget impasse) could end very, very quickly," he said.

State Rep. Garth Everett, R-Muncy, indicated late Thursday that he feels there may finally be some movement with the budget.

"I think some things are starting to happen," he said.

House Republicans, he said, are in fact ready to propose a spending plan.

"It has a slightly different approach than Senate Bill 850. We would like to get that to the floor. If they (Democrats) don't like it, they can amend it."