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A recent article in Tuesday's edition about the classification of the Little Pine State Park dam is connected, we believe, to our state's budget process.
The article notes that the dam, while not deficient in any way, is subject to inspections and regular reports because, were it to fail, it would be devastating to communities and families in the path of the disaster that would follow.
While these reports, inspections and disclosures can be misconstrued on social media and misunderstood as indicating dangers already loom, they -- even when understood properly as routine observation to keep in the spirit of being prepared -- are a reminder that Pennsylvania needs to be diligent in ensuring our infrastructure can meet future challenges.
That requires investment.
Our state faces serious challenges. We've editorialized before about some of the challenges that pertain to how communities fund public education -- and the court rulings that should accelerate reevaluation of the state's role in that funding.
The needs of infrastructure maintenance are another fiscal challenge the state faces -- and as that report in Tuesday's edition indicates, could be a future fiscal challenge with major implications for public safety.
We believe our state needs to be realistic about what investment our infrastructure and our education system needs and what other necessary spending will exist. We believe being realistic about these future costs should gird our lawmakers and state officials to resist unnecessary spending.
We implore every public servant in Harrisburg -- launching a new program and a new line-item in our annual state budget may well be easier than cutting that program when the economy is leaner -- and the urgency of funding dam repairs, other infrastructure repairs and local public schools is greater.
We believe -- and we believe a majority of voters in our region believe -- that prudent, conservative spending levels today better prepares the state government for those future challenges.