Governor Wolf decided yesterday to allow the latest Republican budget to become law. We were hoping he would veto it.
But we understand why, given the intransigence of the extremists in the PA General Assembly, he decided to bring this round to a close, keep schools open this year, and continue the fight for fair and equitable funding for education and human services to enact next year’s budget.
We will join him in that and subsequent rounds. But as this one closes, we should be honest about what we lost and congratulate those who won.
So, if you believe that natural gas drillers should not pay another cent to the government, even if that means we never restore the Corbett cuts to education funding and human services, congratulations — you won yesterday.
If you don’t care that schools in rich districts in Pennsylvania spend 33% more per child than schools in poor districts, congratulations — you won yesterday.
If you believe that corporations should not pay another cent to the government, even if that means people with intellectual disabilities or mental health issues don’t get the help they need, congratulations — you won yesterday.
If you don’t care that credit rating of the state of Pennsylvania will decline because we have enacted one more unbalanced budget, congratulations — you won yesterday.
If you believe that middle class people shouldn’t be asked to pay the equivalent of a cup of coffee and a Danish or a beer a week in additional income tax, even if that means that our economy and wages grow slower becasuse of a lack of educated workers, ccongratulations — you won yesterday.
If you don’t care that the budget cut $289 million in school construction reimbursements and that our low credit rating makes it impossible to borrow the money to replace it, congratulations — you won yesterday.
And if you think it’s more important that schools merely stay open, as opposed to providing Pennsylvania’s kids with a first rate education, congratulations — you won yesterday.
Enjoy your victories now because, as Governor Corbett found out after winning similar victories, they are not likely to last long. Pennsylvania’s citizens will speak out against them and then reject them at the ballot box because they violate our commitment to education and the opportunity and prosperity it brings all Pennsylvanians.