Pike County Press Exclusive: Senator Baker Speaks On Budget Impasse
Baker: “It’s what Governor Rendell has always done; create a crisis to get what he wants.”
Story and Phot By Pat Camuso
HARRISBURG- Last week a Republican effort in the Pennsylvania State Senate failed to override some of Governor Ed Rendell’s line-item vetoes within the proposed budget; this, as negotiations languish and the budget stalemate continues. On Friday, the Pike County Press caught up to State Senator Lisa Baker (R-20) who said she will not compromise the personal values that got her elected by yielding to Rendell’s political gamesmanship.
In July, the Governor vetoed almost $13 billion in spending as he approved $4 billion to pay state workers during the budget impasse.
Baker explained that in hope of keeping essential and time-sensitive core government functions funded without interruption while budget negotiations continue, the Senate on Wednesday considered overrides of some of Rendell’s line-item vetoes but, according to Baker, these efforts failed categorically – blocked by Senate Democrats – falling 3 votes short and along partisan lines with one exception. According to Baker, Senator Lisa Boscola (D-18) was the only Democrat to vote along with Republicans for the overrides.
The vote to override a governor’s veto required a two-thirds majority. With one vacancy in the Senate, 33 “yes” votes were needed to approve an override. If an override was approved in the Senate, it would have been sent to the General Assembly for consideration. If the General Assembly also overrode a line-item veto, the funding would have been made immediately available.
According to Baker, among the line items voted on were several which the Governor vetoed despite the fact that Senate Bill 850 funded them at exactly the amount he recommended:
- Assistance to Drug & Alcohol Programs, $41.8 million
- Homeless Assistance, $25.6 million
- State Food Purchase (Food Banks), $18.0 million
- Domestic Violence, $12.5 million
- Rape Crisis, $7.1 million
- Veterans’ Educational Assistance, $7.0 million
- Farmers’ Market Food Coupons, $2.2 million
- Veterans’ Outreach Services, $1.7 million
- Veterans Assistance, $428,000
- Disabled Veterans Transportation, $350,000
Baker said that an override vote also took place on several additional line items under which the lack of state funding is having an immediate and dramatic negative impact on Pennsylvania residents, including:
- County Child Welfare, $1.04 billion
- PHEAA Grants to Students, $386.2 million
- Child Care Assistance, $198.1 million
- Child Care Services, $159.8 million
- Community Mental Retardation Programs, $158.4 million
- Children’s Health Insurance, $86.9 million
Baker explained that given a record $3.2 billion deficit, spending is at the core of the budget impasse. “The biggest disagreement in this budget is that the Republicans are proposing less spending than the Governor is,” said Baker. “If we don’t reign in spending now, we are going to be in bigger trouble in the future. There are many line-item vetoes that we can agree on; the crux of it is coming to terms with that billion to a billion and a half dollars in greater spending that he [Governor] wants.
“The Republican Senate’s core principles have been: less spending than last year; no broad-based tax increase; and a spending plan that takes into account the sustainability of stimulus money.”
Baker explained that because of our tough economic times people across the Commonwealth are tightening their belts and reigning in their spending practices as they face many financial challenges. “They [citizens] believe that the government has an obligation to reign in spending,” said Baker. “They certainly aren’t interested in a broad-based personal income tax.”
“My frustration with Governor Rendell is that initially he was leveraging state workers forcing them to go without paychecks; he has now traded state workers for vulnerable citizens who rely on programs and services.” Baker laid out a laundry list of state and state-funded county programs and services – people – that she believes are being used as hostages by Rendell to give him an advantage in the budget debate.
“They are being leveraged,” said Baker “It’s what Governor Rendell has always done; create a crisis to get what he wants.”
The Governor was unavailable for comment at press time but is on the record as saying that he was happy with Senate Democrats who blocked the override attempts while urging everyone to return to the negotiating table. Rendell contends that a tax increase is necessary because of shortfalls in state revenue and critical increases in public school funding.
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