HARRISBURG -- Governor Tom Wolf delivered his second budget address Tuesday morning in Harrisburg, even though last year's budget still has yet to be passed.
The governor started his speech today by saying, "This will not be an ordinary budget address."
Governor Wolf entered a room filled with lawmakers he's been at odds with for a year and began a half hour of chastising the Republicans for putting Pennsylvania in a financial crisis.
"But if you won't face up to the reality of the situation we're in, if you ignore that time bomb ticking, if you won't take seriously your responsibility to the people of Pennsylvania, find another job," said Governor Wolf.
Wolf stood in front of them and the people of Pennsylvania and said he can't talk about his proposals for 2016-2017, when there's no budget yet for this year.
His speech only dealt with the budget drama that has played out under the Capitol dome, a budget that is now seven months overdue.
"The train has been careening down the tracks for years. Now the moment of impact has arrived, and whether or not we crash is up to the people in this chamber," said the governor.
Much of Wolf's focus now and over the past year has been on increasing funding to education. He said a $2 billion budget deficit would mean major cutbacks at our schools and in other services. He didn't mention how he wants to pay for it.
Our search of his budget proposal shows this:
- Wolf continues to call for an income tax hike; now he asks for an 11 percent increase.
- He still wants the sales tax expanded to more items and services.
- He calls for a dollar increase to the cigarette tax and 40 percent hike on tobacco taxes.
- He continues to call for a severance tax on the natural gas industry, this time setting the rate higher at 6.5 percent.
"So do not send me another budget full of gimmicks that are too cute by half. Do not send me another budget where the numbers simply don't add up. I will not be amused. I will not be fooled. I will not be convinced that dime store magic tricks are a substitute for a real, responsible budget," the governor challenged.
He has shared little about his hopes for next year's budget but is instead focusing almost entirely on the current year's budget, and blasting Republicans who walked away from a deal the two sides had before Christmas.
The governor offered a lot of strong talk about the current situation.
"This deficit isn't just a cloud hanging over Pennsylvania's long-term future. It is a time bomb, ticking away, right now, even as I speak. If it explodes -- if the people in this chamber allow it to explode -- then Pennsylvania will experience a fiscal catastrophe the likes of which we have never seen," warned Governor Wolf during his address.
Lawmakers in the chamber had strong reactions to the governors speech.
