PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Gov. Corbett said Wednesday that he would not slash funding in his forthcoming budget for basic education or the four state-related universities, although he cautioned that could change if there was no legislative giveback on one of his priorities: reining in public-employee pension costs.
“This is the driver,” Corbett said of tackling what his administration has called Pennsylvania’s pension crisis. “We are going to present a budget based on some assumptions, and based upon getting some reforms done. And if they can’t get the reform done, then there’s going to have to be some adjustments to the budget.”
With that, the governor drew a line that could end up defining the coming budget battle in the Capitol. On Feb. 5, he is scheduled to deliver his budget proposal to the legislature, and he and top aides have spent the last few months crisscrossing the state to build his case for why pension costs – the “tapeworm,” as he has repeatedly called it – should take precedence… (more)
EDITOR: But when it comes to taxing Marcellus Shale gas extraction as do other states, that is off the table for Corbett. He received close to $2 million from Marcellus Shale interests for his election campaign. Satisfying them apparently is far more important to him than educating children.
Question for Inquirer editors: Don’t they know that the governor has a first name and its Tom?
