He says other caucuses ready to come back

Thursday, August 07, 2003

By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Gov. Ed Rendell came to Pittsburgh yesterday and placed the blame for the state's budget gridlock squarely on recalcitrant Republicans in the state Senate.

	Gov. Ed Rendell talks to a group of school crossing guards and their supporters who marched from Grant Street to Station Square yesterday to protest budget cuts that eliminated their jobs. (V.W.H. Campbell Jr., Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

"What's holding this [budget settlement] up is politics, most of all," Democrat Rendell said at a news conference at the Sheraton Hotel at Station Square, where he met later with city and Allegheny County officials about regional economic development issues.

"This myth that the General Assembly has done its job is totally wrong," he said. "Look, I'm a politician -- we're all politicians. But there's a time for politics and a time for fighting and a time to work in the best interests of other people."

Rendell said that three of the General Assembly's legislative caucuses -- House Republicans, House Democrats and Senate Democrats -- are ready to go back to work immediately to resolve thorny issues such as school property tax relief, basic education funding, expansion of legal gambling, medical malpractice reform, aid for mass transit and human services programs, and financial aid for Pittsburgh.

The only ones not willing to go back are the Senate Republicans, he said.

Senate Republicans remains on a six-hour call, meaning they'll return to work within six hours if the leaders summon them. But as of now it appears the General Assembly doesn't plan to return until late September.

Rendell said Senate Republicans were unwilling to face what he considers one basic fact: "We have to raise revenues. In the last two years, 47 states have raised revenues. Senate Republicans have to agree to raise revenues and so far they have shown no willingness to do so."

Rendell had proposed raising the personal income tax from the current 2.8 percent to 3.75 percent, but Senate Republicans, along with a lot of Democrats, don't like such a steep increase. He said he's open to different ideas for raising money.

	Ed Rendell answers questions about the state budget crisis posed by a television crew that staked out the men's room exit to get a one-on-one interview with the governor. (V.W.H. Campbell Jr., Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

State Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, who arrived just as Rendell's news conference was ending, said she wants to get back to work in Harrisburg as much as anyone.

But she said she opposes efforts by Rendell and House Republican Speaker John Perzel to expand gambling in the state. She noted that many Senate Democrats also have criticized a House-passed bill that would create 11 slot machine locations around the state. Rendell wants to use gambling revenues to reduce property taxes statewide.

She said that some senators are "morally opposed" to making it easier for people to gamble.

"We have to take politics out of [budget discussions]," she said. "It's not going to move things forward to finger point. We are all to blame."

David Atkinson, an aide to Sen. Robert Jubelirer, R-Altoona, said the difficulty over property tax relief is a difference between the House and Senate approaches for slot machines. The Senate bill restricts them to eight racetracks, while the House bill calls for nine tracks and two non-track slots locations.

"We have passed bills that we believe are important to Pennsylvania," Atkinson said. "We haven't bought into [Rendell's plan] for higher taxes, higher spending and more state programs."

Rendell insisted that at least $1 billion in revenue must be approved for things such as the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University, state labor contracts, pre-kindergarten programs and full-day kindergarten in all 501 school districts.

Rendell said that lack of cooperation from Senate Republicans was also preventing $900 million in federal aid from being spent to bolster mass transit and other programs. He said he wants to spend $300 million a year for the next three years, but General Assembly action is needed to approve the plan.

	Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey, a Republican, faces off with Rep. Ken Ruffing, a Democrat, in an impromptu debate about the budget impasse. (V.W.H. Campbell Jr., Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

Rendell was surrounded by a gaggle of Democratic House and Senate members during his 30 minutes of remarks.

Just as he was finishing, one legislator, Rep. Ken Ruffing, spotted a Republican who'd just entered the room -- Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey. He was there for an economic development meeting that followed the news conference.

Ruffing, a crewcut West Mifflin Democrat who resembles a middle linebacker, pointed to Roddey and demanded that he call Republican senators and insist that they get back to work.

Roddey, caught off-guard by the remarks, tried to deflect the attention and said he didn't want to disturb the governor's press conference.

But when Ruffing wouldn't give up, Roddey said, "I've asked that [Senate Republicans] meet as soon as possible to get this resolved. I don't know what more I can do."

Roddey has said that many health and human services programs in Allegheny County, along with Port Authority bus and trolley programs and Alcosan sewer services, are in jeopardy because of state funding cuts that have yet to be restored.

Tom Barnes can be reached at tbarnes@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1548.

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