The Keystone State of Collapse
I wonder how many of my fellow Pennsylvanians recognize that our commonwealth is in an utter state of collapse.
Our Supreme Court has lost justices due to criminal behavior and disgusting state computer e-mail exchanges which are unbecoming of individuals of their stature. A sitting justice continues to “serve” in disgrace despite it having become common knowledge that he trafficked in profane, offensive, cruel “jokes” which demeaned and marginalized women, minorities and gays, calling into question his ability to impartially and fairly judge many of the cases that come before him. He has apologized and stated his embarrassment over the matter, and asserted that his behavior was out of character. Who cares what he says and who would vote to retain him?
Pennsylvania has an attorney general who is not currently licensed to practice law, someone who remains in office with no authority to serve or lead. She will not leave office unless and until she is removed, an agonizingly long process which drags on as she drags down the office and the confidence of the public in government institutions.
What most sticks out like a sore thumb at this time is the intransigence of our elected officials who outrageously refuse to approve a budget as we approach half of a year without one, bringing the commonwealth into national disgrace and the downgrading of its bond ratings. The Keystone Cops show in Harrisburg has our “leaders” telling us repeatedly that a budget framework has been agreed to and that we will have a budget soon, yet the process breaks down every time.
Vital services have been curtailed and school districts are threatening to close their doors after the holidays, but this is of little consequence to our elected officials, who are content to continue to inflict suffering and to cause school districts and social service agencies to have to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to continue operating. Perhaps people who cannot access services such as those provided to battered partners will have to die before the matter becomes of any importance to them.
Members who refuse to send a viable plan to Governor Wolf are confident that their dereliction of duty will not place them in jeopardy with the folks back home, whom they believe approve of them refusing to perform their jobs.
Governor Wolf was elected on two bases: enacting a Marcellus Shale extraction tax and increasing education funding by hundreds of millions of dollars per year. At the insistence of Republicans, he has wisely backed away from his extraction tax proposal for now, recognizing that this is not the time to impose such a levy as the price of oil has plummeted to the point at which drilling is no long profitable. He must be granted the increase in education funding he has sought or else he might as well turn over state government to the Republicans.
On the other hand, privatization of alcohol sales, now finally being pushed for by the GOP, must be approved if the will of the people is to be considered. Additionally, meaningful and significant pension reform which does not harm current employees must be implemented.
The path to compromise has been evident since the governor delivered his budget address early this year. I trust a budget would be in place by now if our elected officials were required to stay in Harrisburg through Christmas if a pact was not approved.
Those who serve in Harrisburg are responsible for a large measure of the apathy, if not contempt that our citizens have for their government, a government which is dysfunctional and broken.
Oren Spiegler lives in Upper St. Clair.