GOV. ED'S the last man standing.
Guvs of the only other states with no budget - Arizona and Connecticut - are women, and Republicans: Gov. Jan Brewer and Gov. Jodi Rell, respectively. And the governor of the last state to sign a budget, North Carolina, Aug. 7, also is a woman: Democrat Bev Perdue.
Aides to Brewer and Rell say that talks in their states continue. The issues are the same as here: raise taxes or cut spending to close deficits.
So, for now, you know, Ed's "the man." And, likely, Pennsylvania soon will be the only state without a budget because Ed's also Ed.
See, while we share other states' budget issues, we have that extra, added attraction of partisan one-upmanship. It drives our bus, which is why our bus now careens down a curvy road.
Need a Democratic tax hike for more spending? Hold state workers hostage.
Need a Republican bargaining chip for talks? Bottle up Philly's sales-tax plan.
Oh, and overall? We're dead stuck because Democrats want to spend $28.6 billion and Republicans want to hold at $27.6 billion.
(Note to reasonable people: wouldn't $28.1 billion get 'er done?)
So, today, 50 days after the fiscal deadline, Pennsylvania remains in limbo while our pols play who-holds-the-political-edge?
Initially, Senate Republicans grabbed it by staking claim to the ever popular "no new taxes."
The Guv then paid state workers, while vetoing most state spending, and said he'd stop pushing to raise the personal income tax.
(Note to reasonable people: These are two things he could have/should have done June 30. There never was a chance for an on-time budget. There never were the votes to increase the income tax.)
Ed then stayed in Harrisburg, a great personal sacrifice, and canceled his planned African safari vacation, which I can't imagine was much of a sacrifice.
And Monday he called out Republicans - "No more vacations. No more hiatus. No more going to the shore" - and said that there's "no excuse" not to get a budget within two weeks. Advantage, His Edness.
So, Republicans yesterday struck back with a plan to override Ed's vetoes and pass $2.2 billion worth of targeted spending for the homeless; food banks; veterans, drug, alcohol and domestic-violence programs; rape crisis and more. GOP heroes help the downtrodden.
Senate GOP chief Dominic Pileggi cited Ed's "lack of compassion" in vetoing such funding. Override votes are planned today.
