Opinion

OTHER OPINION

July 9, 2008

State budget process is nothing but a sham

We’re not sure how Pennsylvania legislators are going to cover their secretive, sorry and pickpocketing political behinds over their fiscal 2009 budget machinations. But mark our words, every last party leader who participated in this outrageous charade -- regardless of affiliation -- should be tossed from office in November, as should every legislator who acquiesced with a “yes” vote.

The same Leeches of the Legislature who promised “reform” in the aftermath of the 2005 pay-jacking hashed out the general design of a budget blueprint with Gov. Fast Eddie Rendell in late June.

It was another middle-of-the-night deal. It was another closed-door, public-be-damned cluster cluck.

And not only did the Savants on the Susquehanna yet again violate the public trust, they violated their own reform rules designed to prevent the very abuses, real and perceived, that they so convincingly (conveniently?) decried.

Leaders of both parties yet again cut backroom deals. Who knows who scratched whose back. Who knows what putrid quid pro quos were promised and delivered.

Rank-and-file legislators, in session on a holiday, had less than 24 hours to vet this nonsense.

This process is a sham.

And those involved in such a crock not only should be ashamed, voters should remove them from office on Nov. 4. Every last sorry one of ’em.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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