Gov. Rendell in Altoona TIME NOT CONFIRMED

I may not be able to come today. I will if I can arrange it, but I have other commitments this morning.

I would say that the one mistake we made here, was not being prepared for the press. We put this together on such short notice, that I didn't even think about answering quetions from reporters.

The hardest question to answer is:

If taxes don't increase, then more cuts will be necessary. Where do you suggest we cut the budget?

This is a very difficult question to answer, because unless you are very familliar with every aspect of the state budget, and the budget of your local school system, you can't list specific line items that should be cut. Also, if you start listing specific cuts, you end up alienating somebody, somewhere. (By the way, I am assuming that Rendell's speech might focus on the schools as it did here.)

I think the message should be that companies and people in the private sector are having to make these decisions every day, due to the poor economy. Why can't the state, and those entities funded by the state, do the same?

The answer could be as simple as: if revenue is 20% lower than expenditures, then for every dollar the state spends, they must now spend 80 cents instead. That way the effects of the cuts are felt by every recipient of public money equally, but no program need be totally eliminated.

Rendell might say that there are laws, mandating certain levels of funding. Some of these mandates come from the state, and some from the Federal government.

As to Federal Mandates - the state has a powerful weapon to cut those - it is called the Tenth Amendment. That amendment prohibits the Federal Government from making such mandates. I told one reporter that I would stand side-by-side with Governor Rendell in fighting against Federal Mandates.

As to State mandates, those are state laws that our legislators can adjust. I would equally support our local school board, in fighting against state mandates.

The three levels of government are all fighting a coordinated battle against the taxpayers, especially funding for education.

One year, the local government raises property taxes, and they say, "We had to do it! The state wouldn't give us money!".

A couple years later, the state raises taxes and says, "We have to raise taxes. If we don't, we must cut funding to schools, and then they will raise your property taxes!"

Each time, they both point at the Federal government, and say, "Those guys have passed laws that force us to spend this money!".

The result is, our taxes keep getting raised by one government or the other, and they toss the blame around like a hot potato.

It is time that We the People say, "Enough of this game! You are not getting another dime of our money. Every public-funded entity must learn to operate within their means, just like all the rest of us have to. No more hiding behind laws that you guys wrote (and can change), no more passing the blame back and forth, and no more making promises that you are fiscally unable to keep!"