Business leaders: PA economy in the tank

To hear Gov. Ed Rendell talk about Pennsylvania's economy, you get the feeling Rendell is living in the state of denial.

The state's economy has been teetering on the brink of a massive downturn for years. Instead of preparing for the worse by reducing spending and cutting taxes to stimulate job growth, Rendell and the doormat Democrats in the state House have continued to spend billions more for government programs.

That's a recipe for disaster.

If you want a look at the state's economic climate without the Rendell Rosy Glasses, check out the Lincoln Institute of Public Policy Research's Spring 2008
Keystone Business Climate Survey Analysis.

It's not a pretty picture, but it's reality:

"Pennsylvania business leaders report a gloomy assessment of the state's economy in the recent Spring 2008 Keystone Business Climate Survey conducted by the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc. In the most pessimistic result of the survey's 14-year history, 59% of the employers surveyed said the state's business climate has gotten worse over the last six months; just 6% say the Pennsylvania economy has improved."

Read more about the survey at the Lincoln Institute's Web site.