Newspaper: Cut state spending first

The state's biggest newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, has a reputation of being the official propaganda arm of the Rendell Administration.

In the past six years as governor, "Fast Eddie" Rendell can do no wrong in the eyes of the Inquirer, despite breaking nearly every campaign promise and leaving the state in a massive $3.2 billion budget hole.

There must be something in the water in Philadelphia these days. The Inquirer has published an editorial that says state spending is out of control and should be cut before any tax hike is considered.

That goes against everything Ed Rendell and the doormat Democrats in the state House stand for. Their answer to everything is raise taxes.

From the Inquirer editorial:

Legislators can't waste tax money to that degree, and then turn around and tell taxpayers with a straight face that state government has been cut to the bone.

Senate Republicans have proposed a budget of $27.3 billion, compared with Rendell's spending plan of $28.9 billion. The GOP plan avoids tax hikes, but slashes services just as more unemployed workers and their families are placing greater demands on the social safety net.

Rendell has proposed $977 million in cuts for next year's budget - roughly 3 percent of his proposed budget. Given the recession's impact on families, Rendell and Evans must find more cuts before pushing for a general tax increase.

Other states are swallowing bitter budget pills, such as layoffs and cuts to education. Layoffs or furloughs are painful, but, for many working families, so are higher taxes to fund the bureaucracy.

The newspaper even takes on the teachers unions and says it's time for school districts to tighten their belts.

"After five consecutive years of hefty school-aid increases, perhaps districts could get by for one year with a smaller increase," the Inquirer says.

Yep. Definitely something in the water.

Read the full editorial, "Cuts first, taxes last" at the newspaper's Web site.