Size this man up for a strait-jacket

This might help explain Gov. Ed Rendell's disconnect from reality as he continues to push for a $4.5 billion tax hike on Pennsylvania families and small business owners.

It appears the governor is getting bad advice from his underlings.

This is what Rendell's chief of staff, Steve Crawford, told Tony Romeo of KYW Newsradio 1060:

"I've talked to Republican members of the Senate who have said to me that they're willing to vote for a PIT increase. I've talked to Republican members of the House who've said to me that they're willing to vote for a PIT increase. I've talked to Democratic members of the House who say, 'I really, really, really, don't want to vote for a PIT increase, I need to be convinced.' And we're prepared to convince them."

I hate to say this, but it appears Mr. Crawford has been having conversations with imaginary members of the Legislature.

The state Senate already voted 30-20 to adopt a 2009-10 General Fund budget that does not include any income tax hike. All 30 Republican members of the Senate are on record opposing a tax increase.

The House has not been allowed to vote on a budget by the Democratic party bosses who control the agenda. The reason the Democrats won't bring a budget up for a vote is because all 99 Republicans and at least 20-30 Democrats will vote against any budget that includes a tax increase.

Rendell doesn't have the votes to pass a tax increase in either chamber.

The fact that Rendell's chief of staff can't count may explain how the Randell administration ran up a $3.25 billion budget deficit for the 2000-08 fiscal year.