By Sen. Scott Wagner 
Many people are asking me whether I see Governor Wolf’s budget being passed by June 30.
I entered the Pennsylvania State Senate in April of last year, and by that time the majority of the budget process had already taken place, so this is my first real experience with the budget.
This year is also different because I serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
I attended 33 of 35 appropriations hearings in March and April with agencies and entities affected by the budget.
This is my prediction – unless lightning strikes the Capitol in Harrisburg I do not see the budget being passed by the June 30 deadline.
Governor Wolf’s budget asks for various tax increases totaling $4.5 billion for the next fiscal year and $4.5 billion for the following year for a two year total of $9 billion.
Governor Wolf’s budget does not address any dramatic cost saving initiatives.
The best example of “PA Government Gone Wild” would be benefit costs for public sector employees.
When I identify public sector employees, I am referring to both union and non-union public sector employees.
Benefits for public sector employees are running at a minimum of 60 percent and up to 97 percent for benefits on one dollar of payroll.
The private sector generally runs in the range of 40 percent for benefits for each dollar of payroll.
We have come to a crossroads in Harrisburg.
For at least 25 years, people have been running the State of Pennsylvania with little knowledge of how a budget is balanced in the real world – wage and benefit increases were handed out like they were candy – public sector union bosses have been demanding more wages and benefits for their members, at the expense of the taxpayers.
From my point of view, virtually every public sector employee is doing well with wages and benefits.
When Senate Bill 1 (Pension Reform) was in the process of being passed two weeks ago my Senate office received over 250 emails from teachers bashing the bill.
Trust me folks – teachers are also doing well – teacher salaries in my home school district average between $85,000 and $90,000 per year for 180 days of work –plus great benefits too.
Governor Wolf wants to dump $1 billion into the public school system but is unwilling to entertain a discussion to eliminate prevailing wage mandates on public school district projects.
By public school projects, I am referring to new building construction, building renovations, maintenance and repair projects.
The elimination of this ridiculous mandate might very well save $200 – $300 million per year for school districts throughout the state – that is 20-30% of the $1 billion Governor Wolf is proposing to put into the public school system.
What do my readers think – Am I right or wrong on prevailing wage mandate elimination for school districts?
A few weeks ago I reported in an email blast the outrageous pensions being paid to retired Penn State employees.
During an appropriations hearing almost two months ago I asked the President of Penn State for a balance sheet to be supplied to the appropriations committee so we could understand how much cash they are sitting on – as of today we have not received the information requested.
Penn State could be sitting on billions of dollars for all we know – so here is my question – if outrageous pensions are being paid – plus Penn State has one of the most valuable football franchises in the nation – Why is the State of PA going to give Penn State $400 million for this upcoming fiscal year – am I right or wrong on this question?
I have a simple suggestion – Why doesn’t the State of PA go to a zero-based budget each year?
It is time to start over and clean out 25 years of excessive costs and stop the mentality that money grows on trees and there is an endless supply.
Sen. Wagner represents the 28th District in the Pennsylvania State Senate.
