Commonwealth Foundation has provided an excellent illustration regarding the irresponsibility of Pennsylvania’s budget deliberations.
It uses the example of someone $500 in your checking account who expects a $400 raise next month but whose credit card payment increase by $80 next month; health care premium by $840; retirement contribution by $690, and rent by $135.
The Foundation asks whether this person would spend the $500 in the checking account on a shopping spree today and notes that is basically what the state legislature proposes doing in budget talks—only with a “million” to each number.