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Editorial | Pennsylvania Shutdown
Philadelphia Inquirer, The, July, 2007
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The bizarre priorities of Pennsylvania's state government came into focus yesterday, courtesy of the budget impasse.
Around the commonwealth, you could still gamble, smoke and drink free booze at a casino. But if you wanted to take your children camping or walk your dog at a state park, you were out of luck.
Families on vacation were booted out of state parks, creating a new twist on an old state tourism slogan: Memories last a lifetime. Unfortunately.
About 24,000 state employees were furloughed without pay for the day. Meanwhile, the state's coffers have a surplus of $650 million.
Lawmakers came to an agreement that ended the shutdown last night. Nonetheless, some soul-searching is needed in Harrisburg. The policy differences between Republicans and Democrats are not so profound that they justified this kind of mess.
When the budget train to Sanityville veered off the tracks ...
