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Baker, Yudichak vote for property tax measure, but it fails by one vote in Senate

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Ethics Institute of NEPA at Misericordia University honors Ruth’s Place

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; State Sen. John Yudichak and State Rep. Gerald Mullery expressed anger and frustration Tuesday when talking about the current state of budget affairs in Harrisburg.</p><p>&#8220;My frustration over the lack of a budget has grown to anger,&#8221; Mullery said. &#8220;This budget impasse must end now. Having progressed to December without a budget has put all those reliant upon state funds in financial peril. It is time for the Commonwealth to meet its obligations. Firm ideologies must be put aside in favor of compromise.&#8221;</p><p>Yudichak said he is beyond the point of frustration.</p><p>&#8220;I share every citizen&#8217;s outrage, with the hyper-partisanship in Harrisburg that fuels our protracted state budget impasse,&#8221; Yudichak said. &#8220;Taxpayers do not care about Democrat or Republican solutions, they want government to work for them. They want their elected leaders to work together and deliver on the promise of a state budget that funds our schools, invests in job creation and provides the resources to keep our communities safe.&#8221;</p><p>According to the Associated Press, the fragile deal to end a five-month budget stalemate collapsed Monday and Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday that the next step is up to Republican legislative majority leaders.</p><p>The AP reported that Wolf hammered Republicans, saying leaders of the commanding House and Senate GOP majorities could not secure enough rank-and-file support for a crucial sales tax increase they had proposed because their ranks include too many &#8220;who just want to blow things up.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The ball is in the Republicans&#8217; court,&#8221; Wolf told interviewers Tuesday morning during a regular appearance on Pittsburgh radio station KDKA-AM. Later in the interview, he said, &#8220;it&#8217;s really important that the Republicans deliver on what they promised.&#8221;</p><p>According to the AP story, the proposed deal, first floated two weeks ago by Wolf and Republican majority leaders, unraveled in earnest in the last few days. The sides, however, are now quarreling over why it unraveled.</p><p>Mullery said the desire of political parties, and all to often, small segments of political parties to &#8220;win&#8221; has resulted in the current gridlock.</p><p>&#8220;This has caused Harrisburg to become a cheap imitation of Washington D.C.,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Too many legislators are unwilling to even listen to an idea or concept because it comes from the other side of the aisle. Until this pettiness is overcome, true progress will be difficult to attain.</p><p>State Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Avoca, said it remains imperative to adequately fund public education, human services and the various functions of state government by enacting a budget that does not rely on gimmicks.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m disappointed the framework agreed upon by the four caucuses earlier this month wasn&#8217;t able to generate sufficient support despite the declaration of the agreement by the legislative leaders,&#8221; Carroll said. &#8220;I expect all legislators to accept the challenge issued by the governor yesterday to approve a budget by next Friday. Governing, and the difficult choices that are demanded, must take precedence over perpetual campaigning.&#8221;</p><p>Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, said she realizes the extreme urgency of the situation for service providers and for individuals and families who depend on state services.</p><p>&#8220;We are working to construct a budget that keeps property taxes separate,&#8221; Baker said. &#8220;At this late date, whatever can attract sufficient votes will become the best plan available.&#8221;</p><p>State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, said the lack of action on a state budget is &#8220;unconscionable to say the least.&#8221; Pashinski said the Republican leadership continues to protect the gas industry by refusing to levy a fair and responsible extraction tax to help reconcile the current state debt and deal with the restoration of education funding to some degree.</p><p>&#8220;If the people of Pennsylvania are expected to pay any additional tax dollars, then the gas industry should do the same,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Republican leaders need to get serious and lead, especially in their own caucus.&#8221;</p><p>State Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, said the impasse is not driven by politics, as evidenced by the governor&#8217;s tax plan failing in a bipartisan vote in June.</p><p>&#8220;This is the first time in over 40 years that the governor has vetoed an entire budget, which has created the situation we are now in,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It has become increasingly apparent that the governor&#8217;s all-or-nothing approach is not working.&#8221;</p><p>In the AP Story, Wolf said Republicans told him Friday that they could not secure enough rank-and-file support for a 21 percent sales tax increase that they had proposed as the linchpin of a budget deal and school property-tax package. The sales tax increase &#8212; from 6 percent to 7.25 percent &#8212; was designed to underwrite $1.4 billion in school property tax rebates, plus hundreds of millions to boost public school aid and help close a long-term budget deficit.</p><p>To get by without state aid, school districts, counties and social services organizations have laid off employees, delayed services, put off paying bills or taken out loans.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Baker-Lisa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Baker </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Baker-Lisa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Baker </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Yudichak-John3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Yudichak </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Yudichak-John3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Yudichak </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Carroll3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Carroll </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Carroll3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Carroll </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Pashinski3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pashinski </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Pashinski3.jpg</photo3><caption3>Pashinski </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Jerry_Mullery.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mullery </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Jerry_Mullery.jpg</photo4><caption4>Mullery </caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Tom-Wolf.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wolf </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Tom-Wolf.jpg</photo5><caption5>Wolf </caption5><photoCredit5></photoCredit5></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Bobackcampaign.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Boback </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo6>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Bobackcampaign.jpg</photo6><caption6>Boback </caption6><photoCredit6></photoCredit6></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle. The Associated Press contributed to this story.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Mullery and Yudichak express anger, frustration over budget impasse