Baer: deepest cuts ever tomorrow

At the Daily News, John Baer gives his best guess at Corbett's budget tomorrow:

Don't count on arguments. Corbett's party controls the process. There's no money to fight over. And, since there's no good news, lawmakers will want to make this more "Corbett's budget" than their own.

After eight straight late budgets, they'll pass this one early and get out of town to avoid wading through daily protests.

Third, balancing a reduced spending plan with a projected deficit of $3 billion to $4 billion without raising taxes means broader, deeper cuts than Pennsylvania's seen, possibly ever.

Unlike the feds, the state by law must balance its budget. Whatever the deficit is must be covered by cuts or revenue. Corbett's no-new-taxes/no-new-fees pledge takes revenue off the table, leaving only cuts.

. . . What we'll hear tomorrow is likely less Wisconsin-style union-busting, more budget-control/free-market advocacy: fiscal responsibility, school vouchers and privatization; selling the State Stores (though not for revenue this year), and maybe combining or reducing some state agencies.