Stevieslaw: When is a Rainy Day Not

Our local Newspaper, The Centre Daily Times, published a partial headline today.  They often do.  Smokey Diamond, our intrepid reporter, picked it up right away.  The headline was: GOP plan restores school funds.  The missing part was: On the Backs of the Poor.

The headline was misleading in any event.  Only part of the public school funding will be restored and only those parts of public welfare that are wasteful or fraudulent will be cut.  You might well ask why we have been funding wasteful and fraudulent public welfare up to now.  Well, you might ask.  The cynical among you will imagine that the change of plans for the GOP was based on the realization that supporters of public education were more likely to vote and to contribute to reelection campaigns than were the neediest.

Smokey ran down Jim Smiley, spokesman for the PA Republican Caucus, and asked him what was responsible for the change in strategy.  Jim said, “Simple. We came to the realization that supporters of public education were more likely to vote and to contribute to reelection campaigns than were the neediest.”

Smokey also wanted to hear about the GOP reluctance to use a windfall, half billion dollar budget surplus to help balance next year’s deficit.  “We need to replenish the rainy day fund,” said Smiley.  “But isn’t it raining as hard as it can now,” countered Smokey.  “If it’s winter, snowing and you come upon the money to fix a broken window so your family can be warm, don’t you fix it?” “No, no,” said Jimmy, “It’s not my family. My windows are fine and by the time the GOP policies are in place, windows will be the least of the worries for some.”  “A hard rains a’gonna fall.”