Majority want vacationing legislators back at work

Thursday, August 07, 2003

By Johnna A. Pro, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

HARRISBURG -- An overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians believes vacationing members of the state Legislature should return to the Capitol and end a budget stalemate that has left the commonwealth's finances in disarray and some of its neediest citizens without services.

But that isn't likely to happen because Gov. Ed Rendell and top lawmakers still believe they can craft a budget compromise behind closed doors.

According to a poll released yesterday by Quinnipiac University, Pennsylvania residents believe Rendell and the lawmakers are equally to blame for the financial standoff. However, 86 percent of the poll's respondents want Rendell to call the Legislature back for a special session.

The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent, was conducted among 1,037 registered voters from July 30 through Aug. 4.

"The high numbers show that people are paying attention and do know what's going on," said Clay Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Gov. Rendell is winning the public approval battle in the state budget stalemate, but it's hardly an overwhelming mandate.

"The good news for the governor is that his approval rating has climbed above 50 percent and a majority still support his plan to swap an income tax hike for lower property taxes and more school aid."

Rendell spokeswoman Kate Philips said she believes the numbers show that people feel a sense of urgency over the budget impasse.

"I think that the pressure to pass a budget is evident in these numbers," Philips said. "Right now the governor doesn't believe we're so far apart on an agreement that a special session is warranted. But it is an option."

Rendell has been loath to call a special session because doing so would only force the Legislature back to Harrisburg, not make them work.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate have been told to be prepared to return to the Capitol within a few hours notice, but aren't expected back until late September unless there is movement on the budget or a special session is ordered.

In a special session, only legislation related to a particular topic can be introduced, debated and acted upon. Special sessions occur infrequently.

Richards said that while those surveyed may not understand the technicalities of a special session, the numbers show that voters do want to see legislative action with regard to the budget.

Mike Veon, D-Beaver, the House Democratic whip, echoed that sentiment.

"My own reading of it is that people believe we need to be in Harrisburg solving this problem," Veon said. "They just think we need to be in Harrisburg getting this done."

Veon said he doubts the poll will have much impact unless coupled with public pressure.

"I don't think we'll see enough public pressure unless and until there is a real crisis such as social service agencies shutting their doors across the state or schools not being able to open their doors on any given day. That's the only kind of crisis that will force the Legislature back to action."

Steve Miskin, spokesman for the House GOP, said that Majority Leader John M. Perzel, R-Philadelphia, and Republican leader Samuel H. Smith, R-Punxsutawney, aren't prepared to call the House back to session.

"The perception is because we're not in session we're not working. That's an incorrect perception. Members are working. Don't underestimate the work they're doing back in their district," Miskin said. "The leader and the speaker are not going to waste any member's time by asking them to come back here when there's no solution."

The poll showed the Rendell's approval rating remains steady and climbed from 49 percent to 51 percent since May. His highest approval rating was 54 percent in February.

The poll shows that 53 percent of those surveyed support raising the personal income tax to lower property taxes and increase education funding, 66 percent support legalizing slot machines at racetracks to provide property tax reform, and 60 percent support slot parlors in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

"This has been a long summer. It's been a very public political battle," Philips said. These numbers show the governor's agenda is intact. People still want Pennsylvania to change and they still want Gov. Rendell to do it."

But Rendell's disapproval rating now stands at 29 percent, up from 12 percent six months ago, when more voters were undecided in their opinion of him.

"To me the disapproval rating is most telling. [Twenty-nine] percent of Pennsylvanians don't agree with his plan," Miskin said. "The mandate [for change] is in his mind."

Fifty-one percent of those surveyed approve of the way Rendell is handling his job and 42 percent approve of his handling of the budget.

By comparison, 41 percent approve of the Legislature's handling of its job and 27 percent say they approve of the way the Legislature is handling the budget.

As with any poll, though, the numbers can support any position, and Senate Republicans, who are taking the brunt of the criticism for the budget stalemate, said yesterday the findings support their opposition to raising taxes because 57 percent of those polled said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the way things are going in Pennsylvania today. That number was 65 percent in February.

"In general we believe the poll gives strong support to the Senate Republican position," said Mike Long, the majority staff administrator.

"Almost two-thirds of the people are satisfied with the way things are going, suggesting that Rendell's repeatedly crying out is falling on relatively deaf ears. The numbers in support for his own job performance and his plan haven't increased since the spring. There just isn't a lot of support for higher taxes and spending hundreds of millions of dollars on new, unproved programs."

Johnna Pro can be reached at jpro@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1574.

E-mail this story   Print this story