by KYW's Tony Romeo
Pennsylvania’s projected budget deficit continues to grow, and is now pegged at $2.3 billion.
The budget gap was placed at $1.6 billion in mid-December, and just $1.9 billion last week. But after looking at state sales and income tax numbers for January, governor Ed Rendell now puts it at $2.3 billion.
Rendell (in file photo above) says he wants to use a surplus in legislative accounts and federal stimulus money to plug the latest hole in the budget. And the governor for the first time says that he expects there will be layoffs of state workers next fiscal year -- though he can’t say how many:
“There will be some layoffs, and there will be universal pain. And I don’t want to hear whining. I don’t want to hear whining. I think everyone has to tighten the belts.”
The governor says there will have to be revenue enhancements, such as possible a tax on smokeless tobacco products, but says again he will not propose a general tax increase.
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