Talks Stalled, Approval Ratings Drop

On another day without a budget in Harrisburg, leaders from both parties traded insults, and negotiations remained stalled.
Governor Rendell says "laziness" is one reason why Pennsylvania doesn't have a budget. He hinted lawmakers have been missing in action this summer.

"We should be here. And again, it's not just the budget, as I delineated for you earlier this week. There are three or four very important pieces of legislation that I'd like to see being worked on right now, the school--consolidated school health care plan for one."

Republicans, in turn, say Rendell's being passive, and hasn't shown an interest in negotiating.
Earlier this week, Rendell admitted aside from one sit-down with Senate President Pro Tem Joseph Scarnati, he hasn't met with GOP leaders in about three weeks. Scarnati complained House Democrats "don't return [his] calls," and stalled progress by walking away from budget talks last week.

"I think the frustration is growing. It's growing with every poll you take, every legislator you talk to. But you can't get a budget done without a governor and leaders of four caucuses sitting together."

The latest spat came on a day when a Franklin and Marshall College poll found just 33 percent of Pennsylvania residents think the state government is headed in the right direction. That's the lowest figure in the survey's history.