Many are getting impatient as budget talks drag on and ideas are being made for how lawmakers can construct a balanced spending plan. In the last week, several Pennsylvania newspapers have published detailed suggestions and now Auditor General Jack Wagner has proposed a plan that includes spending cuts, a tax amnesty program and increased taxes on tobacco products and natural gas drilling. Wagner will describe his plan on Friday's program.
Earlier this week, Radio Smart Talk focused on alternatives to prison sentences to reduce inmate overcrowding. Since then, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections announced it may send prisoners to Michigan for incarceration to relieve the crowded cells.
Other guests:
Joe Ostrander, Communications Director, Community Action Association of PA
Rick Pluta, state Capitol Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio
