Saying that some profound key funding cuts were the only way out of some "serious economic problems" in Pennsylvania, Govenor Ed Rendell unfolded his spending plan for 2009-10 before a joint session of the General Assembly. With a projected $2.3-billion budget deficit, Rendell said he wants to tap into the state's reserves.

Well before his budget address, Rendell had said his spending plan would be a painful one, and he while finally putting it across, he told the assembly: "In the FY2010 Budget, we cut or eliminated funding across 89% of the line items in the budget."

Delivering the "pain" to state programs and services, the governor, in his $29-billion spending plan, announced more than 2,600 layoffs and cuts to numerous state programs.

One of the biggest blows comes in the form of the ending state help to the Scranton State School for the Deaf. Yet another is the abolition of nearly 400 of the existing 501 public school systems in Pennsylvania.

Among other proposals are funding cut to tourism industry, and pulling all state funding from the state's 8 PBS stations. While funding for special education would remain flat; funds for charter schools and transportation would be raised.

Though any noticeable reaction to Rendell's spending plan is still awaited, State Senate Democratic leader Robert Mellow has called the proposal a "misguided, shortsighted, and potentially harmful" one!