On hand Thursday for the Republican banquet in Reynoldsville were (front, from left) Tonya Geist, prothonotary; John Serian, state committeeman; (back) Tony Harper, party chairman; Sam Smith, state representative; James VanSteenberg, treasurer; Bernard Snyder, coroner; David Inzana, magisterial judge; Joe Scarnati, state senator and lieutenant governor; and Pete Winkler, representing Glenn Thompson, U.S. representative. (Photo by Mike Ishman/the Punxsutawney Spirit)
REYNOLDSVILLE — In his remarks to fellow party members during the annual Jefferson County Republican Banquet Thursday night, House Minority Leader Sam Smith suggested that the recent 101-day state budget impasse was not an accident.
"The [lack of a budget] was a conspiracy," Smith told fellow Republicans gathered at the Bellamauro Social Hall in Reynoldsville. "It was a conspiracy by the governor and the House Democrats.
"The conspiracy was, if we don't have a budget, and we go beyond when the budget should be in place, and we stretch it far enough out, it'll create a crisis," he said.
Smith said that by the Democrats and Gov. Ed Rendell doing what they did, they were able to have the citizens of Pennsylvania put pressure on the government to increase taxes.
"It was something that was planned by the committee, clearly," he said.
After 101 days, the state Legislature passed its $27.8 billion budget, signed by Rendell around 9 p.m. Oct. 9.
Smith offered evidence of the plan, saying that the House Democratic leadership did not allow a vote on the appropriations bill until the middle of July.
"There is no way you can pass a budget if you don't actually run a budget sometime before the end of June," he said.
Smith said that by doing what they did, he believes the Republicans were doing the right thing.
"In the end, we had a great impact on spending," he said.
Also Thursday, Smith urged Republicans to use new forms of communication technology to their advantage, and make their voices heard.
Smith said new forms of communication have changed how government has worked for many years.
"Today, on more of a national level than a state level, the nature of government trying to move at breakneck speed," he said. "It's downright scary, and something that is kind of counter to the way our country has been governed for many years."
Smith said that the country's government was designed to be somewhat cumbersome, in order to let ideas digest and to get a feel of the implications of the policies.
But with the 24-hour news cycle, the workings have changed.
In order to get the people's voices heard, Smith said, citizens must adapt to the new systems of communication.
"We are going to have to play by a new set of rules," he said. "And that new set of rules is the way our world communicates now. We are going to have to pay attention to those vehicles of communication that are out there. They are being utilized by those who want to do what they want to do, and not what the people of this Commonwealth and nation want to do."
In his remarks, county party Chairman Troy Harper recapped what has happened in government since the spring banquet, including the push for healthcare reform.
"We've had a lot of questionable decision making by our leadership, the Obama administration," he said. "The bright spot that has come out of all this is, this past summer, the American people became more engaged in the process than they probably have been in recent years," including the tea parties and town hall meetings.
"That's really democracy at work," Harper said. "If you don't like something, you tell the people your views. It's our job to keep our voices heard. Keep the pressure on them."
Following the welcome by Harper, various incumbents and candidates briefly asked for their party's support in the November elections, including Democrat David Inzana, magisterial judge; Tonya Geist, prothonotary; James VanSteenberg, treasurer; and Bernard Snyder, coroner.
Incumbents Mabel "Sis" Dunkel, jury commissioner, and Jeff Burkett, district attorney incumbent, were unable to attend the banquet but asked for support in their re-election bids.
Pete Winkler, representing U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, spoke of the the challenges Thompson has faced as a freshman congressman.
Winkler questioned Obama's methods of attempting to pass the healthcare legislation, including speaking before congress during a joint-session.
"The public option is a government-sponsored enterprise," he said. "Terms being used by our president to describe it are exactly the terms, the benefits being described are exactly the benefits that were promised and used when Fannie Mae was first conceived. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not interested in Fannie Mae health insurance.
"Sooner or later, it will crash," Winkler said.
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