Some Butler Eagle readers might have gasped when they read Wednesday's front page headline "$29 billion budget bill passes House, heads to Senate."

Considering Pennsylvania's contentious budget exercises of recent years, including last year's unconscionable, protracted political "endurance contest," readers might have wondered how it could be that the commonwealth would be avoiding such a situation this year.

After all, the economy still is troubled, purely partisan maneuvering is no less intense under the state Capitol dome, and months ago state residents received the news that another big budget shortfall was on the horizon.

But there it was, hope that things would be different this year.

Not so fast; the budget situation is not rosy — not by any means. And the General Assembly could, before all is said and done this year, have waged a 2010-11 budget war similar to 2009-10 or numerous ones before that.

The fact that this is a legislative and gubernatorial election year, and despite taxpayers' disgust and lingering memories regarding last year's budget-preparation battle, it is not out of the question that, despite what occurred in the House Tuesday, a repeat of what has occurred previously could revisit the state.

Republicans, eager to regain control of the executive branch, will continue trying to paint Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell as the commonwealth's fiscal bogeyman. Meanwhile, Democrats will be painting Republicans as obstructionists.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman, R-Centre, was quick to defuse any hope of an easy settlement. Noting that Republican senators had discussed the budget behind closed doors Tuesday, Corman said, "I don't think anything that happened today moves the process forward. You've got to be responsible."

The message: The House didn't act responsibly in the budget package it forwarded to the Senate.

That assessment was on target, since the House didn't pass an accompanying revenue bill legally necessary to pay for the spending.

Counting tomorrow, lawmakers and the governor have 97 days to meet the June 30 budget deadline prescribed by the state constitution. State residents who might have been fooled by what took place Tuesday aren't going to be happy when they understand the shallowness of what occurred.

The false hope was a wake-up call to pay attention in the weeks and months ahead.

— J.R.K.