The Inquirer has an unavoidably terse story about a budget deal that came out last night. This whole budget process has not, from my perspective, felt as tense as the last couple years, but maybe I'm further from it now than I have been in the past.

I can't help but find these parts of the new spending encouraging:

The budget includes a significant piece of Rendell's "Energy
Independence Strategy" - a $650 million energy development fund that
expands grants and loans to businesses that develop alternative and
renewable energy sources.

Pileggi said yesterday that about $180 million of that would go
toward rebates for solar panels and investments in solar energy, and
another $25 million would be used to build energy-efficient buildings,
or so-called green buildings.

The budget also includes $274 million in additional education
spending, the largest increase in two decades, $350 million to repair
about 400 structurally deficient bridges and $800 million for water and
sewer system upgrades during the next several years.

Lots of money into new industry and a new way of building. Lots of money to restore our infrastructure. That sounds like a lot of work/jobs. A lot of good work for skilled laborers that will have a real multiplier effect in our economy.

It's also encouraging to think that the green-stimulus might stimulate the development or expansion of a nascent green collar sector. Anyone who thinks that green redevelopment isn't the next I.T. is nuts. If PA could get ahead of the curve on that we'd be setting ourself up for a nice future in the business of retrofitting this whole freaking country.

I find that encouraging. I also find it encouraging that in an economy in as ragged shapes as this one is, PA is managing to still squeeze a few good things out.

Obviously, I would have liked to see healthcare reform happen this year, and it's disappointing that we don't see it. Healthcare is one of those areas where lots of money gets spent and almost makes it look like the economy is doing well. It's one of those classic cases of GDP numbers failing to accurately measure happiness. It would be a far better thing if we spent less money curbing misery, moved a piece of it into prevention and let the overall economy find better places to put cash than easing suffering (that never should have become suffering in the first place).

Still, it's times like these when a history of some fiscal responsibility feels good. I'm sure we could have done better and money is probably going to some stuff we don't agree with. I'm also a little anxious about what is getting cut, because the dealmakers have said that cuts are in the deal. That said, while we're going to have some pain (though it is a recession, after all), other states are in agony.
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This Too Will Pass - for the guts in your cerebrum.