Gov. Tom Wolf will be presenting his first budget next week and he was recently quoted as saying, "I hope the people of Pennsylvania will be pleased with what I propose."

                I am sure that many people will be happy with what they hear next Tuesday and others, well, not so pleased.  But is that a reason for a blanket yea or nay on the entire budget?  In the words of Joan Rivers: "Can we talk?"

                Facing a $2.3 billion deficit and a Republican dominated Senate and House, Wolf's first budget proposal will be scrutinized carefully by them.  It should also be scrutinized by taxpayers.  You may agree with one or two line items and call the budget a success or you may disagree with one or two line items and call it a dismal failure.  But what about the other line items?  Should a single entry in a $29-plus billion dollar budget be a showstopper?

                Wolf would not rule out a graduated income tax targeting higher-income brackets to help balance the budget – an idea he talked about in the past.

                Any tax increase will probably be met with resistance in the legislature.  Republicans have made it clear that they will not consider new revenue until the state addresses the pension funding crisis.

                Wolf wants to raise the minimum wage to $10.10.  Gene Barr, president of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, was reported as saying that his group does not support a minimum wage hike.  "It's a concern for small business," he said. "We all want people to grow but don't think government mandating a certain wage is the way."

                Wolf will also be seeking higher taxes on the natural gas industry operating off the Marcellus Shale gas deposit in the Commonwealth.

                The new governor is also looking for massive amounts of money to increase funding for education.  Wolf made it clear that he thinks our schools are underfunded and wants to increase funding.  He was quoted as saying, "Our kids and our economy have already suffered and the consequences will be even direr in the future if we don't make the investments we need to make … we have to agree that we are going to have to spend some money, we are going to have to make an investment."  Advance proposals to increase state aid for public schools have already come in.

                Regarding the current liquor privatization that will most likely receive House passage later this week, Wolf has said he will veto it.  There are plenty of arguments on both sides to keep this discussion lively for some time.

                And there are many more hot-button issues.  Some are not even related to the budget but have helped to formulate taxpayer opinions of right or wrong: everything from Wolf's recent moratorium on the death penalty to his removal of Erik Arneson as director of the Office of Open Records.  There is lots of controversy but not much to do with the budget.

                At a recent meeting with business professionals in Harrisburg, Wolf stressed his credentials as a former business owner who understands the hardship of making payroll and how government can affect businesses.

                The challenges of the 2015-16 budget will give him a chance to show us all how much he understands.