— Pennsylvania has a 2010-11 budget. Well, almost. It will as soon as Gov. Ed Rendell applies his signature. 

That’s a good thing. We hope.

It contains no new taxes, and we know that’s a good thing, although it does increase spending – by less than 1 percent, much smaller than in past years.

It’s also $1 billion less than what the governor had asked for back in February.

We congratulate our legislators on three fronts:

* For finally doing what they are legally mandated to do by the state constitution: Have a budget in place by July 1. Unbelievably, it’s the first time that’s happened in eight years.

* Recognizing that cuts must be made – now and going forward.

* For a willingness by Democrats and Republicans alike to compromise, although Republicans who opposed called the budget irresponsible for boosting spending while the economy remains unstable.

On Wednesday, the Legislature adopted a $28.05 billion spending plan, one day before the beginning of the fiscal year.

Rendell says he’ll sign it when two other budget-related bills arrive on his desk, which is expected to happen by this weekend.

That our Harrisburg contingency got the message was echoed by two local lawmakers:

“This year’s budget showed that lawmakers have learned from past mistakes and moved quickly toward consensus, rather than entrenching for weeks and months,” state Sen. John Wozniak, D-Westmont, said.

Added fellow Sen. Richard Kasunic, D-Dunbar, “I think the message that I heard campaigning this spring was that the people wanted a timely budget.”

Amen.

The spending plan includes additional funding for basic education and economic development but specifies cuts in most every other area.

“It may be a small increase (0.6 percent), but it’s still a move in the wrong direction in my mind,” said Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver.

We agree.

Pennsylvania taxpayers want less spending and   less government, a mess- age that far too few legislators are hearing – or perhaps they’re just ignoring it.

While legislators on both sides of the aisle are patting themselves on the back, lingering questions remain with this fiscal package:

* It postpones decisions on how to tax the state’s growing natural gas industry;

* And how to respond if a huge chunk of federal funding falls through.

We also know that it will take days, even weeks, before the entire plan can be fully studied, and whether there are any hidden windfall “gimmicks” that provide extra funding or benefits for our legislators or their workers, something that has happened all too often in the past.

In any case, we’ll bask for the time being in the fact that we at least have a budget agreement in place.