Deadlines have been a part of my life for more years than I care to remember.

Missing one had consequences. Pressmen were waiting, wanting to get home before sunrise. Delivery folks, usually not hourly employees, wanted to get their routes delivered.

And the people who paid the bills grew impatient when their daily routines of reading a newspaper with their morning coffee were tossed aside.

Deadlines apply to more than just newspapers, though.

Consider, if you would, government at all levels.

Townships, boroughs, school districts and counties all have budget deadlines. Local officials meet those obligations set by law.

But what’s the hang up in Harrisburg?

Lawmakers in the General Assembly have had Gov. John Shapiro’s proposed budget since February. The $51.5 billion spending plan includes a 7.5% increase over last year’s budget.

The state’s Constitution mandates the legislature pass a budget by June 30, but in what’s become almost standard operating procedure the last few years, it hasn’t happened.

In fact, over the last 20 years or so, 13 state budgets have been delayed — some longer than three months.

Legislators have been trading barbs and pointing fingers, but making little progress toward a budget.

When you’re talking about cash in the billions, there are a lot of moving parts. But the biggest issues are overall spending, as Shapiro and majority Democrats are pushing to spend more than the projected income.

Dems hope to dip into reserve and emergency funds, then tax skill games and possibly legalize marijuana to make up the difference.

Their Republican counterparts aren’t buying any of it and working instead to rein in spending and look farther down the road to do their best to guarantee students a quality education.

There’s no telling how long the Capitol follies will continue, though, and that has the Carbon County Commissioners beginning to feel the pinch.

The county folks, you see, are the unlucky ones charged with providing all of the services. But when the money stops flowing, the cash for the programs and the people who run them has to come from somewhere.

In this case, the source would be the county reserve fund, and it’s nowhere as large as the one in the cash drawer under the Capitol dome.

And that has Mike Sofranko upset.

Sofranko, the commissioners’ chairman, showed some of his frustration recently, explaining the state-level impasse will affect several departments including Children and Youth, 911 Communications, Area Agency on Aging and regional boards for mental health and drug and alcohol services.

If the flow of state money stops, Sofranko says cash has to come from somewhere to keep those services available and pay workers who provide them.

But the only cash the county has available is a fund balance it has been building and nurturing for years.

When that account starts being drained, county residents lose twice. Obviously, the balance dwindles, and so does the interest the account generates.

And if the impasse continues, counties may be forced to borrow money. Interest payments eat away at budgets and could eventually lead to tax increases. How long can counties keep floating the Commonwealth’s obligations?

Counties are mandated to meet their budget deadlines regardless of the chaos in Harrisburg.

While the state delays decisions, local governments are required to pass balanced budgets, finalize tax rates, and issue bills — without knowing how much funding they’ll receive.

There’s no cushion, no wiggle room, and no relief when state allocations are MIA.

The people closest to the public — like commissioners — are held to the highest standards, while those players in Harrisburg’s political theater face no penalties for delay.

County residents deserve better. Harrisburg’s gridlock isn’t just bureaucratic inefficiency — it’s morally wrong.

The General Assembly must come back to the table and pass a clean, timely budget. No backroom deals, no ideological grandstanding — just a commitment to the communities that make Pennsylvania whole. Until then Carbon and other counties will continue to pay the price.

Let’s hope that cost isn’t too high.

When emergency responders can’t upgrade their equipment, when old folks miss meals and when children in crisis face an uncertain future it’s a breakdown in trust — budget delay notwithstanding.

Sofranko’s frustration is certainly justified. The double standard on budgets Carbon and other entities deal with isn’t fair. Delays and gridlock at the top of the tax dollar food chain are allowed, while following the rules at lower government levels is potentially punished.

A budget is a budget, and a deadline is a deadline.

Requiring some to live by those things while others can slide along isn’t fair to the people stuck with the tab.

Maybe there should be consequences.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com