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In today's economy, a quarter doesn't buy very much, even though it sometimes is the difference between buying something and not being able to make the purchase.
Sometimes, superstitious gamblers drop a quarter near a slot machine at a casino, supposedly as a determinant as to whether or not the machine will be lucky -- whether or not it should be played. Heads, lucky; tails, not lucky.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania lawmakers apparently believe that a quarter can be very unlucky for them; at least that's the message emanating from the General Assembly's 2026-27 state budget-preparation exercise.
Keystone State lawmakers failed to approve a 25-cent increase in the state's 911 surcharge within the new budget, apparently caving into political fear that approving an increase even so small might prove fatal to re-election chances in this legislative election year.
What that terrible fear accomplished was leaving counties on their own to cover the ever-rising costs for emergency call centers -- call centers that often are the difference between life and death for those needing emergency help.
The current monthly surcharge, approved in 2023, is a mere $1.95. The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania advocated for increasing the amount to just $2.20 in the 2026-27 state budget for all landline, wireless and internet phones.
"The surcharge … helps cover the costs of personnel, technology, and maintenance of 61 call centers operating statewide," reported a Spotlight PA article published in the Mirror's Aug. 7 edition.
But according to 2024 data included in that Aug. 7 article, counties already are covering almost 20% of those expenses themselves, and the legislature's failure this year to help make more money available for this worthwhile purpose is likely to impose even more burden on the state's already financially strapped counties.
If only the legislature had additional pending needs involving only a quarter, rather than the usual hundreds of thousands of dollars -- or millions. Meanwhile, state taxpayers don't recall lawmakers expressing willingness to delay or forgo their next cost-of-living raise and contributing that money to emergency centers' immediate needs instead.
The surcharge has been increased only twice in the past three decades since being created in 1990, when it was set at $1. Besides the 2023 increase, which brought the surcharge to $1.95, the surcharge was increased to $1.65 in 2015 from the original $1 rate.
But again, 2026 is a legislative and gubernatorial election year. In years such as this, money "opens up" for road and other projects voters can see and judge as progress and a sign of lawmakers' and the executive branch's hard work.
However, hands off a 25-cent-a-month increase that some politicians might deem unconscionable in these economic challenging times.
Absolutely, many people and families are struggling today and, regarding money, even a quarter matters -- a quarter incapable of buying much more than a small squirt of gasoline.
But in the minds of incumbent lawmakers in this politically divided state government, the quarter in question might be the difference between re-election and not returning to Harrisburg, and the risk is too great.
So emergency centers have to wait and hope that lawmakers take up a standalone bill, but there's no guarantee that will happen. Regardless, in the meantime, counties will continue to bear the burden of emergency-services deficits out of their general funds.
Yes, in today's economy a quarter isn't worth very much -- unless you're a lawmaker.
Then that quarter can take on meaning much greater than its true worth.