They say timing is everything. Tell me about it.

A day after a deal to end the mind-numbing idea of SEPTA’s city division workers going on strike, the transit agency announces riders can look forward to a rate hike. Of course, there’ no connection between the two, the fare hike was already in the works before workers hit the bricks.

While riders in the city prepare to dig deeper, so is their government.
The sea of red ink is getting deeper at City Hall. It was expected the cuts enacted by Mayor Michael Nutter would help stem the deficit. They didn’t.

Now the city is back in the hole, to the tune of $31 million. And Nutter will have to deal with several city unions that is looking at that deal just hammered out with the SEPTA union and whetting their lips.

Philly will get no sympathy from the suburbs, especially here in Delaware County.

In case you missed it, County Council rolled out their preliminary budget last week.

Guess what? It includes a tax hike. Funny how we did not hear about that before the election. Jack Whelan and Mario Civera rolled to big wins in what is almost considered routine, the Delco GOP ruling the roost when it comes to the Courthouse.

Two days later, the preliminary budget is out, and the news is not good.
Taxpayers will be on the hook for anywhere from $48 to $680.

Council insists they hope to whittle down the hike before the final spending plan is approved.

Officials point to the usual culprits, rising costs of both the court system and the county prison, and corresponding cuts in state and federal aid.

That won’t make it any easier for residents to stomach, coming as it does amid the worst economy since the Great Depression.

And just two days after an election in which there was no hint of a tax hike waiting in the wings.