June 10, 2008 - 2:31pm
Democrats amend, pass furlough bill; Republicans furious
By Alex RoartyThe House Appropriations Committee this afternoon unexpectedly amended and then approved a bill that would allow the state to temporarily retain roughly 25,000 state employees if a budget is not passed by July 1.
It would allocate $20 million of the state's rainy day fund, a reserve designed to help during difficult economic times, to pay for the state's "non-essential" employees.
Republicans, who almost unanimously opposed the bill, are already complaining it also gives Democrats access to nearly $725 million in Pennsylvania's rainy day fund.
They say today's passage is little more than a political stunt to fool the general public into believing Democrats are trying to remove the threat of furloughs.
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Quote of the Day
October 10, 2008
"We’re trying to build faith. ... And here these clowns go out and do something like this."
-- U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski on executives of American International Group who who ran up expense accounts on a junket at a California resort
-Times-Tribune, 10/10/08
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Is PA the only state in the
Is PA the only state in the Union that routinely plans to furlough its employees during the summer? Dah you know the deadline is approaching and you can't meet it because why? And this is a state with a surplus....
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