Paychecks for 77,000 state workers thanks to the "Bridge" budget signed by the Governor won't reach them until next week. But the House Democratic Caucus made it sound like they solely worked to make it happen.
In the meantime 3,000 legislative employees have been receiving their checks on a regular basis as usual.
From Jim Parsons Report for Team 4 In Pittsburgh:
Thousands of employees in the state Legislature are still getting full paychecks because the state Legislature has built up a $200 million slush fund -- but Team 4 investigative reporter Jim Parsons has learned there's no record kept of the hours those employees work.
Pennsylvania's Legislature costs taxpayers more than $300 million a year. Most of that money pays the salaries of 3,000 legislature employees. A Team 4 investigation found that those workers fill out no time sheets for their paychecks.
"You have to have a way of documenting who is working, how much time and how you're paying it," Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said.
Recently, Team 4 submitted a public records request to the state House of Representatives. Chief clerk Roger Nick sent a letter saying the House "does not possess time and attendance records that track an employee's daily record of attendance." Team 4 got the same answer from the clerk of the Senate.
But the real kick in the pants is that the House Democrats had the House Comptroller pay them yesterday while the 77,000 workers have to wait until next week to be paidaccording to John Micek of the Allentown Call.
Moments After ...
... yesterday's vote on the Frankenbudget, House Democrats issued a triumphant press release proclaiming that they'd "[led]the charge to pay state workers," who've been going without pay or living on partial pay since July 1.
But before they cast that epochal vote, Democrats made sure their own members, who also have not been paid since June 1, got their paychecks as well. The House Comptroller's Office confirmed this morning that it cut checks for Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday. State workers will not be paid until next week at the earliest.
Brett Marcy, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, confirmed the payments. We're still waiting for specific comment and will update as soon as possible.
From the Democratic Press Release: Political Rhetoric Plain and Simple
"House Democrats will continue to fight for a responsible, balanced budget that continues investments in services that matter to Pennsylvanians, while making strategic and responsible cuts to reflect the state's current economic situation," he added. "But we need the Senate Republicans to finally get serious about this budget and begin to compromise."
Todd, way to look out for yourself. Why doesn't your press release let the state workers know that you made sure you were taken care of first. You are a true money grabber. And when are you going to give back the repealed pay raise you weren't supposed to receive in 2005?
When are you going to get serious and be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers? Ohh that's right you were making sure Robert Powell & Co. would get $250 million of our borrowed money for the fantasy airport? Was the jet ride the day of the cargo airport announcement ever disclosed?
“Hazleton is one stop to virtually anywhere in the world with these jets,” Eachus said in a news release. “When we are offering a quality, cost-effective alternative to fueling and servicing of these aircraft, we’ll also become home to distribution centers, repair facilities for electronics and even manufacturing plants for new goods that companies can then ship affordably from Hazleton.” How did that work out for you, Todd?
From Gort42 on February, 2009
Todd has been a staunch supporter of this piece of corporate welfare even sending out a newsletter to people in other districts promising 100,000 jobs would be created if the airport was built. He also inserted a $16.5 million authorization for the cargo airport in a House bill listing projects under the Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund. The slots money is supposed to be used for reducing school taxes but it has to be hard for any politician not to think of a way to spend this big pot of gold on something else.
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