Posted on 02/01/2009 6:37:35 AM PST by Born Conservative
Five hundred one people have been added to the state payroll at a cost of $12.35 million since Gov. Ed Rendell imposed a hiring freeze, according to a report prepared for Republican lawmakers and obtained by The Morning Call.
Asked about the report, the Democratic Rendell administration said four of every five of those employees hold public safety positions that were exempted from the statewide freeze.
About 100 state workers outside of public safety positions have been hired since Rendell's Sept. 16 announcement, spokesman Chuck Ardo said Friday. There are 78,000 state employees.
''Remember that the public safety agencies were never covered by the freeze,'' Ardo said, ''so the operative number is the 100 or so who have received exemptions from us.''
Exemptions are granted on a case-by-case basis, Ardo said, for ''positions that need to be filled for the continued operation of programs.''
Ardo said agencies had to justify each exemption. He said some were rejected but had no details late Friday.
Rendell recently had to publicly defend one high-profile exemption: Former state Rep. Dan Surra, D-Elk, was hired earlier this month at a salary of $95,000 to consult on tourism.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcall.com ...
Ping
“Exempted, eh?” So a freeze is what, excactly.
George Orwell, call Obama.
ping
Hi Trib, yep...alot of Acorn debts to repay. Just my guess...
He raved at how the most immediate and effective “stimulus” to the economy, would be FOOD STAMPS. that they would give the entire economy an immediate and instant boost to get America back to work right away. He also claimed that it would enhance the new “jobs” created by new Schools being built, roads, bridges, blah, blah, blah.
Brian What's His Name, had to just cut him off and change the subject. This guy is a real talker and spews more B.S. than Montana.
And a good guess it is.
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