Impasse payroll rules defy common sense (PA)

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | July 7 | Brad Bumsted and Debra Erdley

[PghBaldy]

Elected officials and average citizens questioned the state's priorities in the budget impasse, which enters its seventh day today. Gov. Ed Rendell, pushing a 16 percent state income tax increase, and Senate Republicans, advocating severe spending cuts, remain miles apart on closing a $3.25 billion deficit.

The majority of the state's 77,000 employees won't get paid starting in late July and early August, but inmates will continue to get paid for working at state prisons and for so-called "idle time" sitting in their cells. About 31,000 inmates participate in work programs that pay them 19 to 42 cents per hour, and about 7,000 inmates get paid 72 cents a day for good behavior in anticipation of a prison job.

[PghBaldy]

Welfare recipients must be paid based on state court decisions upholding federal law. But until a budget is passed, state welfare workers can't be paid for work done since July 1 because Pennsylvania has no authority to spend money.

"You're paying people that aren't working, and people that are working aren't getting paid," said Carla Powell, 49, of Lawrenceville, a security guard at Gateway Center. "That's ridiculous. That's really asinine."

Agencies considered "independent" such as the Turnpike Commission, the Liquor Control Board and the Fish and Boat Commission continue to pay workers because they generate their own revenue separate from the state's general fund

[DYngbld]

Absolutely incredible. Get nothing to work, so those that do nothing can get paid. That's some hope and change for you.

[all the best]

Prison workers are probably a lot more productive than state employees. Can’t be less productive.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

PB, didn’t you just love Fast Eddie’s ‘chime in’ on Gov. Palin NOT (according to him) fulfilling her ‘obligations’ as Governor of Alaska...(I guess he was comparing his lame duck self to her).

Rendell IS actually ‘working’ protecting the protected class. I wonder what ‘Czarship’ this will land him in ObamaLand?

[Buckeye McFrog]

I hope the Republicans in the State Senate continue to stand up to him. This has been an ongoing soap-opera because Fast Eddie could always roll your typical Philly Republican and never met any who would stand up to him until he got to Harrisburg. Here’s hoping the very red center of the state will hold...

[HamiltonJay]

Yep, that’s PA for you... If you are a drag on society the courts make sure you get the product of other peoples work no matter what. Oh and the Dems can’t afford to let their base get motivated to actually do something for themselves.

This is a beautiful state with an ugly government.