Gallery of Patriots!
Posted on 07/22/2020 10:03:43 AM PDT by lightman
Lebanon County commissioners want their pandemic relief money and they’ve gone to court to get it.
The board filed suit in Commonwealth Court Wednesday to force Gov. Tom Wolf to release approximately $12.8 million in federal coronavirus relief funding that the administration has thus far withheld. The suit was authorized during an executive session discussion earlier this week.
County Solicitor David Warner said the board is making its case on an argument that the bill appropriating the funds, which Wolf signed into law May 29, very clearly sets out a formula for the distribution of federal CARES Act dollars to all qualifying Pennsylvania counties. Warner said it contains “no provision that allows the governor to exercise discretion to withhold those funds, for any basis.”
Wolf has made plain his reasons.
The governor is punishing the county’s majority Republican commissioners for openly breaking ranks with his administration’s phased, pandemic reopening schedule, also in May. In a largely symbolic action, Commissioners Robert Phillips and Bill Ames voted on May 15 to declare Lebanon in the yellow phase of the reopening plan before the Wolf Administration was ready.
Though other boards threatened, it was the only county to take such an action that qualifies for this round of pandemic relief funding, and Wolf’s follow-up move has left Lebanon County as the only Pennsylvania county to have been cut off from a $625 million pot of federal coronavirus relief money distributed by the state.
Other counties are using those funds for a wide range of purposes, from grants to small businesses to helping local governments with facility improvements at public buildings.
The lawsuit - which Warner said will be formally ratified during the commissioner’s next public meeting - states Wolf had no legal right to withhold funding appropriated by the legislature, accusing him of a “gross abuse of power” and acting like a “de facto King.”
Wolf addressed his decision to withhold the money at a news conference last week, saying Lebanon County had to pay a price for its recalcitrance.
“Don’t come and say you want something from the state when you haven’t followed the rules,” the governor said then. “There are consequences. These are the consequences.”
At a news conference Tuesday, Wolf was asked whether he would give the county the money and about the prospect of a lawsuit. Wolf said he didn’t plan on releasing the money and said he’d wait for a court ruling if it became a legal battle. But he defended his decision to deny the money.
“Maybe the county commissioners in Lebanon County should have thought of that when they violated the law,” Wolf said.
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Wolf is a dick...
Withholding fed funding....how is this not criminal.
He has the judges so it wont help.
And he isnt up for reelection so our only recourse is recall or impeach.
And that wont happen either.
We Lebanon County folks are screwed.
Because Wolf is a Democrat.
I live in a neighboring county, and I’ve started doing a lot of my discretionary business in Lebanon County just to show my support.
2016 presidential results for Lebanon County:
Trump (R): 66%
Hillary (D): 30%
And Gov. Wolf is a Democrat. Just sayin’.
Great resource for other folks who like to show the county some love...
https://visitlebanonvalley.com/shopping/
I’ve been to quite a few of the places listed. Great products and customer service. Nice folks!
I'm OK with grants to small businesses, but NO WAY should federal helicopter money be going to "facility improvements".
“Facility improvements” provide work for general and mechanical contractors.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I thought the “facility improvements” targeted in these Federal funds are to upgrade government buildings and schools to allow for remote/virtual operations.
Check his personal bank accounts.
“$625 million pot of federal coronavirus relief money”
From now on, the Federal Treasury should bypass allocating funds to the states and instead distribute the money directly to the counties.
See how Wolfe likes it.
DJT should do that for every state whose Governor has a “D” behind the name.
Our Governor tried withholding our funds as well. As a County Supervisor, I was furious. He finally let them go and we received it and it will help our Constituents.
If true, that’s fine. If it means new furniture and curtains for politicians’ offices, that’s another matter.
Fraud, waste, and abuse has become an art form in certain circles.
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