Don't Show Us the Money!

From the BCCT.

Pennsylvania Republicans are moving toward saying "NO" to stimulus money.

Pa. may turn down some stimulus funds
By: Gary Weckselblatt
The Intelligencer

State Republican lawmakers from Bucks County claim federal stimulus money has too many strings and will ultimately leave the state with long-term fiscal problems if it's accepted.

Citing federal mandates that come with portions of the $16 billion and rules that still "haven't been written," the legislators said in some cases it's best to turn the money down.

"We'll take the money for construction and engineering jobs," state Sen. Chuck McIlhinney said. "The shovel-ready projects are the way to go. The other stuff is just social engineering."

Speaking at a Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce breakfast Friday, where members begged for some good news, the lawmakers didn't oblige.

McIlhinney said if the state accepts federal stimulus funds for unemployment compensation, for example, it's mandatory that the Family Leave Act includes 12 weeks of time off with pay.

"That would cripple small business," McIlhinney said. "It's a very noble idea. They're doing it in California and they're in great shape there.

"These are the things we're going to say no to."

Another example McIlhinney cited is the Troubled Asset Relief Program [TARP], where rules for gaining access to the $700 billion kept changing.

"Tell us what you want up front," he said.

"That's the amazing thing about Washington," said state Rep. Kathy Watson, "the money's coming, but the rules for using it haven't been written."

It's possible a portion of the stimulus money could be used to stave off the anticipated school pension spike in 2012 from today's 4.76 percent district contribution rate to one in excess of 30 percent.

State Rep. Bernie O'Neill, co-chair of the House Republican Policy Committee's Education and Job Training Task Force, is looking at giving districts stimulus money to hold in a "secure dedicated fund" to ease the increase.

O'Neill also bemoaned Gov. Ed Rendell's plans to create new education programs while cutting others. "It's going to be a battle," he said.

He cited the state's push for Keystone Exams, a series of 10 state-developed end-of-course exams that area districts had balked at.

"It would cost our school board $42 million," O'Neill said.

State Rep. Paul Clymer said he's "opposed to the direction the governor is moving on these tests."

Clymer, an anti-gambling crusader, also blasted Rendell's proposed expansion of video gambling machines into bars to lower costs for those attending state universities.

"It's an enormous amount of gambling expansion in Pennsylvania," he said. "This is not the way this state should be going."

The same could be said for overall spending, according to State Rep. Scott Petri, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Economic Impact and Infrastructure.

He said that although state revenues decreased by 6.2 percent this fiscal year Rendell plans to increase spending from $28 billion to $29 billion.

"I don't believe another state has proposed higher spending than last year," Petri said. "We've got to buckle down."

Also Friday, state Rep. Marguerite Quinn argued on behalf of Worth & Co., the mechanical contractor from Plumstead that's been hounded by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for paying 19 of its 450 workers $61,516 less than prevailing wage over a four-year period.

She said the state's "draconian measures" could put the company out of business.

"We're told by the governor, we're told by Washington that things are getting better. I'm not seeing it," Quinn said.

She then went on to question the government's commitment to job growth.

Quinn used the illustration of Congressman Patrick Murphy's plan to spend $10 million in flood relief to potentially create 200 jobs and $2 million more for up to 12 jobs at Humanistic Robotics.

"Do the math," she said. "We've got 450 jobs here that pay between $75,000 and $100,000 each. We're going to throw those away for $61,000.

"I'm deeply concerned with this fight. + Scream about this. It's something we should not let happen."