Posts Tagged as ‘budget’

May 6, 2010

PA Budget Impasse 2010: Hi

Well. Here we are again. It’s 2010.  For the eighth year in a row, the Pennsylvania state budget is in trouble.  After last year’s major nightmare, you’d think we’d be done with this nonsense. You’d think that after the public outpouring of outrage, our elected officials would go out of their way to pass a [...]

December 29, 2009

Rendell and the Furloughs

Sounds like a really, really, really bad college band, doesn’t it? Anyway, I don’t want to brag, but I told you so.  According to a story on WHTM: The state Supreme Court said Monday it agreed with state workers’ unions and ruled against the position that Gov. Ed Rendell had taken leading up to the [...]

August 9, 2009

Let's Ease Up On Ed Rendell

Yes.  You read that correctly.  Long-time readers know what I’m about to say.  Everyone else gets an explanation after the break.

August 8, 2009

Payday is Not The End

As you’ve probably already heard by now, those of us on the 8/7 pay cycle received our full pay (along with back pay) this past Friday.  With a few exceptions, everybody on the alternate cycle will be paid this coming Friday.  This is a bittersweet victory for us state employees who were asking for nothing [...]

August 4, 2009

We're On Our Way

Senate Bill 850, “An Act to provide from the General Fund for the expenses of (the state)”, is on its way to the governor.  Three legislators voted against the bill — Representatives Steve Santarsiero, Dennis O’Brien, and Paul Drucker.  Rumors of a fourth are rumbling, but the bill passed by an overwhelming margin.  The threat [...]

July 28, 2009

Sample Creditor Letter

Any state employee who is affected by the impasse (which, basically, means all of us) should consider reaching out to his or her creditors to let them know what’s going on.  Even with 10 weeks’ worth of spending money in savings, I’ve contacted all of mine to inquire about deferment and emergency arrangements.  Creditors are [...]

July 26, 2009

The Cost of FLSA Violations = $3 Million Per Day

That’s right — $3,000,000.  PER DAY. Thanks to Robin over at Nana’s House for catching this one.  Using that number, Pennsylvania taxpayers are already on the hook for $78 million in liquidated damages.  That’s an average of $90 million for every month that this drags on.  If Judge Judy were trying this case, this is [...]