Mon-Yough+Republicans+urged+to+reconsider+budget+vote

=By Patrick Cloonan = =Published in the McKeesport Daily News = =5/24/11 = = = = = =As a final vote approaches, possibly today, on the House Republican version of a 2011-12 state budget, pleas continue for area Republicans to reconsider. = ="Anyone who votes for this budget as is doesn`t want to fund education properly," said Steel Valley teacher Steven Singer. = =Singer is an organizer of Tell Everyone All Cuts Hurt, a Steel Valley-based organization with maroon-and-white "Good Schools equal Good Communities" and "Gov. Corbett`s Budget equals All Children Left Behind" signs seen along roads in several counties. = =Singer and other TEACH members attended a town hall meeting Thursday and had a private meeting Friday with Rep. George Dunbar, R-Penn Township, arguing "that if he votes for this budget, he is not voting with his constituents." = ="I promised to control the costs," Dunbar replied. "And I promised to hold the line on taxes." = =Action is expected today or Wednesday on House Bill 1485, the revision of Gov. Tom Corbett`s $27.3 billion proposal approved last week on a party-line vote by the House Appropriations Committee. = ="We didn`t just go along with the Republican governor," Dunbar said. "We amended (his proposed budget). We moved money from welfare to basic ed and higher ed. We showed the willingness to challenge within our own party." = =A bid to recommit HB 1485 to the committee failed Monday, with debate being cut off just before one area lawmaker was to speak. = ="They do not want to debate the budget," Rep. Marc J. Gergely, D-White Oak, said. "They just want to vote the budget." = =Prior to the cutoff, Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, expressed fear that a loss of funds will mean Clairton City may have to send students to West Jefferson Hills and Jeannette City students may have to go to Hempfield Area or Norwin. = =Kortz said a basic education subsidy enhancement of $1.9 million for Duquesne City students` tuition at East Allegheny and West Mifflin Area high schools is not in the budget. = ="That money has been eliminated," Kortz said. = =Jeannette is in Dunbar`s district. Singer said Jeannette will lose $915 per student in federal funding. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Our proposed budget puts basic education funding at the highest level it has ever been (except for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus) and everyone knew that federal stimulus money was not going to recur," Dunbar said. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Singer said Dunbar was ignoring Jeannette. Dunbar said he talked to teachers and school directors there. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I`ve been out every day at different events," Dunbar said. "I hear the exact same thing. The school board needs to tighten their belts, just like everyone else needs to tighten their belts." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dunbar disputed Singer`s claim that "at least half the residents of his constituency at the town hall expressed concern over the Republicans` more than $1 billion in cuts to education." Some 20 people attended. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I talked to everyone when they were walking out the door except for the members of his group," Dunbar said. "If he had six or seven members there, only one or two (others) expressed any concern about education." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"We don`t need to raise taxes or spending to get this done," Singer said. "Just cut wasteful spending in the Republicans` budget." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Singer took aim at $2.68 billion in new funds for prisons and a $2 billion Liberty Loan fund "which is nothing more than Gov. Corbett`s own private (Walking Around Money) fund." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"It is the governor`s way of getting away from the WAM fund," Dunbar said. Liberty Loans will be "under a lot more scrutiny so WAMs don`t occur." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Singer also said $1 billion can come from "closing the Delaware tax loophole and adding a small tax on our abundant natural gas industry." Dunbar said that is ludicrous. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I don`t believe in charging an industry something you don`t charge other industries," Dunbar said. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He said efforts are being made to close the loophole without "creating long-term legal problems." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dunbar said "there are sacrifices that everyone has to make" including a Penn State University rural leadership program that may lose $181,000. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"My sister runs the program," Dunbar said. "I`m voting for the budget. You can imagine Easter was interesting at our house." = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Still, he went on, his sister understands the situation. = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Read more: __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #003399; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Mon-Yough Republicans urged to reconsider budget vote - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review] __ __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #003399; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">[] __ = = =

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