PA Taxpayers to Foot $10 Million Specter Library

PA Taxpayers to build Specter Library, Murtha Center

HARRISBURG – The State of Pennsylvania is broke. Our budget, which has yet to be signed by Governor Ed Rendell, is nearly $1 billion short of this year’s state expenditure.

Despite this obvious fact, Rendell’s administration, which has been crying about the eminent loss of social programs, is ready to shell out ten million dollars to build a library near Rendell’s capitol city home in the name of Arlen Specter.

Also slated to be built, a Johnstown John P. Murtha Center for Public Policy for a cost of another $10 million.

Two Bills (HB 2289 and HB 2290), called the RACP Bills, itemize the state’s expenses and call for an increase in state debt limit. The Bills include legislation for the State of Pennsylvania to borrow $600 million dollars for ‘Corporate Welfare’. It is in RACP Bills that these $10 million projects can be found.

Also, quite disturbing is the fact that 30% of the projects listed in the Bills are going to unnamed recipients.

Nathan Benefield from the Commonwealth Foundation said, “Incredible. I think taxpayers would be outraged to find out where their money is going (or at least money borrowed against their future taxes) — if they were allowed to know.”

Lawmakers continue to haggle over a Gas Severance Tax as the Gas Industry lobbies Legislators for ‘forced pooling’ laws. Rendell continues to stall signing the budget, declaring the state needs more money as he borrows money the State doesn’t have, to pay for unnecessary expenses, such as the ones here.