Corbett OKs $48M in WAM Grants He Pledged to End

Daily Times

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration has approved more than $48 million in pet-project grant money requested by state legislators before he took office, even though Corbett had vowed during his campaign to end such grants dubbed WAMs for “walking-around money.”

A spokesman for Corbett’s Department of Community and Economic Development said Thursday that the requests were originally submitted under Democratic former Gov. Ed Rendell.

The spokesman, Steve Kratz, told The Associated Press the new Republican administration felt an obligation to honor commitments made by Rendell to approve the grants, even if the applications were not sealed with a contract. The administration had an obligation to approve others that had signed contracts, Kratz said.

No applications submitted after Corbett was sworn in Jan. 18 are being processed, he said.

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