Nutter Concerned About Corbett’s Social Service Budget Cuts

February 9, 2012 7:50 AM

(Mayor Nutter, in file photo. Credit: Bobby Bank/ Getty Images)

Reporting Mike Dunn

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By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is voicing alarm at certain aspects of the budget unveiled by Governor Tom Corbett on Monday. He’s warning of a rough ride for mental health programs, libraries and homeless centers.

Mayor Nutter says it will take at least a few weeks to sort through the proposed Corbett budget to fully understand its implications on the city. But he says the initial take is that key agencies and services here may bear the brunt.

“Mental health services appear to take a significant hit. Second, support for homelessness prevention. And public education appears to be taking a pretty big hit in a system that is already struggling.”

Nutter said precise dollars figures of the impact on the city won’t be clear for some time.

Governor Corbett, in his budget address, said reductions to the Department of Public Welfare were meant to — as he put it — “right-size” the state’s public welfare system.

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Nutter Concerned About Corbetts Social Service Budget Cuts

Philly RN

Maybe Nutter will restart sheriff sales for property tax collection of the $465 million owed the city, per the Inquirer article by Patrick Kerkstra.

Nutter put in a sheriff sale moratorium, not just mortgage sales, but for property tax collection as well.

Property tax payment in Philly is optional. If you don’t pay it, no one comes after you in any fashion.

Corbett is merely calling Nutter’s bluff. The cries of wolf won’t work anymore. Philly has to collect property taxes just like every county, just like the state must collect income taxes.

We can’t continue to have aggressive state income tax collection and zero Philly property tax collection on a real estate market that is productive and valuable.
Cynthia Petillo

Gov. Corbett, like his contemporary in New Jersey, is doing exactly what he was voted in to do. Yes, sometimes it hurts. Many of us, no doubt, face budgetary constraints on the homefront. I liken it to my son, a few years ago, who wanted a car in H.S and a debit card(basically carte blanche) because, gee, so did his friends. It was tough, but hubby and I stood our ground. We also reined in on spending. Now, our son is attending a private 4 yr. University . The threat of insolvency is not an issue. He learned a valuable lesson. We ALL have to cut back to prevent insolvency. Gov’ts are no exception.