Watch CBS News

For Upcoming Inauguration, Rendell Gives State Employees A Spendy Day Off

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Some 9,000 state workers – with a day's pay totaling more than $2 million – will not have to come to work when Tom Corbett takes the oath of office as Pennsylvania's next governor in January.

The decision was made by Governor Rendell, not Governor-elect Corbett. Rendell's spokesman, Gary Tuma, says having state employees who work in and around the capitol building stay home on inauguration day is primarily out of concern about all the guests who'll be coming into the capitol complex for the festivities.

But it also means that state will pay people a total of $2.2 million to stay home from work at a time when the budget is awash in red ink.

"Well, you weigh that, but you also weigh the huge logistical problems that would be created by actually having those people in the capitol that day. And it's probably not fair to the new governor and his guests to create those kinds of traffic and parking difficulties," says Tuma.

He says the practice of giving state workers in the capitol complex inauguration day off goes back decades.

Reported By Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.