Temple Univ. Protest Jabs At Corbett's School Funding Reductions
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Just about every week since Governor Tom Corbett unveiled his no-tax-hike Pennsylvania state budget in early March, there have been demonstrations around the Commonwealth.
The proposed budget would result in some of the deepest cuts in recent history for public schools and colleges.
Today, a protest was held on the Temple University campus in North Philadelphia.
The Temple University Graduate Student Association is distressed that the proposed state budget would cut about $82 million, or more than 50 percent, of the funds the university gets from the Commonwealth.
One of the organizers, Ed Avery-Natale, says he realizes that the governor is trying to balance the budget but thinks Corbett's priorities are all wrong.
"He's not taxing Marcellus Shale drilling. He's giving more than $400 million in tax breaks to corporations," says Avery-Natale.
Temple junior Diane Isser say the proposed cuts would result in tuition hikes and larger class sizes.
"My classes are already pretty big from the last budget cuts," she told KYW Newsradio. "Tuition will go up, too. That's awful."
Gov. Corbett has said the Commonwealth, which was looking at a $4-billion deficit, could not keep subsidizing the 14 state-owned and state-related universities, which include Temple, Penn State, and Lincoln.
Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio 1060.
