Philadelphia Dems Reject School Money Link To Pension Reform
By Tony Romeo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - As state lawmakers scramble to pass a budget before Monday night's deadline, Democrats have swatted down a proposal by Governor Corbett to link votes for public pension reform to Philadelphia school funding.
Late Sunday afternoon, Governor Corbett appealed to Philadelphia Democrats to support his effort to reform the pensions of state and school employees to get votes for a cigarette tax in Philadelphia to raise funds for schools.
Moments later, Vincent Hughes – ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee – gave this respons:
"The governor should be ashamed of himself for tying the future of the children of the school district in Philadelphia to issues that have no relationship to their future."
Jay Pagni is a spokesman for the governor:
"They've closed all options… and what does that say to the kids of Philadelphia?"
The Senate Appropriations Committee, meanwhile, advanced a new state budget on Sunday that Democrats deride as being filled with gimmicks and one-time fixes.
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