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Corbett's war with the poor goes to court
Lawyers for the poor and disabled have filed suit against Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's cuts to the society safety net.
Corbett's war with the poor goes to court
Follow on Twitter @DanielDenvir
Lawyers for the poor and disabled have filed suit against Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's cuts to the society safety net, including the elimination of $205-a-month General Assistance payments that supported 68,000 Pennsylvanians who are disabled, recovering from addiction, and victims of domestic violence. They are also challenging a provision of the law, Act 80, that creates a pilot project rolling line-item social-service funds into block grants, which advocates charge will pit providers against one another ― especially since the block grants were initiated as part of a 10-percent overall cut to social service funding.
The plaintiffs argue that Act 80 violated the state constitution by making changes to seven separate state programs in a single omnibus bill; that the legislature did not spend the three days debating the changes as required by the constitution; that the block grant illegally allows counties to spend money on services other than what the legislature directed; and that it is being implemented without appropriate legislative oversight.
“All we are looking for is a fair and level playing field,” according to a statement from Michael Froehlich, an attorney with Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. “If Pennsylvania really wants to eliminate General Assistance, a last-resort safety-net program for nearly 70,000 people with disabilities who are unable to work, it ought to be done lawfully and consistent with our state Constitution.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction blocking Act 80's implementation, which would eliminate the block grants and restore General Assistance.
Meanwhile, Republican legislators have initiated a review of executive compensation and other spending at nonprofits that receive state money ― a move the nonprofits see as retaliation for their outspoken opposition to budget cuts. The review includes an investigation of non-profits that spend money on “lobbying.” House Republican leaders say they just want to ensure that funds are spent well.
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