Specter Library, Murtha Center Part of Pennsylvania’s Budget

by Nathan A. Benefield

This week, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell will sign his eighth and final state budget (term limits prevent him from seeking re-election). The budget passed with no tax increase, and represents $1 billion less than Gov. Rendell requested. However, the budget merely passes the bill onto future years, and future generations, through accounting tricks and borrowing for egregious pork projects.

The budget relies on $2.7 billion in federal aid, including $850 million in Medicaid funds (FMAP) that has yet to pass Congress. Indeed, no one believes Pennsylvania will get that much, if any, as the legislation doesn’t have enough support in the US Senate. Gov. Rendell, along with Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, New York Gov. David Paterson and others were in Washington last week to lobby for more federal aid.

The state will use $121 million from Tobacco Settlement Funds for teachers’ pensions, which will then be backfilled, and another $35 million from other one-time sources to balance the budget. Still unresolved are a projected $4 billion annual pension contribution hike and a $3 billion Unemployment Compensation Fund deficit.

Finally, the budget deal includes increasing the debt ceiling for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) by $600 million.

RACP (pronounced R-Cap) is effectively state borrowing for pork barrel projects. RACP was created in 1993 with a debt limit of $700 million, but has been increased regularly, with the latest deal raising the ceiling to just over $4 billion. Separate legislation itemizes $300 million in new-debt financed projects under RACP, including:

$10 million for “Philadelphia University, including the Arlen Specter Library.”
$10 million for the “John P. Murtha Center for Public Policy.”
Over $90 million in projects—one third of the total—for which the recipient is not even named, as reported by the news service Capitolwire (subscription).

With his final budget, Ed Rendell has both cemented his legacy—spending beyond his means while rewarding political allies with pork—and cemented two more monuments to Pennsylvania’s political aristocracy.

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Tags: Arlen Specter, ed rendell, John Murtha, Pennsylvania, pork barrel spending, state budgets
Posted Jul 6th 2010 at 5:34 am in Pork Report, State Politics | 14134639 Comments2010-07-06+12%3A34%3A32Nathan+A.++Benefield

14134639 Comments2010-07-06+12%3A34%3A32Nathan+A.++Benefield

onecornpone - July 6th, 2010 at 5:59 am

IS Pennsylvania too big to fail? Looks like we'll see, thanks to Rendell.

IS Pennsylvania the new California, without the sun, without the beaches, without the Pacific Ocean?

Anyone want to take bets on which of these two states the Feds bail out first?

StanH - July 6th, 2010 at 1:02 pm

Aw…come on Nathan, Fast Eddie needs his stuff, and monuments to beloved (barf) politicians, what could be more important?

Dave_in_Ok - July 6th, 2010 at 1:04 pm

Is it time to write off the east and west coasts as failed experiments yet?

Small Thoughts - July 6th, 2010 at 1:06 pm

Even in death and defeat these scum won't go away.

Gillan - July 6th, 2010 at 1:14 pm

Might as well get that spending in before he goes via term limits. Murtha disgraced his uniform with his progressive politics, deceit and arrogant blind loyalty to the Agitator in Chief, (as well as the scumbag Rendell). So, good idea PA…..build a shrine for that lame POS. And, Arlen Expectorate, a cowardly PartyJumper who can't seem to figure out which way the wind is blowing. It was all about elections with these two mouthbreathers.

can't wait till those pension funds blow up in all their faces.

LizardLips - July 6th, 2010 at 1:16 pm

"To err is human, to really dick things up you need corrupt politicians, like Ed Rendell.

keepdad - July 6th, 2010 at 1:18 pm

Recent story in the Arizona Daily Rag was about some illegal aliens who packed up their belongings and moved to Pennsylvania. Enjoy!

Pedrosito48 - July 6th, 2010 at 1:29 pm

At one time it was just Philly and Pittsburgh that were corrupt it seem like fast Eddy has spread the cancer state wide.

TexasStomp - July 6th, 2010 at 6:33 am

I should think Murtha's AIRPORT TO NOWHERE FOR NOBODY BUT MURTHA at a cost of 80M PORK BUCKS per year would have been quite sufficient as a tribute to Murtha's achievement.

Who needs a center when you can tour an empty, flightless, but fully stocked, staffed airport with a brand new runway featuring ONLY THREE FLIGHTS A MONTH WHEN MURTHA WAS ALIVE. WHO KNOWS IF THERE ARE ANY FLIGHTS AT ALL NOW!

FOOLS AND SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY ARE STILL APPARENTLY SOON PARTED.

tiredofit2010 - July 6th, 2010 at 1:33 pm

When OK passed our bill all the illegals packed up and went either to Texas or Arkansas…we're glad they left but we wanted them south of the border….

Why should any of us pay for the mistakes of other states?? Oh that's right it's the progressive/libtard way…spread the wealth until we are all broke….

keepdad - July 6th, 2010 at 1:50 pm

Just underscores the notion that this is a federal problem, not just a state problem. The cities and states that function as sanctuaries for the illegals are actually in violation of Federal law. AZ and OK are doing things to be in compliance with the law. It is the Federal government's (read the Executive branch) refusal to enforce their own laws that has lead to this problem. All for the almighty vote and the power that flows from that.

TommyFreedom - July 6th, 2010 at 1:53 pm

ED RENDELL GOT ON FOXNEWS AND DEFENDED OBAMA ON ELECTION TAMPERING ON THE SESTAK AND
ROMANOFF CASE, HE SWORE THAT IT WAS NOT AGAINST THE LAW AND EVERYBODY DOES IT. HE GAVE AN EXAMPLE HOW HE DID IT HIMSELF WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT. OH, HE LAUGHED ABOUT IT, IT WAS A BIG JOKE. HE SHOULD BE FORCED TO RESIGNED.

Dave_C_64 - July 6th, 2010 at 2:00 pm

This is more proof that our government on all levels are infested with tax and spenders. It's time to start eliminating the wasteful spending yet these people continue to find new ways to pick the taxpayer's pocket to fund more waste.

LostinOregon - July 6th, 2010 at 2:04 pm

Rendell and all of the POS politicians that promised unions more than they could deliver should be running like the French army from a battle. Yet those not term limited are actually running for re-election. I guess they figure that they can spin their budget woes and make them the fault of GWB.

bmac4freedom - July 6th, 2010 at 2:16 pm

Rendell, Specter, Murtha = thieves
the worst of civil servants steal american workers wages to boost and keep their own jobs.

I feel no loss for Murtha a traitorous speaker during a time of war, someone who given his service should have known better, but he towed the party line instead of keeping values he must have once had.

Specter a lousy politician that would stab his own mother in the back to be re-elected. He stabed us pennsylvania voters in the vback enough.

Rendell slick lying piece of garbage!!! enough said!!

MikeinIdaho - July 6th, 2010 at 7:27 am

Rendell is a corrupt pig running a corrupt state. Good luck, Pennsylvania, you'll need it! And don't come crying to us for money. Like California and Illinois, it ain't gonna' happen! Throw that POS out of office and get someone like Chris Christie for a governor. Or continue to pay more taxes until you are lower than the serfs in old Russia. Your choice.

PhilaMike - July 6th, 2010 at 2:47 pm

All Controlled by the peoples DEMOCRATS ! (California choked by the DEMOCRAT Assembly).

PhilaMike - July 6th, 2010 at 2:50 pm

Politics and Good Government is Oil & Water !

LibertyGeek - July 6th, 2010 at 2:53 pm

A monument to a great public servant is a wonderful thing. The problem is these two were not public servants. They served themselves. Occasionally the people of Pennsylvania also benefited from them lining their pockets.
Only the corrupt would fund a monument to the corrupt.
Glad I moved.

jsazsmitty - July 6th, 2010 at 2:58 pm

In the words of Obamas' mentor and religous guide, " the chickens have come home to roost" Every, and we mean EVERY state and municipality on the verge of economic collapse has been in the total control of the Democrat party. One shining exception is now raising its collective heads out of the sand, they are being forced to face reality by a Republican Govenor who goes over their heads directly to the people of NewJersey and explains what they all know to be true……….you can't spend what you don't have. Democrats never will understand the basic accounting formula of money in money out must balance, they resort to the accounting tricks that cloud reality, in plain english, they cook the books.

fantum - July 6th, 2010 at 3:40 pm

A Short Spelling Lesson:

The last four letters in American……..I Can
The last four letters in Republican……I Can
The last four letters in Democrats……Rats

End of Lesson… Test to follow in November

Bureaucrats are getting HUGE Raises! http://usataxpayer.org/htm/vids.asp?A=28826856

Runaway Spending… http://usataxpayer.org/?0055577011

So… just how stupid are you?

dallenh - July 6th, 2010 at 9:08 am

Here is a link I found to the story highlighted by keepdad: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/06/27...

This is total BS! It's written like the police are the bad guys. Like it's a story of people escaping the tyranny of Stalin or Hitler. I can't tell you how disgusted I am by this article.

I live in Pennsylvania.

Just noticed this on the right side of the article. Isn't this aiding criminals?

How we did this story

To produce Leaving Arizona, reporter Daniel González and photographer Pat Shannahan spent more than 20 hours over two weeks at the Surprise apartment complex where the families lived, documenting their packing, preparations and farewells. They then followed the families on their nearly 2,700-mile journey across the country and spent a day and a half in Pennsylvania, observing the reunions and watching as the families settled into their new home.

A river’s reckoningcheap coach | cheap coach - July 6th, 2010 at 9:35 am