State budget crunch hits Pike at home

MILFORD — The first vocal repercussions from Pennsylvania’s late budget crisis appeared in Milford Tuesday. “What do we want?” “A budget.” When do we want it?” “Now,” chanted the members of Local 668 of the SEIU (State Employees International Union) as they picketed during lunch. “I haven’t been getting paid since July 1,” said Linda Segeske, a case worker at the Pike County Assistance Office located at Milford’s Professional Plaza. “Employees of human services programs and educational programs are not being paid but they’re going to raise taxes,” said Segeske. “Our legislators are not doing their jobs and it will have a trickle down effect on everyone,” said Richard Elliott, a case worker and spokesperson for the thirteen workers picketing to draw attention to their plight. Elliott says a stopgap measure was put before the General Assembly in 2008 and sent to committee earlier this year. Elliott said if that bill were passed the workers would at least get paid till a state budget passes. There are 77,000 state workers including Pennsylvania State Police who are going without pay right now. The situation is creating a real hardship for many of those people, Elliott said. Employees of state-run programs such as Children and Youth, Mental Health and Mental Retardation, along with many other programs, are not being funded. In past years the employees were getting paid even though a budget was not passed. Elliot said there was a change in state law which is now preventing the state from paying employees. “We obviously have people who are sitting in state government positions who are wealthy enough to take the July 4th weekend off while the people who put them in office are beginning to suffer. We’ve been told to take out loans to pay our bills,” said Elliott. “We’d like people to contact their legislators and ask them to pass this bill. This is nonsense. This is partisan politics at its worst. Governor Rendell has been most uncooperative since he’s been in office,” stated Elliott. Instead of just striking and not coming to work, he said that they will continue to do their job every day because they have people that depend on them. “Of course if we don’t work we’ll probably lose our job so we have no choice,” Elliott said with a look of concern on his face. Elliott, who started working in the Pike County Assistance Office 15 years ago, said in the current recession they are getting more and more applications for help. He said it is causing all of them to work harder than ever before. The Pike County Assistance Office provides cash assistance, food stamps and medical assistance to those that qualify. Many people who come in for help are surprised that they do not qualify even though they are down on their luck, he said. “This will be the only day we are doing this and we hope the publicity from the media will help get the word out that state workers are themselves in need of help,” Elliott concluded as he joined his picketing colleagues. With the state’s failure to meet its July 1 budget deadline, Pennsylvania lost most of its ability to spend money. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, seven states: Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania have missed July 1 budget approvals or had to extend their sessions to deliberate on the budget. See a related story on page 3