Scarnati: Nothing's Off the Table
The chairman of the state House Appropriations Committee says it may be time to tap into the state's $750 million Rainy Day Fund.
Representative Dwight Evans tells a Philadelphia newspaper that this is more than a rainy day; it's a hurricane.
He says the legislature also should consider using its own $240 million surplus fund and the approximately $700 million in legislatively controlled grant money, known as "walking around money."
Lt. Governor Joe Scarnati says no options are off the table.
"I think we can put everything on the table, and not take anything off of the table at this time, he says. "This is a critical time. This is probably one of the worst economic spirals downward in decades that Pennsylvania has seen."
Pennsylvania's budget shortfall may be about $2 billion by the end of the fiscal year. Tax revenues are lagging about 7 percent below projections.
Representative Dwight Evans tells a Philadelphia newspaper that this is more than a rainy day; it's a hurricane.
He says the legislature also should consider using its own $240 million surplus fund and the approximately $700 million in legislatively controlled grant money, known as "walking around money."
Lt. Governor Joe Scarnati says no options are off the table.
"I think we can put everything on the table, and not take anything off of the table at this time, he says. "This is a critical time. This is probably one of the worst economic spirals downward in decades that Pennsylvania has seen."
Pennsylvania's budget shortfall may be about $2 billion by the end of the fiscal year. Tax revenues are lagging about 7 percent below projections.
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