With no action apparent in Harrisburg to pump needed money into SEPTA, the transit agency's general manager, Faye Moore, announced today that she was preparing Jan. 1 layoff notices for 1,400 employees.
Moore has said that if state aid is not received to close a $62 million budget gap, SEPTA would be forced to fire workers from its 9,000 person staff, end weekend service and raise fares.
"As people play chicken and poker in Harrisburg, we are continuing to play with people's lives," Moore said in an interview in King of Prussia. She appeared alongside legislators in a forum dedicated to the state shortage of highway, bridge and transit funding.
Lawmakers are to return to Harrisburg Monday for a lame-duck session, but the Republican leadership does not have the issue of transit funding on its agenda.
"Honestly, it is not," Steve Miskin, spokesman for House Majority Leader Samuel H. Smith (R., Jefferson). "We're not ignorant about SEPTA. There is a feeling ... that SEPTA creates these budgets to create a crisis."
In a speech last month, Gov. Rendell pledged to lead the fight for transit funding after the election. He also made it clear that he would not raise transit spending without a tax increase. He could not be reached immediately for comment today. Rendell has told some lawmakers that he expects to unveil his lame duck session priorities on Monday or Tuesday.
More ... http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/10109504.htm
Wow. In only three days right after Bush re-elected, over 100,000 job cuts already. Only three days. Now try and imagine how much job cuts will be within 4 years under Bush's second term? In other topic, I predicted that will be 3.3 millions job cuts but it appears that I underestimated... Right now, I predicted that will be 10 millions job cuts or more. Since Bush wants to cap on Social Security so where and how will unemployees get the money to support themselves while there isn't any new job creations in America yet? Good question indeed.
Moore has said that if state aid is not received to close a $62 million budget gap, SEPTA would be forced to fire workers from its 9,000 person staff, end weekend service and raise fares.
"As people play chicken and poker in Harrisburg, we are continuing to play with people's lives," Moore said in an interview in King of Prussia. She appeared alongside legislators in a forum dedicated to the state shortage of highway, bridge and transit funding.
Lawmakers are to return to Harrisburg Monday for a lame-duck session, but the Republican leadership does not have the issue of transit funding on its agenda.
"Honestly, it is not," Steve Miskin, spokesman for House Majority Leader Samuel H. Smith (R., Jefferson). "We're not ignorant about SEPTA. There is a feeling ... that SEPTA creates these budgets to create a crisis."
In a speech last month, Gov. Rendell pledged to lead the fight for transit funding after the election. He also made it clear that he would not raise transit spending without a tax increase. He could not be reached immediately for comment today. Rendell has told some lawmakers that he expects to unveil his lame duck session priorities on Monday or Tuesday.
More ... http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/10109504.htm
Wow. In only three days right after Bush re-elected, over 100,000 job cuts already. Only three days. Now try and imagine how much job cuts will be within 4 years under Bush's second term? In other topic, I predicted that will be 3.3 millions job cuts but it appears that I underestimated... Right now, I predicted that will be 10 millions job cuts or more. Since Bush wants to cap on Social Security so where and how will unemployees get the money to support themselves while there isn't any new job creations in America yet? Good question indeed.