By The Associated Press

– Auditor general says school districts have borrowed $346 million so far during stalemate

– Pennsylvania is still without a plan to pay for government operations after Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a Republican-crafted short-term spending measure.

Wolf vetoed the three-bill package Tuesday, saying it would sell out the people of Pennsylvania to oil and gas companies and special interests, increase the state government’s deficit and harm its credit rating.

Wolf wants a multibillion-dollar tax increase to close a long-term budget deficit and boost aid to schools and human services.

On June 30, the governor vetoed a $30.2 billion budget package passed June 30 by Republicans who control both chambers of the Legislature. No Democratic lawmakers voted for the GOP’s budget bill or short-term spending measure.

Meanwhile, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale says public school borrowing is in the hundreds of millions as officials search for ways to stay open through a three-month-old state government budget stalemate.

DePasquale said Tuesday that his office found that 17 school districts and two intermediate units have borrowed a total of about $346 million to make up for the stoppage in state payments. He says interest and fees on the loans could reach $11.2 million.

DePasquale’s office surveyed officials at nearly 300 of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts to reach those figures. DePasquale also notes that many districts are losing investment income because they are spending down their reserves. The biggest borrower is the Philadelphia School District at $275 million. The others each borrowed $10 million or less.

DePasquale says public school borrowing will surpass $500 million by Nov. 1 and $1 billion by Dec. 1, if the stalemate continues that long.

Source – http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/gov-tom-wolf-vetoes-republican-stopgap-budget/article_c5899222-66cc-11e5-8a1b-9753242e31ce.html

By Associated Press

– The deadline for registering to vote in Pennsylvania’s Nov. 3 election is one week away.

Secretary of State Pedro Cortes reminded residents Monday that they can register online for the first time. But those who do not have a PennDOT driver’s license or PennDOT identification card should apply before the Oct. 5 deadline if they use the new electronic system, Cortes said.

In addition to thousands of local school board, municipal and judicial races, voters will fill three open seats on the seven-member Pennsylvania Supreme Court. There also are two other state appellate court openings — one each in the Superior and Commonwealth courts.

Pennsylvanians also can still register by mail or in-person at many state and county offices.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/86657-pennsylvanians-have-week-to-register-to-vote

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

– Gov. Tom Wolf and legislative leaders are meeting again on the Pennsylvania budget impasse, but the participants report no breakthroughs.

Leaders from both parties were tight-lipped Monday as they filed out of Wolf’s office after a one-hour meeting but said they’d meet again in late afternoon.

The Democratic governor wants a multibillion-dollar tax increase that would provide a significant funding increase for public schools and eliminate a budget deficit. Republicans want to privatize the sale of wine and liquor and revamp the state’s public pensions to reduce future costs.

Wolf is expected to veto a stopgap budget approved earlier this month by Republican majorities in the House and Senate. The $11 billion proposal would cover costs incurred between July and September by school districts and county-run social services.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/86662-pa-legislative-leaders-meet-with-wolf-on-stalled-state-budget

By The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO

– The election on November 3rd presents an amazing opportunity for working people in our city and our commonwealth. In Philadelphia, we have a chance to elect Jim Kenney as mayor, and to elevate an entire slate of tremendous, pro-worker candidates to City Council and a number of other citywide offices. At the state level, the makeup of our Supreme Court is at stake. Will the Pennsylvania Supreme Court understand the needs of Pennsylvania’s working people? Will the Justices be of the highest quality?

The outcome of the election will come down to voter turnout. When enough voters, especially union voters, turn out in Philadelphia, working people win. And it’s our job to give voters the information and motivation they need to make sure that they vote on November 3rd.

Here’s the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO’s Labor 2015 fall door-to-door canvass schedule. Saturday canvasses will start at 9:30 AM. Sunday canvasses will start at 1:00 PM. Our confirmed location is Sprinkler Fitters Local 692, 14002 McNulty Rd, Philadelphia. We will add more locations as we recruit more volunteers to join us at the doors.

Contact Philadelphia AFL-CIO Campaign Manager Danny Bauder at 215-665-9800 or dbauder(at)philaflcio.org to volunteer or to find out more about the program.

Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO fall 2015 canvass schedule

Saturday 10/3/2015
Saturday 10/10/2015
Monday 10/12/2015 (Columbus Day)
Saturday 10/17/2015
Sunday 10/18/2015

GOTV begins Saturday 10/24/2015
Sunday 10/25/2015
Saturday 10/31/2015
Sunday 11/1/2015
ELECTION DAY 11/3/2015

Saturday canvasses begin at 9:30am
Sunday canvasses begin at 1:00pm

Source – http://www.pa.aflcio.org/philaflcio/index.cfm?action=article&articleID=306797CE-7C18-47CA-9A15-4C6E20BBCCBF

By The PA. AFL-CIO

– Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder both join with millions of working families across the United States and here in Pennsylvania in celebrating the abrupt departure of the union-busting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker from the Republican Presidential race.

“Fortunately for our nation and for millions of working families, Scott Walker will not be pushing his anti-working family economic agenda from the Oval Office. His sudden and abrupt drop in popularity happened as he decided to double down on attacking workers and their unions, calling for the elimination of the National Labor Relations Board and further tilting the playing field to billionaires. People want to hear about growing the economy and creating good paying jobs. This anti-worker, anti-union agenda wasn’t good for Wisconsin, isn’t good for Pennsylvania, and wouldn’t do anything for Americans except drive down wages,” Bloomingdale said.

“He couldn’t run away from his own divisive politics of attacking good jobs and waging war on the working people of Wisconsin. Here is a politician that displayed the audacity to compare his union-busting crusade in Wisconsin to fighting terrorists on a national stage. His brief foray into national politics and his humiliating departure should serve as a lesson to politicians of both parties that working people want good jobs and good wages not someone who blames them – a lesson that politicians in Pennsylvania, who share this misguided agenda, better be aware of,” Snyder said.

Source – http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=6394