Education, community development funding cut to shreds in PA (new GOP) Gov's budget

Universities like Penn State, Temple and Pitt would have half their state funding cut.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11067/1130526-100.stm?cmpid=news.xml#ixzz1G1ocnsuJ

"...Public schools, state-related universities and the Department of Community and Economic Development took the biggest hits.

"The budget reduces basic education funding from $5.8 billion to $5.3 billion. It provides for school choice vouchers, while asking districts to negotiate with unions to freeze teachers' salaries and to eliminate salary bumps for those who earn master's degrees.

"DCED funding, meanwhile, would be slashed from $337.9 million to $223.6 million under the Corbett plan. Lawmakers are expected to put up a fight to have funding restored to that department, which has been a pass-through for what has become known as "walking-around-money" -- grants for legislators' pet projects.

"Support for the four state-related universities, which include the University of Pittsburgh, was halved in the budget proposal. It calls for Pitt to get $80.2 million. This year's budget provides Pitt with $160.5 million in state money plus $7.5 million in federal stimulus funds. ..."

Perfect recipe for making more GOP voters