Let Freedom Ring is following this growing scandal.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this news on Sunday:
Brett Cott, a high-ranking policy analyst in the state House of Representatives, spent 11 weeks straight in Beaver Falls last year working on former House Democratic Whip Michael Veon’s unsuccessful re-election campaign. Patrick Grill, also a policy analyst, squeezed in at least 10 trips from Harrisburg to Waynesburg to campaign for Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese.
Both continued to draw their state salaries while they campaigned, according to records obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mr. Cott’s annual salary is $87,412 and Mr. Grill’s is $67,552. Altogether, at least 45 House Democratic employees campaigned on weekdays last year but never left the state payroll and still received bonuses as a reward for their state work, the records show.
Mr. Cott received a $25,065 bonus and Mr. Grill received $12,685. They were among 717 House Democratic staffers who received taxpayer-fund bonuses worth $1.9 million.
And, here is more from the Chronicle of Higher Education:
According to the Harrisburg, Pa., newspaper, the board of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, or Pheaa, voted on Friday to accept a list of recommendations to reduce its spending on financial-aid programs in the 2008-9 fiscal year by a projected 58 percent, to $44.4-million. Those cuts would mean a drop in the number of students receiving grants, and less money for nursing students and educators, as well as adults in job-training programs.
…State lawmakers and others were quick to denounce Pheaa’s action, which came on the heels of a scathing report by the state auditor’s office and after months of criticism for such practices as handing out $2.5-million in bonuses to 325 employees last year and spending more than $860,000 on seven vacation-like retreats for board members and executives and their guests since 2000.
Let Freedom Ring has more.
