State funds may be too late for nonprofits
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Leaders from both parties say Governor Rendell could sign a budget into law as soon as tonight. But for many nonprofit agencies that have been going without funds for months now, that may be too little too late.
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In the hundred days since Pennsylvania's budget was due, the plight of nonprofit agencies that rely on government funding has gotten a lot of attention.
A signed budget will come soon, and Governor Rendell has vowed to rush money to the groups within weeks.
Joe Ostrander, a spokesman for the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, says that will begin a long struggle for operations that had to scale back services and lay off staff. He says paying off interest on loans will be the main challenge.
Ostrander: And to rebuild their communities and rebuild their agencies. Some will be able to do that with time, but unfortunately I really do believe that some of our member agencies are going to have a difficult time rebuilding portions of their agencies.
The Senate is expected to pass an appropriations bill and send it to Governor Rendell's desk this morning. That leaves fiscal code legislation and a measure legalizing table games as the only unfinished pieces of the budget package.