Budget impasse limits funding to poor

Pennsylvania’s budget impasse could slow down badly needed aid to the state’s working poor. This is just one of the warnings coming out of this week’s national anti-poverty convention being held in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania’s budget impasse could slow down badly needed aid to the state’s working poor. This is just one of the warnings coming out of this week’s national anti-poverty convention being held in Philadelphia.

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[audio: 090902tmpoverty.mp3]

The Community Action Partnership is a group of just under 700 groups dedicated to help people in economic distress. Don Mathis is head of the group. He says with the stimulus money starting to flow they are very busy.

Mathis: And especially as winter is coming on weatherization is really an important product because people die in the city and in the country if their houses freeze up. We’ve got the money to do the work, we’re hiring the staff to do the work, but the demand is incredible.

Mathis says among the problems is the money has to filter through the states, and especially in Pennsylvania, because of the budget impasse they are having problems getting funds to the people who need them the most.