Pennsylvania’s public welfare on the chopping block

Hour 1

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has proposed $629 million in cuts to the Department of Public Welfare’s budget, including $319 million in General Assistance ($150 M for cash; $169 M for health care); $168 million to human services funding for counties; and $59 million in reductions to health care providers who accept Medicaid recipients. Governor Corbett contends that new rules for spending state funds will help counties make savings big enough to offset the cuts, but counties and nonprofits that provide services to needy Pennsylvanians contest that claim. Joining us to help explain the Department of Public Welfare’s implementation of Governor Corbett’s budget is Department of Public Welfare Secretary GARY ALEXANDER. Then, we’ll hear from two men who work with and on behalf of the people they say will be affected by the cuts, MICHAEL FROEHLICH, staff attorney for Community Legal Services, and GARY DRAPEK, president and Chief Executive Officer for United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties.

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[audio: 040212_100630.mp3]