Selinsgrove Nurses Call on Legislators to Do Their Job 7 14 09

7/14/09 (Selinsgrove, PA) Nurses at Selinsgrove Hospital held a protest outside the Hospital on Tuesday as part of a statewide Day of Action by state employees who are calling on State Legislators to end the budget impasse and pass a budget that supports vital public services.

State Employees will receive their first payless payday this week as mandated by the Governor and State Legislatures failure to reach a budget settlement. State employees will receive no pay for their work throughout the impasse, but still must work their full schedules.

The nurses, who are members of Pennsylvanias largest and fastest-growing health care union, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, expressed anger and concern about Senate Bill 850, the Senate Republicans budget proposal that would impose steep cuts on many public services including cuts to the Department of Public Welfare which would directly impact services at Selinsgrove.

Senate Bill 850 would take millions of dollars out of the economy in Pennsylvania and result in the loss of more than 8,000 good jobs.

Those impacted by SB 850 would include:

·Mental Health and Mental Retardation Clients at Facilities like Selinsgrove: Massive reduction in Sate funding in Department of Public Welfare, and subsequent federal matching funds, which will impact MH and MR facilities.

·Children: 4,200 Pennsylvania children will lose health insurance and $10 million would be cut from county programs for abused and neglected children.

·Education: College grants will be cut by 14%, $728 million would be cut from public schools, and 2,810 Pennsylvania children would lose Head Start.

·Veterans: $7.6 million would be cut from Veterans Homes and a subsequent $5.9 million in Federal matching funds

·The Elderly and Disabled: $28 million in cuts for personal care homes would put older and disabled Pennsylvanians at risk of losing their housing or being forced into nursing homes.

Nurses at the protest urged State Legislators to oppose Senate Bill 850 and get to work with Governor Rendell to find long-term solutions to the budget crisis.

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News & Politics

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