Pennitate wjdejfceiver, James s The Daily Colie Pa. state workers rally for full pay By Kevin Cirilli COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER | kncso63i=psu.edu With an American flag waving behind them, about 30 state employees of the State Correctional Institution at Rockview demonstrated outside the property Tuesday, calling on the Pennsylvania gov ernment to end the budget impasse so they can get full paychecks. "The recession is alive and well in Centre County," said protestor Tami Mondy of Bellefonte. Mondy is one of about 77,000 state employees that have not received full paychecks since July 1 as a result of the budget impasse, said Gov. Ed Rendell spokeswoman Mia DeVane. As the recession drags on into the summer. Mondy said she's worried about paying tuition for her daughter Elisa Pierce, a Penn State senior. "I might have to pull my savings and go on food stamps to feed my younger two." said the mother of See WORKERS. Page 2. HHtH. Video of the demonstration: psucollegian.com Michael Feiiettei. Collegian Mark Perryman, a sargeant at the prison, holds a sign across the street. New buses bring new routes By Chris Bickel COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER | cdbso67@psu.edu Commuters can expect to see an increase in Centre Area Transit Authority (CATA) bus routes with the arrival of the 10 buses which were donated in March. The 35-foot compressed natural gas (CNG) buses CATA received as dona tion from its counterpart, Central Florida’s Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX) of Orlando, Fla., arrived this summer, said Jacqueline Sheader, CATA marketing manager. She said the buses were originally pink and multicolored, but were painted white before the trip from Orlando, making the buses easily recognizable While the future of Tony’s Big Easy is in jeop ardy the DJs who spin there think the local music scene is as well. “If Tony’s were to close I think it would be a great loss to a lot of music lovers. There’s a lot of people who just love to go out and listen to music,” said Jeremy Sanchez, who performs at Tony’s as t)J Rictor. The Big Easy and its two accompanying bars, Lulu’s Nightspot and Candy Bar and Lounge, all located at 129 1/2 S. Pugh St., were prohibited from selling alcohol last week after a state judge courtesy of Daren Donotrio dismissed the owners’ appeal of the loss of their Daren Donofrio, DJ Remedy, performs at Tony's Big liquor license. Easy, 129 1/2 S. Pugh St. Tony’s has a wide range of music, and many .— i Honh To bu^port Siuie, Vorheft Patrick Stagi, correctional food service instructor at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview, protests state treatment across the street from the prison Monday afternoon. Discord keeps budget in flux By Peter Panepinto COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER | pppsol7@psu.edu As the state budget remains at an impasse and state workers’ paychecks slowly diminish, Republicans and Democrats are struggling to find a middle ground for their ideas about the state budget. The budget has been amended and passed back and forth between Republicans and Democrats, resulting in a three-week delay of an operating budget. The GOP’s budget proposal is $27.1 billion $2 billion less than Gov. Ed Rendell’s proposed spending number. Sen. Jake Corman, said the Republicans’ amended budget proposed 3.6 per cent less in spending than last year. Rendell's spokesman, Chuck Ardo, said the senate’s version of the bill was sent to the house Monday. on the streets of State College while CATA performs tests on the newest addition to their fleet. Sheader said CATA is in the process of planning the bus schedule for the fall. She said the N. V and R routes can expect to see more frequent stops with the addition of the new buses, espe cially since they have been low on buses during the peak times of the year. Courtney Lowe (senior-biobehavior ial health), who lives in an apartment at State College Park, 348 Blue Course Dr., said the addition of more stops will help her get to and from campus much faster. T love that,” she said. “A lot of times, the bus comes at awkward times.” DJs may have By Allie Fletcher COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER | alfs2lB@psu.edu ,*SWK- Some Chinese Web sites became unavailable Tuesday I INTERNATIONAL, Page 5. ~~z''w`t . -.. Lowe is not the only one who is glad to see the changes. Michael Dollinger (senior-aero space engineering) said the schedule adjustments also sound like an ‘‘over all good thing” and hopes it will fit his schedule better. More than just local commuters would benefit from the new buses. Sheader said there would be new serv ices in Stormstown. She said CATA patrons could expect to see more stops “here and there.” “The best thing is the ability for us to put more service out there,” Sheader said. “There is more flexibility with what we can do.” Sheader also said 10 new bus driv ers were hired and she thinks it will Otl JL- Published independently by students at Penn State A'"* 1 -* - : ■■' '■*-•.<•'' • • . . ■.. ■<£> ,~ 7 ~_~.,: ~ L ~ N-. T. - Tuesday evening House Bill 1416 was defeated in the House by a vote of 151-49, according to a press release. Tor Michaels, chief of staff for Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Centre, said both parties need to compromise and develop a budget that would please both sides. “We have enough people shouting on both sides of this issue, ancreach day that picks by is yet another day the people of Pennsylvania are not served,” Michaels said. “We need to find leadership in the middle. There are 77,000 state employees that need a paycheck.” Sen. Jane Orie, R-Allegheny, said the gover nor needs to make cuts in the budget because everyday families are making cuts in their daily budgets and state workers are being used as “pawns.” “The governor shouldn’t be putting peoples lives at risk like this for his political agenda,” to move on from Big Easy students have specific days scheduled when they most enjoy going out to the bar, DJ Rictor said. The Big Easy brings a great sense of diversi ty; if it closed it would take something out of the music scene at Penn State, he added. “I would miss it. It’s one of my favorite spots to DJ,” said Daren Donofrio, also known as DJ Remedy. “The atmosphere is so unique to State College. I think it would put a big hole in the State College night life,” he added. DJ Rictor and DJ Remedy have good memo ries of performing at Tony’s Big Easy. “My job is to be the life of the party and make sure everyone is enjoying themselves no mat ter what state of sobriety they are in,” DJ Remedy said. “I’ve been there for three years, After leaving college, many former students find themselves without health care^^^^^— * NATIONAL, Page 2. www.psucollegian.com Courtesy of Jacqueline Sheai Additional CATA buses received new paint before arriving in State College. “absolutely” benefit the local economy, with the interior of the buses. CATA received the buses for free The buses are expected to be in full and only had to pay the travel costs of service on Aug. 22 after CATA finishes the buses. Sheader said the new buses maintenance on the buses. Sheader are nearly the same as the old buses, said there are plans for an additional but there are some slight differences eight new buses. Paging new grads Orie said. “It’s the seventh year in a row that he has not had a budget on time. For the past three years, he has used the state employees as pawns, hostages.” Orie said the GOP could make even more cuts to the proposed state budget and the state should engage in less spending because rev enues are decreasing. If the state doesn’t spend less, the Commonwealth is going to build in futures taxes that will never get rid of, she said. Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Allegheny, said he did n’t approve of the House’s version of the state budget and not every Democrat wants to see a tax increase. Fontana said the Democratic Party was not given the opportunity to debate alternative ways of balancing the budget such as taxing smoke less tobacco and closing the “Delaware Loophole,” which allows businesses to avoid paying taxes on intangible assets. and I’ve loved every minute of it.” One night, DJ Rictor was asked to stop the music and give a shout out to someone at Tony 5 s, and when he stopped the music the student pro posed to his girlfriend “It was one of my fondest memories of The Big Easy,” Rictor said. For a lot of students, the State College bar scene is not just an excuse to “get drunk” it’s a place they go to hear good music, DJ Rictor said. And for DJ Rictor, the bars’ dosing is about, more than just losing a paycheck. .' “It won’t hurt me financially, but it would hurt the loyal followers of Tony’s Big Easy who come out to have a good time,” he said. “It would hurt me not to be able to bring good music to that establishment.” ■>2. 2009 Wednesday. July _ * i
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