WAMs back in play for state leaders

HARRISBURG — The new state budget gives lawmakers discretionary money again for projects in their districts, possibly as much as $100 million, even though critics say the so-called "walking around money" grants led to abuses in the past.

Legislative leaders demanded the WAMs as part of the deal to pass the $28 billion budget, Gov. Ed Rendell said.

"It was insisted upon by the Legislature and was part of the arrangement," Rendell said Tuesday after signing the spending plan that cuts many state programs. "If I were king, (WAMs) wouldn't be there, but I'm not."

The grants for decades caused controversy because of a lack of transparency in doling out the money. Some lawmakers pointed to inequities and in some cases, excesses, such as money for statues, parades and festivals. Former Republican Gov. Tom Ridge claimed he eliminated WAMs in the 1990s, but the grants reappeared.

A WAM "is simply another word for pork, and a state that is on the verge of bankruptcy does not have any room for any pork spending in its budget," said Ana Puig, a mother of four from Doylestown who co-chairs the Kitchen Table Patriots.

"The truth of the matter is that these career politicians pushing so hard for WAMs are simply just granting favors to groups that will help them keep their jobs," Puig said. "This is all about re-election campaigns."

No one is saying officially how much money the 2010-11 budget designates for lawmakers to give away, though some believe it could be as much as $100 million.

The grants apparently made a comeback after the 2009 budget appeared to have none. Some lawmakers, however, believe a smaller share of WAM grants in 2009 were better disguised.

Local state lawmakers questioned the governor's assessment of the role of WAMs in the budget.

State Rep. R. Ted Harhai, D-Monessen, said he was aware that some WAMs were potentially left in the budget.

"It was tossed around, but I didn't know the amount," Harhai said. "You get the budget and you only so much time to review it.

"I look at things that will generate economic development and Green Energy jobs."

State Rep. Dave Levdansky, D-Forward Township, said in caucus before the budget vote, he questioned Dwight Evans, chairman of the House appropriations committee, about WAMS.

"I told him 'I don't want to be in a position where we're cutting money for things like parks and human services and then find out there are WAMs in there and he said 'no,'" Levdansky said.

"Obviously there's an inconsistence in there. If Evans says they're not in there and the governor says they're in there, somebody's wrong,"

State Rep. Peter J. Daley, D-California said he is unaware of any WAMS in the budget.

"Are there WAMs in the budget• There could be. I wasn't told of any," Daley said.

The California Democrat said appropriations sometimes imbeds grant programs in the budget, asking, "Are those WAMS?"

"I didn't see anything with WAMS in it in any of the programs I deal with," Daley said.

State Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, said the budget includes raising the state's bond cap to fund capital projects.

Half of that money generated, about $300 million - will fund projects that the House and Senate caucuses will determine are viable. These will require matching grants and fund such projects completed by municipalities, nonprofits or businesses, Solobay said.

The projects must be economic development generators or aid local communities, such as roadway projects, he said.

"It's not WAMs in the sense of $5,000 and $10,000 in money where the guys able to giver local fire department or some sports related group," Solobay said. "Those things were eliminated years ago. Capital projects should not be considered WAMs."

Two Republican lawmakers said the budget contains at least $65 million in WAMs. There's no single place in the budget to look up the grants.

"I don't think there's any debate they are in there," said Rep. Curt Schroder, R-Chester County. "They can be innocuous-sounding and tucked into corners of the budget. I'm told it is $100 million. That's information I've been given discreetly."

At a minimum, the Department of Community and Economic Development's budget lists $65 million in new line items that appear to be WAMs, Schroder said.

"When you have a sea of red ink on almost all the budget pages, and then you see new line items, it causes you to question what's going on," he said.

Nate Benefield, an analyst with the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative policy group, identified $42 million in programs that he believes are legislative WAMs and $50.9 million in "governor's WAMs."

"I define them as pots of money that are discretionary for leaders and the governor to hand out as they see fit," Benefield said.

Rep. John Pallone, D-New Kensington, said the grants he received for his district were worthy.

"I'm not ashamed of them," said Pallone. Recent grants include $10,000 for roof repair at the Alle-Kiski Senior Center and money for a police car in Lower Burrell, he said.

Schroder said he thought the grants disappeared last year until he saw that House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans' district received $1 million for a jazz festival held last month in Philadelphia. Evans aide Johnna Pro denied the grant was a WAM.

"Who cares how it's defined when commonwealth money went into a ridiculous project?" Schwartz said.

There's an "equity issue" when leaders get to grant that much money, Pallone said. Former House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese of Waynesburg "would get enough for a fire truck when I couldn't get a fire hose," Pallone said.