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Vital Programs on Chopping Block in Lackawanna County

Vital Programs on Chopping Block in Lackawanna County - Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 6:23PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Tuesday, Aug 18, 2009 @ 06:23pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - The lack of work on a state budget has people in Lackawanna County up in arms. They took to the streets Tuesday afternoon to show how vital programs for kids and the elderly are having to be cut back.

Nearly 100 county workers took part in the demonstration on Adams Avenue in Scranton. They say its outrageous that the state has not had a budget for nearly 50 days. Workers say the cutbacks are a matter of life and death.

"Its absolutely life-threatening. Absolutely. A lot of people don't have caregivers. They don't have family around here. They rely on the services we provide," Lisa Simrell said.

Simrell is a care manager at the Lackawanna County Agency on Aging. She says programs for the elderly, like Meals on Wheels, are now in jeopardy.

"It's not fair. It's absolutely not fair and something needs to be done," Simrell said.

Workers from the Lackawanna County Children & Youth Department were also a part of Tuesday's rally. Without funding, they say kids are also being put in jeopardy.

"What if a child is actually being abused? I mean, it's gonna take 24 hours for that caseworker to go out. What happens if a child dies," Gloria Liuzzo said.

Right now, workers say the budget battle is putting 1,900 kids in jeopardy in Lackawanna County alone.

"Lackawanna County, right now, is the leading Children & Youth Service in the state so all of the progress that we've made is in jeopardy right now," caseworker Lisa Kanavy said.

Majority commissioners Corey O'Brien and Michael Washo saw Tuesday's rally and lent their support. They say the public also needs to get on board and get angry.

"If we don't get the funding to keep these programs going, we're going to lose senior centers, drug and alcohol services. We're going to lose daycares," Debbie Langman said.

Workers in Lackawanna County vow to continue their weekly protests until a new state budget takes effect.
 


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