Senate Budget Hides Millions in ‘Walking-Around Money’

Senate Budget Hides Millions
in ‘Walking-Around Money’

Budget Plan Flush with Slush Fund Increases

December 9, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—The state Senate’s $30.8 billion budget plan rushed through Monday hides a controversial secret: an $85 million increase in “walking-around money,” or WAMs. 

Typically controlled by legislative leaders and used for pet projects in their home districts, WAMs are funds that legislators sneak into budgets under the guise of economic development, cultural activities, and even business assistance.

“With Pennsylvania families already facing a tax burden of more than $17,000 per year, it’s mind-boggling that legislators would demand even more so they can fund pet projects and events in their districts,” stated Matthew Brouillette, president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation. “By claiming this spending is for things like ‘community and business assistance,’ legislators hope taxpayers won’t know what it really is: slush funds legislators use to advance their own agenda at taxpayers’ expense.” 

The Senate budget would expand WAMs by 189 percent, including reinstituting programs previously nixed specifically to eliminate WAMs.

Select WAMs in Senate Budget

 

2014-15

2015-16

Increase

% Increase

Pennsylvania First

$20,000

$34,000

$14,000

70%

Keystone Communities

$6,150

$25,240

$19,090

310%

Infrastructure and Facilities Improvement Grants

$19,000

$30,000

$11,000

58%

Industrial Resource Centers

$0

$11,000

$11,000

 

Community and Business Assistance *

$0

$3,600

$3,600

 

Community and Municipal Facilities Assistance *

$0

$7,700

$7,700

 

Economic Growth and Development Assistance *

$0

$9,107

$9,107

 

Reclamation and Revitalization Assistance

$0

$3,750

$3,750

 

Cultural Activities *

$0

$5,935

$5,935

 

Total

$45,150

$130,332

$85,182

189%

* These programs existed in prior years, but were eliminated in an effort to get WAMs out of the Budget

In the past, these programs have funded a number of questionable projects, including:

Click here for more examples.

“There’s a reason many of these WAMs were eliminated in previous budgets,” Brouillette continued. “Disgraced former lawmakers Mike Veon and Vince Fumo infamously used WAMs to enrich themselves. There’s no good reason to put taxpayers at risk for similar abuses. No Pennsylvanian should be forced to prop up a slush fund. The only thing we want to see WAMs do is walk their way out of any state budget.”

Matthew Brouillette and other Commonwealth Foundation experts are available for comment. Please contact Gina Diorio at [email protected] or 862-703-6670 to schedule an interview.

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The Commonwealth Foundation transforms free-market ideas into public policies so all Pennsylvanians can flourish.