Do Philly Democrats Have to Choose Between Funding Schools or Liquor Privatization?

Philly Democrats are being offered a choice: You can get better funding for your schools, they’re being told in Harrisburg, but you’re going to have to sacrifice your union allies to get that funding — either in the form of a reformed pension system that would pay out less to state workers, or in the form of liquor privatization that state union oppose because they fear losing jobs.

And if they won’t compromise on either, well, good look with your constituents. Newsworks reports:

“If Philadelphia Democrats aren’t going to be there for what needs to be done, then nobody’s going to be there for them,” said state Budget Secretary Charles Zogby. “And they can go home and tell their constituents why they couldn’t get money for the school district.”

State Rep. James Roebuck, D-Philadelphia, refused to talk compromise.

“The Republicans that control the government have the responsibility for doing certain things, among which is to provide a thorough and efficient education for all the children in the commonwealth,” Roebuck said. “That’s not something you bargain with. Either you do it or you don’t do it. If you don’t do it, then you shouldn’t be governing.”

That’s a nice little school district you have there. Shame if anything happened to it.