Westmoreland County has 1,700 government employees. Beginning Oct. 13, 125 workers will be furloughed because of the Pennsylvania budget impasse. Would it have been both legal and fair to cut everyone’s wages by 5% to spread the pain around instead of 125 workers losing all their wages and having to sign up for unemployment benefits? Once the impasse is settled (and it will be), the lost wages would be restored and there would have been no loss of government services.

Tony Pittore

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

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