HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – There may or may not be shouts coming from behind closed doors at the Capitol as lawmakers and the governor hammer out a state budget in the next few weeks.
There absolutely was shouting across the street in front of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry offices Thursday at noon.
It was budget related.
“Chamber, chamber, you can’t hide,” screamed several dozen protesters. “We can see your greedy side.”
It lasted about 20 minutes with a handful of folks taking a bullhorn.
“If we can get the fat cats at the chamber to think about regular Pennsylvanians instead of their corporate sponsors we will win,” screamed one woman into the microphone.
The group gathered to protest Chamber stances against a minimum wage hike and a tax on Marcellus Shale drillers.
“They don’t pay as much taxes as we working people pay,” said Diana Bryson, a nurse from Harrisburg. “They keep their money in their pocket.”
“They want a fair budget. We want a fair budget,” said Sam Denisco, a chamber vice president. “We don’t want to see punitive tax measures on the backs of job creators.”
So one group decided to shout.
Another group went the billboard rout.
Americans For Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group, unveiled a billboard campaign in the Midstate this week. The AFP is howling mad over Wolf’s proposed budget.
“We don’t think that increasing taxes, expanding government is the right thing to do for Pennsylvania,” said Beth Anne Mumford of AFP Pennsylvania. “Our lawmakers should be looking for ways to cut spending, to weed out the waste and excess in our budget.”
There are also budget-themed television commercials both supportive and critical of the Wolf plan. There’s also radio, social media and printed mailers.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with heightened awareness. Afterall, in the coming weeks, $30 billion plus of your money will be divvied up by the powers that be in Harrisburg.

