When it comes to getting help from the governor, Cambria County Representative Frank Burns (D) said his community is left hung out to dry. 

 

“No matter how I vote on an issue should not affect the constituent service,” Burns said. 

 

Burns is calling it “political gamesmanship.”  One vote, and the 62,000 thousand people he represents have a hard time getting the services they need. 

 

“Some of our services have been disabled,” Burns said. “So normally when someone comes in with a complaint to our office, we’re able to call and get answers to those questions by calling the departments directly.”

 

Burns said based on his budget vote, the Wolf Administration changed the system. Now, Burns has to go directly through Governor Wolf’s office to get his constituents help. 

 

“Now when we call the departments, we’re told to call the governor’s office, and when we call the governor’s office they’re not very responsive,” Burns said.

 

He said the office tells them they will “handle it,” but Burns doesn’t know if that’s actually the case.  When Burns’ office calls to follow up, he said they do not get an answer. 

 

“Unfortunately the governor has chosen to go down this path where if you’re – you vote the way he wants you to, you have access to the government agencies, and if you don’t, they’re gonna limit your access.”

 

Burns said they’re getting the run-around, and it’s not fair to the taxpayers in Cambria County. 

 

“They’re overwhelmed by the red tape that’s state government,” he said. “Well now the governor has added an extra layer of red tape that we must jump through to get services for these people.”

 

He said the lack of communication between his and the governor’s offices is a problem.  He said it’s also a problem happening to other representatives around the state who did not vote in line with Wolf. 

 

Governor Wolf’s staffers said this: “Everything, as it always has, it being responded to in a timely and efficient manner.”