Welcome To Pennsylvania: The Pay to Play State. (Hit your legislator up for a loan, they just got paid)

Outrageous governmental pay raises. On July 8th, we said that this is an issue that should have every Pennsylvanian up in arms with a real hue and cry. We were correct in assuming that the average Pennsylvanian would think that it was pure bull that they vote themselves a 16% raise when The average American working on the plantation that this country has become gets only somewhere between 2 % and 3% (if that) as an annual raise. This means that the average person would have to work between 5.33 and 8 YEARS just to equal what Pennsylvania legislators have deemed they “deserve� A.S.A.P. We all deserve a raise, but only elected officials can vote themselves one. Real life doesn’t work that way.

Our local legislators voted FOR this 16% pay hike that snuck by in the last minute flurry of activity before they scurried off like cockroaches in daylight for their summer vacations. And let us not forget that they already get (supposedly), up to $650.00 a month in stipends for auto leases. Hmm wonder what they get for gas?

A few legislators voted NO for the pay raise, saying they couldn’t watch their constituents struggle and take that much money. They found it morally reprehensible and fiscally irresponsible. How refreshing! These are elected officials worth keeping! One of those brave souls was State Rep. Greg Vitali (D-166) from neighboring Havertown, PA. Last Friday we told you how Mr. Vitali and the approximately fourteen other brave souls who had the gumption to say no thank you it’s not right got stripped, yes stripped their committee leadership. Some of these members viewed as payback for their "no" votes. Of course, Mr. Vitali is no stranger to controversy, as if memory serves he is all for things like campaign reform….i.e. he was elected by the people and actually serves the people with more than lip service.

What kind of precedence does this set for our politicians? That if you have the balls to say a 16% pay raise in the face of what everyday Pennsylvanians experience is wrong, you are PUNISHED? That you are PUNISHED for having a spine? PUNISHED for knowing wrong from right, and saying it? PUNISHED for not screwing your constituency and saying no, I can’t take a pay raise when have of the people I represent never see more than 2 1/2 to 3 %?

Our State Representative Daylin Leach (D-149) voted YES to the pay raise, and justified it in the Philadelphia Inquirer a couple weeks back as saying it was part "of a package". Alrighty then, let’s ask him again that if jumping in front of a moving train was part of the package, would he do that too? But then again, lest we forget, Daylin sat in his former office on Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore watching eminent domain unfold FIRST HAND, and he voted for TRID. You know: Transit Revitalization Investment Districts, the thing that allows your local municipality to STEAL your property via eminent domain if you are with in one half mile of a train station!

Sources tell us that Daylin might justify his new raise in the form of an editorial in one of the papers sometime soon. We have to give Daylin credit, he not only manages to ride the coattails of other elected officials, but he is also able to evade truly answering the tough questions, while sucking up ever so nicely and following the herd. But Daylin, no matter how you spin it, it's a little hard to justify it, and for your constituency to swallow the justification. Whatcha' gonna' do with your coin? (Speaking out against eminent domain in PA might be a nice start.)

Today’s papers have further stressed the new tourism slogan “WELCOME TO PENNSYLVANIA, THE PAY TO PLAY STATE�. The papers are reporting that they accepted their raises effective immediately through an unusual maneuver that allowed lawmakers to begin collecting additional money yesterday, 16 months before our state constitution would normally allow. Nice. Just like a scratch –n-win instant lottery ticket (gotta get me one of those). We have to ask: is everyone going to just let this issue die? We the people shouldn’t. Let’s face it, those pay raises come at the ultimate expense of the taxpayer. You know us folks with real bills, who pay for gas in our cars, the regular guy & gal without the expense accounts and pre-paid vacations. Everyone should help end politics as usual and sign up at www.Operationcleansweep.com “because taxpayers are not sheep� (you gotta love that catchy phrase from Russ Diamond at Operation Clean Sweep!)

158 state lawmakers, including 57 from the Philadelphia area, opted to take the raise through "unvouchered expenses," according to House and Senate payroll records. Wanna know the familiar local names who voted specifically from our area to line their pockets ASAP? Here they are:
Senate:

Vincent J. Fumo (D., Phila.) [Are you surprised ?]
Vincent Hughes (D., Phila.)
Shirley Kitchen (D., Phila.) [[umm, why the about face? We think she originally voted NO on the pay raise. Such resolve!]
Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware)
Michael Stack (D., Phila.) . [umm, why the about face? We think he originally voted NO on the pay raise. Such resolve!]
Christine Tartaglione (D., Phila.) [umm, why the about face? We think she originally voted NO on the pay raise. Such resolve!]
Robert Thompson (R., Chester)
Anthony Williams (D., Phila)

House:

William Adolph Jr. (R., Delaware) [maybe he’ll buy a new hair piece]
Stephen Barrar (R., Delaware)
Louise Williams Bishop (D., Phila.)
Thomas W. Blackwell IV (D., Phila.)
Alan Butkovitz (D., Phila.)
Mario Civera Jr. (R., Delaware)
Mark Cohen (D., Phila.)
Susan Cornell (R., Montgomery)
Angel Cruz (D., Phila.)
Lawrence Curry (D., Montgomery)
Robert Donatucci (D., Phila.)
Dwight Evans (D., Phila.)
Thomas Gannon (R., Delaware)
Harold James (D., Phila.)
Babette Josephs (D., Phila.)
William Keller (D., Phila.)
George Kenney Jr. (R., Montgomery)
Thomas Killion (R., Delaware)
Thaddeus Kirkland (D., Delaware)
Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery) [he needs to buy himself a new cloak of invisibility to avoid straight answers on important issues]
Marie Lederer (D., Phila.)
Michael McGeehan (D., Phila.)
Eugene McGill (R., Montgomery)
Nicholas Micozzie (R., Delaware)
John Myers (D., Phila.)[voted against the raise, then took it early]
Dennis O'Brien (R., Phila.)
Frank Oliver (D., Phila.)
John Perzel (R., Phila.)
Ron Raymond (R., Delaware)
William Rieger (D., Phila.)
James Roebuck Jr. (D., Phila.)
John Taylor (R., Phila.)
W. Curtis Thomas (D., Phila.)
Ronald Waters (D., Phila.);
Jewell Williams (D., Phila.)
Rosita Youngblood (D., Phila.).[poor baby has earned it. Claims she works 7 days a week]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/12279783.htm
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/12281155.htm

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1233

http://www.phillyfuture.org/node/1257 .

http://www.phillyfuture.org/node/1380

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2005/07/29/editorial/editorial/daily01.txt

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/philadelphia_county/philadelphia/12241632.htm

http://www.governor.state.pa.us/

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html

To write a letter to the Governor send to:

Governor Edward G. Rendell's Office
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

To telephone the Governor call:

(717) 787-2500.

STATE SENATOR - 17th Senate District

Constance H. Williams

chwilliams@dem.pasen.gov

Senate Box 203017
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3017
717-787-5544
717-705-7741 (fax)

www.pasenate.com/cwilliams

STATE REPRESENTATIVE:

Daylin Leach -149th Legislative District
House PO Box 202020
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020
717-783-9114

dleach@pahouse.net

601 S Henderson Road
Suite 201
King of Prussia, PA 19406
610-768-4200
610-768-4204 (fax)

www.pahouse.com/leach

Here’s how to contact Greg Vitali to tell him we’re sorry he was punished for being a GOOD elected official:

http://www.pahouse.com/vitali/index.asp

greg@gregvitali.com

http://www.pahouse.com/contact/index.asp

103B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020
(717) 787-7647
(717) 705-2089 FAX

1001 East Darby Road
Havertown, PA 19083
(610) 789-3900
(215) 560-4197 FAX
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm

info@pacleansweep.com

http://www.pacleansweep.com/