Lemur King Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 A little excerpt from an Inquirer Article: Hoodwinked 1. It was hammered out behind closed doors without public airing or input and passed without discussion at 2 a.m., moments before lawmakers fled the Capitol for summer recess. 2. The raises ranged from 16 percent to 34 percent in an economic climate where most Pennsylvanians are lucky to see a 3 percent pay hike, if any at all. 3. The raises came on top of cost-of-living increases the legislature has received every year for the last decade. 4. The state's top jurist, Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy, mounted a spirited public defense of the raises, calling them "reasonable and responsible" without mentioning that he benefited by getting a $22,300 pay hike out of the deal. No conflict there! 5. To receive the pay hike immediately, lawmakers subverted the state constitution, which wisely bans legislators from accepting a pay raise in the same term in which they vote for it. They are supposed to face reelection first. But the current bunch found a way to take the raise as "unvouchered expenses" until after the elections. Feeling the burn yet? And now, just when you thought the behavior could get no more despicable, comes the latest gem. House Minority Leader Bill DeWeese last week summarily stripped 15 House Democrats of their committee leadership positions - and pay - in apparent retribution for their opposition to the salary raises. An unseemly coincidence All 15 had voted against the pay raises; each was replaced with a Democratic lawmaker who voted in favor of the raises. Isn't that a coincidence? Oil on ice does not get this slimy. Who knows why the 15 opposed the raises? They might have been following their consciences, or, perhaps, they merely lacked the fortitude to take the voter heat, knowing the raises would safely pass regardless. Either way, they voted the way virtually every taxpayer in this state would want. And for it, they were demoted for daring to go against the machine. "Unbelievable," a dismayed reader wrote me about this latest insult to be piled upon the pay-hike travesty. Believe it and weep, people. I've heard from many, many of you asking how you can fight back. What you cannot do is start a voter initiative to revoke the pay hikes. In Pennsylvania, all ballot initiatives must be approved by (who else?) the legislature. dirtbags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 A little excerpt from an Inquirer Article:dirtbags 393640[/snapback] Good thing our state government is solidly in the hands of the DemocRATic party. And if you think Easy Ed Rendell didn't have anything to do with this, you're daft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemur King Posted July 29, 2005 Author Share Posted July 29, 2005 Good thing our state government is solidly in the hands of the DemocRATic party. And if you think Easy Ed Rendell didn't have anything to do with this, you're daft. 393655[/snapback] Don't be richtarded. The Republicans are only be different in that they talk about decreasing taxes while they raise them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin in Va Beach Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 They deserve it because they are better than us and we shouldn't want them to be embarassed about how little they make when they are wining and dining with corporate billionaires and millionaires... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Fischer Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 Good thing our state government is solidly in the hands of the DemocRATic party. And if you think Easy Ed Rendell didn't have anything to do with this, you're daft. 393655[/snapback] Dude, the Republican-controlled and led majority in the legislature voted the raises. I believe the Democratic Governor can't even veto. Nothing like a knee-jerk response to demonstrate blind bias. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 maybe i should move back home to PA and get a government job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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