Pennsylvania Legislators Approved Illegal Pay Hike for Themselves

Human Events Online ^ | July 26, 2005 | Ralph R. Reiland

[hinterlander]

Insiders: Leaders promised "walking around money" to legislators who "cooperated."

"Harrisburg is one of the sleaziest state capitals in the country," said Jake Tapper, Washington correspondent for Salon, and that was before he saw the sleaze that oozed from under the closed doors of the state Legislature at 2 a.m. one recent night after the politicians voted themselves an illegal pay hike. The pay increase is illegal because, by allowing legislators to pocket the new money in the form of "unvouchered expenses," it violates Article 2, Section 8 of the state constitution, which specifically forbids legislators to collect new pay raises until they've been re-elected.

"It's illegal to give yourself a raise now," says Temple University Law School professor David Kairys. "If you want to give yourself the raise and call it lunch money, that's not going to make it legal."

[End Times Sentinel]

You will have to run again. I will come to PA and run your campaign.

 

Think you can top quality slogans like these?

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

“You’ll definitely have a reason to read the papers.”

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

"A keg in every tavern and a stripper in every lap!"

 

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

"I'll probably kill less people than that Janklow A-hole did."

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

"I hate the government and I'll make you hate it too."

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

"Justice meted out swiftly and harshly on a house by house basis."

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

"Power is the Ultimate Aphrodisiac."

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

"Do what I say and nobody gets hurt."

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

"I'll only take as much as I need, nothing more."

 

VOTE FOR OWL_EAGLE

"I could walk around drunk all day and be smarter than half the pols in this country, and if elected, I just might."

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

Great slogans, I loved them. I will think of some more and we will get you elected.

[chiefqc]

They lie to get elected, they lie to stay in office, they lie when they get caught and if all their lies don't work then they change the laws to make lies. truths. But if you want a simple answer, once elected they will screw you any way they can.

[chiefqc]

I agree, look who was elected mayor of philadelphia.

[Sisku Hanne]

This was carefully orchestrated under cover of night, in full secrecy and without debate, with the full cooperation of the RINOS who infest our legislature. It was strategically decided who could safely vote "yes" and who would vote "no".

We now have the second highest paid legislature in the country after CA, but....since we have MORE legislators than they do(!) we now have the dishonor of having the most expensive legislature in the country.

Fast Eddie Spendell= 13.6% increase from ($155,572 to $176,885)

Committee chairmen and vice chairmen= increase of 28% (to $89,155) and 22% ($85,103) respectively

Majority and Minority leaders= increase of 24% to $124,788

House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tempore= increase of 34% to $145,553.

This is in addition to a fully paid health plan, cushy pension benefits, a $650-a-month travel allowance (no matter how close to the capitol they live), a $129 spending allowance for EACH day they are in session, and an annual COLA which is adjusted to Philly's above average inflation rate.

And the real kicker to this whole debacle?
PA Supreme Court Justice Ralph "Crappy" Cappy who has help craft and lobby for this "steaming pile", and who will benefit from it by his own sweet little 14.4% pay hike (from $154,447 to $176,800), has the audacity to come out and publicly pontificate on how these lawbreakers showed "enormous courage and significant fortitude," and muse that those of us common rabble who are so incensed are clueless "kneejerks"! And, in the face of brewing litigation, he "hasn't decided" whether he would recuse himself or not!!! I cannot even fathom this assclown.

I am making it a personal mission to ensure the RINOs in my country rue the day they voted "yes" on this.

I urge any Keystoners who have not yet done so to go to WHP580's web site and sign Bob Durgan's petition of rejection, then download a few copies and pass them around.