Posted on 11/08/2005 12:03:43 PM PST by Born Conservative
HARRISBURG — Just four months after lawmakers voted themselves a pay raise, they are poised to scrap the extra income to appease a disgruntled public and relentless negative press.
While the House and Senate still need to iron out language differences in their respective pay-raise repeal bills, both have approved such a repeal and it seems a certainty that the raises will be stripped in the days ahead.
The House voted Monday night to reject a Senate version of the pay raise repeal measure, sending the issue to a joint House and Senate conference committee. The sticking point between the House and Senate versions of the repeal bill centers on whether judicial raises can be stripped along with those given to lawmakers, the governor and other top state officials.
Several Northeastern Pennsylvania lawmakers who supported both the pay raise and its repeal say the negative fallout from the July 7 pay raise vote — a move that boosted legislative salaries by a range of 16 percent to 54 percent, depending on a lawmaker’s leadership rank — was distracting from other issues.
“It was taking away from the issues that matter the most … like property tax reform,” Rep. Jim Wansacz, D-Scott Township, said. He was among the 117 House members who initially supported the raise, then voted for its repeal.
“Yeah, I would say there was a consensus that it was distracting from the real business we’re trying to do,” echoed Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township, who also voted for both the raise and its repeal.
Rep. Ed Staback, D-Archbald, said he too backed the repeal because of the growing public
sentiment that the raise wasn’t warranted.
“I don’t think there’s any question that the pay raise measure just dominated the media’s attention, and it appeared that that was going to continue,” Mr. Staback said.
Rep. Gaynor Cawley, D-Scranton, another initial pay raise supporter who voted for its repeal, said he had an about-face for “probably the same reason everybody else did.”
“It’s obvious with what’s going on — health care isn’t affordable, the energy crisis — so obviously that had an awful lot to do with how the public feels,” Mr. Cawley said. “The message (from the public) was loud and clear.”
Critics of the raise say it was more than a mere distraction. It was a political fiasco that threatened some re-election bids, and that is what ultimately prompted lawmakers to undo the income boost they awarded themselves.
“I think they’re finally getting the message,” said Tim Potts, founder of a government reform group called Democracy Rising PA.
Russ Diamond, a Lebanon County political activist who spearheaded an effort to oust all incumbent lawmakers in next year’s elections, said the repeal vote is a half-hearted effort by lawmakers who were “caught with their hands in the cookie jar.”
“Now they’re telling us they’ll put the cookies back, but they stuffed a couple cookies in their pockets,” Mr. Diamond said.
Anti-pay-raise activists say even if the raise is scrapped, they want lawmakers to return the “unvouchered expenses” they have collected in recent months as a way to circumvent legal language that prohibits collecting a raise in the same legislative term in which it is approved.
Mr. Wansacz, Mr. Staback and Mr. Eachus say they haven’t yet decided whether their unvouchered expenses will be returned if the repeal becomes law.
Mr. Cawley, meanwhile, offers this advice to anyone who wants him to return his unvouchered expenses.
“Call Boscov’s and the credit card company,” he said.
Have a nice and very short stay, ZOTbait.
}:-)4
Mods are on the ball here, huh? Before I could even mess with the troll. Good work.
Fastest Viking Kittens in the West. Fear the paws of justice!
}:-)4
"If that isn't arrogance, I don't know what is...."
That's what happens when legislating becomes a paid profession.
I wonder if this is the same guy?
"User: dannonwater (834996) dannonwater
Name: I know where we are, We 're in the place of lost!!
Location: Sacramento, California, United States
Birthdate: 1985-05-07"
http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=dannonwater
What happened, did Jubelirer try to disrupt the thread?
Amazing how much liberals sound alike, isn't it?
Lol! It was a troll named "dannonwater"; it's gone back to it's hole now.
Remember the idea of citizen government? Term limits and shame seems the only solution.
Remember the idea of citizen government? Term limits and shame seems the only solution.
I just can't imagine what kind of troll would disrupt an anti-payraise thread. Had to be someone who liked the idea of legislators increasing their pay to 4-5 times the state average. The only people who liked the idea were some of the state legislators themselves...or so I thought.
Another thread stated that the reason folks are upset is that the politicians and PA Supreme Court decided to ignore the following from the PA Constitution:
Compensation
Section 8.
The members of the General Assembly shall receive such salary and mileage for regular and special sessions as shall be fixed by law, and no other compensation whatever, whether for service upon committee or otherwise. No member of either House shall during the term for which he may have been elected, receive any increase of salary, or mileage, under any law passed during such term.
Good Morning BC,
How ya doing. Is the President coming to WB Tomorow?
Mornin', Angcat!
Doing well; I wish he WAS coming to WB.
I think I'm leaning towards George Allen in 08.
The equivalent of Marie Antoinette's Let them eat cake...
I thought he was, last week WNEP said he was coming on Friday! He must have changed his plans. Who is George Allen? You know I was a bad girl and did not vote yesterday. I had no idea who was running either.
I don't watch the local news anymore; it's too annoying.
As for George Allen:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1509461/posts
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