A few tips to overcome political amnesia
LtSuperDuper
A few tips to overcome political amnesia
Tony Phyrillas , tphyr...@pottsmerc.com
The so-called political pundits keep saying that Pennsylvania voters
will
forget about the pay raise that state lawmakers gave themselves at 2
a.m. on
July 7 by the time the May 2006 primary election rolls around.
Is it possible that 9 million voters will develop a collective case of
amnesia when it comes time to deciding if they want to keep the people
who
broke into their homes in the middle of the night and relieved them of
their
hard-earned money?
We know the politicians are counting on memory lapses. That's why
they snuck
through the pay raise in July -- 10 months before any of them have to
face
the voters. But are Pennsylvania voters that absent-minded?
If you're worried that you'll forget that our "public servants"
looted the
state treasury to give themselves pay raises for 16 percent to 54
percent, I've
come up with a few memory enhancers to help you out.
· Every time you pay $40 to fill your gas tank, remember that
Pennsylvania
has one of the highest taxes on gasoline in the country. For every
gallon of
gas you pump, 31 cents goes to Harrisburg in taxes. Gov. Ed Rendell
rejected
a call to temporarily suspend the gas tax in the wake of skyrocketing
prices
because he said it would reduce the amount of money politicians have at
their disposal. And don't forget that state lawmakers don't pay for
their
gas. It's free, along with the luxury automobile taxpayers provide
these
"public servants." While you're struggling to pay for gas to get to
work,
remember that your state lawmaker can ride around in a Cadillac all day
long
at your expense.
· The cost of heating your home this winter is expected to rise
anywhere
from 30 percent to 70 percent. As you pull out another blanket this
winter
because you're trying to save money on natural gas or oil, keep in
mind that
state lawmakers gave themselves pay raises 10 times the rate of
inflation.
That will cover their home heating needs, with money left over for a
vacation on some Caribbean beach.
· Also keep in mind that state lawmakers made it easier for utilities
to
shut off service to customers who fall behind in their payments during
the
winter months. So when you pick up the newspaper and read about an
elderly
person found frozen to death in an unheated apartment, remember your
state
lawmaker who made it easier for utility companies to make their
stockholders
richer at the expense of senior citizens and the working poor.
· A few lawmakers are concerned about the coming winter and rising
home
heating costs, but so far, the party bosses who control Harrisburg have
expressed their usual disdain for the common people of Pennsylvania.
Take
the case of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a federal
initiative administered by the state that provides assistance to
Pennsylvanians to pay their utility bills. Pennsylvania is one of the
few
states that contributes nothing to the program. State lawmakers are
sitting
on a $135-million slush fund that they diverted from the state
treasury.
Part of that money will go to pay their salary increases. The rest is
controlled by legislative party bosses so they can buy friends and
influence
people.
· A new report from the American Bankers Association states that more
Americans are falling behind in their minimum credit card payments.
Many
people are using credit cards to pay for necessities such as groceries,
gas
and medical bills. As you fall deeper into debt to feed, clothe and
shelter
your family, remember that Pennsylvania's legislative aristocracy --
already
the second highest-paid in the country -- also gives lawmakers and
their
families free medical insurance, a $129 meal allowance every day
they're in
Harrisburg, a $650 monthly car allowance, a lifetime pension, free life
insurance and free long-term care insurance.
So, when bill collectors are threatening to ruin your credit or the
bank is
about to foreclose on your home, remember that Pennsylvania lawmakers
are
getting paid $81,000 to $145,000 for part-time jobs (legislators spent
an
average of 77 days in Harrisburg in each of the past five years).
One more thing I want to remind you about.Tuesday is the voter
registration
deadline for the Nov. 8 election. Registration forms must be delivered
to
your county elections office by 5 p.m. or postmarked by Oct. 11. If you
want
to have a say in whether "public servants" continue to plunder at will,
you
need to register to vote.
While the Nov. 8 ballot is for local and county offices, there are two
Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices seeking retention for 10-year
terms.
These justices are the highest paid in the country and have given state
lawmakers a free pass to violate the state Constitution by voting
themselves
illegal pay raises.
It's important that you vote "no" to retain Russell Nigro and Sandra
Newman
to send a message to the Harrisburg Hogs that Pennsylvania taxpayers
are not
going to take it anymore. By firing two justices this year and two more
next
November, voters can change the majority on the seven-member state
Supreme
Court in the span of one year. That is an important step in taking back
the
state from these self-serving, career politicians.
E-mail Tony Phyrillas at tphyr...@pottsmerc.com