Update On Eachus Travel Claims

In today's Times Leader Steve Mocarsky pens an article about House Majority Leader Todd Eachus's admission that he accepted a flight back and forth from Harrisburg to Hazleton on January 31, 2007. He attended the press conference announcing a proposal to build a cargo airport outside of Hazleton where now admitted felon Robert Powell was a partner. He made the claim that he had to return to Harrisburg to vote.

The round trip between Harrisburg and Hazleton was job-related, Eachus said, and he made it because it was the only way to make it back to Harrisburg in time to cast votes in the state House.

According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Legislative Journal report for Wednesday January 31, 2007 the House convened its proceedings at 11:00A.M. and adjourned at 11:02A.M.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The House convened at 11 a.m., e.s.t.

CALENDAR
RESOLUTIONS PASSED OVER
The SPEAKER. Without objection, any resolutions on
today's calendar will be passed over. The Chair hears no
objection.

ADJOURNMENT
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the gentlelady from
Chester, Representative McIlvaine Smith, who moves that
the House do now adjourn until 11 a.m., e.s.t., Thursday,
February 1, 2007, unless sooner recalled by the Speaker.
On the question,
Will the House agree to the motion?
Motion was agreed to, and at 11:02 a.m., e.s.t., the House
adjourned.

Previously SOP provied a link to House Actions on Wednesday January 31, 2007 that provided evidence there were no votes in the House on that date.

Mr. Eachus has created more questions than answers.  It should be noted that the press conference was held at 1:00P.M.  He flew back to Harrisburg after the adjournment for the day according to records.

The following information from this flight tracking site was obtained by SOP for N69WU, the tail number for Powell's Rockwell jet.

31-Jan-2007
SBR1/L Capital City (KCXY)
Allegheny Co (KAGC)
04:15PM EST 05:10PM EST 0:55

Meet Representative Jim Marshall Who Defeated Michael Veon

Rep. Jim Marshall 14th Legislative District- PA

In 2005 the midnight legislative pay raise scandal was born in Harrisburg. Ralph R. Reiland writes an interesting story on Human Events.com about this violation of taxpayer trust.

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."

As explained to me by a couple of insiders in the process, legislative leaders lined up the votes for the unlawful pay grab by promising special so-called WAMS (walking around money) to legislators who "cooperated." Once more than enough votes were secured, other incumbents, less secure in their districts, were given the green light to vote against the pay hike in order to strengthen their chances of re-election.

In addition the legislative compensation our elected state officials also receive the cost of free cars, $10,000 no-receipt expense accounts, free health care, fully paid vision and dental coverage, free prescriptions, fully paid life insurance and long-term care insurance, the 50% increase in pension benefits the legislators awarded themselves NINE years ago, and the extra $163 per diem they pocket on every session day just for showing up.

It's no wonder Jim Marshall decided to run against Michael Veon despite the odds of winning. Veon pulled out all the stops the ultimately led to his conviction for using state employees, resources, and funds in his re-election bid.

Tracey Mauriello writes the story- Cheating increases incumbent home-court advantage- about Marshall's political battle against Michael Veon in 2006. The story is quite lengthy so you will have to click to read it but these comments sums it up.

"Even when you're a kid, you don't like to play a game with somebody that cheats," Mr. Marshall said.

"It's unfair for candidates to have to run against incumbents using taxpayer equipment and state employees to run their races. There is harm there. Challengers are shut out, and that's not good for the taxpayers, for the state workers, for the voters, for anyone."

Immigtation Bills Gaining Momentum in Pennsylvania

Much has been written in the blogosphere about Lou Barletta and his stance against illegal immigration, both pro and con. However the same veracity of reaction doesn't seem to be occuring over the Pennsylvania legislature's latest attempt to attack illegal immigration in the Commonwealth.

It seems most of the major newspapers are reporting on two bills cleared the Pennsylvania House last week with wide support that aim to keep illegal immigrants from working on public and private construction projects.

Current state law already forbids using illegal-immigrant labor, but local legislators believe the new measures are needed to ensure only legal residents can get well-paying construction jobs.

"These bills protect hard-working Pennsylvanians," Goodman said in a press release this week. "Illegal immigrants who skirt the system and avoid paying taxes push Pennsylvanians off payrolls and onto the unemployment roles."

Seip said the bills confront "important issues related to illegal immigration in the commonwealth" and remove obstacles for businesses operate by the book.

Representative Todd Eachus voted for the bills however there was a time in the past when he said illegal immigration was a federal issue. Last time I checked he is the Pennsylvania legislature, not Congress so how does he explain his support now. Back to the campaign contributions.

A student in high school asked about the corruption of Luzerne County judges. Eachus said the events have been “embarrassing to every citizen” living in the county.

When the same student asked about illegal immigration, Eachus pointed out that the federal government, not the state House majority leader, makes those decisions.

But he ended his answer with a plea for unity among students. Alluding to immigrant miners of different nationalities who marched together into the massacre at Lattimer in 1897, Eachus implored students not to let the community become divided.

“I’m asking you to stand together,” he said. Mr. Eachus didn't understand that everyone of those immigrant miners waited in line, were examined, and received papers that had to carry with them to enter the country. Some immigrants never made it into the country. There was no Social Security nor Medical Assistance. They had to get a job to make it in this country. Different time and wrong argument on this issue.

Guess he finally saw the light or was it the campaign contributions from organized labor that influenced his decision. Just like the donations from Robert Powell, admitted felon, money is priority one.

Although embedding has been disabled you may want to view this Youtube video capturing a public hearing on immigration in the Commonwealth in 2007. Representative Curtis Smith states that in 2006 there were 500 bills introduced in states concernining immigration. In 2007 it jumped to over 1400 bills, a number of them signed into law.

Many in the blogosphere try to say that Hazleton's oconcerning a rdinance is unconstitutional because Judge Munley said so. He has yet to have his decision upheld by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals where its review been sitting for over 19 months waiting for a decision. If Judge Munley's ruling was that solid why didn't they dismiss the case sooner?

Only six or seven members out of 203 in the House voted against these measures. Where is the battle cry denoucing their votes?

Legislative Staff Receives Pay Raise Just To Beat Freeze

If this story doesn't resonate in Northeastern Pennsylvania the voters shouldn't complain about the dismal state of the Union in Pennsylvania.

Patriot News reporter Jan Murphy is reporting that "In the two months before the state House Democratic caucus enacted a salary freeze starting Jan. 1, staffers saw a flurry of activity that raised eyebrows.

Those with access to payroll information saw a raise amounting to $18,642 annually for Paul Parsells, the chief of staff to House Speaker Keith McCall, D-Carbon. While he received a 14 percent bump boosting his salary to $150,000 a year, other staffers got a maximum 3 percent raise.

Staffers saw House Parliamentarian Reizdan Moore received a yearly raise amounting to $6,095. It struck them as odd because his anniversary date is in the spring. Typically, House employees are considered for raises on their hiring anniversaries. Others in McCall’s office received raises, too.

Staffers, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of job reprisal, suspected preferential treatment had been granted to staffers who work for legislative leaders.

They also grumbled about the timing of the memo about the pay freeze. The memo came out Dec. 31 with little to no warning to House Democratic legislators or staffers outside leadership circles.

Then, further rankling staffers, word spread about 12 employees who got raises despite the pay freeze, or salary control as caucus officials call it.

House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, said the dozen staffers should not have received the increases, calling the raises mistakes.

Eachus said the pay freeze was necessary to keep the caucus from running out of money. House leaders said no preferential treatment was given to leadership staff.


If that last statement is true why is it that only 12 leadership staff benefited from the raise? This action is not the first time leadership staffing costs have been raised.

John Micek over at the Allentown Morning Call >a brought his issue to light last year.

New House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, was swept into office late last year vowing to clean up the reputation of a caucus battered by scandal and to act as an aggressive steward of the public purse.

“In the end, we have to match our work to the policies that people are struggling with,” the Hazleton lawmaker told The Morning Call earlier this year. “People are losing their jobs … and we must forge policies that matter to real people.”

But in the last month, Eachus has made at least two high-priced hires — taking on a new chief-of-staff and a caucus counsel at salaries larger than those paid to their predecessors, according to data provided by his office.

Both are key positions within Eachus’ office, as is the new press secretary the northeastern Democrat announced Monday.

But at least one other legislative caucus in Harrisburg, the Senate Republicans, has pursued a policy of not paying new employees more than the people they succeed.

In February, Eachus announced that he’d hired Harrisburg lobbyist, and onetime Democratic employee, Laura Kuller as his new chief-of-staff.

Kuller will earn $161,000, or nearly $24,000 more than the salary paid in the last legislative session to Sandra F. Williams, who served as chief to then Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene.

Eachus’ new counsel, former Rendell administration senior lawyer Nora Winkelman, is being paid $149,900, or $16,781 more than the $133,119 salary paid to DeWeese's top lawyer William Martin Sloane last year.

The Republican took a different approach.

But not everyone in the Capitol takes the same approach as the House Democrats.

For at least two years, Senate Republicans have only filled jobs out of necessity, and have brought on new hires at no more than 85 percent of the salaries of their predecessors.

“We continue to keep hires to an absolute minimum or not at all,” said Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, who also retains his title as the chamber's presiding officer. “As people retire, it will be an absolutely necessary replacement, not an automatic replacement.

It perplexes the mind that Democrats are not questioning their leaders or calling them out on unethical practices. This issue simply fails the smell test.

Bill Goldsworthy Announcement 120th District

Bill Goldsworthy will hold his official campaign kickoff on Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m. at the Black Diamond Post 395 American Legion, 386 Wyoming Avenue in Kingston. Goldsworthy is seeking the Republican nomination for State Representative of the 120th District of Pennsylvania. This event is open to the public and complimentary refreshments will be served.

Goldsworthy has been the Mayor of West Pittston for13 years and serves on such committees as the Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Wilkes-Barre Chamber Government Committee. Goldsworthy has also been a member of the Pennsylvania Economy League since 1987 and in 1995 he was appointed to the Luzerne County Board of Assistance by Governor Robert Casey. He was also appointed to the Municipal Police Officers Training and Education Commission in 2002 by Governor Tom Ridge.

Bill Goldsworthy is fed up with the mistreatment of budgets and the neglect of the people of Pennsylvania. He believes a budget submitted 101 days late is unacceptable and the people deserve better.

“This hurt so many people, besides the State employees who didn’t get a paycheck, it hurt dependant agencies that deal with our elderly, our youth and our special need individuals,” Goldsworthy said.

Goldsworthy will also strive to make sure revenues from casino gambling are used toward lowering property tax with his ultimate goal of eliminating property tax. If elected, Bill Goldsworthy vows that he will not accept per diems and he will not be part of any midnight budget deals.
He believes the people of Pennsylvania were lied to concerning the gambling money and his work as State Rep. will be geared toward seeing that money is used properly to protect the people.

“I will work to install the training needed by all of our police officers for the safety and protection of all our residents,” Goldsworthy stated.
Bill graduated from Wyoming Are High School in 1972 and received his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Wilkes University in 1976. He and his wife, Jannet, reside in West Pittston and have four children, Brandon, Carrie, Karyn, and Aimee.

For more information, call Bill at 570-237-1810

Pennsylvania's Constitution Article II Section 8

Section 8. Compensation.
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.

Nowhere is there a provision for per diems, pensions, healthcare benefits, cellphones, or state paid cars. It is time our legislators obey the law.

Per Diem, I Just Came To Get My Per Diem

At a time when a budget deal is announced in Harrisburg you have people like Brad Bumsted over at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review highlighting legislative excesses costing taxpayers big time. In this article he chronicles the catering bills paid for our legislators while they collect their per diem, an allowance part of which is to pay for meals. It's not only double dipping but it demonstrates the audacity of our legislators to lavish themselves while people are losing their jobs or going without health insurance.

Try $680 at Papa John's on March 10, 2008.

That same day, the House spent $4,612 on food from Zia's catering.

They spread the pizza purchases around.

On March 17, 2008, the House spent:

• $160 at Monte Carlo's Pizza

• $1,351 at Brother's Pizza

• $690 at Papa John's

• and $936 at Mama's Pizza, according to House records.

That's $3,137 worth of pizza -- in one day.

At an average, say, of $12 per pizza, that's 261 pies.

For opening-day ceremonies on Jan. 1, 2007, the catering tab was $15,000 from Our Daily Bread in Harrisburg. Of course, a lot of family and friends were fed that day as well.

Catering from Cantone's restaurant in July 2007 was $9,750.

Zia's catering was paid $5,150 on July 16 of that year.

The cost of per diems for the House then was about $29,000 per day.

During the 2008 budget impasse (very short by this year's standards), the House fed lawmakers on June 29 and 30, and July 2, 3 and 4.

On June 29, there were catering tabs for $6,175 from C & J Catering and $6,964 from Zia's.

That was $13, 319, or $65 per member.

Staffers undoubtedly take their share, so the per-member figure probably was a lot less.

On July 4, 2008, the House splurged -- if that's possible.

Because lawmakers had to work on Independence Day, they pulled out all stops with a $20,550 tab from Premier Catering. There are part-time workers in the commonwealth who would like to make that much in a year.

It's double dipping, pure and simple.

On many other days when they receive per diems now worth $158, lawmakers eat on the lobbyists' dime.

Very few if any legislators reduce per diems because they're getting free chow.

The House comptroller has said that if lawmakers eat meals provided by the chief clerk, they don't have to deduct that from their per diems. If they eat out, they are supposed to do so.

Lawmakers who eat free are pocketing lots of money.

On former Rep. Frank LaGrotta's blog (lagrottablog.blogspot.com), the Lawrence County Democrat recently recalled a song sung regularly by former Rep. Gerard Kosinski, a Philadelphia Democrat, whenever the House took the master roll call, to the tune of "Maria" from "West Side Story":

Per diem,

I just got another per diem.

For coming to the floor.

And doing nothing more,

All day ...

Per diem ...

My goal is to save my per diem.

To eat and drink all day,

While lobbyists, they pay,

For me ...

Democrats Already Worried About 2010

The vultures are already lining up. The casket companies have a stimulus package of their own ready for legislators who see a "fatal end" to their terms (not really but you need a little humor in this political business).

The Associated Press is reporting on TimesLeader.com that House Democrats could be facing stiff competition from the political headwind and fallout over continuing job losses. The bank failure catastrophe is far from over and healthcare reform lost more gas than was gained by selling fuel efficient cars in the Cash For Clunkers program.

The liberal media is in the tank with newspapers closing shop, radio stations consolidating in the hopes of stemming losses, and Jay Leno trying to help NBC from what looks like a serious injury that could possibly result in a slow death. In their quest to help Democrats win, the media lost credibility. In the Democratic quest to win they forgot one undeniable tenet. You must deliver what the people want. Businesses know they must continue to do so if they want sustainable growth.

One must have the right goals in mind to keep on winning. Democrats are not in tune with what the nation really wants. The last election was a reflection on how fed up people were with George Bush. Instead of learning from that victory the Dems are following the same path through different methods and judging by the polling numbers are quickly finding out that narcissm only serves the master not the mass.

Luzerne County and Pennsylvania government are the same animal. Each has demonstrated a pompus arrogance toward the people they represent. Their own games are more important than serving the people.

Today's Standard Speaker article by Robert Swift highlights my points very well. The caucuses are more important than the people they represent. After reading the article I am having a hard time separating out mob culture from caucus mores. "You follow our rules, you vote the way we say, or you will find yourself a very lonely person."

The views expressed in the caucus meeting shape the voting on the House and Senate floor. This can make reaching across the aisle for bipartisan agreement more difficult as demonstrated by the long deadlock over the state budget, now 75 days overdue.

The partisan divide that has held up the budget deal is reinforced by the culture of King Caucus. While not mentioned in the state Constitution, the four caucuses are an outgrowth of an entrenched two-party system. State laws give the caucuses legitimacy and provide extra salary for caucus leaders.

I guess Paul Kanjorski won't be having Potatoes O'Brien any time soon for breakfast. Roderick Random(aka Borys) talks about the race between Corey O'Brien and Kanjo next spring.
Kanjorski's problem comes when he tries to divorce himself from the banking industry. His inaction landed us smack in the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression. People are not going to forget that no matter how much air time he receives on CNBC.

Time To Vote Out The Pennsylvania Legislature

For the past year I highlighted the extreme bloatedness of our Pennsylvania legislature. The shenanigans aka Bonusgate carried on by its members and staff is little surprise once you read the details about its makeup. Bonusgate proved that the size of the staff is to man elections, not address voter concerns.

Thanks to Brad Bumsted over at the Pittsburgh Tribune Review a breakdown of its components exposes the real reason Pennsylvania taxpayers are footing the bill unnecessarily.

Pennsylvania is the sixth-largest state, has 4 percent of the nation's population, but features the largest legislative staff in the nation with 2,919 employees working for the House and Senate.

Why? The state Legislature is one of the most partisan legislatures in the country and because lawmakers -- at your expense -- have created a perpetual re-election machine with their Harrisburg and district office staff.

Pennsylvania has a larger legislative staff than California, Texas, New York, Florida or Illinois, according to an updated survey from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
There's no sharing, of course, in the Keystone State. All four caucuses -- House and Senate Democrats and House and Senate Republicans -- have their own empires, from information technology to video services and public relations, to legal and committee staff.

There is no single place you can look up the combined taxpayers' cost of these legislative staffers. Suffice it to say it is probably now over $100 million. It was $94 million in 2004, based on Trib calculations of actual payroll records.

Ever wonder who's crunching all those numbers in this state's pitiful budget impasse now in its third month? The combined salaries of all four caucuses' appropriations staffs are $3.8 million. There are 13 employees making more than $90,000 a year.

Greg Jordan, the Senate Republicans' appropriations director, is paid $111,500. The Democrats' executive director, Randy Albright, gets $161,727.

In the House, Miriam Fox, the House Democrats' budget director, is paid $152,035.

Ed Nolan, executive director for the House Republican Appropriations Committee staff, tops out at $183,602, according to House records.

The House Democrat and Republican appropriations committees each spend about $1.1 million on staff. Salaries for Senate Republican budget staff total $731,000. The Senate Democrats' appropriations staff is paid roughly $830,000, according to payroll records.

It's little wonder Pennsylvania ranked at or near the top nationwide in every category measuring the cost of running legislatures, according to NCSL. It costs taxpayers about $310 million for the nation's largest full-time legislature.

In Pennsylvania, it costs $95.7 million to run the Senate, $180 million to operate the House, $7.8 million for the Legislative Reference Bureau and $26.7 million for various legislative councils and commissions.

Even if you factor out the legislative commissions, you're spending about $283 million to run the 253-member General Assembly.

These details plus the Bonusgate arrests should draw the ire of the voters to vote every incumbent out of office. A message needs to be sent about taxation, another Tea Party if you will. At a cost of over a million per Member people should be outraged. Harrisburg has become its own mob operation. Its time to end it. Where is Elliot Ness when you need him? But that really isn't true. What is needed are voters to exercise their right at election time. It will cost a whole lot less and get much better results.

More John Paul Jones Emails

The following emails were found in the file of CP-22-CR-0004656-2008 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Vs. Michael Veon located at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg as part of a public records disclosure.

From: Eric Buxton [mailto: govercom email address]
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 2:06PM
To: Jones, John Paul
Subject: Re:

Good, I didn't like the map either. No problem.

Jones, John Paul wrote:

Ok, hate to do this after you put in the time, but Todd said no on the map. As a result we can shift the two boxes to the left side, and then use the attached picture for the bottom right. Then delete "Change for the Better" and add in "Better Ideas, Better Government...Better Pennsylvania" Center this over the right side. Then underneath the banner and on top of the photo lets put in a link...."New Democratic Majority Puts forth Guiding Principles" and link it to http://www.pahouse.com/publications/demletters/. Maybe we can add in a picture of the dome beside the link to make it look official.

John Jones
Rep. Todd Eachus
717.787.4819

Here is the finsihed product.




From Eric Buxton
Sent: WEdnesday, January 03, 2007 2:18 PM
To: Jones, John Paul
Subject: Re:
Yeah, I can get it. Is this pic of Todd just being used as filler content? Or do you want the New Democratic Majority...incorporated in the picture, and make the whole image a link?

Jones, John Paul wrote:

you don't have the house logo somewhere do you...that might be better than another picture of the capitol to take up some room in that mid-right section


From: Eric Buxton
Sent: January 03, 2007 3:11 PM
To: Jones, John Paul
Subject: Re:

make it live?
http://www.toddeachus.com

Jones, John Paul wrote:

I'd kind of envisioned it as filler content...but mess around with it and let me know what you think looks best.

From: Eric Buxton
Sent: January 03, 2007 3:43 PM
To: Jones, John Paul
Subject: Re:

all good now

Jones, John Paul wrote:

when you click on the "Guiding Principles" link it takes you to the "Contribute" tab

From: Eric Buxton
Sent: Wed Jan 03 15:53:10 PM 2007
To: Jones, John Paul
Subject: Re:

fixed

Jones, John Paul wrote:

when you click on the Click and Pledge link it takes you to their site and has our phone number on it...thats a govt. line...can we delete?

From "Jones, John Paul" [mailto: JPJones@pahouse.net]
To: eric email address
Sent: 2007, 01.03 Wed, 16:55:01
Subject: Re:

Attachments:

Ok...thanks for the help. I will review with todd and staff and get back to you in the next day or so.

From: Jones, John Paul
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 4:55 PM
To: Eachus, Todd
Cc: Caton, Bob; Palermo, David; Manzo, Rachel
Subject: TODDEACHUS.COM

Please click on the following link ( http://www.toddeachus.com/index.htm ) to review the rough draft of the Eachus political website. It's not yet technically live, so let me know what you think? Bob Caton will be drafting a political press release from todd about taking the majority we can post to it..and Dave if you have any ideas about local content, please let me know.

Thanks

John Jones
Rep. Todd Eachus
717.787.4819

From: Caton, Bob
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 10:45 AM
To Jones, John Paul; Eachus, Todd
Cc: Palermo, David; Manzo, Rachel
Subject: RE: TODDEACHUS.COM

Can someone set me up with a bob@toddeachus.com address for press releases, please?

From: Jones, John Paul
To: Eric Buxton
Sent: 2007, 01.04 Thu, 11:46:15
Subject: FW: TODDEACHUS.COM

Attachments:

Eric,
Can you set this up for Bob please....and i need password for info@toddeachus.com

Also, can we set these up with the webmail instead of vmail.

Eachus said he was "startled" to learn of Rachel Manzo's alleged involvement because her work for the policy committee had been "exemplary." Nevertheless, he said he suspended her without pay on the day the presentments were handed up. Times Leader article Page: 1A
STEVE MOCARSKY and RORY SWEENEY smocarsky@timesleader.com, rsweeney@timesleader.com Monday August 4, 2008

David Palermo still doesn't get it. He uses his pahouse.net email address for non-governmental work. Besides working for Todd Eachus he is treasurer of his political campaign.

8/30 UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PAHOUSE.NET ADDRESS FOR DAVID PALERMO HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE LINK. HOWEVER I AM NOT CHANGING MY POST SINCE IT WAS CORRECT ON THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

Corruption In Pennsylvania- Who Knew

Did you know that the Texas legislature which is 150 members strong meets for 140 days every two years to complete its work? Thank Karl Rove for that statistic. Did you know that the Texas Senate, unlike other state legislatures, does not include majority or minority leaders? Did you know that both Representatives and Senators in Texas are paid $7,200.00 annually? In addition, they are paid a "per diem" of $128 for every day of the legislative session, making their total just over $25,000 per year.

What is "Political Culture"? Let's take a look at this link from the University of Texas.

Simply put, political culture is a people's shared framework of values, beliefs, and habits of behavior related to government and politics. These ideals and patterns of behavior develop over time and affect the political life of a state, region or country.

More specifically, the concept of political culture refers to how we view the following four aspects of politics, government and society:

the relationship between government and the people

rights and responsibility of the people

obligations of government

limits on governmental authority

Political culture is important because it establishes the backdrop against which politics unfolds. It establishes the outer limits of what is possible, or even probable, in the political realm.

An interesting article, Corruption: No Longer an Iffy Proposition in Pennsylvania, from Franklin and Marshall inspired this post. I think their analysis is right on the mark.

The question is no longer a speculative one. No longer can we ask "if" corruption, widespread and systematic, is returning full bloom to Pennsylvania. Instead, it is now time to ask "why" - why after an absence of a quarter of a century, the blight of public corruption has returned to the Keystone State.

4. Pennsylvania's Zero-Sum Legislative Politics - Driving this feverish push for campaign cash is Pennsylvania's not well understood "zero-sum" legislative politics. In the General Assembly power is concentrated in the hands of the majority caucus. The party that holds a numerical majority in each chamber gets to decide almost anything and everything that matters in state government. In the instant case, that means control over the $29 billion Pennsylvania budget and virtually every major policy decision made by state government, such as Governor Rendell's health care, energy, and education recommendations and most certainly how the state closes the $2.3 to $2.9 billion deficit it faces.

Control of the agenda allows the majority to wield virtually dictatorial power, all of which reduces the minority to mere bystander status. Aggravating this is the current closeness of House control - with one party holding a majority by only a few seats - rendering competition fierce. This situation helps to create a legislature where winning is everything, setting in place an inexorable set of dynamics that explain in part the activities that led to the recent "bonusgate" indictments.

Judge Suggests Mediation In Bonusgate Files Case

by The Associated Press
Friday March 13, 2009, 1:27 PM
A judge is giving both sides a few days to consider mediation as a way to settle a dispute over who should control House Democrats' files involving the legislative bonus investigation.

Dauphin County Judge Lawrence Clark on Friday said the Democratic caucus and its former legal consultant, Bill Chadwick, should consider having a retired county judge help them settle the matter. Clark is giving both sides until noon Wednesday to decide if that's the route they want to take.

On Friday, Clark also heard from lawyers for others who are also involved in the investigation and who want to have a say in what happens to the files.

FULL LISTING 2008 HOUSE AND SENATE SALARIES

As a follow up to my post on salaries of employees of the Pennsylvania Legislature that earn more than their bosses I compiled some figures from these tables.

The total for House employees listed is $4,989,300.35. The total for the Senate employees is $4,119,465.00. Source: Chief Clerk's Office, Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Pennsylvania State Senate.

Almost $10 million a year and we still have Bonusgate. Almost $10 million per year and Todd Eachus needed to hire outside counsel.

As far as Bonusgate and its costs go here's what the Morning Call had to say on the subject.

Recapping then, strike one was the secret and corrupt system by which state employees used taxpayer resources to help their bosses be re-elected. Strike two was the diversion of state funds to pay them extra for work they shouldn't have been doing in the first place. And the worst part of strike three is now that Bonusgate has come to light, taxpayers are being stuck with both the costs of prosecution (by the attorney general's office and two grand juries) and defense -- the $5.8 million for lawyers and other costs just disclosed. (By the way, it took a Right to Know complaint by the Associated Press to make that public. If it were up to the legislative leaders, it still would be a secret.)

To me it would appear $5 million seems to be a ball park throw around figure when you want to waste taxpayer's money.