I make fun of New Jersey politics on a fairly regular basis, but every once in a while, my legislators in Pennsylvania put on a show as bad, if not worse, than their equivalents in NJ.
Case in point: last year, the legislators voted to raise their own salaries in direct contravention with the Pennsylvania constitution. When a public hue and cry ensued, they then decided to take the raises as “unvouchered expenses” instead of actual “salary”, a ploy so thin, even the most slow-witted of Commonwealth resident could see right through. Apparently, the PA Supreme Court consists entirely of individuals dumber than the most slow-witted Commonwealth resident, as they allowed the raises to stand. When pressed further, the legislators “selflessly” then raised the salaries of a host of state judges and executive officials. Further public reaction eventually forced the majority of the legislators to return the money and a pending lawsuit aims to force the holdouts to do likewise.
Much of the pressure was orchestrated by local newspapers and Pennsylvania bloggers and the high-minded, upstanding, genteel (sarcasm!) legislators are looking for payback, apparently:
Team 4 has a voicemail recording of Democratic State Rep. Tim Solobay, of Canonsburg, saying that state lawmakers are preparing an all-out assault on the media. Solobay hints that the first volley is a bill that would start charging sales tax on all advertising in Pennsylvania.
Solobay left the voicemail message for editor Cody Knotts, who works at The Weekly Recorder, in Claysville, Washington County.
In the message, Solobay says, “But you know, for the most part, the majority of the legislative feeling about the media right now is if there’s something they can do to screw them, you can imagine it may occur.”
Can you believe the unmitigated gall of these people? Do they honestly think that we PA residents are that dumb?
I, personally, swear that if any such legislation is passed, I will do my utmost to get every last legislator that votes for such vindictive crap thrown out of Harrisburg. I will fundraise, I will sign petitions, I will go door-to-door, I will even run for office myself. Anything I have to do, I will.
Others, however, are even less-pleased than I, ‘twould appear.
Sheesh.
