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huw posted on 10/5/2009 4:43:00 PM
sounds good jason
Jason Beigh posted on 10/5/2009 3:39:00 PM
I would argue that we do not need a much smaller legislature, rather I would suggest we need a much larger citizen legislature.
New Hampshire is one of the smallest states in the Union, but has the largest legislature in our country. Their representatives are all part time lawmakers with full time jobs in their community. They are paid a few hundred dollars a year, as prescribed by their constitution. They do not have offices with large staffs, rather most of them have a small home office, and can be contacted directly day or night. Much like volunteer firemen, they feel it is their civic duty to give back to their community.
The result is a body of representatives who each have fewer constituents, have less power, make less money and are more accessible to the people they represent. Since there are so many representatives, each one of their votes has less impact, rendering them less powerful, and less of a target for lobbyists to control. Conversely, each constituent vote is more important for getting the representative elected. This makes the representative more accountable to his neighbors, and removes the incentive for one to become a career politician, because it is more or less a volunteer position, with little power.
This is the type of reform we need in Pennsylvania. We need a legislature that is in office to represent the interests of the people, not their own self interest or that of powerful lobbies.
Ed Stem posted on 10/1/2009 2:40:00 PM
It pays to fail in the PA legislature. Our legislators collected over $532,000 in per diems (reimbursements for food and hotel) in July and August. That's right in 2 months they collected this money, on top of their salaries! In the meantime day cares go unpaid. State employees are laid off. But the legislators are raking in the big bucks. It is obscene.
We need a MUCH smaller legislature.
See the article in the Pittsburgh Tribune for specific legislators.
huw posted on 9/23/2009 4:23:00 PM
if they don't do their jobs or if they infringe on our rights the voters can and should, vote them out of office. Let's not take democracy out of the hands of the voters. Have faith in our country and our democratic system. The voters are always correct.
Nathan Benefield posted on 9/23/2009 3:04:00 PM
"Handcuff them" - this would require them to do their jobs, i.e. ensure the budget is balanced.
And don't get too far down the path on why "elected officials" should haven't limits. Or do you think we don't need the Bill of Rights, because we should never fear our democratically-elected government to infringe on free speech, free religion, et. al.?
huw posted on 9/22/2009 8:14:00 PM
We elect our reps in Harrisburg,why handcuff them with these kinds of restrictions.
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