59: “The S.O.B.s are Doing it Again!”

Late Sunday night we passed on a warning to you from Tim Potts at Democracy Rising, that there was a good chance the General Assembly would try to pass the new property tax relief bill in the same unconstitutional manner that they used to pass the Gambling Bill two years ago, and the Midnight Pay Raise last year. Sneaky, and without benefit of the due process of public airing.

The Pennsylvania Constitution, Section 2 states:

Consideration of Bills
Section 4.
Every bill shall be considered on three different days in each House. All amendments made thereto shall be printed for the use of the members before the final vote is taken on the bill and before the final vote is taken, upon written request addressed to the presiding officer of either House by at least twenty-five percent of the members elected to that House, any bill shall be read at length in that House. No bill shall become a law, unless on its final passage the vote is taken by yeas and nays, the names of the persons voting for and against it are entered on the journal, and a majority of the members elected to each House is recorded thereon as voting in its favor.

And…

Revenue Bills
Section 10.
All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose amendments as in other bills.

In contrast, we learn from several sources this morning that the S.O.B.s of our State Government, including the collusionary Governor, agreed to a final form of the homeowners’ relief tax bill (a revenue bill) in a joint committee of leaders of both houses, and the Senate will pass it today and the House tomorrow.

What is the definition of “three days”?

Here is how Harrisburg Online put it:

Is this a winner?...the six-member House/Senate Conference Committee yesterday evening voted unanimously for a compromise proposal to provide some relief from local property taxes for Pennsylvania homeowners...the proposed legislation - if passed by the House and Senate - will not produce any actual cash relief for anyone until next year when hundreds of thousands of low income seniors will receive some relief from property taxes paid this year...$200-million to fund this start-up of the program will be "borrowed" from the State Lottery surplus...the plan also provides for property tax relief to all homeowners - not likely until 2008-2009 - thru revenues generated from yet to be licensed slots parlors...Governor Ed Rendell has urged legislators of both parties to vote for the Conference Committee report...the bill is expected to be voted in the Senate today and tomorrow in the State House...

We strongly urge all of you readers to stop this dead in its tracks. These people are breaking the law by moving in this manner, and they are doing so purely to for political purposes. There is a Primary Election two weeks from tomorrow, and the leadership members of the General Assembly who are up for reelection actually have to campaign this year because of voter anger over past transgressions like the Gambling bill, Pay Raise, and many other sins such as violating this section of Article 2 of the Pennsylvania Constitution:

Compensation
Section 8.
The members of the General Assembly shall receive such salary and mileage for egular 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.

Per diems are compensation. Vehicles and vehicle rentals are compensation. Buying tens of thousands of dollars worth of books for your private library using state funds is compensation. Unvouchered expenses are compensation (hear that Mr. Maitland?). Keeping money from an unconstitutionally passed pay raise, that also violates the second part of Article 2, Section 8 above: “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.” (Hear that Mr. Maitland? PAY BACK THE ILLEGAL & UNCONSTITUTIONAL MONEY!).

A few weeks ago, activist and Citizen-Patriot Hero Gene Stilp walked the 26 miles from Chip Brightbill’s home to the Capitol. He did so to demonstrate that Brightbill was not entitled to mileage reimbursement, yet he takes it anyway.

This is the kind of thievery that happens on a daily basis and seldom gets reported to you.

Please call your Representatives and Senators RIGHT NOW and tell them, no, DEMAND that they vote no on this bill.

If you know your Representative or Senator’s name or the district in which you live, you can find their phone numbers at this address:

Pennsylvania Senate List (click on the name of your Senator).

Pennsylvania House of Representatives List (click on the name of your Representative).

Stop this illegal action dead in its tracks. You have a Constitutional right to have the General Assembly act within the limits of the Pennsylvania Constitution. They are not doing so with this bill, and they exceed those limits often.

Send a message!

On top of all that, the bill is a non-starter. Once again “Fast Eddie” is trying to force the gambling revenue rejected by approximately 400 of the 502 school districts in the Commonwealth. How high a percentage have to say “NO” before this greedy governor ‘gets it’?

Further, why is it necessary to borrow 200 million from the State Lottery when the governor knows full well he has been collecting double that and more each year he has been in office in excess revenues over expected collections? That is, each year he has been in office, the state has collected $400-600 million (each year) in excess of the budgeted amount expected.

Send a message NOW! And remember it two weeks from now when you get in the voting booth! You will be voting, won’t you?

THE CENTRIST

“Kick the hubris out of Harrisburg!” -- THE CENTRIST

"It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs." -- Albert Einstein

Remember in May! Before you vote, GettysBLOG!

Copyright © 2006: “THE CENTRIST”. All Rights Reserved.