Group uses radio ads seeking repeal of raise

Group uses radio ads seeking repeal of raise

BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

SCRANTON STAFF WRITER

A conservative group launched a radio advertising campaign Monday to pressure st ate Senate Democratic Leader Robert J. Mellow and other legislative leaders into repealing legislators' 16 to 34 percent pay raise.

The Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania advertising campaign on WILK will run th ree times a day, seven days a week for four weeks. It urges local residents to c ontact Mr. Mellow to voice their displeasure with the controversial pay raise.

"Let Sen. Mellow hear from you," the ad's narrator says. "It's time to cut taxes , roll back spending and repeal the pay raise."

The campaign also targets House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese of Greene County and Senate Majority Leader David J. Brightbill of Lebanon County. It was timed t o coincide with the first meetings of the General Assembly since it recessed aft er passing the raise in the middle of the night July 7. The Senate returned Mond ay. The House returns next Monday.

Efforts to reach Mr. Mellow were unsuccessful.

One anti-pay-raise group's aim is the defeat of legislators who voted for it.

That is not the aim of Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania, said Christopher Lil ik, the fledgling group's founder and chairman, a Clarks Summit native who lives in the Harrisburg area.

"We're not advocating election or defeat," Mr. Lilik said. "This is nonpartisan. The leaders of both parties went along with this."

Mr. Lilik believes the "unvouchered expenses" portion of the raise, which allows legislators to collect higher pay immediately, violates the state constitution' s prohibition against mid-term pay hikes.

"If our elected officials statewide pick and choose what (laws) they're going to follow, you have a dangerous precedent," he said.

The ad targeting Mr. Mellow says the senator should join "Lackawanna County lead ers in both parties" and come out against the raise. It does not mention the lea ders, but Mr. Lilik said state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr. of Scranton and for mer Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton of North Abington Township have publicly denounced th e raise. Mr. Scranton has a web site, www.repealthepayraise.com, that invites vi sitors to support repeal.

The three legislators are the latest to be targeted by the group's radio adverti sing after an effort to buy billboard advertising last month was thwarted by Lam ar Advertising's refusal to accept the ads because they attacked legislators. Th e company cited a policy against such political advertising.

Earlier ads ran on radio stations in the districts of Senate President Pro Tempo re Robert C. Jubelirer of Blair County, Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Noah W . Wenger of Lancaster County and House Democratic Whip Mike Veon of Beaver Count y. The advertising aimed at Mr. Veon and Mr. Wenger is still running while the a dvertising against Mr. Jubelirer has ended, Mr. Lilik said.

The group has raised more than $13,000 to fight for repeal of the raise, Mr. Lil ik said. The local campaign on WILK's three AM frequencies - 910 in Scranton, 98 0 in Wilkes-Barre and 1300 in Hazleton - is costing slightly less than $2,000, M r. Lilik said.

So far, none of the legislative leaders has publicly changed their mind about th e raise. Mr. Mellow has been one of its biggest defenders.

The raise increased the base pay of lawmakers from $67,647 to $81,050. But more than 80 of lawmakers and more than 90 percent of local legislators are getting m ore because the raise bill rewarded chairmen with higher pay for the first time and gives extra pay to top legislative leaders. For example, Mr. Mellow's pay we nt from $100,910 to $134,771 because he leads the Senate Democrats.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

Source: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15241755&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=416046&rfi=6

Vice Chairman of Voter Education

http://www.ycop.org

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YCOP/

http://www.InformedPA.com