The protest rally is over--SO, WHAT NOW?

THE PAY RAISE: Angry taxpayers' petitions are signed. The protest rally is over. The repeal bills are ready.

SO, WHAT NOW?

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

BY CHARLES THOMPSON Of The Patriot-News

The outrage was easy. Now comes the hard part.

One day after a "Rock the Capital" rally that drew an estimated 2,000 to protest this summer's pay raises for state officials, event organizers acknowledged yesterday that their biggest objectives are still in front of them.

Those are translating voter discontent over the raises of 16 percent to 54 percent into political action that rescinds all or part of them, and transforming the legislative process that allowed the law to pass.

"This is a political marathon, and we need to pace ourselves," said Eric Epstein, a rally organizer.

"But we also need to produce some tangible results."

Lawmakers have introduced bills to repeal the raise. A lawsuit has been filed challenging the constitutionality of allowing lawmakers to get their midterm raises through unvouchered expenses. A second suit is expected in federal court next week. And several efforts have been launched to unseat incumbents.

But all are uphill fights.

Legislators and Gov. Ed Rendell don't run for re-election until next year, giving them months to try to change the channel on political dialogue in Harrisburg to property tax reform or other issues.

Many lawmakers clearly want the raises and do not want to revisit the issue on the House or Senate floor. So sponsors of bills to repeal the raises will have to demonstrate overwhelming support just to get leaders to bring their bills to votes.

They don't appear to have found that support, even though 98 of 203 House members and 25 of 50 senators have renounced the unvouchered expense payments, which are designed to skirt a constitutional ban on midterm raises. Rendell has thrown his support to their elimination.

"I don't find much in the way of buyer's remorse in terms of members who voted for it," one House Republican said yesterday about pay raise discussions in the GOP caucus. "Most of the members who spoke [for consideration of the repeal bills] had already voted no and weren't taking the money."

Interest in repeals seemed even weaker in the Democratic caucus, where many members represent regions where polls show voter concern over the raises is noticeably milder. A top aide to House Minority Leader H. William DeWeese, D-Greene, put the chance of quick action on a repeal bill at "about officially zero."

In the courts, midstate activist Gene Stilp is challenging the constitutionality of the pay-raise bill in Commonwealth Court on several grounds, including the use of unvouchered expenses and the creation of a salary tier for committee chairmen.

A second lawsuit is expected to be filed in federal court next week, charging a pattern of violations of the state constitution that the suit will say add up to civil rights violations under the U.S. Constitution.

Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said, "We think the depravity [in the lawmaking process] has risen to such a level that ... it's time for the federal courts to put the hammer down and say, 'Pennsylvania, you've got to straighten up and fly right.'"

Russ Diamond, a Lebanon County businessman, has launched a Web-based campaign -- PACleanSweep.com -- to find opponents for all lawmakers who seek new terms in 2006.

Diamond's site claims 32 candidates signed up to run under the "Operation Clean Sweep" banner.

The founder of a reform coalition known as Democracy Rising has launched a starter project for those who can't wait for 2006.

Timothy Potts is challenging state voters to vote against state Supreme Court Justices Sandra Schultz Newman and Russell Nigro in this fall's judicial retention elections. As with all judges seeking new 10-year terms, voters are given a yes-no choice to retain the incumbents.

"This is the one way that people can take direct action against the pay raise this year," Potts said in a recent interview. "Because the reason the Legislature acts the way it does is that the Supreme Court says it's OK."

Some veterans of Capitol Hill reform efforts believe the electoral efforts are the key.

"There have to be electoral consequences for the General Assembly to learn that it went too far," said Ed Krebs, a former House member from Lebanon County.

It won't be easy, Krebs added, in an age of computerized redistricting designed to minimize political risk for incumbents, and the ability to spend lavishly on any candidates perceived to be in truly competitive races.

But reform advocates see opportunities for change.

"We have to demonstrate that citizens can make a difference and make some changes. ... The alternative is kind of frightening," Kauffman said.

CHARLES THOMPSON: 705-5724 or cthompson@patriot-news.com

©2005 The Patriot-News

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1127899303320940.xml?pennncap&coll=1

Vice Chairman of Voter Education

http://www.ycop.org

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

http://www.InformedPA.com