Changes to the Legislature

I will fight to end the "culture of entitlement" that pervades Harrisburg.

My proposed changes will save taxpayers, millions of dollars and will better the lives of constituents and all the people of Pennsylvania.

Regarding Ethics and Perks:

• Strengthen ethics rules and compel enforcement including the restoration of Ethics Committee budget cuts. This past year their jurisdiction was expanded and their already thin budget cut by 10%. Is this the message we want to send to the people of Pennsylvania who already hold the Legislature in low esteem?
• Eliminate WAMs and return the current reported $200 million reserves to the general fund. Our courts ruled in 1995 that these slush funds controlled by the Leadership of both parties were illegal. Continuing the practice behind a veil of secrecy makes a mockery of our legislative system and our legal system.
• Eliminate Per diems and require receipts for all reimbursed expenses. Per diems amount to tax-free perks just for showing up at work.
• Legislators should not be permitted to regulate industries in which they hold a personal financial interest.

Other changes:

• Reduce the size of the state's 16,000-plus vehicle auto fleet and sharply curtail their use by elected members of the Legislature. This is an unnecessary luxury as well as a burdensome expense in these trying times.
• Follow the recommendations of a Grand Jury investigation earlier this year that recommended sharp reductions in the size of the Legislative staff. They offered persuasive evidence that as much as three-fourths of the Legislative staff is unnecessary. This is why we have the most expensive Legislature in the U.S. -- not a statistic to be proud of, nor one we can afford.
• Combine offices that are currently duplicated by both caucuses, virtually doubling the cost to the taxpayers.
• Extend the current 2-year House term to four years and impose mandatory term limits.. Two year-terms force our Legislators into campaign mode almost as soon as they take office.