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On the Issues
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State Government Reform The legislature has made some minor reforms by changing their internal rules. A new open records law is currently in the works, but we will not be able to judge its merits until it is put into practice. A lobbyist disclosure bill was passed, but it is far from the best such law in America. Other than these items, there have been no other structural reforms made to the way Harrisburg operates. Pennsylvanians want to talk about reducing the size of the legislature, enacting term limits, creating a part-time legislature, redefining the way we apportion legislative districts, making elections more fair and other major changes in the way state government is constructed. None of these issues will receive a fair hearing if we leave it strictly to the General Assembly. Quite simply, legislators cannot be objective about many of these issues - not because they are bad people, but because they are too intimately connected to the system as is. I support a limited constitutional convention to address these issues. Such a convention should be populated and conducted by the citizens of Pennsylvania, not elected officials. I have already authored legislation, the Citizens' Constitutional Act of 2009, to make this happen. I intend to circulate this legislation for co-sponsorship as one of my first priorities in office. Property Taxes The General Assembly has been attempting to "do something" about property taxes for over 30 years without any real results. They've tried a number of different schemes, all of which have either been negated or minimized by local tax increases or rejected outright by the citizenry and/or school boards. Pennsylvanians have consistently opined that they are not too keen on a tax shift for a reduction in property taxes, but they are willing to shift taxes if property taxes are eliminated completely. I agree wholeheartedly, as property ownership is one of our most fundamental rights. There have been plans advanced in Pennsylvania to eliminate property taxes, but it seems the legislature gets bogged down in debates over how to "replace the revenue." When this occurs, the potential winners and losers line up and offer enough resistance to take eliminating property taxes off the table. I don't believe it has to be this way. If we truly want to eliminate property taxes, we should do it with a constitutional amendment that abolishes them by a date certain, without any mandates on how to replace revenue. If such an amendment were to be first passed by the legislature during the 2009-10 session, a date of July 1, 2013 could be set for property taxes to be eliminated permanently. The legislature would then have up to four years to figure out how to replace the revenue. This would give the General Assembly a deadline by which it must complete the task. By abolishing them via a constitutional amendment, lawmakers would never be able to resurrect property taxes unless the voters at large concur. I intend to propose such an amendment upon my election as the representative of the 101st district. |
Government Growth The Republican principles of limited government and individual liberty depend on the ability of government to become and remain efficient. Growth in government only impedes on the ability of citizens to prosper because government has no resources of its own. In order to do anything, government must first take something from the people.. There are a number of plans to limit government growth in Pennsylvania by statute or by constitutional amendment. I would support any such plan that would cap public sector growth in a reasonable and sound manner. I believe, however, that a better way might be to simply elect people who are not willing to approve any government spending plan that exceeds the rate of inflation and population growth. I intend to be one of those people. Beyond this, I will seek out ways to cut government spending so the people of the 101st district can keep more of the money they earn and spend it in a manner more appropriate to their families' needs. Other Issues I will decline to enroll in the legislative pension system. I will decline any and all "per diem" payments. I will decline any and all extra compensation above the baseline legislative salary. I will decline and/or return any and all cost of living increases during my elected term. I will decline any vehicle benefits other than actual mileage reimbursement for using my personal vehicle while on official business. I will not participate in, produce or air any "public service announcement" radio or TV commercials including my image or name. I will limit district newsletters to four per year, and will not use voter registration information as my mailing list. I will post all taxpayer-reimbursed expenses online on a monthly and cumulative basis. I support the individual right to keep and bear arms as enumerated by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and more importantly, Article I, Section 21 of the PA Constitution. I do not support spending tax dollars for the benefit of professional sports teams or any for-profit private concern. If the market thinks such "economic development" is a good idea, private investors will surely line up to provide the required financing. I support severely curtailing the activities of lobbyists in Harrisburg, to include a complete ban on gifts to any public official. There is no conceivable reason why special interests should have more access to legislators than their constituents do. I am pro-life. I will not use the office of the representative of the 101st district to secure or enhance government employment opportunities for family members. |
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