(Second Thoughts) Fast Eddie Rendell Outplayed The Hungry GOP Legislators

County Press ^ | 9-7-05 | William W. Lawrence

[Temple Owl]

Say what you want about Democratic Governor Fast Eddie Rendell, it appears that he neatly ambushed the Republican legislature.

I think he planned all along to set the Republicans up with their very unpopular pay raise.

When it first happened in July, he said it's the law and that was all he was going to say about it.

But, after the letters, phone calls and e-mails - as expected - poured in, he said he was against it.

Many of the legislators soon decided that they were also against the "unvouchered pay raise" but most felt they are entitled to the 16 to 34 percent raise that will come due next year.

Republican House Speaker John Perzel, the most powerful person in the Legislature, on his first day back in Harrisburg, refused to talk about it.

"There's nothing to talk about," he said. "It was passed on July 7."

I suspect that attitude will cause a number of Harrisburg Republicans to be replaced by Democrats, and Fast Eddie will be smiling.

***

Fast Eddie is urging us to conserve gasoline and is considering more far-reaching steps if gas prices continue to rise. He is talking about rationing fuel or suspending the state's 31-cent-per-gallon fuel tax.

If Eddie really wants to save gas and cut the cost of delivering goods, he'd end the tolls on the Turnpike. Delays and slowdowns at toll booths have been shown to cause a notable waste in gasoline.

[Temple Owl]

Fast Eddie really did it to our overpaid heroes.

[Temple Owl]

I have a hunch that there will be a few of our greedy legislators sent into forced retirement

[EagleUSA]

If it is for real, the Repubs are so passive anyway, anyone could put one over on them...they are a total disappointment.

[Temple Owl]

A total disappointment indeed. We need a good housecleaning in Harrisburg,

[chiefqc]

He signed the authorization, he said it was legal and did'nt want to hear anymore about it, he said he wanted to lower the tax on gas, he said blag, blah blah. The only one that he is looking out for is himself, first, last and always.

[Tribune7]

I think you may be right.

[oldtimer2]

Check this link

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1481294/posts

It seems some Republicans recognise the danger and are taking steps to fix it.

[codder too]

106,000 signatures on a "Petition Of Rejection" (of the pay raise), have arrived via snail mail or on line to our local talk show station, WHP 580, in Harrisburg, and there is still time for more to arrive from all over the Commonwealth before they are presented at a rally on the Capitol Steps in Harrisburg, later this month. The response has been huge. Stay tuned...Rendell and the rest are about to get the message from BOTH sides of the aisle.

WHP is a big station and can be heard into NJ, VA etc.etc. but not really so far west in the state. Word of the petition has spread from border to border and thousands are signing on the web site or on forms that have been down loaded from the web site and show up at county fairs and the like. The Internet has done it's job once again. The people,who are the "Government" are speaking.

[Tribune7]

ping

[Temple Owl]

The people,who are the "Government" are speaking.

I hope and pray that you are right. There is a 98 percent retention rate of these clowns. What we need is term limits.