Posted on 09/26/2005 1:07:44 PM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
About 1,500 protesters stood in a steady rain on the steps of the state Capitol this afternoon to demand that the legislators huddled inside repeal the 16 to 34 percent pay raise they approved for themselves in July.
"We are revolting against the opulent lifestyle these people have given themselves with our money,'' Harrisburg radio talk show host Bob Durgin thundered.
"Do you want to repeal the raise? Do you want to get rid of legislators' car leases? Are you angry?" he asked the crowd, which boomed back "YES!" to each question.
Other speakers took to the microphone and got the demonstrators to scream "Repeal the Raise and OinkOinkOink.'' A large pink "anti-pay raise pig'' was inflated and tethered near the speakers as a symbol of the rally.
Barry Kauffman, the leader of Common Cause/Pennsylvania, announced what had been rumored for weeks -that his group is planning to file a federal lawsuit sometime next week to try to block the pay raise. He will allege that the raise, approved at 2 a.m. on July 7, violated several sections of the state constitution, including one that says a bill has to have consideration in public on three different days before being voted on. He said peopleupsetoverth raisecan'tgetafair hearing in state court because state judges, along with Gov. Ed Rendell's cabinet, were included in the pay raise bill.
Another leaderoftheprotest, Timothy Potts of a groupcalled DemocracyRisingPa., urged the crowdtovote on Nov. 8 against two sitting Supreme Court judges, Russell Nigro and Sandra Schultz Newman, who will be up for retention election.He chargedthatthe state Supreme Court routinely rubberstamps unconstitutional actions of the Legislature, such as the pay raise and the July 2004 bill legalizing slot machines, which also was passed in the middle of the night without proper public hearings, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at postgazette.com ...
Here is a Freep target.
Potts urged the crowd to vote against incumbent legislators when they seek re-election in the May 2006 primary or November 2006 general election, but said "we can send a message to incumbents this November'' by voting against Newman and Nigro.
Two Pittsburghers, brothers Gerald and Frank Schiller, held signs criticizing their legislators, Sen. Jay Costa and his brother Rep. Paul Costa, for voting for higher pay for themselves.
"The Costas cost too much,'' the signs read.
It is time to get rid of the Mobster gov.
Time for the REAL conservatives and patriots to take back Pennsylvania from 'legalized organized crime'. Message to New Jersey....you are next.
We need to rally in washington the next time the Federal Congress gives itself another pay raise.
I am here in Pennsylvania and have saved these names on my hard drive to remind me to vote against them in the next election. I will also vote against any incumbent regardless of whether or not they repeal their latest betrayal of the public trust. Maybe we can't stop the corrupt politicians from being elected, but we can make sure they never get RE-elected.
I think my guy (Vitali) voted against the pay raise.
I'm not familiar with Vitali ... he might be a rare good one ... but the trouble is that these people get together and decide who is going to vote which way depending upon how safe they are in their respective districts. The only way anything is going to change is if ALL of them understand that ALL of them will be replaced unless ALL of them oppose dirty, same old-same old, here we go again, corrupt government. Everyone thinks that their Representative is different, but they're all the same. Politics is their career and they will do whatever is necessary to hold on to their career. If they ALL understand that back door pay raises will cost them their careers then, and only then, will they change.
"the trouble is that these people get together and decide who is going to vote which way depending upon how safe they are in their respective districts"
Hmmm.....hadn't thought of that....
He voted against the pay raise BUT voted to increase the budget that will pay for those raises.
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