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Brian O'Neill: Pa. voters, beware — slippery ballot question ahead (TRICK QUESTION ON PA POLL)
post-gazette.com ^

Posted on 10/24/2016 3:13:29 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA

Pennsylvania has a ballot question almost certain to pass this November because most voters won’t know what it means.

One of the things it may mean is that baby boomers can’t admit we’re getting old.

The ballot question goes like this: “Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to require that justices of the Supreme Court, judges and magisterial district judges be retired on the last day of the calendar year in which they attain the age of 75 years?”

Sounds pretty reasonable, right? Jurists, who enjoy about as secure an elected position as exists, shouldn’t serve forever.

What you may not know, though, is that the mandatory retirement age is now 70. This ballot question is about giving judges five more years on the bench, not limiting them further.

Berwood Yost, chief methodologist for the Franklin & Marshall Poll, published a piece in last Sunday’s Post-Gazette about the ballot language. He found in a split-ballot experiment that voters presented with the current wording tended to vote “yes.” When asked if justices should be able to retire at 75 instead of 70, however, most say no.

(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: election; pa; pennsylvania; trickquestion
Pennsylvanians, Vote NO to this question. This ballot question ballot is about giving judges five more years on the bench, not limiting them further.
1 posted on 10/24/2016 3:13:29 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA
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To: Red in Blue PA

If these judges are in or near Philly or Pitt, then we need to see exactly how dangerous they are. And if they are slated to be replaced by worse.

Wolf needs to be hobbled, not enhanced.


2 posted on 10/24/2016 4:25:12 PM PDT by Celerity
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To: Red in Blue PA
The ballot question goes like this: “Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to require that justices of the Supreme Court, judges and magisterial district judges be retired on the last day of the calendar year in which they attain the age of 75 years?”
[snip]
What you may not know, though, is that the mandatory retirement age is now 70. This ballot question is about giving judges five more years on the bench, not limiting them further.

Years ago I read where the Los Angeles City Councilmen had been trying for years to have their citizens vote them a pay raise - and they consistently refused.

They hired a promoter, who had them propose a new law at the next election, to the tune that "Under no circumstance shall the members of the City Council be paid more than the City judges".

Voters, sick an tired of the Councilmen always whining about a pay raise, said "Friggin' Ay" and overwhelmingly voted "Yes".

Turned out the City judges made four times as much as the Councilmen, and them, having no shame, immediately jacked up their salary four times to parity with the judges, claiming they were "making up for all the times they were refused."

3 posted on 10/24/2016 4:44:54 PM PDT by Oatka (Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young.)
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To: Red in Blue PA

I have no problem with good judges being able to serve five more years.

Some of the finest jurists have been “senior judges”.


4 posted on 10/24/2016 4:50:36 PM PDT by lightman (I'm nobody special...just a follower of the siren call of the Ison.)
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To: Red in Blue PA

What you may not know, though, is that the mandatory retirement age is now 70. This ballot question is about giving judges five more years on the bench, not limiting them further.

as long as they dont collect pension while still sitting on the bench who cares ? right ?


5 posted on 10/24/2016 5:08:21 PM PDT by ATOMIC_PUNK (I think therefore im Dangerous to the liberal agenda !)
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