No Pay for State Workers, No Pay for Elected Officials

[larrymeyer]

Elect him again please


No Pay for State Workers, No Pay for Elected Officials
By: Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Lower Paxton)

Recently, the governor decided that he would be willing to approve a preliminary budget, in order for state workers to get paid by the middle of August. This does not make him a knight in shining armor riding in on his white horse, as he would like the public to think. This makes him a governor who is just now doing something about the policy he himself implemented at the beginning of this budget process. It is, in fact, the governor’s own policy decision to make state workers continue to come to work without getting paid or, as he did in 2007, to furlough certain state workers. This is not a state law.

Needless to say, it has been extremely frustrating to me to see thousands of state workers, many of whom I represent, be subject to the governor’s whims year after year. They should not be used as collateral in the governor’s budget game. Knowing how the budget process has gone in previous years under the current administration, I decided to initiate legislation in May that would penalize the governor, and other elected officials, in the event of a budget impasse. I sponsored similar legislation last year and felt it was imperative that this idea be brought to the table once again.

My legislation would require the forfeiture of the salaries of executive-level officials, including the governor and the secretary of the budget, as well as members of the General Assembly, when there is a budget impasse beyond July 1 of any fiscal year. Salaries will be forfeited, and not returned, from July 1 until the date the budget is enacted. As it stands now, the governor and legislators do not get paid during a budget impasse. However, pay is given in arrears after the budget has passed. I don’t think this is enough.

It is my hope that my legislation will get budgets passed on time, regardless of the fiscal challenges the Commonwealth may be facing. Maybe if the governor doesn’t get paid during a budget impasse he will have a personal incentive to get this done in a timely fashion.

While I understand the tough issues at hand during budget discussions, public officials should simply not be paid when they are unable to come to a spending agreement. I completely understand the frustration of Pennsylvanians, because I, myself, feel the same frustration.

Rep. Ronald Marsico
105th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(717) 652-3721
(717) 783-2014
Member Site: RonMarsico.com
Member Email: rmarsico@pahousegop.com
Contact: Autumn R. Southard
House Republican Public Relations
(717) 787-2946
Caucus Site: PAHouseGOP.com

[tdyoung58]

but I'm sure the welfare drools got their checks for nothing

[Eugene V. Debs]

From the standpoint of scoring political points, this press release and legislation is absolutely brilliant. I'm very fucking impressed. It takes a smooth political operator to appeal to unionized state workers and budget hawks at the same time.

[mjfletcher]

If this ever gets a bill number I'll be contacting my reps to support it.

[YBNORMAL]

Sounds good to me!

we need more than this though, this does not strike fear into the minds of the representatives. A guy that has enough money to have a primary and multiple secondary residences is not going to be hurting for a few or even 6 months of unpaid time.

how about something that hits them where it really hurts, the very SEAT they occupy in .gov.

not just voting them out when they are up for re-election.

rant over, sorry.

[Kurt_M]

I like this, but also agree with YBNORMAL. A loss of a few weeks or months pay isn't a big deal to many of these guys. I would like to see the system set up so they pass a budget on time or they lose their seat and the ability to run for office again in the future. Once the budget is not passed, the current government become lame ducks and a special election is held several months later to install a new one. There is NO EXCUSE for them to screw with people's lives the way they have for the last few years. It's an embarrassment to our state.

[s.vermeire]

but I'm sure the welfare drools got their checks for nothing

Yes "welfare" checks (not that they use paper checks anymore) are still going out and as a state employee I'm damn glad they are. It means I'll be able to get food stamps so I can at least feed my kids while I'm working without pay. Still haven't figured out how I'm going to put gas in the car so I can continue to go to work.

[andrewjs18]

I too will be contacting my rep when it gets a bill number.

[mjfletcher]

I like this, but also agree with YBNORMAL. A loss of a few weeks or months pay isn't a big deal to many of these guys. I would like to see the system set up so they pass a budget on time or they lose their seat and the ability to run for office again in the future. Once the budget is not passed, the current government become lame ducks and a special election is held several months later to install a new one. There is NO EXCUSE for them to screw with people's lives the way they have for the last few years. It's an embarrassment to our state.

Only problem with that is people who are trying to do what's right, or at least whats closest to right, will get screwed. Every year that he's been in office Rendell has put forward a totally unreasonable budget with large deficits and calls for increases in taxes to cover it. The legislature won't just rubber stamp it because it screws everyone and they tell R to rein in the spending, he refuses, we end up with a budget that doesn't get passed until after the new fiscal year has started.

Whos wrong, the Governor who wants to increase spending creating deficits and taxes to cover them?
The Legislature thats trying to force the Governor to embrace a responsible fiscal policy by refusing to pass his budget and repeatedly sending it back to him to be rewritten?
Both because at any time one or the other could just fold and end the impasse?

Something needs to be done, but just saying "pass a budget or you're out" isn't going to fix the problem, itll just lead to budgets being passed just to avoid being fired. An amendment to the State Constitution prohibiting budgets that exceed the previous fiscal years revenues would be a good start.

[goofin]

Boy thats just grand, state employees having to collect food stamps because the asshole governor and legislators cant pass a budget. sounds like its time to revolt and start burning the capital.