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New legislators can dictate change

Over $300 million.

That is what it costs Pennsylvania taxpayers to support the largest, most expensive, most inept and self-serving legislature in the country.

In the last year, our legislators have enacted the following somewhat major bills:

They relaxed the state liquor laws, and they kicked the can down the alley with modest pension reforms. The also legalized medical marijuana and passed a weak gun reform law.

There were also a number of minor bills that do not affect the majority of peoples’ lives — for over $300 million.

I wish we had ethical people in our legislature.

Ethical people would admit it is a part-time job and adjust their lavish salary and benefits accordingly. Ethical people would allow us to have a constitutional convention (it has been over 60 years). Ethical people would allow us to have referendums on important issues that affect all of us.

Some examples of these would be term limits, eliminating the onerous and unfair property tax, and reducing the size of the legislature (there was such a proposal brought up last fall in the chambers, but it died such a quiet death no one even bothered to call an ambulance).

Ethical people would not allow one person to block a bill that benefits all of the citizens and taxpayers of the commonwealth.

Ethical people would take action against the actions that rank Pennsylvania the fifth-most corrupt state in the nation.

We have a number of new legislators in Harrisburg this year. Will they make the changes to the culture in the state capitol, or will they become more of the same old Pennsylvania politicians?

Don Sheridan

Cresson

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