| Lehigh, Berks County, PA | November 6, 2012 Election |
 |
An Out-of-Control LegislatureBy Joseph M. HaasCandidate for State Representative; Pennsylvania State House of Representatives; District 187 |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
Pennsylvania has the second largest state legislature in the country and it is one of the most expensive to maintain. State Representatives are paid a salary of $79,613 per year, plus health benefits, pensions, travel reimbursements, and staff. While so many Pennsylvanians lack access to affordable medical care, most State Representatives and State Senators leave office eligible for lifetime health care benefits. This wildly out-of-touch system of compensation has contributed to a culture of lawlessness - in just the last three years, several high-ranking legislators on both sides of the aisle have been convicted of corruption and abuse of power, including the illegal use of taxpayer money for political campaigns. I will be a strong advocate for shrinking the legislature and reining in our obscene compensation packages. We can no longer tolerate a political culture that encourages career politicians who quickly grow out of touch with the people they are supposed to represent. Without real campaign finance reform in the Commonwealth, we will never have elected officials who are responsive to their constituents. They will always be beholden to the big money donors. I will donate any pay increase above what Social Security recipients get to our local school districts and state system of higher education. |
Candidate Page
|| Feedback to Candidate
|| This Contest
November 2012 Home (Ballot Lookup)
|| About Smart Voter
pa/state Created from information supplied by the candidate: July 30, 2012 09:23
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund.
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.