Pennsylvania Legislators Slash Education Funding While Keeping Their Own Bloated Benefits Intact

[JPZenger]

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/12/some_former_pennsylvania_lawma.html

The GOP controls both the State House and State Senate by large margins. The Governor's Office and State Legislature are proposing only a one or two percent cut to their own budgets. The legislature and their staffs are only paying ONE PERCENT of their health insurance costs. The Legislature is proposing to keep their own bloated benefits. Shared pain, my buttocks.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of low income Pennsylvanians have been cut from the basic health insurance roles. Many poor school districts face a 15% cut in their funding provided by the State. Public and state-related universities face a 50 to 52% cut in their state funding (which is totally separate from any stimulus money).

The following is an excerpt from a December 2010 Harrisburg Patriot-News that describes these benefits. Meanwhile, they complain because teachers get a modest pension after 30 or so years.
----
Excerpts:

"Six former legislators are eligible to receive pension payments topping $100,000 a year, a Patriot-News analysis reveals. Eighteen others are eligible to receive maximum yearly pensions ranging between $17,295 and $92,761.

The recently departed House members could be eligible for taxpayer-paid lifetime medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits, according to the House Chief Clerk’s office. Their spouses and children up to age 26 can receive those benefits. Former House members are eligible for fully-paid long-term health care coverage that can be transferred to their surviving spouse until they die or re-marry. Outgoing House members must be 50 years old with 10 years of state government service to be eligible for post-retirement health benefits. Those House members UNDER 50 YEARS OLD with 10 years of service in the Legislature can qualify for those benefits as well.

Retired state senators with at least eight years of service are eligible for a medical, dental, vision, drug and long-term care benefits package ... The spouses of retired senators can also collect such benefits. Departing lawmakers can begin collecting pension benefits at 50 years of age with FIVE YEARS of service."

---
Here's another opinion of this issue:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11111/1140725-57-0.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Bravo to the LTTE writer in the Post Gazette.

This is disgusting, and I only wish that there was something that we, the people of PA, could do to stop this. We are only important when it comes to voting and paying taxes, and since too many people are swayed by big money in political campaigns, I guess all they need from us is our taxes.