Radio Smart Talk for Thursday, June 9:
Pennsylvania has one of the largest fulltime state legislatures in the country. There are 203 house members and 50 state senators. Not surprisingly, it also is one of the most expensive to operate.
Right now, there are at least four proposals that would reduce the size of the General Assembly. The latest and most sweeping bill was introduced by Democratic Senator Judy Schwank of Berks County, who happens to be the most junior member of the senate. Sen. Schwank's proposal would lop 83 seats from the House and another 10 from the Senate.
Polls have shown widespread support for shrinking the size of the legislature but lawmakers would have to agree it themselves. Critics say that will never happen and have called for a constitutional convention where citizens could have a say in the size of the legislature.
Thursday's program will feature Tim Potts of Democracy Rising PA and Barry Kauffman of Common Cause PA.
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Under the current system, where legislators act as de facto agents of various state agencies via "constituent services," and where those abilities are funded at the whims of legislative leaders, reducing the size of the legislature only puts more power in the hands of the few.
A better starting point for reforming state government is to create a definitive job description for a legislator. Only then can we decide how many legislators are required to perform those duties.
Smaller doesn't guarantee better governance. The various plans to reduce the size of the legislature are merely ploys to paint the sponsors as "reformers" without thinking the matter through.
The critics are correct. What we really need is a more holistic reform process, via a constitutional convention of citizens, which would provide a more objective approach to reforming state government.
...ask Women. Size matters
...ask one with a malignant tumor ... Size matters
And if you think these issues are not connected, certainly you must as whether the size, if u think it's corrupt, would be better if there were less of that government ie Less bad government equals less bad corrupt individuals?? So yeah the size of the "corrupt" government matters. Of course there is no sure fire trick that states this will happen, but where is the evidence that cutting government won't work or have an effect??
a baseball bat 12 inches in length doesn't work, and one 72 inches doesn't work. The right size is the one neither too large nor small that allows the batter to hit the ball.
What I observe in Harrisburg is the totality of elitism affecting the State government: gold and marble and walnut trappings, expensive suits-------and a sense of empowerment that affects the thinking of the elected to set them as superior to the average citizen.
The servants think they own the employers.
We need a CC and we need citizen-sourced referenda on the general ballot.
The citizens need to be re-empowered.
Like plants, if they are not pruned, they grow wildly in all directions and can crowd out other plants.
Pruning sends more energy into the plant base, and helps stimulate vitality.
It is definitely time to prune the PA legislature-----and they WON'T do it.
It has to come from us, the citizens.
It is our responsibility to prune what cannot prune itself.
Smaller numbers, term limits, eliminating pensions, perks, positions....or even moving toward part-time ....these are the things that a CC can address.
The legislators cannot do it. They're stuck. Overgrown. Weedy. Too Big.
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