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Per diems & Legislature’s size

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By Tribune-Review

Published: Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 9:00 p.m.
 Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

With his news story “Pennsylvania legislators ring up $3.9 million in per diems” (Jan. 14 and TribLIVE.com), Brad Bumsted has again opened our eyes to the question raised every year: Why do we need so many legislators in Pennsylvania?

It is pretty obvious from the lists of top 10 House and Senate per diem recipients that something is totally out of control. The lists do not even mention others who may be reaping similar per diem benefits, but nevertheless, the problem exists and changes need to be made.

It is time to reduce the number of legislators in Harrisburg. Doing more with less might be the logical answer, because they're going to put a slip in for their work anyway. How about a 12-month work schedule? How about a reduction in offices?

There are many financial problems in Pennsylvania, as in many other states. Why don't the voters, the taxpayers, resolve this problem on Election Day? Time to rethink our priorities and justify the need for the overabundance of these people.

Joe Poniewaz

Lincoln Place

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Submitted by: Peter K on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Reducing the size of the Legislature is the wrong answer, unless ther are other reforms. Moving from 203 to 153 will still leave us with more than Texas. The big difference Texas still believes in the Citizen-Legislator, has a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. Ours is the 4th highest paid Legislature in the US. (Which they vpted themselves.) Let us reduce their pay and their over-the-top perks,which makes us the MOST EXPENSIVE in the US. This was never meant to be a full-time job.


Submitted by: Walter on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Yadda...Yadda...Yadda. Every year or two we hear the same call to reduce the size of our state representatives and cut spending. It AIN'T going to happen. None of these so call reps are going to fire themselves. Take a pill and chill out. I learned years ago anything you hear from any representative is nothing but lip service.
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