The state Legislature is composed of 253 members who combined spend $325 million a year in taxpayer money.
Members are free to spend over $1 million on their office and staff each year without any published accounting. They are free to purchase or lease any services they want, including automobiles, office space/equipment, travel/meal/entertainment, etc., without oversight or public accounting.
People can freely donate money (campaign contributions) to legislators and few legislators leave office with a lower net worth then when they were elected. The tax money that legislators spend on their office is in addition to money they authorize other state agencies to spend. Is it any wonder that legislators want to protect their jobs by controlling how people can vote?
Is it any wonder that these legislators want to protect their jobs by continuing the process of gerrymandering, which severely limits the voting rights of half of Pennsylvania’s voters? They now want to impeach state judges that created more balanced voting districts and are threatening to cut funding for the judicial system.
Larry Busack, Monaca