We The People Must Protest
5/29/2009
As of May 31, 2009 there are only 30 days left before the state budget deadline. April's revenue shortfall was more than $900 million. Our budget deficit is now projected to be $3 billion.
Admitting to the largest budget deficit in Pennsylvania government's history, the governor still proposes to increase spending by hundreds of millions of dollars over last year's budget.
Many of us believe that as we debate the budget, we should put Pennsylvania Taxpayers First! The average citizen understands that you cannot spend more money than you make. Our state spending must be reduced and prioritized for the good of our state's taxpayers and the future of our economy.
Are the $29 billion that the governor wants to spend legitimate expenditures of state taxpayer dollars or are there expenditures in the budget that are solely for the governor and his friends' political benefit to gain favor with voters at election time?
I submit the following excerpt from a story reported in the:
Sunday News (Lancaster, PA) - March 5, 2006
Author: Helen Colwell Adams
"Yes, he was an hour and 19 minutes late for the Democratic rally on Saturday, but Gov. Ed Rendell had a novel way to apologize for his tardiness. He mixed it with a campaign challenge. Produce 95 percent of the record-setting vote the Democrats got two years ago for John Kerry, and the governor will give state Rep. Mike Sturla and Mayor Rick Gray 'one free request' for state money."
The rally was reportedly hosted by Mayor Gray's campaign committee. The governor was reported to have offered state tax dollars toward projects in exchange for successful campaign work, while talking at a Democrat rally.
Is that a legitimate expenditure of tax dollars or a corrupt use of tax dollars?
Another example of this administration's misuse of tax dollars includes using our taxpayer resources as collateral for and to facilitate a loan for Boscov's, when the governor's campaign has reportedly received well over $100,000 from Albert Boscov in campaign donations.
Further more, an excerpt from an article in the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, on April 8, 2009, regarding a motion pending before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court last month read:
"And it turns out that Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's Office of General Counsel was negotiating this potentially lucrative no-bid contingency fee contract with Bailey Perrin at the same time that the firm's founding partner, F. Kenneth Bailey, was making repeated campaign contributions totaling more than $90,000 to the Democratic governor's 2006 re-election bid. Janssen's motion seeks to invalidate the contingency-fee arrangement and lays out a detailed timeline of Mr. Bailey's political contributions and the subsequent actions of the governor's office."
If these actions are taking place during the light of day, what is happening behind closed doors?
The original design and purpose of our government was to serve the people; it has been corrupted by self-serving politicians, lifelong bureaucrats and special interests.
How can we end the abuses and the corruption of state government?
The answer is, "Government of the people, by the people and for the people."
The taxpayers of Pennsylvania, who pay for the government must take control of their government once again.
The majority of people who walk the halls of the state Capitol are people who are asking for more of the taxpayers' dollars for their own special interests.
Those of us who are fighting for a responsible, balanced state budget, with no tax or fee increases, need the help of the taxpayers who pay for the budget.
I invite you to join me on June 9, 2009, for the Pennsylvania State Capitol Taxpayers' Protest. For more information on how you can join the fight for responsible government, please visit www.statecapitolprotest.com.
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