Jingle those bells all you want, but Grinch elected public officials steal a bit of our Christmas every year.

by Dick Miller

The last few years the Grinches are easier to identify in Washington, DC.  Too many of the 535 Federal lawmakers put the salvation of their high-paid seats ahead of our country.  Christmas comes every day for them.  At $174,000 per year, they are paid five times the average American wage only because they won the last election in their districts and have a pulse.

Just in case some voters are getting wise, incumbents have an opportunity every ten years to move some of us in or out of their districts.   Officially reapportionment” implies a measure that keeps our government on an even keel.

“Gerrymandering” is the more common name.  This process keeps incumbents in office, regardless of their record.

In Harrisburg, we have at least reduced the Grinches to 253 in number, and their ritual is more on holiday schedule.  They get a pay raise at the start of every new term.  Like their Federal counterparts, they rely on “gerrymandering” and incumbency advantages too numerous to mention.

Their script has two plot lines.  The “not as low” road is an announcement by your local state lawmakers they will return the pay raise to the state treasury.

The better alternative (for the lawmaker, not us) is to donate the raise to a local charity.  A bi-annual event occurring every other November 30, this move by your local state lawmaker has multiple benefits.

First, everyone associated with the charity receiving your “gift” are likely to vote for you next time.  You get some decent publicity.  Best of all, no matter how much of your salary given away (or returned to the treasurer); your pension is still calculated on the higher amount.

When confronted by skeptics, the “pat” answer is the law does not allow them to not accept the pay raise.  As lawmakers, why can’t they change the law?  This question is seldom asked and never answered.

Finally, your elected county commissioners and some council members in PA cities and boroughs play the budget game.  In October or November, the proposed annual budget includes a hefty and unacceptable tax increase.

As taxpayers begin to fret about how they will pay this increase, the local elected officials put on their white hats and announce “we worked hard to trim the fat from this budget.  There will be no tax increase after all.”

Throughout the land, taxpayers rejoice.  “Peace on Earth” will only cost as much as last year.

County Commissioners are not exactly full time but are paid full time salaries.  Decent paying jobs where there is little accountability for time spent and no score on productivity, elected county officials are part of an archaic system.  Service rates far below getting re-elected.

When tax increases are implemented, they occur according to a system. There is never a tax increase in the year before re-election.  Most hikes are implemented immediately after an election, the result of a demand obviously more frightful than voter backlash.

Shortly after Christmas, local newspapers published a story announcing each job on the ballot at the coming election, the pay and duties of
each, who holds the office now and if he or she planned to run again. For a variety of pathetic reasons, those stories no longer appear.

Many incumbents don’t announce their intentions to run again until after the petition filing deadline.  A successful “sneak” means they will  run unopposed.

“Happy Holidays” from your elected officeholders.