tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post4933288782032748537..comments2024-03-28T18:10:03.580-04:00Comments on Lehigh Valley Ramblings: What Good Government Reforms Would You Make?Bernie O'Harehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-6460395335678368042016-05-15T09:07:30.913-04:002016-05-15T09:07:30.913-04:00You are right Bernie that PA is a state in need of...You are right Bernie that PA is a state in need of reform. As you probably know, the Center for Public Integrity published a data driven report in 2015 in which it rated state governments on various measures of integrity and gave PA an F characterizing it as "an entrenched culture of malfeasance." An attorney in our state ethics commission agreed that we have a very weak ethics statute. My proposal for reform is to focus on the local level and establish a robust ethics program for municipalities. This is more that just a code of ethics passed as a resolution such as Bethlehem has currently. An ethics program includes ongoing education of elected and administrative officials to raise their awareness of conflicts of interest, a procedure for them to seek clarification and guidance about conflicts, investigation of conflicts, etc. The gold standard for local ethics programs is to have an autonomous board of ethics independent of political influence with a budget for investigation and legal counsel. Easton has such a board (though not entirely independent since the mayor appoints the members). Addressing ethics at the local level is important. See an opensource document, "Local Government Ethics Programs in a Nutshell" by Robert Wechsler, "local government is where the individuals who become state & federal representatives too often experience their first poor ethics environment, learn the wrong rules, misplace their loyalty, and begin to feel a special entitlement." Instituting good government practices at the local level may be more doable in the short run with long run benefits than some of the other suggestions. bhdiamondnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-51459302242853446042016-05-15T01:55:35.864-04:002016-05-15T01:55:35.864-04:00Rather than term limits, place "None of the A...Rather than term limits, place "None of the Above" on the ballot for every elective office. If "None of the Above" wins a majority or plurality of the votes, the other candidates are disqualified and a new slate of candidates (including "None of the Above") must be drawn for a new election. Lather, rinse and repeat until someone other than "None of the Above" receives a majority of the votes.Doc Rockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040918921881197906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-73191248423758552432016-05-15T00:42:55.156-04:002016-05-15T00:42:55.156-04:00Term limits will insure that a person will be more...Term limits will insure that a person will be more concerned with what they will do afterwards with no pension or chance of being re-elected. Selling out more readily to ensure a good paying job after office.<br /><br />I believe therefore that Term limits to be the least effective in the way of reform, may make it worse, and should be left to the voters at the polls.<br /><br />I also believe number 5 is non-negotiable a must.<br /><br /> 5. End gerrymandering by establishing independent commissions to do the redistricting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-44617771568584659132016-05-15T00:09:50.976-04:002016-05-15T00:09:50.976-04:0011. Ban gifts of any kind, on a state and local le...11. Ban gifts of any kind, on a state and local level.<br /><br />Although this is in my top six, it does not address the revolving door of gifting though a lucrative job after serving. Nor does it address gifting by being able to purchase properties at inflated prices from politicians or their families.<br /><br />Although sweet hearting a job for a family member or directly to an ex politician or buying a property at an inflated price, from same, is not technically a gift it is a pay-off of a kind.<br /><br />I have no idea how this can be addressed.<br /><br />Both Obama and Rubio did a funky real estate deal. This demonstrates it happens on both sides and probably happens with other tangible assets on the state and local level as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-7465672564983550412016-05-14T20:05:04.489-04:002016-05-14T20:05:04.489-04:00Term limits need to be SHORT - enough to discourag...Term limits need to be SHORT - enough to discourage long standing alliances with contractors, vendors etc. Some body should be vetting each expense, every time, to ensure that we the public are getting the best possible result from our money.<br />How are people living locally entitled to any per diem?<br />Elections shouldn't necessarily be a matter of the wealthiest wins.<br />Elected officials should be entitled to the same health insurance as the rest of us.<br />Some great thoughts in this conversation..Localnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-63156015165321378062016-05-13T20:21:38.428-04:002016-05-13T20:21:38.428-04:00Ok, either way, you might want to check out this p...Ok, either way, you might want to check out this paper from MIT about the effectiveness of term limits in the North Carolina state house. It may work here because our legislatures are so different, but the other reforms on your list may be better to focus on.<br /><br />http://economics.mit.edu/files/1222<br /><br />There are also similar results out of California, and I imagine there are plenty more studies of the experiences of governments who have enacted these reforms. <br /><br />http://www.ppic.org/main/pressrelease.asp?i=522<br />(this is just a press release about the California study, but a PDF of the paper is available via the link at the right under "publication")<br /><br /><br />–3:00Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-359965744566275532016-05-13T20:04:39.380-04:002016-05-13T20:04:39.380-04:00some people find public service rewarding and not ...some people find public service rewarding and not as a career path of a pension. Some actually do it to help good people. Not every elected or appointed official is in it for a buck. Yes there are scum bags like the Joe Emrick of the world from being a public trough licking teach to a house seat but not everyone is a douche low life like Emrick.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-29045423506310948832016-05-13T19:54:02.270-04:002016-05-13T19:54:02.270-04:00I still disagree.If a person is low-income, as you...I still disagree.If a person is low-income, as you say, or even middle income, the salary paid by the state house does not exactly ask that person to make a sacrifice. The whole point is to discourage people from making politics a career. It should be regarded as public service, not a career path. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-48050461929031365942016-05-13T19:48:21.465-04:002016-05-13T19:48:21.465-04:00"Disagree. It would in fact deter people in a..."Disagree. It would in fact deter people in any income bracket from making politics a career.<br />3:14 PM"<br /><br /><br />Well, yes, but it would disproportionately discourage people who are not wealthy from running for office. If you had a low income and not a lot of savings, and you had to resign from a full-time state job to run for office, how would you support yourself and your family through the election? And what if you lost? You would just be stuck without a job, likely without a whole lot of prospects to find a new job. Discouraging people from spending a career in politics may or may not be a worthwhile goal (there is a real argument to be made that an experienced government is better than a government made up of mostly inexperienced people), but I think we can agree that discouraging people from entering public service at all would be really bad.<br /><br />And if the idea is to discourage people from becoming career politicians, then both of these reforms would be redundant anyway, if term limits or consecutive term limits were in place.<br /><br />–3:00Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-27046167510338750562016-05-13T17:01:25.182-04:002016-05-13T17:01:25.182-04:00 I am not interested in igratuitous insults. I am not interested in igratuitous insults. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-62364350704266379922016-05-13T16:47:45.865-04:002016-05-13T16:47:45.865-04:00How about passing an IQ test before running for a ...How about passing an IQ test before running for a givermint seat.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01055114235890728616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-4867199870253185082016-05-13T16:32:48.949-04:002016-05-13T16:32:48.949-04:00Reduction of size of legislature makes the most se...Reduction of size of legislature makes the most sense but will likely be ignored by the oxen who chose not to thin their herds.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-33980837183163032082016-05-13T16:05:10.081-04:002016-05-13T16:05:10.081-04:00I never agreed with term limits in the past. Howev...I never agreed with term limits in the past. However, since people have proven that they hate all public officials but their own and the power of money, I now agree.<br /><br />Term limits on all public offices.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-60474568874067341792016-05-13T15:20:29.872-04:002016-05-13T15:20:29.872-04:00A Rep candidate like Emrick will make all the righ...A Rep candidate like Emrick will make all the right noises during an election but won't get s**t done once elected. The reason is because other electeds won't support "reforms" that take something from them. And he, and others just like him, will get elected and re-elected because most of their constituents aren't interested in reform. They just want someone who validates their base prejudices and beliefs about those "others". So, real reform will never happen. Ask Freeman. He has been jousting these windmills his whole life. Sorry, grumpy today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-12851505335971605392016-05-13T15:14:15.032-04:002016-05-13T15:14:15.032-04:00"Resign-to-run rules and eliminating pensions...<em>"Resign-to-run rules and eliminating pensions might have fewer low- and middle-income people are able to run for office, which would be bad in terms of creating a more representative legislature."</em><br /><br />Disagree. It would in fact deter people in any income bracket from making politics a career.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-42524644416932272982016-05-13T15:13:03.288-04:002016-05-13T15:13:03.288-04:00"Publically FLOG ALL bottom feeding bloggers?...<em>"Publically FLOG ALL bottom feeding bloggers? "</em><br /><br />I would like that, especially if I can wear a powdered wig while the punishment is being administered. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-34195142672620693812016-05-13T15:11:35.895-04:002016-05-13T15:11:35.895-04:00How about bringing back powdered wigs?How about bringing back powdered wigs?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-41910288625047022172016-05-13T15:09:07.042-04:002016-05-13T15:09:07.042-04:002:56, I understand the cynicism. A state rep like ...2:56, I understand the cynicism. A state rep like Emrick, who is being faced by Mattei, will be much more receptive about some of these measures than he would be if he had no opponent. In this climate of corruption and anger at incumbents, this is a perfect time to pitch for reform. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-61094496769586703692016-05-13T15:00:20.518-04:002016-05-13T15:00:20.518-04:00I am generally skeptical of term limits because re...I am generally skeptical of term limits because re-election is what is supposed to keep elected officials accountable to voters, but I would definitely support consecutive term limits that would not limit the number of terms able to be served, but would limit the number able to be served in a row.<br /><br />I would also like to see an independent redistricting commission, but with additional geometric constraints on the shapes of districts, for example, limiting them to 8 manmade boundaries and 2 natural boundaries, and making them no narrower at any point than 1/3 of their width at the widest point. That would prevent a lot of the ridiculous district shapes we see that can't reasonably expect to be well-represented by a single assemblyperson.<br /><br />Resign-to-run rules and eliminating pensions might have fewer low- and middle-income people are able to run for office, which would be bad in terms of creating a more representative legislature.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-59044862367131969252016-05-13T14:56:32.306-04:002016-05-13T14:56:32.306-04:00All of this mental masturbation about reform is co...All of this mental masturbation about reform is comical. All of the reforms would have to be introduced, debated, voted and passed by the very people you are looking to reform. You know, the people you voted into office in the first place bacause they told you what you wanted to hear like "I'm a TRUE conservative" or "I'm pro-life and will uphold the Second Amendment" or "I believe in the Constitution" (but have never even read it, and neither have you) or "I will stop waste, fraud and abuse and stop illegal immigration" (of any brownish people we real 'muricans don't like). Keep amusing youselves though, if it makes you feel better, because you have the gubmint you voted for and deserve.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-57945649559594509192016-05-13T14:16:14.680-04:002016-05-13T14:16:14.680-04:00Publically FLOG ALL bottom feeding bloggers?Publically FLOG ALL bottom feeding bloggers?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-69143543957475219012016-05-13T13:43:03.139-04:002016-05-13T13:43:03.139-04:00First abd foremost, as state representative candid...First abd foremost, as state representative candidate Ben Long advocates, campaign finance limits. Pennsylvania is the poster child fir corruption because it has NO campaign finance limits whatsoever. <br /><br />Second, a fair and impartial apportionment system to prevent gerrymandering. Apportionment shouldn't benefit either party, snd it certainly shouldn't protect incumbents. Robert Trotnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09125814026822005564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-47664391563270637962016-05-13T13:17:19.763-04:002016-05-13T13:17:19.763-04:00Take a look at Nebraska elections and especially t...Take a look at Nebraska elections and especially their unicameral legislatureAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-39642831636948035962016-05-13T12:52:30.255-04:002016-05-13T12:52:30.255-04:00Ok...so pick six,
2. Reduce the size of PA govern...Ok...so pick six,<br /><br />2. Reduce the size of PA government so state rep districts to have 85,000 people within. This is small enough to maintain constituent services at the current level, but large enough to eliminate 52 positions entirely.<br /><br />5. End gerrymandering by establishing independent commissions to do the redistricting.<br /><br />6. Require all candidates for statewide office to file campaign finance reports electronically so the people know immediately how the campaign is being funded.<br /><br />9. All local governments should be required to provide an Internet broadcast of every meeting. If it is too expensive, the government should be dissolved.<br /><br />11. Ban gifts of any kind, on a state and local level.<br /><br />13. Allow independent voters to participate in Primary Elections.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-59640786330258596882016-05-13T12:15:48.969-04:002016-05-13T12:15:48.969-04:00Put a spending cap and time limit on the use of ca...Put a spending cap and time limit on the use of campaign funds based on the type of election (primary or general) and position being sought (local/district, state wide or national). I believe that the courts might find that this violates the First Amendment but the perceived need to raise unlimited campaign money is at least correlated with the desire and ability of a candidate to spend an unlimited amount of money over an extended period of time. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com