As a State Representative, Mike Schlossberg is paid a salary of $84,012. Last year, he also received approximately $18,000 in per diems and mileage expenses. These extras are about $1,000 more than the per capita income of an Allentown resident. if you put it all together, he is paid about $102,000.
For that kind of money, I think we are all entitled to a State Representative who is not moonlighting in the middle of the work week, doing something else. But Schlossberg is doing his best to pick up a few bucks here and there as a "social media consultant."
Maybe he should send his resume to NorCo Exec John Brown. He loves consultants.
Anyhoo, Schlossberg is playing hookey on Thursday, February 12. I'm not sure if the state house is in session that day. If it is, Schlossberg better recruit someone to do some ghost voting for him. He's been hired by the Chamber of Commerce to teach the Nazareth Business Council "Blogging Boot Camp". Naturally, the class will be in Bethlehem.
While there, Schlossberg will also shill his book, "Tweets and Consequences." It's selling for just $10.49.
Must be a real page turner.
Here's what I think. Professor Schlossberg should pay Pennsylvania $279.45 for a day in which he has chosen to enrich himself instead of do his job.
30 comments:
Schoenberg is a self-serving lightweight who is only in office because an avocado could be elected in his district if it was a democrat.
Schlossberg
Will you be attending? Word on the street is a certain shock jock from A-town will be attending along with the dour buttinsky
The guy worked for the Chamber. This is the problem with the Lehigh Valley political-business inbreeding.
You have Ianneli's people in all levels of government, feeding each other money. You have his VP married to the LVEDC president.
This is the incestuous money relationship all these people have with one another.
You find this surprising? I find it surprising you find it surprising. They are all in this for themselves. Nothing but Bullshit.
The salary of a Pa. representative, the 2nd highest in the country, is outrageous...
The guy runs rampant over in Lehigh County. The municipalities over there fall over him like he is some sort of political savant. He shows up at their meetings, basically makes them listen to him and then disappears. Classic politician in the making there with this fellow. As others mention he is a light weight.
Shame on Schlossberg! The new governor should call him on this.
Shame shame shame.
How is this legal? How is he allowed to teach a course middle of the day? Bet he has a book signing table too.
I don't have a problem with anyone making money. But...I have day job. I can't work two jobs at once. So, if I elect to do something 'else' I would have to take vacation or do it on my off time. Why are the reps any different? If I'm missing something here let me hear it.
Wait a minute. Did the chamber pay Schlossberg? It's not clear to me that he's "enriching" himself. The chamber always charges members for their talks. I don't know if they pay their speakers
Isn't the chamber comprised of some of Schlossberg's constituents? Schlossberg is an experienced social media host - it does appear to be an area of expertise for him. (I mean, as much as anyone can be an expert in these things.) He's quite good at it, too. He has a knack for striking the right balance online between humor, personal life and politics. I think a lot of people can learn from that.
I don't have a problem with it, quite frankly.
A better person to lead a discussion on blogging would be O'Hare himself, and Molovinsky. That's where the deep expertise lies. But that's another topic.
In terms of anon 6:24 complaining that Schlossberg "runs rampant all over the Lehigh Valley..." isn't that his job? If he were never here, you'd be complaining about that!
In terms of the book...well, good for him. If it's legal to take an income from book sales, then I don't have a problem with that, either.
I love ya, Bernie. i have no problem with you holding Schlossberg accountable for this. I'm fairly certain he'll stop by the blog himself to defend himself, since that seems to be his style. I guess we'll see! Just chiming in with my 2 cents. It's an interesting dilemma. I'm surprised to see such vitriol regarding this.
I dont have a problem with Bernie posting anything here on any politicians ...dem or republican...left or right...because i want to read it all and form my own judgment. Because i know how awful the media is around the valley. Its places like here that i usually come upon stuff i wont see in local media...or if i do i dont trust withe slants and cronyism that seems to be pervasive
"How is this legal? How is he allowed to teach a course middle of the day? Bet he has a book signing table too."
It's completely legal, and it stinks to high heaven. How many state reps. have law practices? Even if Schlossberg is doing this gratis for the Chamber, he is hawking his book and letting local businesses know he is available. As one of my friends tells me, once these bastards get elected, they think they've been coronated and can do whatever they want.
Monkey Momma, I refer to my previous comment. To me, a state rep who is being paid $102,000 per year owes his constituents his complete and undivided attention. He should not, in the middle of a work week, be hawking his book or letting poor businesses know they should hire him. I do have a problem with it. In my view, it is time to ban outside incomes. And he should reimburse the taxpayers for the $279 he embezzles on 2./14.
"I have day job. I can't work two jobs at once. So, if I elect to do something 'else' I would have to take vacation or do it on my off time. Why are the reps any different? If I'm missing something here let me hear it."
He can pretty much go on vacation 52 weeks a year and the only remedy is at the ballot box. When he does something like this, which is totally unrelated to his job as a legislator, he should reimburse the state taxpayers.
I admit that I would not be able to survive a full day in a classroom full of kids but the day in a life of a PA state representative:
NO PROBLEMO!
Pennsylvania needs reform . Too many ,of too many things.Being a Commonwealth, also means redundancy of costs. This Representative could be working on legislation to reform TAX FREE entities ,or the constant abuse of handicapped parking by what I term 'LAZY FAT BUMS". Social media does matter for it can be real time information. If he does not function then a dereliction of duty issue is present.
Schlossberg, why not do something productive and initiate legislation that will reduce the size of the legislature by 50%.
The peoples of Pennsylvania will be forever grateful!
I'd like him to take the $18,000 he receives in perk money and give it to a charity that benefits his constituents. It's obscene to me that he gets more in perk money than is paid to the average Allentown worker.
$Bernie$-It's more than $279.00 its benefit packages and office expenses that run 3 times that amount.Pubic expenses are funds from the tax payer they could have to use for their own personal qualities of life's labor. Maybe his office needs an audit based on his exhibitions.You know how I feel about corrupt politicians in relation to standing bridges.
Thank you for calling attention to this, Bernie. Sadly it isn't surprising, but that doesn't mean it should be swept under the rug.
He was a disciple of Don Cunningham. he knows how to falsely smooze with the best of them.
Feeders feed, Bernie. Just another day at the buffet.
None, of either party, shall call him on this.
As for the C of C dupes, I hope he rips 'em off good. I see a C of C sticker on the door or the cash register, I take my biz elsewhere. They buy into this and other nonsense, they get what they deserve.
Gunther's pal, Garfield-in-a-suit, is laughing all the way to teh bank.
-Clem
That's all him and Sweyer do all day is post pictures of them at events doing nothing what a wasted week in Harriburg and we the people on pension put up with this shit we are really the silent majority.
Just back from the inauguration. Great party, even if I had to bring my own Yuengling. Everyone was really kind and supportive. A few suggested I hire a plumber, which I didn't understand at all.
Schlossberg shouldn't teach the class - Bernie should. With Steve Barron as his teaching assistant.
Mike should have stayed in NJ. We don't need Jersey politics in Pennsy !
I'm with K. Diedre Kane. No elected official in PA should have to schlep their own Lager into H'burg on hijinks night.
I hear K. Diedre Kane beat up some dudes and arm wrestled Lisa Boscola at the bar. They laughed. They cursed. They were thrown out of the Brick Haus. Good times.
Greggy's newest letter is pure gold
What gets me is that Schloss never started or grew a business at any time so why would a true successful business owner pay to listen to his political bullshit stupid thinking?
Here's legislation to initiate and conservatively, $600 million tax dollars to be had:
http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/philly420/Philly420_Is_Pa_smoking_2_billion_of_marijuana.html
Allentown's West End elected Mike thinking he would serve with integrity. Why don't his constituents challenge his behavior. It would be one thing if he volunteered for this event, did not sell his books, and forbid the Chamber to charge a fee, but this self-serving event speaks volumes. It's very sad.
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