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January 17, 2007
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Columns Forging Reform
By "Citizen Mike" Folmer
Ever since 23 incumbent state legislators were defeated
last year in the wake of the pay raise fiasco, "reform" has become the buzzword
in Harrisburg. This is at once refreshing and challenging. Our State Government
is in dire need of being more accessible and accountable to the people, but the
process of reform is not an easy one.
Indeed, on the very first day of the 191st
session, my colleagues in the Senate and I made substantive improvements to our
official operating rules. Included in these changes was a requirement that
legislators' votes be posted on the Internet within 24 hours, which is a major
plank from my "Promise to Pennsylvania" platform. We also put an end to
late-night voting, and we implemented a six-hour waiting period between the time
bills are amended and the time they are voted on. These reforms are a good
start, but we have much more to do.
The challenge before us is that the concept of reform grows
increasingly ambiguous, with reform being in the eye of the beholder. Much of
what is being passed off as reform is not reform at all, but rather "feel good"
initiatives designed to appease the electorate.
Two commonly mentioned "reforms" are reducing the size of
the legislature, and limiting campaign contributions. Neither of these measures
would increase legislators' accountability to the people.
The Way Forward
First and foremost, we need to limit the amount of time
legislators can serve in either the House or the Senate to 12 years. As Thomas
Jefferson said so sagely, "When a man casts a longing eye on office, rottenness
begins in his conduct."
Secondly, we need to ban gifts from lobbyists to
legislators, and force former legislators to wait five years before lobbying the
General Assembly.
Finally, we need to put more teeth in our Open Records Law
as well as our Sunshine Law, such that the news media and the taxpayers have
much greater access to the transactions in state government.
Key to the entire effort of reform will be a citizenry that
remains as vigilant as it was during last year's elections.
I am optimistic that we can again have open and honest
government, and I will do my small part as a State Senator to bring it about.
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