Bill McIntyre

Email:  mcintyreb@verizon.net

August 2, 2008

To:  Friends of Responsible Government

 Subject:  Free Lessons?

Dear Friends,

                If you believe we have a state government above reproach and are satisfied with the happenings in Harrisburg; you might consider deleting this letter and save your time by not reading further.  Yesterday, I read an article by Mark Scolford of the Associated Press titled – “Caucus uses taxes for $1.4M legal bills.”  More on this subject will follow. 

                In the past week, I’ve added several hundred additional names to my address book; many in the print and broadcast media.  To the media I have just one request; keep reporting on the good and bad that happens in our capital.  I can assure you there is far more bad than good.

                As an introduction to yours truly; I’ve been writing many letters to and about our government ever since the pay grab of 2005 that was reversed by public pressure.  One of the letters provoked the ire of a state senator who replied, telling me to “get a life.”  He, along with many other spoiled and pampered legislators gave me a new life – to help rid the capital of the corruption and culture of entitlements and excesses that presently exist.

                In all fairness, we have many good legislators who oppose the present culture in Harrisburg.  The problem is they are in the minority and not the majority.  When one committee chairperson has the power to deny reform focused bills, or any bill, the right to be debated and voted on; the system has broken down and must be repaired.  This will happen only by public pressure; the sooner, the better.  They will not reform themselves.  Can you say - Constitutional Convention! 

                The latest scandal to hit Harrisburg has been termed “Bonusgate.”  It’s an alleged multi-million dollar illegal bonus payment setup to award staffers who performed campaign-related work on state-related work time.  It is estimated that House and Senate staffers were paid $3.6 million of taxpayer’s money during the 2005-06 session.  A preliminary hearing for the first dozen accused is set for October 7, 2008.

                Now if this wasn’t bad enough, in Mark’s article mentioned in the first paragraph, I learned the taxpayers are on the hook for an additional $1.4 million in legal fees.  So far that’s $5 million it’s costing us, the taxpayers of Pennsylvania.  If you or I were accused of a crime; do you think the state (our tax money) would pay for our legal defense?  It’s like rubbing salt into an open wound!

                President Harry Truman once said – “My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician.  And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference.  I, for one, believe the piano player job to be much more honorable than current politicians.”  I would have said the current majority in the, err, statehouse.

                                                                                                Taking piano lessons,

                                                                                                Bill McIntyre

                                                                                                So I can teach politicians to play for free

CC:  Executive, Legislative & Judicial Branches of PA Government

        All in my address book