Bill McIntyre

Email:  mcintyreb@verizon.net




March 29, 2008 

To:  Friends of Responsible Government

Subject:  Top 10  

 

Dear Friends,

 

                Have you ever wondered how your state government compares with the other 49 states?  I have (the pay raise made me do it) (remember, July 7, 2005?) (How could we forget?).  So I conducted some research on various items such as population, size of the legislatures and staffs, term limits and income and spending per capita.  The results for the Top 10 states appear on the reverse side of this letter.  (Couldn’t do – see attachment)

 

                It is interesting to note Pennsylvania ranks 6th in population of the 50 states.  There are 20 states with a higher income per capita than Pennsylvania.  Please do not tell Gov. Rendell that 26 states outspend us per capita.  I swear he wants to be first in this category.  At least we’d be first in something.

 

                We are first in the number of full time representatives at 203.  New Hampshire has 400, but they are part time representatives paid $200 a year.  The next largest is Georgia with 180 representatives. 

 

                Nebraska has a unicameral, nonpartisan chamber with 49 total members ranking them the smallest legislature of the 50 states.  Their members can serve only 8 consecutive years.

 

                The average number of representatives of the 49 states with two chambers is 110.94.  The average number of the 49 state senators is 39.26.  You’ll note Pennsylvania is far above average in both with 203 representatives and 50 senators.  Delaware has 21 senators and 41 representatives. 

 

                As to full time legislative staff using the 2003 figures; the average for the 50 states is 561.34 per state.  Wyoming has the smallest in number of legislative staff at 29.  New York employs the most at 3,077.  Yep, you guessed it; Pennsylvania comes in second at 2,947.

 

                It’s interesting to note our largest state, California has 40 senators and 80 representatives, with a support staff of 2,334.  The second largest state, Texas has 31 senators and 150 representatives with 1,745 staff members; 1,202 fewer than Pennsylvania. 

 

                On St. Patrick’s Day, the lead headline, front page of Harrisburg’s Patriot-News read – “Capitol staffers land big raises.”  It appears we have 36 staffers in the House and 38 in the Senate earning $100,000 or more. 

 

                Does the sixth largest state really need the largest full time legislature and second largest staff of all 50 states?

 

Just wondering,



Bill McIntyre
Do you really get what you pay for?

 


CC:  Executive & Legislative Branches of PA Government

         All in my address book

 

Attachment