Last week The Scranton Times-Tribune featured an article on the candidates in the race for the

113th House seat. My opponent, Mr. Murphy, stated "...he also will continue to focus on being

accessible, accountable and transparent to his constituents, including through the posting of

office expenses on his website."  In addition to their annual salary of $78,314 and benefits, our

legislators may collect per diems. Per diems are allowances paid for travel away from home.

The per diem covers lodging ($111) as well as meals and incidental expenses ($52) for a total

of $163 per day. These per diems allowances are tax free. Legislators can receive actual

expense reimbursement or take the per diems.

 

So just how "accountable and transparent" are Mr. Murphy's website postings? Are receipts

posted for my opponent's travel expenses? No, my opponent has elected to take the per diem.

In 2009 these tax free per diems totaled almost $17,000. 

 

Is this legal? Yes.

Is it transparent and accountable? I don't think so.

 

I believe accountability is accepting only reimbursement for actual expenses and transparency

is scanning the supporting receipts and posting them on the website; something I will do when

elected.

During last year's budge impasse, Mr. Murphy stood with union members and announced he

would have his salary held until a budget was in place. What he didn't say is he was collecting

those tax free per diems that amounted to over $3500. Was this transparent and accountable...

or deceptive?

 

When elected to serve you in Harrisburg, I want to eliminate the use of per diems and only

reimburse for actual expenses with receipts. Per diem elimination must be part of the reform of

the PA legislature.

Copyright (c) : Paid for by Friends of Mike LaPolla

Topic of the Week

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer, as the weather has definitely been on our side.  The

campaign has taken a little summer break and like all good things, it must come to an end. 

 

The campaign team will be starting up and walking neighborhoods starting on Monday July 26th. 

There is a lot of things to discuss like the smoke and mirror budget that was passed on July 6th. 

The budget consisted of $850 million dollars that was "assumed" to be given to the Commonwealth

from the federal government, even when the Fed's said it wasn't going to happen.  Well, here we

are in the 3rd week of the new fiscal year and we are already $850 million in the hole because we

did not receive the Federal funding.

 

Over the next couple weeks we will be discussing the budget, the severence tax and how we can

create a business friendly enviroment throughout the Commonwealth.

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer, as the weather has definitely been on our side. 

The campaign has taken a little summer break and like all good things, it must come to an end. 

 

The campaign team is currently walking neighborhoods in South Abington and Clarks Green,

discussing issues like the smoke and mirror budget that was passed on July 6th. 

 

Over the next couple weeks we will be discussing the limitless spending going on in Harrisburg, 

property taxes  and how we, as a Commonwealth, can create a business friendly enviroment to create

jobs and economic growth.

 

 

 This week, Mike will be at the  Tripp Park Community Family Picnic on August 14th

Topic of the Week

As we are only 8 weeks away from the November election, it has become clearer that our State

Government is beleaguered by Legislators who do not want to tackle the issues of:

1.Over spending,

2.Wasteful spending

3.Reducing the size of our government

4.Opening new avenues for small businesses to get loans

5.Reforming property taxes

November 2nd is a very important date for all of us.  It is OUR chance to make changes in Harrisburg for

US the TAXPAYER not the special interest groups.

If you are tired of the same DAY TO DAY politics, then vote for change on November 2nd, Vote for MIKE

LAPOLLA

 

Our State Legislature made a commitment to enact a new severance tax on natural gas extracted

from Marcellus Shale to help fund "part" of the 2010-11 budget by September 30th. That deadline is

quickly approaching. One House version of the new tax, House Bill (HB 1489), has the first $75

million going to the general fund and after that 50% of the remaining revenue goes to the general

fund in Harrisburg. The remaining 50% would be distributed among eight recipients with local

government services receiving 20% and the other seven's share would range from 1% to 3%.

This tax version is WRONG. If we are going to impose a severance tax on the gas drillers then I

believe at the minimum 80% of the revenue should stay locally to help those communities that are

being affected directly. We should not be sending more money to Harrisburg to continue the

wasteful spending that has enveloped our State Capitol.

We must get our State Spending under control FIRST before giving more to our "quick to spend"

Legislative body.

Topic of The Week

Last week I spoke of my opponent’s use of per diems and the lack of accountability and transparency

involved in his reporting.  One of my top priorities is to reduce spending in Harrisburg.  Eliminating

per diems from our Legislators pocket is a start…but not the end.

I am a firm believer that “what is good for the goose is good for the gander” and if we are asking

departments to make cuts in their budgets, well, the Legislature should be doing the same. I want to

work on reducing the size of the legislative staffs, in Harrisburg and in their home districts.

On November 2nd, let’s make a change.  Vote for Mike LaPolla who will fight for accountability,

transparency and fiscal responsibility in Harrisburg and in the 113th District.