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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Finally, a politician I can respect

State Sen. Rob Wonderling, a Republican who represents the 24th District (parts of Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton counties), recently sent an op-ed piece to area newspapers.

Reading the column, "What I'd like to change in Harrisburg," you might think Wonderling was a "one of us," a citizen activist or a political blogger.

You have to admire Wonderling's courage to admit that Harrisburg is in need of major changes. Despite all the reform talk, I get the feeling that a lot of veteran politicians wouldn't mind if the scrutiny would go away and they could return to business as usual.

Wonderling, who began his second term in January, is a rare breed in Harrisburg. He actually wants to help the people who elected him, not line his own pockets.

I wish Wonderling was my state senator. I'm stuck with a political hack named Mike O'Pake, who is referred to by most of his constituents these days as Mike O'Fake.

Here's list of changes Wonderling would like to see. (And I agree with every one of them.)

· Lower property taxes for all Pennsylvanians.

· Privatize the state Liquor Control Board and use some of the proceeds to help provide health insurance for all Pennsylvanians.

· Lower the fees that senior citizens have to pay for their hunting and fishing licenses.

· Ban smoking in public places. (The key phrase here is "in public places" where non-smokers are subjected to second-hand smoke. If you want to smoke like a chimney in your house or your car or the middle of the woods, go right ahead.)

· Create a statewide electronic prescription drug program so people can safely and quickly purchase medications.

· Make the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency more accountable to taxpayers.

· Apply a holistic approach to transportation.

· Usher in an era of ownership, because a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit will keep our economy strong.

· Bring common sense back into our legal system. Pass lawsuit reform legislation that 43 other states in America have passed.

· Hold state spending increases to the rate of inflation, setting aside half of the surplus revenues in the state's Rainy Day Fund.

· Roll back the double tax on cell phones by repealing the gross receipts tax.

· Reduce the Personal Income Tax for families and small businesses.

· Provide assistance to elderly and disabled residents for technology that gives them mobility and independence in their daily lives.

· Make higher education more affordable.

· Bring competition to schools by promoting charter schools and alternatives in education.

· Create a cancer drug depository so patients can get the medicines they need at a reasonable cost.

· Truly promote alternative energy.

· Finally, hold our politicians more accountable for their actions.

If you'd like to offer encouragement to Wonderling for taking a proactive approach to cleaning up the mess in Harrisburg, his e-mail address is rwonderling@pasen.gov

2 comments:

LVDem said...

wonderling has always struck me as a decent fellow (though he did beat my friend Jim Maza in 2002). Do you agree with him on all fronts? I would imagine that the ban on public smoking is outside of conservative thinking.

TONY PHYRILLAS said...

To clarify my position on public smoking for the benefit of the previous commentator, I have no problem with banning smoking in public places. Your right to smoke ends with my right to breath fresh air. I don't have a problem with a smoker lighting up in his own home or his car or standing in a field by himself. But the dangers of second-hand smoking have been well documented. I agree with Wonderling that smoking should be banned in public places in Pennsylvania. What I oppose is employers threatening workers who smoke on their own time. That's where the government goes too far.