Newspaper: Voters must hold legislators accountable

The editorial board of The Philadelphia Inquirer wants to see some payback from the voters for the most recent betrayal of the public trust by the Harrisburg bunch.

"The stunning indictments yesterday involving bonuses paid to Harrisburg staffers are the product of a legislature that doesn't feel accountable to anyone," the newspaper says in an editorial.

The newspaper is also calling for the resignation of House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese.

From the editorial:

The Democratic leader has been touting his efforts to clean house, but the fact remains that this alleged scheme occurred on his watch. He should have resigned already. The probe makes clear that House Democrats need a new leader to instill public integrity.

In all, a dozen people who worked in the legislature are now charged with theft, conspiracy, conflict of interest, and other offenses.

Perhaps this will force the legislature - which has refused to take up campaign spending limits or nonpartisan redistricting, or to part ways with its $200 million slush fund of taxpayer dollars - to clean up its act. But if legislators won't hold themselves accountable, the attorney general (and voters) must.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.