A wake-up call for Pa. taxpayers

I like this letter originally published in The Pottstown Mercury from a Montgomery County resident who believes the recent COLA pay increase for state officials is the latest example of "public servants" fleecing taxpayers.

Wake-up call: Pennsylvania elected officials stealing us blind

When are the citizens of Pennsylvania going to wise up and realize that their elected representatives are stealing them blind? This is not a partisan problem. Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty.

Effective Dec. 1, our Harrisburg Democrat and Republican hogs started receiving a cost-of-living raise in excess of a minimum of $2,152 per person. It is granted to them yearly without question.

We are told that even though the state government is in deficit these raises must go through. They can't be stopped because it is law.

It is shameless in these times when their constituents are losing jobs and the economy is approaching bottom that these entitled swine have no qualms of filling their pockets.

How can they with all their perks and benefits look a struggling family, a single parent or senior living on Social Security, in the face? They need a wake-up call. People are living day-to-day with great uncertainty and worriment of how they are going to make it. As the hogs are gorging themselves at their holiday parties at our expense, I can hear the echoes of "Let them eat cake" abounding.

State Rep. Rep. Barbara McIlvanie Smith (D-156) is supposed to introduce a bill calling for the recall of this COLA law when the Legislature comes back in 2009.

I urge all Pennsylvania newspapers to follow the introduction of this bill and all Pennsylvania citizens to contact their elected representatives and tell them to support it.

Let us let the entitled elitists know we are not cake-eating peasants. Begin to read and vote the person not the party.

BILL MADARA
Gilbertsville