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Thursday, November 08, 2007

Expect more legislators to retire

With the state House at a virtual deadlock (102 Democrats, 101 Republicans) and its leadership ineffectual, look for veteran lawmakers to call it quits between now and the April 2008 primary.

A recent survey by Quinnipiac University found that only 35 percent of Pennsylvania residents approve of the job the Legislature is doing.

As lack of action on property tax reform, health care and transportation issues drags into a new year, angry voters will start talking more and more about "voting the bums out."

And see how many rats desert the ship when indictments are announced on the pending "Bonusgate" investigation.

The latest to call it quits is Rep. Jerry Nailor, a Republican from Cumberland County. He's the third lawmaker to announce his retirement in recent months.

Nailor told The Harrisburg Patriot-News that it was time to retire after 20 years in the House because his wife recently retired from her job and "There are places we’d like to go see." Lame.

It's not like serving in the Pennsylvania Legislature is a full-time job. And lobbyists are more than happy to pay for legislators' trips. Most of the incumbents who populate the halls of the Capitol should be checked for a pulse. You can hide out for years in Harrisburg before anyone notices you're not doing anything.

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