send to a friend | print | comment
Onorato hits lawmakers over grand jury report
Democrat Dan Onorato on Tuesday lobbed pointed criticism at state lawmakers for their less-then-urgent reactions to a grand jury report that highlighted a need for legislative reform.
Onorato, the party’s gubernatorial nominee, spoke during a late-morning news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg, before he was set to join running mate Scott Conklin and continue talking up his reform plans in State College later in the day.
“It is simply outrageous that even in the wake of the new grand jury report, some legislators continue to reject fundamental reform,” Onorato said in a statement. “It is clear that the Harrisburg insiders have built a system that benefits and protects their interests—not the taxpayers. It is equally clear that that it will take an outsider to change it.”
His comments came a week after a state grand jury issued a comprehensive report detailing, among other things, waste in the state legislature’s party caucus system and recommending a slew of reforms. The grand jury was empaneled by Onorato’s Republican rival, Attorney General Tom Corbett, as part of his so-called “Bonusgate” investigation in legislative corruption. Lawmakers have mostly shrugged off the report.
“It’s no surprise that legislators have rejected the need for reform—they built this system and it benefits them,” said Onorato, the Allegheny County executive. “What is surprising, though, is that Tom Corbett is opposed to shrinking the Legislature and implementing term limits. It’s clear that it will take a Harrisburg outsider to make the changes that Pennsylvanians deserve.”
Onorato also renewed his call for eliminating per diem payments to lawmakers, nixing the earmarked-spending known as WAMs, capping campaign contributions and reforming the process by which legislative districts are drawn to stem gerrymandering.
“I know what needs to be done and how to do it because I have already reformed government in Allegheny County,” Onorato said. “I am the only candidate who has a record of reform and who is not part of the Harrisburg mess. I not only have a plan to reform Harrisburg, I have a record of reform to back it up.”
June 1, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Tags: Dan Onorato, Tom Corbett
Leave a Reply
pa2012.com blogs
Red in a Sea of Blue
Purple in Pennsylvania
The Latest from @pa2012 news
More UpdatesStay connected with pa2012.com:
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
B
Jun 1st, 2010
It all SOUNDS good, and we all know that the changes recommended by the grand jury have to be enacted and quickly, but how is the executive branch of government going to force the legislative branch to change if they won’t do it themselves? If Onorato can pull it off, hats off to him, but I don’t see how these systematically greedy legislators will change simply because a candidate for governor threatens to do so if he’s elected. Already Corbett has backed off on some of the grand jury recommendations. Seems preposterous that anyone running for the state’s top office would make such comments when the grand jury did an extensive investigation. To all Pa. legislators, ENOUGH ALREADY, it’s time for a complete makeover and cutting of government in this state. The system does not work and does not provide a return on the investment of our tax dollars. You govern for us, the people, not yourselves. The people MUST be placed ahead of your individual agendas.
wpadem
Jun 2nd, 2010
Pandering again. With no thought. Much of the grand jury report is inaccurate on the facts, and the conclusions don’t follow logically from even the inaccurate facts they use.
Hey Onorato…stop pandering. We all know you aren’t that bright but stop showing it on a daily basis.
B
Jun 2nd, 2010
wpadem-What are the inaccurate facts you cite?
Lou
Jun 2nd, 2010
Yes, wpadem, let’s have some evidence for your allegation that “Much of the grand jury report is inaccurate on the facts”.
Daylin
Jun 2nd, 2010
I just wrote an editorial on this which was in a number of papers including the Daily News today.
There are tons of inaccurate facts in the Grand Jury report. One quick and easily provable example: They say on page 18 that the legislature debates bills that have already passed just to get per diems and look busy. False. Utterly false. Never happened. Ever.
We have debated bills that passed on chamber or the other in previous sessions. But those bills die at the end of the session if not enacted into law. So we have to reconsider them as new if we want them to ever pass. This was easy to find out if the Grand Jury ever bothered to check and wasn’t so shoddy.
They also say on page 6 that the “vast majority” of legislators “care” only about themselves and not about their constituents. They offer no support for this mind-reading assertion which anyone who actually knows legislators knows is totally false.
The reforms they propose (for the most part) would be truly harmful to our state if enacted. Fortunately, they won’t be.
B
Jun 3rd, 2010
Sen. Leach (Excuse me, Daylin, I’m sorry. If this is REALLY the senator, if not I apologize to readers of PA2010) If you truly believe everything you wrote in that editorial, then I have no choice but to say on behalf of the taxpayers of Pa., “YOU’RE FIRED.” Please hand in your keys and other official documents NOW. That editorial was one of the most out of touch, disingenuous, self-absorbed, pieces of garbage I have ever read from ANY politician. You really need to consider another career. Plain and simple, the legislative system in Pa. is IRREVOCABLY BROKEN and we desperately need a constitutional convention where the PEOPLE have a voice to enact many of the changes listed in the grand jury report. Your editorial was symbolic of the broken government in this state, and the fact that you believed what you wrote is simply mind-numbing and insulting to the intelligence of EVERY TAXPAYER in the Commonwealth. Good riddance and be gone.