Mar 16, 2007 By Alison Hawkes For The 4 min read

HARRISBURG – Thirteen House Republican lawmakers spent more than $100,000 each during the last two years on taxpayer-funded public service announcements, which critics argue are tools for political self-promotion. The House GOP released the list late Wednesday days after House Democrats provided spending details on their public service announcements. Republicans’ outspent Democrats nearly three to one, racking up $4.4 million in charges during the last two years for televised and radio ads to promote state programs and promote senior expos, their district offices and Websites, and veteran’s events, according to the documents.

The only local legislators to spend money on PSAs were state Rep. Ted Harhai (D-Monessen) and state Rep. H. William DeWeese (D-Waynesburg) who spent $58,684 and $33,620 respectively.

Number three on the list of top GOP spenders was defeated Montgomery County Rep. Eugene McGill, a Republican, who bought 12 ads for $182,688 with taxpayer money and ran 4,800 spots during the last two years.

The fourth highest spender was defeated Bucks County Rep. Matt Wright, a Republican, who bought 12 ads worth $141,372 and ran 4,600 spots. While he was battling for re-election last year, Wright ran ads in January and February and in the summer about the state’s children’s health care program, prescription drugs for seniors, and a “property tax-rent rebate update.”

The amounts lawmakers spent varied greatly, from a few thousand dollars to a high of $216,380 on the part of Lehigh County Republican Rep. Doug Reichley. Cable advertising prices in certain media markets point to one reason for the variations, a House Republican spokesman said.

Russ Diamond, a libertarian and founder of the anti-pay raise group PACleanSweep, said he expects more out of a GOP that constantly rails for limited government.

“You’re fighting on the floor for conservative ideas but in practice you’re drumming more clients for state government,” Diamond said.

Republicans released a detailed account of ad spending the day after the House voted on a series of changes to reform the chamber’s rules. One of the proposals was to ban the use of a lawmaker’s name, image, and voice on public service announcements during election years. With no debate, Delaware County Democratic Rep. Greg Vitali’s measure failed by an overwhelming majority, 160-39.

But Montgomery County Rep. Josh Shapiro, co-chairman of the reform commission that worked on the rules, said he believes the House did “achieve real [public service announcement] reform.”

In the rules vote, the House formalized an already present bipartisan agreement to ban all such ads 60 days before an election.

“That’s four months out of an election year where one cannot blur the lines between governing and politics – the first time that’s ever been achieved,” Shapiro said.

Still, the House’s spending on the ads remains far and above the Senate, where a $4,800 per year spending limit is placed on individual senators. The Senate spent $90,565 during the last two years on public service announcements, far less than the House’s overall total of $6 million. There are no such spending limits per lawmaker in the House.

Reighley, the Legislature’s top ad spender, said he was shocked to see his $216,380 total because he didn’t know the ads cost so much.

“I was just informed about that amount last Friday,” said Reichley. “I feel very disheartened that this came out partly because I thought we were encouraged to utilize these as a cost effective form of getting information out to constituents.’

Reichley said he takes full responsibility for not asking about the cost, but noted that his ad buys were more expensive on the Lehigh Valley cable network than in other systems.

He said he would be “more circumspect” about running ads in the future.

McGill refused to discuss the issue.

“I’m no longer in the Legislature,” he said on the phone. “You’ll have to talk to someone who is.”

Wright could not be reached for comment.

DiGirolamo, who spent $90,644 on eight ads over the last two years, said he has no plans to give them up.

“I find them worthwhile and I hear good feedback from my constituents,” DiGirolamo said.

Still, with all the publicity on the public service announcement program, House Republican leaders are now discussing limiting the number to three to four per year for each GOP lawmaker “as a method to contain costs,” said House Republican Spokesman Steve Miskin.

“When a [public relations] tool becomes the story … you got to take another look at it,” Miskin said.

Alison Hawkes can be reached at 717-705-6330 or ahawkes@calkins-media.com