Feb 7, 2008 2 min read

The latest shenanigans in the Pennsylvania General Assembly place me in the unenviable and rare position of being squarely on the side of the greedy and slick Democratic Majority Leader, H. William DeWeese. Out of nowhere, “Speaker Emeritus,” the discredited Republican House member John Perzel, offered a scheme to scuttle a universal property tax bill put forth by Democrat David Levdansky by offering an amendment which would hijack all promised relief to seniors.

One would have hoped that Perzel would be laughed out of the room, but he was not. The promise of significant and universal property tax relief made by Gov. Ed Rendell six long years ago, and that made by House and Senate members repeatedly since then, was set aside.

Perzel’s sleight of hand was so successful as to be beyond what he could have imagined. He garnered the support of a huge majority of Republicans and Democrats, 159-36. Not knowing how to proceed in the face of this unexpected slap in the face to the public, the Democratic leader Mr. DeWeese adjourned the House, making clear his strong opposition to what had occurred.

Just when it seems that the General Assembly cannot stoop any lower, when it seems that it cannot do anything more to inflame public ire and send us on a path to citizen revolt, it surprises us, sticking its thumb in our eye yet again.

A significant majority of House members have conspired in a bipartisan plot to steal promised tax relief from beleaguered Pennsylvanians.

The greatest threat to the people of Pennsylvania from organized crime occurs every day on which the General Assembly is in session.

Oren M. Spiegler

Upper Saint Clair