Editorial writers sharpen their pens for bonus scandal

Some papers call for ouster of House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese.

By Martha Raffaele
Of The Associated Press
July 15, 2008


The political corruption charges filed against a dozen people connected to the state House's Democratic caucus inspired editorial writers and columnists to wield exceptionally sharp pencils as they vent their outrage about the Capitol's culture.

The secrecy that shrouds legislative leaders' spending practices is just one element that writers have assailed since the attorney general on Thursday accused a lawmaker, a former legislator and 10 others of spending of taxpayer dollars on political campaigns.

Newspapers are overwhelmingly calling for sweeping reform -- urging voters to vote out incumbents in the November general election or chiding lawmakers for failing to embrace accountability measures such as nonpartisan redistricting or reducing the Legislature's size.

''One does not need to know the full scope of the institutionalized corruption of the General Assembly to conclude that there needs to be a radical change in heretofore accepted practices,'' said The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, which in January 2007 was the first to report on the payouts of bonuses to legislative staffers who worked on electoral campaigns. ''These are practices that may or may not be legal but which offend the sensibilities of hardworking, fair-minded, taxpaying Pennsylvanians.''

At least two newspapers have called for the ouster of House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese. He was not charged Thursday by Attorney General Tom Corbett, but former state Rep. Mike Veon -- DeWeese's longtime ally and former second-in-command -- and

DeWeese's former chief of staff Mike Manzo are among the defendants, and critics say DeWeese's leadership role requires him to be held

accountable.

''The Democratic leader has been touting his efforts to clean house, but the fact remains that this alleged scheme occurred on his watch. He should have resigned already,'' The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote.

The Pittsburgh Post-

Gazette said a thorough housecleaning of House Democratic leadership was needed from Bill DeWeese on down.

DeWeese spokesman Tom Andrews had no comment Monday.

Veon's hometown newspaper, the Beaver County Times, said the indictments also reflect on Pennsylvania voters for tolerating ''politics as usual'' despite tossing out 24 incumbents in the elections that followed the ill-fated 2005 legislative pay raise.

''What happened in the 2006 election was a spritz of air freshener,'' the newspaper said. ''The job is not done. A total fumigation is needed.''

Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Baer contended that the indictments are the latest symptoms of the institution's ethical decay: the pay-raise fiasco, federal corruption charges filed against Democratic Philadelphia Sen. Vincent Fumo, and ''the Legislature's ongoing general ineptness.''

Source: The Morning Call