John Baer Returning lawmakers have their hands full
"Reform's not dead," House Speaker Denny O'Brien tells me, "it's only wounded." Yeah, well, I'd say critically wounded, in need of instant resuscitation. One place to start? Pay back the bonus money to the General Fund.
"Reform is dead", "Reform? It'll never happen", They'll reform like last time which was no reform in no time". Everybody has a bitch and everybody loves to whine, but nobody wants to help what could be the last hope for reform for a long while. That help is House Speaker Dennis O'Brien.
The guy is going to get knifed big time. Perzel, Smith, DeWeese and all of Brutus' other buddies are already lined up with their knives sharpened. Rendell is in charge of the sharpening.
DeWeese wants what he believes should be his. Perzel wants what he believes is his and will be for ever. Smith just whines about party loyalty as if he knows what that is. Rendell doesn't really give a damn as long as whoever it is gives him what he wants which is more money than the citizens of Pennsylvania possess.
O'Brien knew this, but hoped that reform would move legislators forward because the citizenry was fed up. He may not have been everybody's choice, but when the void was there he stepped forward. He saw the knives. he had no illusions.
He was wrong.
Reformers to the left bitched that he wasn't a Democrat. Reformers to the right bitched he was a puppet to DeWeese and Rendell. The rest just bitched because that is what they have always done. What O'Brien knew was that the "old bulls" were going to fight him every inch of the way and hurt him as much as they could. The reformers snatched their moment of sun in the press and faded away. The rest, like most forum watchers, sat back to enjoy the show. O'Brien's hope lay with the people.
He was wrong.
The people, except for a few, did little or nothing except bitch, pontificate and point out how they could do things better. They did nothing. Well that's not true, people voted a lot of people out of office. No follow up, just pulled a lever and considered their job done.
A legislature as hide bound and corrupt as ours is going to take some time to change. Baby steps, if you will, for the fat self serving porkers in office. Any activity more vigorous might cause them to trip over their money bags and cause injury.
We are wrong.
O'Brien doesn't just talk the talk like most in Harrisburg. He is considered dangerous because he walks the walk which means he is extremely dangerous because he is a believer and is passionate about his beliefs.
We here at ProPenn do not agree with Speaker O'Brien on many things, but we agree with his reforms. In fact we demand his reforms and are working for them in a positive fashion.
Do you care to stop bitching long enough to join the hard work of daily helping reform our legislature.
If so, do so. If not, kindly be quiet.
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