Love is a Many-Vendored Thing in Harrisburg

We all had an interesting e-mail from a friend in Harrisburg this morning. It was ironic in that the e-mail was about e-mail and our fearless leaders in the State Legislature that are leading us down a primrose path to protect themselves from love and love lost.

Everyone should have an apartment or a love nest in Harrisburg. In fact maybe we should rename Harrisburg Virginia because Harrisburg, it seems, is for lovers.

Scuttlebutt is that legislators could be talked into open records going forward in time including not only voting results, but also what they voted on, ie, the bills. What a concept, voters knowing what their legislators are voting on and how they voted. Maybe when Pennsylvania grows up we can be like other states and know where our reps stand on issues.

Rumor has it that the kids in the capital might even allow the common folk to look at spending, taxes and entitlements before they're voted on. Some wag even suggested this info could be on the Internet. Of course we all said in unison, "Yeah, right".

This could all happen for the future, but there is no way any of this will be retroactive. The Democrats can shred records faster than a speeding bullet and the Republicans can run from a vote or position even faster, but e-mail is for ever, which many of the kids in the House and the Senate have found out. And boy are they scared.

It seems that many of those who serve us may also serve others in a more private way while serving us in other "sessions". And the e-mails could provide a a trail of evidence to the pompatous of love in Harrisburg. A virtual Pocono on the Susquehanna with heart shaped beds and lots of give aways.

We can just hear some of the old boys, as they leave a long hard day at the capital, humming;

"I really love your peaches want to shake your tree, lovey dovey, lovey dovey...".

Not all the time, don't you know. Just when they're in session which is why we will never have a sunshine law that is retroactive or so it seems.

Instead of a full time legislature and part-time loves maybe we need exactly the opposite. It would cost everyone less money.

e-mails are forever, not just diamonds.