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But Corbett himself, now a candidate for governor in 2010, is allowing his staff members to take "leaves of absence" to work on his campaign.
Other incumbents, Republicans and Democrats, have done the same thing, and will do it again next year.
Why?
Because we voters are stupid enough to allow them to get away with it.
"But ... but ... those staffers are key people to our re-election campaigns! We need them!"
So?
Pennsylvania taxpayers do not.
We think a new law should forbid the practice.
But it won't.
So the forthcoming Constitutional Convention which, like the gathering that produced the U.S. Constitution, will go well beyond incumbents' proposed limits and thoroughly revise Pennsylvania's government, ought to do that - and throw out incumbents by the dozens.
This past year's three-months-late budget impasse was a travesty.
Even incumbents who are individually responsive to voters failed this year in a lawmaker's second-most-important job. Next to actually voting, legislators should be able to persuade others to reach consensus on the issues of the day - in good time.
That didn't happen.
That Constitutional Convention should also require a retention election for incumbents every 10 years. No "free pass" because incumbents are so well-entrenced and financially well-heeled that only gadflies are naive enough to challenge them. Just "Keep Joe in or throw Joe out: Yes or No?" followed by a regular election.
If Pennsylvania used common sense and had a four-day primary over the weekend before Labor Day, a retention election for incumbents every 10 years would be easy to work into the schedule. As for Presidential election years and their required federal primaries, the expense of that separate election would be well worth the improvement in government to be derived from elections with primaries in late August and general elections in early November.
We wonder how Corbett can continue the "leaves of absence" practice with a straight face while prosecuting Democrats for abusing the system financially when he - and other incumbents - are egregiously abusing the system morally with this "leaves of absence" charade.
- Denny Bonavita
