(Allentown/Lehigh Valley, Pa.)
April 5, 2007
Diversion is a principle of politics. If there's an attack, counter-attack.
If there's bad news, create some good news. And, if you need good news badly
enough, don't be afraid to propose someone else's idea as your own.
Last week, state Sen. Bob Regola, R-Westmoreland, was charged with perjury,
false swearing, reckless endangerment and illegal possession of a weapon
following the shooting death of his son's friend. The Westmoreland County
coroner ruled the death a suicide. Sen. Regola didn't enter a plea at his
arraignment. His attorney, Duke George, said the senator is innocent and won't
resign. However, if he is convicted of perjury, he would have to give up his
Senate seat.
Thus, he becomes the latest member of the General Assembly with a legal cloud
over his head. So, there is a need to shift the attention. Indicted one week.
Propose reforms the next week.
This week, Sen. Regola introduced Senate Bill 7, a joint resolution to amend the
state constitution to require spending caps on state spending. It's not an
original idea. One of the planks of the several-years-old Jefferson Reform
Initiative in the General Assembly is just such a cap. And, Sen. Mike Folmer,
R-Lebanon, has proposed legislation to require the caps without a constitutional
amendment.
Constitutional amendments take time. They must be passed in two sessions of the
General Assembly before being submitted to voters. If a cap were in place now,
says Sen. Regola, ''There would be no need to raise $2.5 billion in new revenue
through seven tax increases'' proposed by Gov. Ed. Rendell. Under his proposal,
the cap would limit spending increases to the average rate of inflation plus the
average percentage change in state population over the previous three years.
Spending caps are a conservative nostrum and a lazy lawmaker's excuse for
avoiding difficult taxing and spending decisions. Besides, the constitution
already requires the governor and Legislature to pass a balanced budget every
year. There's nothing stopping Harrisburg politicians from doing a better job
controlling spending. They just lack the discipline to do so. Spending caps
won't change that ... or Sen. Regola's legal problems.