Harrisburg are shutting out Pa. citizens

Politicians in

The most responsible action for responsible citizens of Pennsylvania on July 13 was to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience by ringing state House Speaker Mike Turzai’s doorbell and trying to talk with him about ending gerrymandering. Instead of talking, he had six of us arrested. The six democracy warriors recently pled guilty to summary charges, each carrying a fine of $466.

In his July 19 letter to the editor, “This Is What Happned With Senate Bill 22,” Mr. Turzai claims there was nothing he could do, which is not true. He also claims that guilt lies with other politicians, which is true. Guilt for destroying reform is shared to varying degrees among Mr. Turzai, House State Government Committee Chairman Daryl Metcalfe, Minority Leader Frank Dermody, ranking member Matthew Bradford, Sen. Ryan Aument, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, Senate President Joe Scarnati and too many others. Protecting corruption in Harrisburg is sadly a team effort.

Some are guilty, but all are responsible. Mr. Turzai is guilty of protecting a culture of corruption in Harrisburg that makes us the sixth-most corrupt state in the country, according to the Electoral Integrity Project. He placed bills in Mr. Metcalfe’s committee knowing that they wouldn’t move. He refused to support bills; he refused to call the House back to Harrisburg after he adjourned them a week early for summer vacation; and he refused to lead in any way, instead hoping that he could ignore Pennsylvanians and quietly maintain the broken status quo.

In his own recent letter to the editor, Dave Majernik, vice chairman of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, charged us with this bizarre twist of logic, “If politics is so bad, why are they participating in it?” (Aug. 15 letters, “Politics Cannot Be Removed From Redistricting”). We participate in politics because power is not with the people, and it needs to be for our state to survive and thrive. Mr. Turzai and Mr. Majernik, why do you participate in politics? Is it to take power away from the people? Because that’s what you are doing.

We expect Mr. Turzai to make a donation to our fine fund at www.mohpa.org, and we hope to one day break bread with him in his Harrisburg office and talk about making corruption illegal. RABBI MICHAEL

POLLACK Executive Director March on Harrisburg

Philadelphia, Pa.