$10 million publicity tab is astounding

Pennsylvania legislators — you know them as members of the largest and most expensive full-time state lawmaking body in the nation — often defend their time away from the capitol as a chance to get out in their home districts.

They meet with constituents, attend community events, recognize individuals and organizations being honored and speak at town halls.

Legislators often remark they work harder during legislative recesses, like the current two and a half month summer break, than they do when in Harrisburg.

Considering how much gets accomplished from September to May every year, that’s a pretty low bar.

Typically, the work most important to taxpayers — education, infrastructure, government reform, taxation — gets pushed to the budget deadline in June and then is left unfinished for the year.

And those community appearances? The press releases, official photos and website videos publicizing the outreach efforts of legislators come with a hefty pricetag, according to a recent investigative report by LNP publications, Lancaster.

A news story distributed by The Associated Press last week reported Pennsylvania taxpayers are paying nearly $10 million annually for “a small army of spokespeople and efforts through video and online” to allow legislators to get their stories out to constituents.

LNP calculated the annual cost by reviewing spending records from 2013 through last year for the message operation that often produces copy and shows with a partisan message, according to the report.

“The Legislature’s equipment includes at least three TV studios built to produce state-run, news-like programs that feature lawmakers. The four caucuses — Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate — have a combined public relations staff of about 130 people,” the report stated.

In addition, taxpayers are on the hook for the cost of newsletters and news releases, telephone town halls, and website automation that alerts staff when legislators are mentioned in news media.

The LNP report quoted legislative leaders defending the high cost of publicity: “People tell us that they want to be more connected with government, and we’re trying on our end to provide those services,” said Drew Crompton, chief of staff to Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati.

“To what degree do they really want to be connected with government? I don’t know. But we think it’s important to send out as much information as someone would view.”

According to the LNP analysis, “the largest portion of the cost is personnel, including videographers and photographers, broadcast specialists and graphic artists. Senate Democrats employ a social media director. House Democrats have a director of digital media and analytics.”

Staffers are reimbursed for travel costs when they go into legislators’ home districts to report on appearances or events.

“Their product, featured on publicly funded websites and social media accounts, can include video of committee hearings and senior expos, or shots of lawmakers wearing hardhats in factories or sitting down with veterans, interviewing kids at the Farm Show or making pastries in a local bakery,” the report stated.

In a state where schools are underfunded and bridges and highways crumbling, $10 million is a lot of money to throw at publicity. These are taxpayers’ dollars, not campaign contributions.

We can think of better uses of our money than paying for a sophisticated re-election advertising campaign thinly disguised as the public’s right to know.

By all means, legislators should visit home districts. Talk to people, attend events, shake hands and learn about the needs and wants in our communities. Leave behind the videographers and social media specialists.

Spend time and money fixing the problems in Pennsylvania.

That would be something worth publicizing.