Common Sense Reforms for Pennsylvania

By George Rogers "Roger" Howard

Collective Bargaining
Every employee in the Commonwealth should have the freedom to choose whether or not to belong to a union. No one should be compelled to join a private organization. In Wisconsin, unions are required to be re-certified annually by the workers they represent.

Prevailing Wage
Prevailing wage laws require public entities to pay union wages for all labor on contracts over $100,000 rather than paying the market wage and choosing contracts that satisfy specifications and are most frugal for the taxpayers. Prevailing wage regulations cost Pennsylvania State and local governments and school districts $2B a year in excess project costs. This is a union subsidy and needs to end.

Anti-Stalking Act to apply to Unions
PA House Bill 1154, the "Union Anti-Stalking" Act, passed in the House 115 to 74. Now it goes to the State Senate and into the hands of Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi for consideration, and if all goes well, to Gov. Corbett for signature

Property Taxes
All public entities should be required by law to submit all tax increases and new taxes to a referendum of the affected taxpayers for approval before they can be imposed.

Public Pension Reform
The State administered retirement funds of Pennsylvania State employees and Pennsylvania Teachers are underfunded by $47B. Retirees are at risk.We need to stop getting into more debt. The first step is to stop enrolling new employees in the current pension systems that are not sustainable and enroll them in 401(k) type defined contribution systems like those in the private sector.

School Choice
State education funds should follow students to the accredited school of their parents' choice without exception. When we encourage competition between schools, administrators and teachers will do their best to provide a quality education for the children in their classrooms. Local taxes should be used by local, elected officials.

School Curricula
I support HB1552 and HB1553 introduced by Rep. Steve Bloom that seek to prevent the State from adopting common core educational standards in its private and public schools. The federal government is not empowered to set, nor to impose, educational standards on schools in the States. Such overreach as a violation of the 10th Amendment. If our State accepts these standards, private, religious and home school educators would be required to adopt curricula and assessments that violate their academic freedom and rights of conscience.

Tort Reform
The major elements of tort reform (law suit reform) are that the suit must take place in the county where the alleged injury occurred; the plaintiff must have suffered an actual injury, not the possibility of injury; awards are limited to actual damages and costs; limits on punitive damages; limits on damages for pain and suffering; damages that have been paid by another source are not to be paid by the defendant; the loser pays the litigation costs of the other party; limits on contingency fees paid to plaintiffs' attorneys; and class actions with defendants in multiple States must be tried in federal court. Fraudulent, negligent, incompetent, and intentionally injurious treatment of plaintiffs is not protected.

In Texas, medical malpractice insurance costs 10% of what it costs in Pennsylvania.

Wisconsin reformed tort laws that exposed companies to unnecessary litigation and the result has been economic growth that provides more job opportunities.

Regulatory Reform
In March of 2012, the Governor of Wisconsin ordered State agencies to work with the Small Business Regulatory Reform Commission that was revitalized by the General Assembly in February 2011. By January of 2013 that Commission reported that 40 chapters of Administrative Code had been repealed and 307 sections of 218 other chapters had been modified to make starting and operating a business easier and less expensive. The results are falling unemployment and rising tax revenues in an expanding economy.

Liquor Privatization
The refusal of the General Assembly and Governors over the last 40 years to privatize liquor and wine sales is a clear statement that they will not hear and enact the will of the people if it is contrary to the desires of their business cronies and union leaders.

Term Limits
Government of the people, by the people and for the people should not develop a political class that is separate from the people. Eight years is good enough for the President and the Governor; it is good enough for all elected public servants.