Respect for Openness & Transparency

Legislation in Harrisburg is an impenetrable world few understand. It is vital that we take control over the process and its results, and the first thing to do is shine the bright light of publicity on how our state really works.

House Arrest

The head of our House of Representatives was recently charged with illegal fundraising. He and his minions had allegedly conducted political fundraising in the Capitol itself from 2001-2007.

Transparency is Vital

How could he have gotten away with this for so long? Because few really understand what goes on in Harrisburg, and fewer care. A cozy, insular system like this survives because those who know about it earn a living from it, and it's easier to pay off outsiders than to allow the system to be changed.

It is only by shining the spotlight of publicity on what happens in the House that we can prevent things like this from happening, and save our State from further humiliation.

A First Step ...

Right now, the Pennsylvania House and Senate publish their voting records on the web. Unfortunately, for someone who is not an expert on legislative procedure, it's not easy to find out what's going on.

This lets the legislators tell us they show everything while still benefitting from the dark corners of obscurity.

So my proposal, when I am elected Lieutenant Governor, is to create a system that will take the information already out there, and repackage it in a readable way that's more accessible to you, members of the public.

But then I thought, actually, we can start this right now. For a preview of how our administration will take concrete steps to make Harrisburg's solons more accountable, you will soon be able to check out Our Legislature, a new site that will let you explore Pennsylvania's legislative activities.

Our Budget: Up, up and away!

Our budget goes in only one direction: Up.

This chart shows our budget from 1999-2008 — the last ten years.

The two graphs start at the same point, the total of the 1999 budget. The blue line is that initial figure adjusted for inflation. The green line is the actual amount budgeted for the year.

Past Governors: Republicans vs Democrats

At first, with Republican governors, the budget stays fairly close to the blue line. In 2002, the line goes up a bit over inflation, and in 2003 it heads back down. Then the green line — our actual budget — starts a dramatic increase. That is the Democratic Administration of Governor Ed Rendell.

Governor Rendell speaks a great game about fiscal prudence and responsibility. But the gap between inflation and the amounts of his budgets could not be clearer.

As Lieutenant Governor, I will use my bully pulpit to keep people informed about the budget excesses ... even if nobody else does.

Paid for by Billy McCue for Lieutenant Governor | Copyright © 2010 Billy McCue