LTE: Supports Qually

Editor, Gettysburg Times,

Where exactly is our State Representative Dan Moul when it comes to term limits and pay for our state legislators? When he first ran for state representative, he pledged to serve no more than six terms. This year, as he seeks a ninth term, he has muddied the waters further by cosponsoring House Bill 735, calling for an amendment to the state constitution imposing, guess what, term limits. This amendment is not even all that it seems, since it increases House terms to four years and Senate terms to six. As a kicker, it would apply to elections only after enactment. This proposed amendment is going nowhere, but the question remains: where is Dan Moul on the issue of term limits? If they are such a good idea, is he being consistent with his own principles by running for a ninth term?

Similarly, Rep. Moul has cosponsored House Bill 1215, a bill reducing annual compensation of state legislators to $25,000 and removing all health and retirement benefits. Is this a serious bill or is it posturing to the far-right crowd who want to weaken the legislature? More immediately, is this bill consistent with Rep. Moul’s own practice of accepting annual cost of living increases, made automatic after the 2005 fiasco over lawmaker salaries that actually brought him into office. When he took office, state legislators made about $70,000 per year, plus per diems and other expenses. Today they are paid about $95,000, and appear to be headed to another automatic increase that may bring them over $100,000. Is it consistent for a state lawmaker, a public servant, to put his name on a bill to cut his own pay while enjoying automatic increases in pay that few, if any, constituents have in their own employment?

Adams County Commissioner Marty Qually has a proven record of accomplishment working across the aisle to achieve results for the people of Adams County. He does not believe in empty posturing for partisan gain. Once elected he goes to work for all of the people he represents. With our votes for Marty Qually, we will have a strong representative in Harrisburg, with no questions about where he really stands.

Steve Niebler,
Gettysburg