On the morning and afternoon of Monday, September 26, over 2000 people congregated on the steps of Pennsylvania’s Capitol building in Harrisburg. They gathered for one specific reason: to show their outrage over a massive, middle-of-the-night pay raise by their legislators which ranged anywhere from 18-54%. This blatant taxpayer gouging made Pennsylvania’s elected leaders the second highest paid lawmakers in the country (behind only California).

But such an egregious slap-in-the-face finally pushed Pennsylvania’s citizens over the edge. Not only did the legislators pass this bill at 2:00 am in the morning; there was also no public disclosure, no debate, no scrutiny, and then the congressmen and representatives slithered away for summer break (most all of them now making between $100,000-$140,000/year).

I am proud to say, though, that the tide is turning, for Pennsylvania voters will not forget the reaming they were subjected to by these cowardly criminals. Led by Harrisburg talk show host Bob Durgin, Pa. Clean Sweep founder Russ Diamond, Barry Kauffman of Common Cause, and rally organizer Eric Epstein; all of those present at the state capitol building vowed to vote-out every single incumbent up for election in 2006.

Best of all, the crowd was serious, and their memories wouldn’t be fleeting. Rather, they showed their disgust by tarring-and-feathering a mock legislator (all the while as a 25-foot inflatable pink pig looked on), then filing en masse inside the capitol directly toward the governor’s office. These weren’t people who were willing to rollover and play dead. No, they were pissed-off, active, energized, and intent on taking control once again of their government.

In short, they set an example for all of us to follow, and here at WING TV we applaud their efforts and stand beside them 100%.