Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett unveiled a 12-point program for reforming state government today, including a proposal that would require state House members to contribute to their health care plans. Pennsylvania taxpayers pay the entire premiums for all 203 representatives.
Members of the Senate contribute 1 percent of their salaries.
“While millions of Pennsylvanians, including public employees, make contributions in every paycheck to their health care, some of Pennsylvania’s legislators do not,” Corbett says on his campaign Web site. “The members of the Pennsylvania Senate currently contribute to their health care plan, but the members of the House of Representatives do not. Tom Corbett believes that all elected officials, including legislative, executive and judicial should financially participate in their healthcare plans and reduce that burden on Pennsylvania taxpayers.”
The other proposals include:
- Reducing the size and cost of state government, specifically cutting by 10 percent government administrative operations in all branches of government;
- Eliminating legislative WAMS and discretionary funds, as well as state government-paid per diems;
- Reducing the state automotive fleet by 20 percent, saving an estimated $140 million over the next 10 years;
- Capping the General Assembly’s “leadership funds,” which now exceed $200 million;
The rest of his proposals are here.
