Totalitarian Pennsylvania Update.

PA Pay-raise protesters target Supreme Court judges in Nov. election

At least two groups protesting pay raises for lawmakers, judges and executive-branch officials are urging people to vote against retaining two state Supreme Court justices in November.

The Nov. 8 retention election will determine whether Justices Russell Nigro and Sandra Schultz Newman remain on the bench for new 10-year terms. No Pennsylvania appellate judge has ever lost a retention vote.

Nigro's a D and Newman's an R. Let's be bipartisan and vote them both out.

Tim Potts, founder of a nonprofit organization called Democracy Rising PA, contends the raises would not have been passed and signed into law if the Supreme Court had not issued rulings that allow the Legislature to ignore parliamentary procedures outlined in the state constitution.

Lawsuits challenging the General Assembly's handling of the pay-raise law, which was passed early July 7 without debate or public notice, are pending in state and federal courts.

"It's the job of the courts to keep the other branches of the government in check," said Potts, who has been visiting newspaper editorial boards and appearing on radio talk shows to make his case. "It's not the job of the courts to say: 'Whatever they want is OK by me.'"

Nigro said the court has struck down many laws in recent years, such as a 2003 measure that weakened Philadelphia's control of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, because they were passed using unconstitutional legislative maneuvers.

"If (Potts) looks at the totality, he can't say we've totally rubber-stamped what the Legislature wanted us to do," Nigro said.

Judge Nigro knows that is not the point at all. 1) The pay raise violated PA's Constitution because it was applied to the current legislative term and not the next, thereby enabling the Keystone State's solons to avoid the wrath of the voters. 2) State judges' salaries were also increased at the same time. 3) Who said the money grab was legal? Yep, state judges. 4) What is the ONLY recourse for PA taxpayers? VOTE ALL THE BASTARDS OUT NOW. (If you think those federal lawsuits against the legislature are going anywhere, I would like to talk to you about some Florida swampland...)

Nigro said he is prepared to spend campaign funds if necessary to counteract any attacks on his record. He had raised $351,000 through Sept. 19, mostly from Philadelphia law firms and lawyers.

That's just one more reason to get rid of him.

Newman did not immediately return a telephone message left at her West Conshohocken office on Thursday.

The Pennsylvania Bar Association has recommended both judges for retention, based on interviews with fellow judges, lawyers who have argued cases before the court, and an evaluation of the judges' written opinions.

Another anti-pay raise group, Operation Clean Sweep: Pennsylvania, is supporting Potts' campaign.

"We're not at all satisfied with any branch of government's performance as compared to the state constitution," said the group's founder, Russ Diamond. (Thanks to phillyburbs.com for the heads up.)