Roberta's
expanded Platform for Good Government is outlined in detail
below:
| Key
Issues |
- Public
Service
- Transparency
and Accountability
- Fiscal
Responsibility
- Limited
Government
- Constitutionalism
- Capitalism
|
| Commitment
to Good Government |
Roberta
supports the policy goals of EmpowerPA.org
(a project of Citizens Alliance of PA). She has signed
and submitted for publication her complete support
of the EmpowerPA platform through the 2010 Candidate
Survey (view her submission as a PDF
HERE).
Roberta
has signed and submitted her "Taxpayer Protection
Pledge" through EmpowerPA.org
(view her submission as a PDF
HERE).
Roberta
has also signed and submitted her "Declination
of State Pension" through EmpowerPA.org
(view her submission as a PDF
HERE).
Roberta
supports the policy goals of Pennsylvanians for Right
to Work, Inc. (PARighttoWork.org). She has signed
and submitted for publication her complete support
of their platform through the 2010 Candidate Survey
(view her submission as a PDF
HERE). Her submission has been received and validated
by Pennsylvanias for Right to Work, Inc. through their
on-line summary of her submission, which can be viewed
HERE.
|
1.
PUBLIC SERVICE
An
elected official should wear only ONE HAT . . . the hat
of a public servant. No elected official should have political
bosses. Their only bosses are the people of their District,
and they should take their instructions directly from those
constituents.
2.
TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
It
is the responsibility of every elected official to answer
questions and queries that are posed by their constituents.
It is only through complete transparency and accountability
that elected officials can fairly represent their records
to the constituents that they represent. Failure to do so
should be grounds for dismissal.
3.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Fiscal
Responsibility is a key task of every elected official.
We as taxpayers are required to live within our means. It
is also the responsibility of the government and those who
govern to do the same. Increased deficits at all levels
of government will bankrupt our Country. We must make difficult
decisions that will get spending under control and will
lower the tax burden of hardworking Americans.
4.
LIMITED GOVERNMENT
4.1
During their tenure, elected officials should encourage
competition for the office that they hold. Their primary
concern should be the good of the people, not the protection
of their elected position. Rather than concentrating on
seeking re-election during the next election cycle, elected
officials should simply concentrate on doing their jobs
to serve the people of their district. Re-election should
come naturally because they have done their jobs well.
4.2
An elected official should support legislation that forces
term limits for their elected positions as well as leadership
positions. Elected officials should be limited to no more
than 12 years of service (see HB1568
for reference), and leadership positions should be limited
to 4 years (see HB2361
for reference). Additionally, they should vow to impose
their own term limits if none are in place.
4.3
The
size of government is too big, and it is growing exponentially.
Elected officials should push to decrease and limit the
size of government . . . even if it impacts their elected
positions. Staff should be decreased whenever and wherever
possible, and State officials should support a constitutional
convention that would decrease the size of our legislature
. . . even if it means that their jobs would be eliminated
or put to a part-time status.
5
CONSTITUTIONALISM
5.1
Elected officials should be required to live by the Golden
Rule. The words "Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you" should apply to all decisions that are
made by government officials. No law should ever be established
that does not also apply to elected officials and their
families and friends. There should be no special exclusions
that protect government officials or special interests from
any law or mandate.
5.2
Our elected officials need to protect State’s rights
through the support of the Tenth Amendment. Each and every
candidate for office and elected official should be required
to sign “The State Pledge” which is published
and promoted by TenthAmendmentCenter.com
and is available for download HERE
5.3
The 27th
Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits members of
Congress from giving themselves an immediate pay raise.
No elected official should ever vote themselves a direct
pay raise or automatic increase. Every adjustment in pay
should be voted on for a future term in office. Automatic
pay increases (i.e., Act 51 COLAs in PA) should be eliminated
and elected officials should work diligently to have them
eliminated in current law (refer to HB633
for an example and view a summary of other proposed legislation
HERE).
5.4
The staff of elected officials should not be involved in
partisan political activity of any kind. The Hatch Act of
1939 prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan
political activity. This same concept should be implemented
at every level of government. Legislative staff (as well
as County and Local) should not be permitted to be involved
in any political activity (on taxpayer time or on their
own time). For more information about his concept, please
read the on-line article titled “Politically Uncorrected
: IF MEN WERE ANGELS" which is available for
on-line review HERE.
6
CAPITALISM
6.1
The government needs to allow business (big and small) to
do business without unnecessary or unreasonable controls
and limitations. It is only through free markets, personal
ambition, and hard-work that businesses can create jobs
and prosperity. Remember . . . the only jobs that government
creates are “government jobs”.
6.2
The basis of capitalism is that competition will create
strong and stable businesses. No business should be provided
with an unfair advantage or ‘public bailout’
in order to sustain them undeservingly. A company that cannot
survive on its own should not be supported by the taxpayer.
7
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, STICK TO THE BASICS
