Wednesday, March 08, 2006
County Council Amends Resign-to-Run Rule
County Council’s Shameless Disregard for the Law
“ A County Council Member shall not be a candidate for nomination or election to any political office other than that of County Council without having first resigned from County Council”. So saith Article I, section 6-paragraph b of the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter.
Clear, precise language right? Apparently not to the members of Council who voted 13 to zero to amend the language of the administrative code to allow council members to remain on council while seeking a nomination to other elective office. What arrogant disregard for the Charter they are honor and duty bound to uphold.
They rely on attorneys for legal advice. And of course, one can always find an attorney who will tell you what you want to hear, especially if he or she is an employee. The argument that the Charter provision could be unconstitutional in Pennsylvania is no excuse for violating the Charter as it is written. If the Council believes the provision is unconstitutional they should file a suit to have the Courts decide the constitutionality. They should not decide to ignore the Charter because they believe they might win a court challenge. First things first.
The behavior of the Council is every bit as egregious as that of the state legislature when they voted themselves “unvouchered expenses” and claimed it was not an illegal pay raise. Arrogance born of a shared commitment to self-aggrandizement that causes legislators to break the law as well as their trust with the electorate is destroying the very fabric of our representative democracy. Failure of elected officials to follow the law is an invitation to the populace to believe that is what you can get away with that is important.
Can we not find people who will uphold their oath of office and their obligation to live within the law? Is self-serving by elected officials so commonplace that we no longer have the ability to become outraged?
“ A County Council Member shall not be a candidate for nomination or election to any political office other than that of County Council without having first resigned from County Council”. So saith Article I, section 6-paragraph b of the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter.
Clear, precise language right? Apparently not to the members of Council who voted 13 to zero to amend the language of the administrative code to allow council members to remain on council while seeking a nomination to other elective office. What arrogant disregard for the Charter they are honor and duty bound to uphold.
They rely on attorneys for legal advice. And of course, one can always find an attorney who will tell you what you want to hear, especially if he or she is an employee. The argument that the Charter provision could be unconstitutional in Pennsylvania is no excuse for violating the Charter as it is written. If the Council believes the provision is unconstitutional they should file a suit to have the Courts decide the constitutionality. They should not decide to ignore the Charter because they believe they might win a court challenge. First things first.
The behavior of the Council is every bit as egregious as that of the state legislature when they voted themselves “unvouchered expenses” and claimed it was not an illegal pay raise. Arrogance born of a shared commitment to self-aggrandizement that causes legislators to break the law as well as their trust with the electorate is destroying the very fabric of our representative democracy. Failure of elected officials to follow the law is an invitation to the populace to believe that is what you can get away with that is important.
Can we not find people who will uphold their oath of office and their obligation to live within the law? Is self-serving by elected officials so commonplace that we no longer have the ability to become outraged?
