Former state Rep. John Kennedy targets political pensions with the Citizens Alliance
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HARRISBURG -- Former state Rep. John Kennedy has been a pain in the neck of Harrisburg's career politicians for 25 years, and now he's set a new goal: ending expensive legislative pensions.
Mr. Kennedy, a Cumberland County Republican, served in the House from 1980-88 and infuriated his GOP colleagues in 1986 by vociferously opposing a move to sweeten their state pensions.
When the move was narrowly defeated, "There were some Republicans who wanted to kick my butt,'' said Mr. Kennedy, who also lambasted the later-repealed 2005 legislative pay raise.
Now he's focused on eliminating the hefty taxpayer-funded pensions that retired legislators have given themselves for years, which have cost the public millions. His anger was fueled by reports that a few recent 30-year retirees are getting more than $100,000 a year, with a couple of pensions even topping $200,000.
He is chairman of a new group of political conservatives called the Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania, which two weeks ago kicked off the "Ben Franklin Project" -- an extensive search for 2012 House and Senate candidates who will agree not to accept a state-funded pension if elected. He also wants candidates who will support term limits for legislators.
Citizens Alliance was formed a year ago but has largely stayed under the radar. In November 2010, it helped elect five pension opponents to the House. Now, a sixth House member and a senator, Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, have joined their ranks.
"There is nothing in the state Constitution about pensions for legislators," Mr. Kennedy said in an interview last week. "We are trying to do something about legislative excesses that cost taxpayers money."
For 2012, Citizens Alliance has interviewed more than a dozen potential candidates so far, requiring them to give their views on 18 issues -- ending pensions, controlling state spending, privatizing liquor sales, permitting school choice, limiting noneconomic damage in lawsuits and others.
First Published August 7, 2011 12:00 am
