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Monday, September 24, 2007

Conservative challenges payjacking senator in Lancaster County

Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds Steve McDonald has officially announced his bid to unseat state Sen. Gibson E. Armstrong in Lancaster County's 13th District.

The Lancaster New Era reported on McDonald's campaign announcement over the weekend:

Sounding a theme of "Real Reform, Real Conservative" and criticizing what he termed a Harrisburg culture of "perks, pensions and pay raises," McDonald said he's running on his record of cost-cutting and technological innovation in the recorder's office.

After the 2006 primary, which swept dozens of incumbents out of office in the wake of the 2005 pay raise, voters thought change was coming, McDonald said: "Sadly, Harrisburg doesn't seem to get the message yet."

McDonald will attempt to oust Armstrong in the 2008 Republican primary.

Armstrong is a 20-year incumbent who voted for the July 2005 legislative pay raise and took the money as unvouchered expenses, a practice rule unconstitutional by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

2008 will be the first opportunity Lancaster County voters can punish Armstrong for the payjacking. Many of the Senators who voted in favor of the pay raise did not have to run in 2006 and they figured voters would forget about the 2 a.m. raid on the state treasury by 2008. Wrong. Voters still haven't forgotten the blatant betrayal of the public trust by career politicians.

For more on McDonald, check out his Web site.

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