King of hypocrites?
Double talking
When you promise not to do something, you shouldn’t do it — especially after criticizing others.

State Rep. Chris King is looking like a promise-breaking hypocrite these days. The freshman Democrat representing Bucks County’s 140th Legislative District was highly critical of the guy he deposed last year, exstate Rep. Matt Wright, for spending taxpayer money on so-called public information commercials that amount to little more than TV face time.

In fact, during his first bid for public office, a losing effort in 2002, King publicly demanded that Wright, a Republican, use campaign funds to repay taxpayers the $40,000 he spent on the commercials. King, a Democrat, promised: “If elected, I will serve the best interest of our community by never using taxpayer dollars to air television ads; I will pay for them out of my own political campaign.”

Five years later, King is backpedaling ferociously. Having spent $34,000 in taxpayer money to put his face on TV some 1,200 times, the new state rep offered an old argument in his defense.

“You will only see me run a public service announcement if there is information about a program that I believe to be in the vital interest of my constituents,” King said.

Isn’t that what they all say? Certainly, that was Wright’s argument. So, having scorched his predecessor for wasting tax money for political benefit, King uses the same tired excuse to rationalize doing the very same thing.

It’s not as if lawmakers don’t have other means to get the word out about state programs. Pretty much every member of the Legislature puts out taxpayer funded “newsletters” that give constituents news they’ve already read in the newspaper.

If they want to make a big deal about some state program, they should use their freebie mailings to do it. And if their argument is that the mailings aren’t as effective as TV, then save taxpayers money and stop doing the mailings.

What’s particularly disappointing is that King has been a champion of reform in Harrisburg. He’s tried hard to empty the swamp.

But he stumbled badly on this issue and should make amends by not doing public information commercials — as he promised. He also should do what he asked Wright to do: Pay back taxpayers!

King Shuts Down Government, Furloughs 25,000 State Employees for New and Increased Taxes

July 9 , 2007

Rep. Chris King (D-Bucks), House Democrat leaders and Governor Rendell are using 25,000 state workers as pawns in their political game to take $2.3 billion more out of the pockets of our hardworking families and seniors. The incompetent actions of Rendell and his House Democrat cohorts have led to a state shutdown and the furlough of 25,000 state workers.

Instead of coming to work and voting on a stop-gap measure to stop the furloughs, the House Democrats spent the afternoon playing golf at a fundraiser at a Lancaster country club.

King has had two chances to pass a fiscally responsible budget that did not include any new or increased taxes, but he has allowed the bungling governor and his cronies to shut down government to pass new taxes and fees, including a $1.4 billion electricity tax on our working families and seniors.

The state has a $670 million surplus, but that isn’t enough for Rep. King. He and Governor Rendell want an additional $1 billion in new state debt, and he wants your family to pay for Gov. Rendell’s political pet projects, including the Philadelphia Convention Center and a new sports stadium in Pittsburgh. At the same time, they want to offer an unlimited tax break to Hollywood producers.

It is shameful for the governor and his House Democrat cronies to put 25,000 state employees out of work and hold our families hostage just to pass a slate of new and increased taxes on our hardworking families and seniors.

It is a disgrace that instead of working to help these furloughed families, the House Democrats rejected their constitutional duties and spent the afternoon playing golf.

Take a stand. Call Rep. Chris King today at (215) 752-6750 and tell him to stop the political games, end the government shutdown, come back to work and pass a responsible budget.

 

King Sells Out to City on Mass Transit

June 25, 2007

Rep. Chris King (D-Bucks) said Thursday that Philadelphia should have more seats on the SEPTA board than the other counties that the transit system serves.

Currently, each of the five area counties served by SEPTA has two representatives on the board. As part of the transportation funding plan proposed by House Democrats, Philadelphia would get six additional seats on the SEPTA board.

King said that because Philadelphia County contributed more money to SEPTA, it deserved to have more representation on the board than the other counties. “Philadelphia, if they are putting up that much more money than everybody else, they do deserve an extra seat or two at the table,” King stated.

He said that Bucks County would only gain more seats on the board if it increased its contribution to SEPTA.

Giving Philadelphia more seats on the SEPTA board will give it too much power. Philadelphia would be able to control almost every decision made about transit in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

We cannot allow Chris King to sell our voice on transit!

The SEPTA transit system serves our families and seniors too. We deserve to have an equal say in decisions about how to meet our area’s transit needs.

Call Rep. Chris King today at (215) 752-6750 and tell him that Philadelphia does not need any more power on the SEPTA board. We must have a voice too.
 

House Democrats Vote to Tax Electricity to Pay for New State Borrowing

June 22, 2007

House Democrats, led by Rep. Chris King (D-Bucks) and Rep. Bud George (D-Clearfield), voted Wednesday to support Governor Rendell’s plan to fund an unlimited amount of new state borrowing by imposing a new tax on our electricity bills.

The Democrats’ proposal expands the powers of the state to borrow an unlimited amount of money to fund the governor’s building projects across the state. The twenty-year, $1.4 billion loan will be paid back with a new tax on your electricity bill.

The bill was hastily voted out of committee with little public discussion and no debate.

The Democrats’ plan lacks common sense and does nothing to help our families and seniors who already have to endure the skyrocketing cost of electricity.

Our families and seniors will end up paying more to get less.

The Democrats’ plan to tax and spend our way to energy independence is a formula for disaster. It is a set of mandates, borrowing and risky state government gambling in the energy industry.

We cannot afford any more of the Democrats’ borrow, tax and spend strategies.

Call Rep. Chris King today at (215) 752-6750 and tell him to stop funding more state borrowing with new taxes on our families.