Help! Pa. Dem. State rep to vote for GOP Speaker

[SAXMAR]

GOP Seizes PA House
Edited on Sun Dec-31-06 01:09 PM by demodonkey
Pennsylvania Young Democrats
Action Alert
DECEMBER 30, 2006
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The Republican Party of Pennsylvania is poised to subvert the will of the people.
In an unconscionable move, Democrat State Representative Thomas Caltagirone of Berks County issued a statement today that he intends to vote for Republican John Perzel to remain Speaker of the House - despite the fact that Democrats won the majority of state house districts in last months elections.
The Pennsylvania Young Democrats will not let this treason go unanswered. In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats, we call for an immediate response to Representative Caltagirone's betrayal of this commonwealth's electorate.
Undoubtedly, Pay-raise Perzel orchestrated this announcement to be made on the Saturday of a holiday weekend - just like he orchestrated the vote for the infamous pay-raise debacle at 2 in the morning - when the thoughts of most Pennsylvanians would be focused elsewhere. With the vote for Speaker scheduled on January 2nd, this doesn't give the citizens of this commonwealth adequate time to register our disgust at the despicable tactics of a Republican party that no longer enjoys the confidence of Pennsylvania voters.
We will not sit by idly as one state rep's grudge against the current Democratic leadership reverses all the hard work the Young and College Dems did in the last four months.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Call Thomas Caltagirone at his home office in Reading at 610-376-1529 or his Harrisburg office at 717-787-3525. Even if his mind is made up, or he doesn't receive our pleas before the vote, let him know that his turn as Benedict Arnold will not go unnoticed.
Call your local Republican State Representative. We are hopeful that there are Republicans in the state house who wish to uphold the principle of majority rule in a democratic republic. Let us call upon them to do the right thing - to do what the people wanted - and vote for new leadership in the PA State House. Tell them you are tired of the inept, regressive leadership of John Perzel. Tell them that you voted for a Democratic Majority, and that their job is to ensure that the people's voice is heard. You can find your state representatives telephone number by typing in your zip code in the upper right hand box of http://www.legis.state.pa.us /
Call now and leave a message - there is no time to waste. We will keep you informed as this important story unfolds.
Paul
--
Paul McKrell
Executive Director
Pennsylvania Young Democrats
Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats

Website: www.payd.org

[Junkdrawer]

1. Link to LBN Story....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2670623&mesg_id=2670623

[w4rma]

2. DemocratIC State Representative (nt)

[Junkdrawer]

3. Penndems posted a great link to a blog that investigates the money links:

http://voicepa.blogspot.com/2007/01/representative-caltagirone-and-speaker.html

Basically Caltagirone, Republican Speaker Perzel, and Gov. Rendell are helping a bank's directors from being replaced by the stockholders.

Originally posted here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3013626&mesg_id=3013933

[Junkdrawer]

4. Dems to rally against lawmaker's 'treason'

State Democrats, still hung over from Republican maneuvering that may continue Rep. John Perzel's hold on the House speaker's chair, will hold rallies today in Reading and tomorrow in Harrisburg to highlight what they're calling the "political treason" of one of their own.

The rallies are billed as a show of "support for the will of the voters" by state Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney, who called on Rep. Tom Caltagirone, a Reading Democrat, to vote for Greene County Democrat H. William DeWeese as speaker or resign.

Mr. Caltagirone announced over the weekend that he will support Mr. Perzel, a Republican who has held the speaker's gavel since March 2003, instead of Mr. DeWeese, whom he characterized as "petty" and "vindictive" in a letter he sent to fellow House Democrats.

"Caltagirone sold out to Perzel and the House Republicans," Mr. Rooney said. "He now has two options: He should remain in the Democratic fold, or resign his seat immediately and switch his political affiliation to Republican -- which he in essence has done with this decision -- and run for the seat during a special election."

...

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07001/750447-85.stm