State Sen. Scott Wagner (R-York) has some choice words for his Republican colleagues Sens. John Rafferty (R-MontCo) and Dominic Pileggi (R-DelCo).
Wagner blasted the two legislators in an email to supporters Tuesday, criticizing them for voting no on an amendment to the “paycheck protection” legislation Monday night.
The legislation, sponsored by State Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair County), forbade the government from deducting union dues from employees’ paychecks. Similar legislation was introduced and failed in the Senate last year.
Wagner has been a major proponent of the legislation from the beginning. Monday’s amendment would have narrowed the ban to only political unions. In other words, general union dues would still be taken out of employee paychecks.
All Democratic senators voted to block the legislation, and five Republican senators, including Rafferty and Pileggi, joined them, resulting in a 24-24 tie. Lt. Gov. Michael Stack voted against the amendment in his tie breaker vote.
Eichelberger identified the other three Republicans who voted down the bill — State Sens. Stewart Greenleaf (R-MontCo), Tom McGarrigle (R-DelCo) and Tommy Tomlinson (R-Bucks County) — calling them out in a statement of his own.
In his email, Wagner wrote that he was not surprised by the five Republican senators who voted no. He then went on to directly attack Rafferty and Pileggi.
Wagner denounced Rafferty as the “most disingenuous member of the Republican Caucus.”
“To be honest and direct, I have watched Senator Rafferty repeatedly undermine our new leadership,” Wagner wrote. “Senator Rafferty is self-serving and badly wants to be Pennsylvania’s Attorney General.”
Wagner was no less harsh with Pileggi, slamming him as a “bitter person” who “will do anything to undermine the PA State Senate’s new leadership.”
“The good news is that Senator Pileggi is running as a judicial candidate for Common Pleas Court in Chester County,” Wagner charged. “The sooner that Senator Pileggi is gone from the PA State Senate the better for everyone.”
To add insult to injury, or perhaps inadvertently, Wager misspelled Pileggi’s name in the email, adding a second ‘l’ to make “Pilleggi.”
Despite the amendment’s failure, Wagner is confident the Senate leadership will find a way to pass the “paycheck protection” legislation. And as for the future agenda, he pressed his supporters to elect more conservative Republicans.
“It is my personal goal to add a minimum of four additional conservative Republicans to the PA State Senate in 2016 so that we can advance the right agenda for Pennsylvania,” Wagner wrote.
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20 Responses
FDR was against public sector unionization and everyone is against tax dollars for union politics. Wagner is on the right side of history.
Wagner forgets that it is the Republican Party, not the Conservative Party. He also forgets that Ronald Reagan was a union leader before going into politics (the Screen Actors’ Guild). Why do some people believe it is fine for big business to organize and lobby but a bad thing for workers to do the same? He will not get this York County Republican’s vote in four years.
Finally looked it up and MetLife employees’ PAC is not to be confused with MetLife. The difference is 1-2 years in Club Fed. I’m not sure how much they spend in PA, not that it matters.
I don’t think Senator Wagner gives a lick what us faceless trolls think about him.
Wagner is living proof that elections can be bought but one thing he can’t buy is respect and decency they have to be earned. Wagner is unfit to hold public office.
I’m certain MetLife did not give even one dollar to a PA candidate or campaign for state or federal office in 2013 or 2014.
I’m sorry it was 2013-2014 not just 2014. But you can find the information at opensecrets.org which tracks political spending. That doesn’t even count the money they spent on lobbying.
Rick, Although I don’t like mixing apples and oranges, I agree it’s gotten messy. But, this statement, “[MetLife]…gave over a million dollars to candidates last year…,” I’m certain is not true.
Unsanctioned R – by the way you were right on the 6.6% sales tax. But on this issue your information may not be complete in your answer to Tom. I recently saw a mailing from MetLife to State employees saying they could get there premiums automatically deducted. Now I know that MetLife routinely advocates on insurance issues and gave over a million dollars to candidates last year, nationally,to both R’s and D’s. But to Tom’s point the idea that Wagner has signaled out unions shows this legislation for what it is, an attempt to weaken groups that disagree with him. Also he was going to try and silence all groups but got so much blow back from the United Way and others that he caved and limited it Labor unions.
Tom, the purpose is to ensure that not one public dollar is expensed to subsidize private political-advocacy expenditures…an issue so popular it’s detractors can’t help but change the subject in every shrill breath.
The legislation should stop ALL payroll deductions or none. What is disingenuous is to try to only stop union dues. If the rationale is it is an expense to taxpayers, so is deducting other items. This Wagner is nothing but a rich bully who is used to muscling his way through life. He’s the real danger to Pennsylvania; a greedy, rich prick that wants to crap on working people.
@Militant Moderate Republican – Tom Wolf has always said he would not stand in the way of a union if the employees wanted one. The fact is, Mr. Wolf treated his employees so well with good wages and outstanding benefits including a top-tier health insurance plan that the employees saw no need to unionize.
But then Mr. Wolf is a rare exception among business owners. Union need TO exist because the need FOR them exists.
Sen. Wagner names names of Republicans who are selling out the taxpaying base. Nervy and very, very much appreciated by some of us.
If union membership was really a good deal for workers, they would join and pay the dues voluntarily.
Keep up the good work, Senator Wagner!
I grew up in a right to work state. That means, the right to work for less.
@ Steven Mullen
I work with a union everyday. The only people that benefit from union are the self serving people that run them. There is an old saying, “unions are bad for good employees and good for bad employees.” This state will not turn around until we follow Indiana and Michigan and pass a right to work law. If unions are so great why doesn’t our governor invite one into his business.
Senator Wagner always seems to get some.aspect of the facts wrong. Senator Pilleggi is running for the judiciary of Delaware County, not Chester County. Wagner is a shill for the Commonewalth Foundation on this, his sole issue.
If this is Wagner’s agenda he might as well go out in a field and chase butterfly’s while the Democrats and sensible Republicans handle the adult stuff. Trying to destroy unions (the one organization that works to advance the middle class and working poor) is simply ridiculous. This is nothing but political bs and hopefully the voters will remove this A-hole from office in the next election cycle!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x156uvg_patton-s-opening-speech-to-the-troops-george-c-scott_shortfilms
Rafferty wants to be AG? LOLolol… Wagner is getting dumber and dumber every month! And considering how stupid he started out – that is saying something. Why would any senator in a competitive district want to guarantee his own political demise by pushing for this phony law WRITTEN BY ALEC? At least come up with a new title that wasn’t written in DC.