Media and Bloggers Highlight Coming Pension Battle

In advance of Monday’s vote on HB 2497, the Union Pension Bailout—and afraid folks would be caught unaware of this lame-duck effort—the Commonwealth Foundation issued an action alert; highlighted 13 reasons to oppose HB 2497; posted related information on our blog; and held a conference call open to the media, citizens, and lawmakers. After a flurry of stories and editorials, blog posts, and alerts this weekend, ignorance of the legislation cannot be an excuse:

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial: State pension ‘reform’: Slapping taxpayers
Post-Gazette story by Tom Barnes: Legislature’s pension bill blasted as ‘generation theft’
Tribune Review Story: Pennsylvania pension ‘bailout’ proposal assailed
AP Story: Praise, criticism for Pa. pension bill
Mary Young’s column in the Reading Eagle: Battle rages on over pensions
Gil Smart’s article in the Lancaster Sunday News, School districts stashing the cash (focusing on school districts’ fund balances), touches on the pension vote.
WDUQ News blog: Conservative Group: Pension Bill Thwarts Reform
Towanda Daily Review editorializes that Legislative lame duck sessions should be banned

Bloggers too have weighed in on the debate, helping to raise citizen awareness:

NTU’s Government Bytes blog ask: Will Pennsylvanians settle for fake pension reforms?
Lehigh Valley 9/12 Group blogs Lame Duck Voting — payback to supporters and generational theft?
Bill Lawrence blogs: Delco Tea Partyers Take Stand Against Gen Theft Bill.
Sights on Pennsylvania reposts our Policy Points
The Thomas Jefferson Club blog posts: PA Bill on Union Benefits before House; Phone Calls Needed
Bristol Township blog links to some media coverage of the debate.
Grassroots groups, including PA Coalition for Responsible Government, Delco Patriots, Coalition for Advancing Freedom, Unite PA, Kitchen Table Patriots, Lehigh Valley Project 9-12/Tea Party Group, Pittsburgh Tea Party, West Chester Tea Party, have all issued alerts to their members.