Inquirer Editorial: Mobile home
In Pennsylvania, where lawmakers can legally take cash from lobbyists, it shouldn't be surprising that a legislator defeated a residency challenge this week based on the "home is where I say it is" doctrine. After all, the rules are made by lawmakers for lawmakers, without much consideration for the people who want their representatives to live among them and pay their bills accordingly.
In Pennsylvania, where lawmakers can legally take cash from lobbyists, it shouldn't be surprising that a legislator defeated a residency challenge this week based on the "home is where I say it is" doctrine. After all, the rules are made by lawmakers for lawmakers, without much consideration for the people who want their representatives to live among them and pay their bills accordingly.
State Rep. Pamela DeLissio (D., Phila.) bought a condominium in Harrisburg to use while working in the capital. She says she really lives in Roxborough, which she represents. But DeLissio took a tax break for primary residences on the Harrisburg condo and even registered her car there. Still, a court rejected a legal challenge that could have disqualified her from seeking reelection as a resident and representative of the city.
After the challenge became public, DeLissio registered her car in Philadelphia, and she is paying back the tax break lest her constituents get "confused."
They're probably not confused, though. They know DeLissio decided that saving a few bucks was more important than credibility.
