THEY OUGHT TO be ashamed to call themselves representatives of the people.
The state Legislature surely didn't represent the will of the people when, in secret, in the waning hours of its session last week, it passed a law that removes the right of taxpayers to make the city enforce its own zoning laws.
Some background: For years, the city's Zoning Board routinely ignored a 1991 law that limits the number and placement of new billboards in the city. Then an advocacy group, the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight (SCRUB) began to win court challenges to zoning decisions - and the billboard industry lost what had been a virtual guarantee to place what it wanted where it wanted. (And it no longer could count on being able to dot Philadelphia's landscape with lucrative "wall wraps" that cover whole buildings.)
Rather than obey the law, or even revisit it, they - and their agents in government - tried to prevent SCRUB and other community groups from going into court at all to challenge not only billboards but other projects.
And tried, and tried: Three years ago, when City Council passed a law that would limit the right to sue only to "aggrieved parties" who live 500 feet from a project, nearly every community group in the city protested. Mayor Street vetoed it. Two years ago, state House Speaker John Perzel tried to sneak a similar amendment onto a House bill. It too was defeated. The will of the people on this one is crystal clear.
But last week, in one of those classic sneaky moves that have made the Legislature infamous, they tried again. Someone - no one will own up to it, which ought to tell you something - tacked on a similar amendment to House Bill 1564, which would allow the city of Philadelphia to raise its maximum fines from $300 to $2,300. It passed.
No matter how much the city wants and needs to raise its fines, Gov. Rendell should veto House Bill 1564. SCRUB and other community groups have been urging citizens to call Rendell's office (717-787-2500) or e-mail him (governor @state.pa.us) to urge him to do so.
It's an cheap smackdown of democracy to pass laws in secret, without hearings. Someone in Harrisburg must represent the people. It's not going to be the Legislature. So, Governor, you're it.