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[PA] Lieutenant governor moving into grand State House
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| Contributor | Scott³ |
| Last Edited | Scott³ Jan 13, 2009 04:03pm |
| Category | News |
| News Date | Jan 11, 2009 03:00pm |
| Description | Harrisburg Patriot-News.
"The seed that led to I-79 in western Pennsylvania was planted there. Former Gov. Edward Martin buried his war hero dog, Bomber, there. Former Lt. Gov. Ernest Kline's golden retriever delivered many a dead groundhog to its porch. And its creaking wooden floors in the upstairs made it impossible for children to sneak out of bed.
Those are just a smattering of memories that bubbled forth from occupants of the stone house that once served as the governor's summer mansion but today is called the "State House," the official residence of PA's lieutenant governor.
Located in a tranquil setting off Route 934 in Lebanon County, the three-story structure has been home to 14 families over the years and the 15th occupant, Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, is on the verge of moving in.
Selling the state's residence for the lieutenant governor, designated in law as the State House, is being suggested by some as a way for the state to save money.
Maintaining and staffing the house, built in the early 1940s originally as the state adjutant general's official residence, costs taxpayers about $280,000 a year. The 2,500-square-foot, three-story stone house sits on a state-owned military installation, which could complicate a sale.
Six state employees maintain the house and grounds, cook and manage the property, which includes a swimming pool with a poolhouse and a five-car garage. Additionally, state troopers provide security, but state police would not provide information about the cost to provide that service.
Tim Potts, president of Democracy Rising PA, suggested taxpayer-provided housing for the lieutenant governor is a luxury PA can no longer afford.
Not only is the state hard-pressed for cash, but Potts pointed out that Scarnati, who is also a state senator from Jefferson County, had a place to live in the area before ascending to the lieutenant governor's job after former Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll's death in November." |
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