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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 15, 2009 Mid-State Lawmakers Question Rendell’sGiving Job to Political Ally During State Hiring/Pay Freeze Legislators say move shows governor is out of touch with working families andshould rescind appointment HARRISBURG – Despite a hiring freeze that he implemented last September in aneffort to combat his mounting state budget deficit, Gov. Ed Rendell recently hireda former legislator and member of the House Democrat leadership team, Dan Surra tofill a $95,000 per-year, custom-made job with the State Department of Conservationand Natural Resources (DCNR). That move has angered several mid-state lawmakers,who today sent a letter to Rendell asking pointed questions and demanding answers. The mid-state lawmakers – Reps. Ron Marsico (R-105), Mauree Gingrich (R-101), GlenGrell (R-87), Sue Helm (R-104), Sheryl Delozier (R-88) and Will Gabig (R-199) –say the governor’s double standards and favoritism toward friends is out of touchwith the realities facing most Pennsylvanians. A copy of the letter sent by the lawmakers to the governor appears below. # # # Dear Governor Rendell, You implemented a statewide pay and hiring freeze to combat a mounting statebudget deficit. This policy is adversely affecting many of our constituents, yetwe understood and supported your various efforts to decrease state spending. Bluntly, we are troubled by the recent news that you have hired former HouseDemocrat leader Dan Surra to fill an apparently specially-created, $95,000-plus-per-year job with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Wefeel this is truly an egregious slap in the face to hard-working Pennsylvaniansacross this Commonwealth.If the creation of this special job wasn’t shocking and appalling enough, youcreated it at a time when, according to a DCNR spokeswoman, the department hasleft 11 positions, including park ranger jobs, unfilled since the hiring freezewas announced in September. This is in addition to the fact that this particulardepartment, in order to cut costs, decided to discontinue posting lifeguards atstate park swimming areas. We do have several questions for which the people of Pennsylvania deserve toreceive answers: Can you assure the people of Pennsylvania without hesitation that the $95,000being spent on the former House Democrat leader’s annual salary will better servetheir needs than if this money had been spent on any of the programs or servicesthat you cut in September and December?Was the job for which the former House Democrat leader hired publicly posted?Did more than one person apply for the position and, if so, were there any morequalified candidates available?At what point did you realize this position was so critical to the needs ofPennsylvania?Can you explain to the people of Pennsylvania why the hiring of the former HouseDemocrat leader will be more advantageous to them than the filling of any of the