**NEWS RELEASE**

Says Rejecting COLA Makes Big Headlines, Small Dent

Hollidaysburg, PA – Wednesday, December 03, 2008, Senator John H. Eichelberger, Jr. called the announcement by some legislators to reject the cost of living allowance or COLA a “micro step” and urged the legislators to stop the needless spending on items for themselves and their staff, and on things designed to enhance their image with voters.

Eichelberger says that if legislators are really serious about reducing spending, they’ll follow his lead and implement some of the money-saving measures that he’s taken since starting in office two years ago. Including:
• Only taking mileage reimbursement for travel outside of the district
• Refusing the calendars that are printed and handed out or mailed to constituents
• Not doing Public Service Announcements
• Not taking reimbursement for meals
• Not taking a per diem payment
• Not mailing newsletters to constituents
• Not taking a tax payer financed car
• Having staff perform janitorial functions
• Not accepting taxpayer-funded beverages in any of his offices
• Paying for the official web site with private funds

“We estimate that the steps I’ve taken will save about $500,000 of taxpayer money over the course of my four-year term,” Eichelberger says. “If every legislator rejects the COLA, the taxpayers save about $2 million over four years. If every legislator would do the things that I’ve done, the taxpayers would save over $126 million over four years.”

“If you are going to do something, let’s do it right,” said Eichelberger. “We have a real opportunity to make the changes that the people of this great state expect. The question simply becomes, are we in the legislature, willing to make them?”

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