click to enlarge Daryl Metcalfe

City Paper has a proud tradition of calling out nonsense when we see it. And calling out state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe’s nonsense over the course of the past decade has pretty much been a full-time job.

We’ve found many of his opinions and beliefs to be racist, xenophobic, close-minded and full of general numb-skullery. But our biggest rap on the Butler County Republican is that he is a blatant obstructionist with a powerful state government committee chairmanship and is able to block any bill he doesn’t believe in from reaching the house floor for a vote.

Admittedly, these were our opinions. However, late last month, Metcalfe unleashed a Facebook tirade for the ages after Philadelphia legislator Chris Rabb filed a complaint that he was in fear of Metcalfe after the two had an argument over legislation that Rabb said Metcalfe gutted.

“Another lying Philadelphia Liberal Democrat Legislator attacking me this week with the help of the media! Another Democrat playing the victim while he is actually the perpetrator! After a committee meeting last week Philadelphia Representative Rabb approached me and launched into a profanity-laced disrespectful tirade,” Metcalfe wrote.

Additionally, Metcalfe went on to call Philly Rep. Brian Sims a “lying homosexual,” and once again brought up last year’s incident when he came out as a heterosexual in response to “touchy-feely Rep Matt Bradford who has touched me over 40 times in what many observers have said is an attempt to provoke me!”

These outbursts alone back many of our assertions about Metcalfe. He lets his boorish, caveman attitudes get in the way of working for the betterment of the state.

“When they oppose us on my committee, they lose every vote and we win every vote! I block all substantive Democrat legislation sent to my committee and advance good Republican legislation!” Metcalfe wrote.

Think about that for a moment. Metcalfe proudly admitted that he won’t give a fair hearing to any bill drafted by a Democrat. That includes legislation like protections to prevent LGBTQ discrimination, a bill that polls have shown would pass if it was brought forward for a vote.

Metcalfe is intentionally sabotaging the work of many duly-elected legislators, not occasionally, but “all substantive” legislation. Democracy isn’t supposed to be controlled by one person, yet clearly in the Pennsylvania House it is. It’s time for Daryl Metcalfe to be removed from his committee chair now and then from office in November.

He’s not good for Pennsylvania now or in the future. In fact, his kind of thinking could be downright dangerous.