Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
'A spineless and brainless nation'
A guest column I wholeheartedly agree with from Yeh Ling-Ling executive director of the Alliance for a Sustainable USA, a national nonprofit organization based in California, about the rapid decline of the United States.U.S. becoming 'spineless and brainless nation'
By Yeh Ling-Ling
The United States went from being the world's greatest creditor nation to being the world's greatest debtor nation in less than three decades. What happened?
While serving as comptroller general of the United States, David Walker urged our national leaders to learn from the fall of Rome. He warned that the U.S. budget deficits, extended wars abroad, health care and immigration are critical issues that require immediate actions.
Indeed, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alone have cost American taxpayers more than $1 trillion, according to some estimates.
Our national debt has already exceeded $12 trillion, with no end in sight. American leaders should be told that most empires eventually fell due to the extended wars that bankrupted their treasuries.
If the above wars were to ensure our homeland security, why have our own borders remained so porous? Are most elected officials in Washington, D.C., not aware that many terrorists and criminal aliens live on U.S. soil?
Incredibly, most American leaders also lack courage and common sense in addressing other issues.
According to a Thomson Reuters report released Oct. 26, waste in the U.S. health-care system could total up to $850 billion a year.
Census data also show that recent immigrants and their U.S.-born children under 18 account for more than 70 percent of the growth of the uninsured population in the U.S.
Instead of working on trimming waste and reducing immigration as first steps to achieve sensible health-care reform, President Obama and Congress count on borrowing more from other countries to finance our needs.
The high costs of teen pregnancies, totaling 750,000 a year nationwide, have also been ignored.
Instead of enacting some sort of immigration moratorium so that we can put unemployed Americans, welfare recipients and nonviolent prisoners to work, Washington, D.C., has chosen to extend unemployment benefits and give out welfare costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars yearly.
President Obama has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to create jobs for Americans. Yet he is promoting amnesty for possibly 20 million illegal aliens and massive numbers of "guest worker" visas. If his misleading "comprehensive immigration reform" is enacted, it will result in millions of new voters and an explosion of legal and illegal immigration!
Although some immigrants are assets to the U.S., most do not pay enough in taxes to cover the costs of social services rendered to their families due to their mostly low incomes.
Will our leaders ever realize that adding millions of people to the U.S. population every year essentially means more job seekers and patients as well as higher expenses for infrastructure?
Sadly, the United States, once the land of the free and the brave, is fast becoming a spineless and brainless nation.
Yeh Ling-Ling, a naturalized American citizen born in Vietnam of Chinese parents, is executive director of the Alliance for a Sustainable USA (www.asustainableusa.org), a national nonprofit organization based in Oakland, Calif.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Obama job approval slips to 49%
Barack Obama's job approval numbers have been hovering around the 50% mark for months, but one major poll now has the president's approval ranking dropping to 49% with nowhere to go but down as Obama and his tone-deaf White House continue to defy the wishes of the American people.
From POLITICO:
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From POLITICO:
President Barack Obama's approval ratings have dipped below 50 percent for the first time in one prominent poll amid a raft of bad news about the economy and continuing job losses.Read the full story by Josh Gerstein at POLITICO.com
The nation's economic woes pushed Obama down to a 49 percent approval rating in the respected Gallup daily tracking poll out Friday. Gallup said Obama's approval rating had been holding in the low 50s since September but hasn't dropped below 50 percent until now.
Obama started out his presidency with 68 percent approval rating in Gallup and saw most of the decline in July and August. One veteran pollster, Syracuse University's Jeffrey Stonecash, said the steep decline is the result of unreasonably inflated expectations about what Obama could accomplish in Washington.
"I'm not surprised by the demise here because the expectations I think were really unrealistic," Stonecash said. "He has huge problems trying to get this morass of the Democratic Party to move and to work to accomplish what he wants. The longer [health care] drags out the more his ratings are going to go down."
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
CNSNews.com - CBO: By 2019, Taxpayers Will Pay $196 Billion A Year for Obamacare, But 24 Million People Will Remain Uninsured
Friday, November 20, 2009
PA Among 'Terrible 10' Most Regressive Tax States
Working families in Pennsylvania pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than their wealthiest counterparts, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy.Other highlights (or low lights) from the study:
* Pennsylvania families earning less than $19,000 - the poorest fifth of Pennsylvania taxpayers - pay 11.3% of their income in Pennsylvania state and local taxes.The review the entire report, "Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States," follow the link below:
* Middle-income Pennsylvania taxpayers - those earning between $35,000 and $56,000 - pay 9.6% of their income in Pennsylvania state and local taxes.
* The richest Pennsylvania taxpayers - with average incomes of $1,369,600 - pay only 5% of their income in Pennsylvania state and local taxes.
* After accounting for federal deduction offsets, the discrepancy is even starker: the poorest fifth pay 11.2% of their income in state and local taxes, middle-income families pay 9.1%, and the richest Pennsylvanians pay 3.9%.
* Washington, Florida, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Alabama were named as the 10 Most Regressive Tax States. Pennsylvania ranked ninth.
New Report Ranks Pennsylvania Among 'Terrible 10' Most Regressive Tax States
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Governor Rendell Announces 33 Additional Projects to be Funded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Everybody bow ... or not
A great video posted at YouTube by the College Republicans at the University of Connecticut showing that world leaders routinely greet the Japanese emperor without bowing before him, something Barack Obama indistinctly does to show U.S. weakness.
(H/T Andrew Malcolm/The Los Angeles Times)
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Independents bolt Democrats
Remember all the gloating by Democrats and their media allies after the Obama victory last November? Remember the talk of how the Republican Party was finished? How the GOP will become the minority party for decades? Who's laughing now?It appears that the Democratic Party under the leadership of far-left radicals like Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi is on the road to political oblivion.
From an article by Alex Isenstadt at POLITICO:
Mounting evidence that independent voters have soured on the Democrats is prompting a debate among party officials about what rhetorical and substantive changes are needed to halt the damage.Read the full article at the link below:
Following serious setbacks with independents in off-year elections earlier this month, White House officials attributed the defeats to local factors and said President Barack Obama sees no need to reposition his own image or the Democratic message.
Since then, however, a flurry of new polls makes clear that Democrats are facing deeper problems with independents—the swing voters who swung dramatically toward the party in 2006 and 2008 but who now are registering deep unease with the amount of spending and debt called for under Obama's agenda in an era of one-party rule in Washington.
A Gallup Poll released last week offered a disturbing glimpse about the state of play: just 14 percent of independents approve of the job Congress is doing, the lowest figure all year. In just the past few days alone, surveys have shown Democratic incumbents trailing Republicans among independent voters by double-digit margins in competitive statewide contests in places as varied as Connecticut, Ohio and Iowa.
Obama’s own popularity among independents has fallen significantly, too. A CBS News poll Tuesday showed the president’s approval rating among unaligned voters falling to 45 percent — down from 63 percent in April.
Dems alarmed as independents bolt - Alex Isenstadt - POLITICO.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Rohrer makes run for governor official
The state lawmaker who has been leading the fight to eliminate property taxes in Pennsylvania has entered the race for governor.
Berks County state Rep. Sam Rohrer will seek the Republican nomination in May 2010. A true conservative has entered the race.
Rohrer to seek GOP nomination for governor
Berks County state Rep. Sam Rohrer will seek the Republican nomination in May 2010. A true conservative has entered the race.
Rohrer to seek GOP nomination for governor
Government Watchdogs call for Constitutional Convention in PA
The latest corruption scandal to hit Harrisburg has prompted calls for a Constitutional Convention to reform state government. The problem is that a convention needs approval by the Legislature. The people of Pennsylvania can clean up the mess in 2010 when all 203 members of the state House and 25 members of the state Senate are up for reelection.
Government Watchdogs Call for Constitutional Convention in Pa.|abc27 News
The Fringe Media vs. Sarah Palin
The Fringe Media (formerly known as the Mainstream Media) has launched an all-out assault on Sarah Palin as she begins her book tour to promote "Going Rogue." The book went on sale Tuesday, but liberal book critics and left-wing pundits have already savaged the book, which is destined to become one of the biggest sellers of the year.
Despite the constant negative commentary about Palin in the Fringe Media, a new poll says most Americans share Palin's values.
From Rasmussen Reports:
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Republican voters say former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin shares the values of most GOP voters throughout the nation.Read more analysis at Rasmussen Reports
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% of Republican voters disagree and think the 2008 vice presidential candidate does not share their values. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided.
By contrast, 74% of Republicans say their party’s representatives in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters nationwide over the past several years. Only 18% of Republican voters believe their elected officials have done a good job representing the base.
The findings in these two surveys highlight the political debate within the Republican Party. Party leaders worry that Palin is pushing the GOP too far to the right to win general elections by aligning herself with Tea Party voters frustrated with both parties in Washington and the big government policies they have produced.
Still, just 18% of Republicans - and 26% of voters nationwide - see Palin as a divisive force within the GOP. A plurality believes Palin is representative of a new direction for the Republican Party. That view is held by 57% of Republicans and 41% of all voters. A plurality of Democrats aren't sure what to think of Palin's role within the opposing party.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Cooler heads prevail on global warming?
An excellent editorial in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review debunking the global warming hoax.
From the editorial:
Cooler heads - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
From the editorial:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center has released its "State of the Climate National Overview October 2009." The report finds that the month just past was America's third-coolest October on record. All but six states and all but one of nine "climate regions" had below-normal temperatures.Read the full editorial at the link below:
Cooler heads - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Jobs Saved or Created in Congressional Districts That Don't Exist
Even the liberal media is catching on to Obama's lies.From an ABC News investigation on bogus claims of jobs released by the Obama Administration:
ABC News was able to locate several examples on the government's Web site outlining hundreds of millions of dollars spent and jobs created in Congressional districts that have been misidentified.Jobs Saved or Created in Congressional Districts That Don't Exist - ABC News
For example, recovery.gov says $34 million in stimulus money has been spent in Arizona's 86th congressional district in a project for the Navajo Housing authority, which is actually located in the 1st congressional district.
The reporting problems are not limited to Arizona, ABC News found.In Oklahoma, recovery.gov lists more than $19 million in spending -- and 15 jobs created -- in yet more congressional districts that don't exist.The list of spending and job creation in fictional congressional districts extends to U.S. territories as well.
In Iowa, it shows $10.6 million spent – and 39 jobs created -- in nonexistent districts.
In Connecticut's 42nd district (which also does not exist), the Web site claims 25 jobs created with zero stimulus dollars.$68.3 million spent and 72.2 million spent in the 1st congressional district of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
$8.4 million spent and 40.3 jobs created in the 99th congressional district of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
$1.5 million spent and .3 jobs created in the 69th district and $35 million for 142 jobs in the 99th district of the Northern Mariana Islands.
$47.7 million spent and 291 jobs created in Puerto Rico's 99th congressional district.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Where did the stimulus money go?
Independent reviews of Obama's claims of job created by the stimulus bill show that the government is making up numbers. As Rep. Joe Wilson so aptly said it, "You lie!"From Watchdog.org:
Just how big is the stimulus package? Well for one, it has doubled the size of the House of Representatives, according to recovery.gov, which says that funds were distributed to 440 congressional districts that do not exist.It's clear you can't trust anything coming from the Obama Ministry of Propaganda or the state-run media that should be reporting on the most corrupt and deceptive administration ever.
According to data retrieved from recovery.gov, nearly $6.4 billion was used to “create or save” just under 30,000 jobs in these phantom congressional districts–almost $225,000 per job. The Web site operates on an $84 million budget and is tasked with monitoring the distribution of the $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress–which, for the record, counts 435 members–in early 2009.
$6.4 Billion Stimulus Goes to Phantom Districts
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Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Who has less experience? Obama or Palin?
Interesting post at Times Watch, a Web site that exposes the liberal political agenda at The New York Times. In trying to beat up on Sarah Palin, the NYT book reviewer inadvertently exposes Barack Obama's lack of experience, which might explain his failed presidency.
MRC.org - Media Research Center
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MRC.org - Media Research Center
Posted using ShareThis
She's got legs ...
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Nice legs. Oh wait, that's Sarah Palin. I thought it was Sports Illustrated, but turns out it's the new issue of Newsweek. When was the last time a "news" magazine put Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi in shorts on the cover? David Brody, CBN News White House correspondent, says on his blog that this an another example of liberal media bias, not to mention sexist coverage of the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee.
Brody writes:
This cover has got to be a new low right? They don't use a photo of Palin on the campaign trail. No instead they take the sexy Runners World photo. Yes she posed for it but don't tell me they didn't purposely use that photo to make a point? I predict this cover will become a bigger story over the next 24-48 hours and let's face it. This isn't JUST about media bias. This cover should be insulting to women politicians. Where's the sexy photo of Mitt Romney? Why not a picture of Tim Pawlenty with an unbuttoned shirt relaxing on a couch in the Twin Cities?Read his full post at the link below:
Newsweek Photo of Palin Shows Media Bias and Sexism
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Independents abandon Obama
Barack Obama recently left the country for an Asian trip, but the country left Obama months ago as he continues to push a left-wing agenda the majority of Americans don't want.
Most Republicans saw through Obama, but now independents have opened their eyes, with 47% of independent voters telling Rasmussen Reports they strongly disapprove of Obama's job performance.
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, pollsters Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen warn that Obama must drastically change course or his presidency is doomed.
From their column:
The off-year elections in New Jersey and Virginia were indeed a warning sign to Mr. Obama. While the presidents ratings aren't likely to dip much further by year's end — given the size and support of his base — by focusing exclusively on his base he could create lasting political problems that plague the remainder of his term.The latest Rasmussen Reports give Obama little hope unless he starts listening to the people:
Unless Mr. Obama changes his approach and starts governing in a more fiscally conservative, bipartisan manner, the independents that provided his margin of victory in 2008 and gave the Democrats control of Congress will likely swing back to the Republicans, putting Democratic control of Congress in real jeopardy.
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 29% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-nine percent (39%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10.Read more analysis at Rasmussen Reports
Fifty-six percent (56%) of Democrats Strongly Approve while 66% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 20% Strongly Approve and 47% Strongly Disapprove.
The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve.
Overall, 50% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. Forty-nine percent (49%) now disapprove.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Monday, November 16, 2009
Postal Service Ends 2009 With $3.8 Billion Loss
The federal government has done so well delivering the mail, why don't we turn over the nation's health system over to it?
Postal Service Ends 2009 With $3.8 Billion Loss
Postal Service Ends 2009 With $3.8 Billion Loss
Pelosi Bill Eliminates CHIP Program
Funny how nobody mentioned this before Democrats passed the Pelosi Health Care Bill, which eliminates the Children's Health Insurance Program, better known as CHIP.
Did anybody read the 2,000-page bill? Oh, wait. This is Congress we're talking about. They never read a bill before voting for it.
Children's Health Fund faults Congressional Democrats for eliminating one of the few government health programs that works.
Congressional Health Reform Bill Falls Short on Comprehensive and Affordable Coverage for Low-Income Children
Did anybody read the 2,000-page bill? Oh, wait. This is Congress we're talking about. They never read a bill before voting for it.
Children's Health Fund faults Congressional Democrats for eliminating one of the few government health programs that works.
Congressional Health Reform Bill Falls Short on Comprehensive and Affordable Coverage for Low-Income Children
Rep. Sam Rohrer: Public Option? More Like Trojan Horse
Public Option? More Like Trojan Horse By State Rep. Sam Rohrer
As the federal government in Washington, D.C., plots to take over America's personal health care market, those of us who value liberty would be well served to remember the story of the Trojan horse.
According to legend, the Greeks attacked the city of Troy for more than a decade, but were unable to overtake it. Finally, the Greeks built a large hollow horse, inside of which a select force of soldiers was hidden. The Trojans pulled the horse inside the gate and, once night had fallen, the Greek soldiers leaped out and opened the gates to the city so their brethren could enter. This was how the Greek army successfully destroyed the city of Troy.
Today, the federal government is attempting to infiltrate America’s personal health care system using its own version of a Trojan horse: the so-called "public option."
Proponents of the public option continually attempt to reassure Americans that it does not mark the beginning of the journey down the road to socialized medicine. However, even if this were the case, it still does not justify the intrusion.
First of all, the federal government has no authority to get involved in our country’s private health care system. Anyone who took the time to read our nation's constitution would know this. That historic document includes many enumerated powers for Congress and the president. I assure you, none of the powers granted in our Constitution allow for a federal takeover of America's personal health insurance market.
Second, and on a more practical level, previous public options in other sectors have not fared so well. For example, the two public options in the mortgage industry – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – helped to create the housing bubble that resulted in the current international economic recession. By lowering lending requirements and handing out loans to severely under-qualified borrowers, these organizations bent to political pressures. That, in turn, helped bring about the "Great Recession" we are now suffering through. Will the health care public option likewise succumb to political pressures?
The vast welfare system is the nameless, faceless "public option" of charity. Decades after it was introduced and billions of dollars later, many Americans still live in poverty. Will the health care "public option" fail just as miserably in its goal, wasting vast amounts of taxpayer resources in the process?
Furthermore, think about how well (or unwell) the federal government takes care of the responsibilities it already has. Just look at our crumbling interstate highway system and our nation’s deteriorating bridges. Consider how long it takes to get a pot hole fixed on your local highway. Now, what if it took that long for you to get the medical care you need? Do you think for some reason that a large federal health care bureaucracy will be more responsive than the large transportation bureaucracy?
Finally, despite the ongoing rhetorical battle between the right and left over this issue, it is not one that should be viewed solely through the lens of Democrats versus Republicans. In fact, the liberals who believe in government right now – because the people they voted for are in power – should be cautious. They may be anxious to hand over their health care to the federal politicians now that Democrats like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama are in charge. But, if there's one thing for certain about the political pendulum, it is that it always manages to swing back the other way.
Would the same liberals have been willing to turn over their health care to George W. Bush, former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert or former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist? Having turned over control of your personal health care to the government, there is nothing to prevent a conservative from one day taking office and changing things to meet his or her ideology. Are you prepared to reap what you have sown?
Long ago, the Trojans were deceived into believing they could have something (a large wooden horse) for nothing. Their blunder lives on in infamy. Will America succumb to the same fate, voluntarily surrendering our personal health care system for the Trojan horse known as the public option?
State Rep. Sam Rohrer is a Republican who represents Berks County's 128th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Destroying the world is good for business
Destroying the world has proven very profitable for director Roland Emmerich, whose previous films include "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow."His latest, "2012," topped the box office this weekend with an estimated $65.0 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com
That's a good opening, but not spectacular. The film itself cost $200 million to make and while it should make back its production costs, it does not appear to be a runaway blockbuster like "Transformers 2," which has made $400 million.
Here's this weekend's Top 5 films for Nov. 13-15 based on studio estimates:
Rank. Movie Title (Distributor)Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Weekend Gross | Theaters | Total Gross | Week #
1. 2012 (Sony / Columbia)
$65.0 million | 3,404 | $65.0 million | 1
2. A Christmas Carol (2009) (Buena Vista)
$22.3 million | 3,683 | $63.3 million | 2
3. The Men Who Stare at Goats (Overture Films)
$6.2 million | 2,453 | $23.4 million | 2
4. Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire (Lionsgate)
$6.1 million | 174 | $8.9 million | 2
5. Michael Jackson's This Is It (Sony / Columbia)
$5.1 million | 3,037 | $68.2 million | 3
Arlen Specter in Pottstown
Where does Arlen Specter stand on the issues? It depends on which day of the week it is. Specter is pushing John Kerry aside as king of the flip-flop. Specter sat down a few days ago for and extensive interview with The Pottstown Mercury.
On health care, Specter said "I will only vote on a health care bill that does not add to the deficit."
Does that mean he will defy Barack Obama and Harry Reid?
I also enjoyed this quote from Specter about the fact that it took him a couple of decades to figure out he wans't a true Republican: "I found I was voting more often with the Democrats than the Republicans during my tenure."
Check out what he has to say on a variety of issues ... before he changes his mind again.
Read the story at the newspaper's Web site, where you can also view videos of Specter at the offices of The Mercury.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Pew Survey: Incumbents Beware, especially Democrats
A new survey by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds widespread anti-incumbent sentiment among the American electorate.
From the survey:
The mood of America is glum. Two-thirds of the public is dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country. Fully nine-in-ten say that national economic conditions are only fair or poor, and nearly two-thirds describe their own finances that way -- the most since the summer of 1992.What does this mean for the party in power, aka Democrats? Unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the economy and Afghanistan in the coming year, Democrats will face a political massacre in the 2010 midterm elections.
An increasing proportion of Americans say that the war in Afghanistan is not going well, and a plurality continues to oppose the health care reform proposals in Congress.
While President Obama's approval rating hovers around 51%, Congressional incumbents are in serious trouble, according to the Pew Research Survey.
From the survey:
About half (52%) of registered voters would like to see their own representative re-elected next year, while 34% say that most members of Congress should be re-elected.And then there's the "enthusiasm" factor. While the Democratic Party base is losing patience with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid & Co., Republicans are feeling much better about their party's chances next year.
Both measures are among the most negative in two decades of Pew Research surveys. Other low points were during the 1994 and 2006 election cycles, when the party in power suffered large losses in midterm elections.
Support for congressional incumbents is particularly low among political independents. Only 42% of independent voters want to see their own representative re-elected and just 25% would like to see most members of Congress re-elected. Both measures are near all-time lows in Pew Research surveys.
Currently, 47% of registered voters say they would vote for the Democratic candidate in their district or lean Democratic, while 42% would vote for the Republican or lean to the GOP candidate. In August, 45% favored the Democrat in their district and 44% favored the Republican.
From the survey:
Fully 58% of those who plan to vote for a Republican next year say they are very enthusiastic about voting, compared with 42% of those who plan to vote for a Democrat. More than half (56%) of independent voters who support a Republican in their district are very enthusiastic about voting; by contrast, just 32% of independents who plan to vote for a Democrat express high levels of enthusiasm.In other words, the Republican base that stayed home in 2008 because it could not bring itself to support John McCain has realized what a mistake it was to turn the country over to Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats. Republicans (and independents) are poised to take corrective action in 2010.
Read the full survey by clicking here.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Costly recount
Republican Temp Smith finished 3,534 off the pace for four open seats on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, but he wants a recount. That will cost Pennsylvania taxpayers $1.3 million.
Let me go out on a limb and predict that Smith will still finish sixth in the race where the top four candidates get seats on the court.
Two other candidates, including one who finished higher than Smith, waived their right to a recount but state law says all candidates must agree to opt out ... or an automatic recount kicks in.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes Orders Recount in Close Superior Court Election
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Let me go out on a limb and predict that Smith will still finish sixth in the race where the top four candidates get seats on the court.
Two other candidates, including one who finished higher than Smith, waived their right to a recount but state law says all candidates must agree to opt out ... or an automatic recount kicks in.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes Orders Recount in Close Superior Court Election
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Corbett charges 10 Republicans in corruption probe
Just posted on the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Web site:
HARRISBURG - As part of an ongoing public corruption investigation into the Pennsylvania Legislature, agents from the Attorney General's Public Corruption Unit today filed criminal charges against Representative John Perzel and former Republican Representative Brett Feese. Also charged are eight current or former aides to Perzel and Feese.Read the full release at the link below:
Attorney General Tom Corbett said the charges are part of an ongoing grand jury investigation into the misuse of public resources and employees for campaign purposes in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
Corbett said the grand jury issued a 188 page presentment recommending that he file criminal charges against the defendants.
Among those charged, in addition to Perzel and Feese, are Perzel's former Chief of Staff, Brian Preski; his current Chief of Staff, Paul Towhey; Perzel's brother-in-law and former House employee, Samual "Buzz" Stokes; Perzel legislative aide John Zimmerman; Perzel campaign aide Don McClintock; Feese aides Jill Seaman and Elmer Bowman; and former House Republican Information Technology Deputy Director Eric Ruth.
The defendants are each charged with numerous theft, criminal conspiracy and conflict of interest charges. Additionally, Perzel, Preski, Feese, Seaman, Towhey and Zimmerman are each charged with obstruction of justice.
Corbett said that in the first phase of the investigation his agents charged 12 defendants in July of 2008. Trials are scheduled for December and January 2010.
Press: The Attorney General's Press Office - Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
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Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Seniors taget Pelosi bill supporters
Attention Democrats who supported the Pelosi Health Care Bill that guts Medicare to pay for expanded coverage to younger people: Seniors have long memories and they tend to vote in every election.
The 60 Plus Association is targeting 15 Democrats, including two from Pennsylvania.
New $1.5 Million Campaign Targeting 15 'YES' Votes on House Health Care Reform
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Son of Bonusgate
The other shoe has dropped.Ten Republicans connected to the Pennsylvania Legislature, including former Speaker of the House John Perzel, have been charged in a wide-ranging corruption case, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett announced today.
A grand jury found that Perzel was the architect of an illegal scheme in which more than $10 million in taxpayer money was spent to help win political campaigns, according to The Associated Press.
Also charged in the ongoing grand jury probe were Perzel's former chief of staff, Brian Preski, and former House GOP counsel Brett Feese, the news service reports.
The charges come 16 months after 12 Democrats were charged in what became known as the Bonusgate case.
Just four years ago, Perzel was arguably the most powerful politician in Pennsylvania, with more influence than Gov. Ed Rendell. But the pay raise fiasco of 2005 and Republican loses in the House (which Perzel had a hand in) cost Perzel his post as Speaker. Now he is facing criminal charges and a lengthy jail sentence if found guilty.
Perzel, who has represented parts of Philadelphia in Legislature since 1979, was Republican Whip in 1993-94; Majority Leader from 1995 to 2003; and Speaker from April 15, 2003, to the end of 2006, when a half-dozen Republicans joined with Democrats to deny him another term as Speaker.
Read more details at the link below:
Perzel charged with theft, conspiracy in $10 million scheme - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Wrong Direction
A new AP-GfK Poll released today shows Obama's job approval number at 54% — down 20 points since January.
The same poll finds 56 percent of people say the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Only 46 percent approve of Obama's handling of the economy. And only 33 percent approve of how Congress is doing under Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.
For complete poll results, click here.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Rep. Joe Pitts: Why I Voted Against Pelosi Bill
Why I Voted Against Speaker Pelosi's Health Care BillBy Congressman Joe Pitts
On November 7, the House of Representatives considered Speaker Nancy Pelosi's health care reform bill, and I chose to stand against it and vote no. It was not a decision that I made lightly, and it came after months of debate, study and personal meetings with constituents.
Over the summer and into the fall, I held dozens of meetings and townhalls and heard from constituents both for and against the Democrats' health care reform. I heard great concern that government health care would lead to rationing and mountains of debt. I heard concerns that we need to broaden coverage and reduce rising costs. Mostly, I heard that residents of the 16th District do not approve of a government takeover of 17 percent of the economy.
I have many reasons for voting against Speaker Pelosi's bill.
First, this plan does nothing to address the most pressing problem facing American health care: the looming insolvency of Medicare. I actually believe that it will make the problem worse.
The Medicare trustees report that "fund assets are projected to be exhausted in 2017." Medicare has tens of trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities, and yet the bill does nothing to place this important program on a solid footing. Instead, hundreds of billions of dollars of cuts in Medicare will be used to provide for a new government health program, the so-called "public option."
I believe this public option will quickly become the only health care option for millions of Americans. While Speaker Pelosi says that this plan will merely "compete" with private insurance plans, they will not compete on a level playing field. The public option will not have to pay taxes, will not be subject to endless lawsuits, and will not have to abide by expensive state regulations and mandates. In other words, the public option will have a significant competitive advantage over private insurance. Given the stated preference of leading Democrats for a "single payer" government health care monopoly, I believe the public option is intended to ultimately become that government monopoly.
Second, President Obama has insisted that this plan will not raise taxes on Americans making less than $250,000. This plan will subject middle-class Americans a 2.5 percent penalty for not carrying government approved insurance. This is a tax and failure to pay it could lead to fines and even five years of jail time. It will not just be millionaires who have to pay up.
Third, Speaker Pelosi's plan calls for Medicaid to cover millions more Americans. The federal government, however, is not solely responsible for funding Medicaid and will only cover the state's costs part of the way. States will be forced to find ways to cover these new individuals. When federal subsidies for Medicaid end in 2019, Pennsylvania would be forced to find an additional $930 million per year. The state will either have to raise taxes or cut critical programs like education and transportation.
Finally, this bill will raise costs for small businesses currently struggling to provide insurance for their employees. New taxes and new regulations will drive up premiums, forcing businesses to choose to either maintain payroll or maintain health insurance. The House Ways and Means Committee, using data from the Congressional Budget Office, estimates that 5.5. million jobs could be lost in the first 10 years after passage of this bill.
There are more reasons for my concern, and I have issued a detailed memo explaining both my objections to Speaker Pelosi's bill and what I think should be done to reform health care. I have posted this memo on my Web site and will send it to any constituent who contacts my office. I agree that our health care system needs to be fixed. Costs are rising too fast and too many Americans go without insurance coverage. I voted no, but I will not stand in the way of sensible reform that protects our freedom.
Rep. Joe Pitts represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District in parts of Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Iraq veteran announces he'll seek GOP nomination for Patrick Murphy's seat -- themorningcall.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
POLITICO: Specter Seat Amont Most Likely to Flip in 2010
Bad news for Arlen Specter. One of the nation's leading political publications is listing Pennsylvania as one of the 10 Senate seats most likely to switch hands in 2010. That's good news for likely GOP nominee Pat Toomey.
From POLITICO:
10 Senate seats most likely to flip - Alex Isenstadt - POLITICO.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From POLITICO:
After struggling for two consecutive cycles on the Senate battlefield, Republicans seem poised to make a comeback in 2010. With 37 seats up for grabs — and Democrats defending 19 of them — the GOP is flexing its muscles in Democratic-leaning states like Delaware, Connecticut and Illinois. Recruiting coups by National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn of Texas are one big reason Republicans feel a new sense of confidence. Democrats, meanwhile, are taking on an increasingly defensive crouch as the party in power, which must defend President Barack Obama’s ambitious — and expensive — agenda.Read the full story at the link below:
10 Senate seats most likely to flip - Alex Isenstadt - POLITICO.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
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