Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Rendell Signs 3 Bills Into Law
Gov. Ed Rendell is keeping busy signing some insignificant legislation into law as we approach the June 30 deadline to approve a new state budget.
Rendell signed three bills into law today, including one that changes the name of bridge in Clinton County to honor veterans.
Working hard or hardly working in Harrisburg? You be the judge.
Governor Rendell Signs 3 Bills Into Law
Rendell signed three bills into law today, including one that changes the name of bridge in Clinton County to honor veterans.
Working hard or hardly working in Harrisburg? You be the judge.
Governor Rendell Signs 3 Bills Into Law
Good stuff at other blogs
Here's a recap of some good reads at other blogs across Pennsylvania:
POLICY BLOG examines campaign finance reform and exposes shenanigans at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and asks if Democrats want Pennsylvania residents to die.
LINCOLN BLOG comments on this week's Supreme Court's Second Amendment decision.
NEPALibWatch has some great McCain or Die! T-shirts on display.
TONY PHYRILLAS hammers Barack Obama on gun control and abortion and the candidate's never-ending flip-flops on issues. And then there's Obama's lack of an energy policy.
POWERBLOG! says Michelle Obama spilled the beans on her hubby's plans to fight traditional marriage and serves up an Obama waffle on the gun control ruling.
SAVE THE GOP found the worst political ad ever
POLICY BLOG examines campaign finance reform and exposes shenanigans at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and asks if Democrats want Pennsylvania residents to die.
LINCOLN BLOG comments on this week's Supreme Court's Second Amendment decision.
NEPALibWatch has some great McCain or Die! T-shirts on display.
TONY PHYRILLAS hammers Barack Obama on gun control and abortion and the candidate's never-ending flip-flops on issues. And then there's Obama's lack of an energy policy.
POWERBLOG! says Michelle Obama spilled the beans on her hubby's plans to fight traditional marriage and serves up an Obama waffle on the gun control ruling.
SAVE THE GOP found the worst political ad ever
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Another Obama contradiction
It's hard to keep track of all the contradictions Sen. Barack Obama has made in his quest to fool enough people to make him the next president of the United States.
Follow the link below to another example of how Obama will say anything to get elected -- even if it goes against what he said before.
They Said It Flashback!
Follow the link below to another example of how Obama will say anything to get elected -- even if it goes against what he said before.
They Said It Flashback!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
School taxes driving people out of homes
Two interesting articles on the continuing problem of school property taxes.
The Reading Eagle has a story about a couple that fought property tax increases for years by their local school board, but can no longer fight. The couple is selling their home because they can't afford to pay the property taxes.
TONY PHYRILLAS highlights excessive spending by school boards.
The Reading Eagle has a story about a couple that fought property tax increases for years by their local school board, but can no longer fight. The couple is selling their home because they can't afford to pay the property taxes.
TONY PHYRILLAS highlights excessive spending by school boards.
Number of People With Diabetes Increases to 24 Million
There's a diabetes epidemic in the United States, but hardly anyone appears to have noticed. It seems that other diseases are getting more attention (and more public financing) because they do a better job of promotion.
Number of People With Diabetes Increases to 24 Million
Number of People With Diabetes Increases to 24 Million
Obama vs. Obama on Nuclear Power
We can't drill for new oil. We can't build refinaries. We can't license nuclear plants. What is the Obama energey policy? Just a lot of hot air?
Republican National Committee: Obama vs. Obama on Nuclear Power
Republican National Committee: Obama vs. Obama on Nuclear Power
Highway Users Alliance demands more drilling
The only way the United States will get itself out of the current energy crisis is to increase the supply of oil. Democrats stand in the way. American voters will have to remove the roadblock.
Highway Users Lead Call for Increased Oil Supply
Highway Users Lead Call for Increased Oil Supply
Monday, June 23, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Democrats = Higher Gas Prices
It's becoming pretty clear that the Democratic Party is working with far left groups and the environmental fringe to keep gas prices high to force Americans to reduce their driving.
Don't be surprised if Al Gore is named National Energy Czar in a Barack Obama administration.
Keep up with the latest on rising gas prices and why the Democrats refuse to allow more domestic oil drilling at the links below:
Al Gore Using "Even More" Energy Now
1 million petition Congress to drill for American oil
Chuck Norris to Congress: 'Get Off Your Gas, And Drill!'
Bush to Dems on oil drilling: 'There is no excuse for delay'
Gallons Per Mile or Miles Per Gallon
Environmentalists Want to Cast Us Into Stone Age
House Dems Call to "Nationalize" Oil Industry
Don't be surprised if Al Gore is named National Energy Czar in a Barack Obama administration.
Keep up with the latest on rising gas prices and why the Democrats refuse to allow more domestic oil drilling at the links below:
Al Gore Using "Even More" Energy Now
1 million petition Congress to drill for American oil
Chuck Norris to Congress: 'Get Off Your Gas, And Drill!'
Bush to Dems on oil drilling: 'There is no excuse for delay'
Gallons Per Mile or Miles Per Gallon
Environmentalists Want to Cast Us Into Stone Age
House Dems Call to "Nationalize" Oil Industry
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tony Phyrillas on 'Journalists Roundtable'
The popular "Journalists Roundtable" public affairs program on the Pennsylvania Cable Network will be coming to you from Pottstown this week.The one-hour program hosted by Bill Bova is shown Thursdays at 8 p.m. on cable systems throughout Pennsylvania.
The program will repeat Sunday at 5 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.
The panel for June 19 program consists of Tony Phyrillas, city editor/political columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown; Nick Lawrence, host of "Great Talk Radio" on WPAZ 1370 AM & WEEU 830 AM and Phil Heron, editor of the The Delaware County Daily Times.
PCN is shown on Comcast Channel 98 in Berks County, Service Electric Cable Channel 23 in Berks/Lehigh counties and Comcast Channel 78 in the Pottstown area.
Consult your cable guide for the Pennsylvania Cable Network channel in your area.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
More Good Stuff at Other Blogs
POLICY BLOG has a couple of good posts. One is about the ticking time bomb that is pensions for government workers in Pennsylvania. The other is how the Rendell Administration gives away hard-earned tax dollars to Hollywood types to make bad movies.
PowerBlog! opines about Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha and his continual attacks on U.S military personnel. There's also an interesting post on how Barack Obama and John McCain stack up on "values issues."
Lowman Henry talks about the annual circus known as crafting a new state budget at Lincoln Blog.
TONY PHYRILLAS writes about a state lawmaker who suggests cutting the state's enormous welfare budget by just 10 percent to save money that can be used to fix Pennsylvania's infrastructure. There's also the nightmare scenario of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Noll, soon-to-be 78, taking over as governor should an Obama-Rendell ticket materialize. Also check out why Democrats are blocking efforts to reform gerrymandering in Pennsylvania.
Taxpayer Protection has high hopes for a low-cal state budget. We can dream, can't we?
Is This Life? offers more proof liberals have no business running the government.
WRITEMARSH! offers a post on the restructuring of the Montgomery County Republican Committee under new chairman Bob Kerns.
PowerBlog! opines about Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha and his continual attacks on U.S military personnel. There's also an interesting post on how Barack Obama and John McCain stack up on "values issues."
Lowman Henry talks about the annual circus known as crafting a new state budget at Lincoln Blog.
TONY PHYRILLAS writes about a state lawmaker who suggests cutting the state's enormous welfare budget by just 10 percent to save money that can be used to fix Pennsylvania's infrastructure. There's also the nightmare scenario of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Noll, soon-to-be 78, taking over as governor should an Obama-Rendell ticket materialize. Also check out why Democrats are blocking efforts to reform gerrymandering in Pennsylvania.
Taxpayer Protection has high hopes for a low-cal state budget. We can dream, can't we?
Is This Life? offers more proof liberals have no business running the government.
WRITEMARSH! offers a post on the restructuring of the Montgomery County Republican Committee under new chairman Bob Kerns.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Reforms move forward in GOP Senate
Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg continue to push for ways to reform state government. Unfortunately, the Democrats who control the state House continue to put up obstacles for reform measures.
Barry L. Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause/Pennsylvania, reports that the Senate State Government Committee passed two important government reform bills on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 346 upgrades the way that legislative and congressional districts would be redesigned after each Census, Kauffman says.
Changing the way Pennsylvania politicians draw political boundaries is "considered one of the critical pillars of reform," Kauffman says.
SB 346 moved out of committee by an 8-3 vote.
Kauffman complimented Committee Chairmen Jeffrey Piccola and Anthony Williams for working together to get the bill moving and give it a chance to meet the mid-July constitutional deadline.
"This redistricting reform bill is crucial to making Pennsylvania's legislative and congressional elections meaningful again. When SB 346 becomes law, there will be much greater likelihood that voters will have meaningful choices on election day, and therefore have a greater ability to hold their elected officials accountable." Kauffman said.
A companion piece of legislation is bogged down in the House, where the Democratic chairwoman of the House State Government Committee, Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., is refusing to allow a vote on the measure.
The Senate committee also unanimously approved Senate Bill 1488, which would make it illegal for lobbyists and those who hire lobbyists to provide gifts, hospitality, entertainment, meals or lodging to state-level officials and employees, Kauffman says.
The bill contains a reasonable exemption for plaques and also permits an official to participate in a group meal when speaking at a major organizational event that pertains to official duties, according to Kauffman.
"The Piccola gift ban proposal largely closes one of the big loopholes in the recently passed lobbyist disclosure; and in so doing ends a practice that appears to have raised serious concerns with most citizens. Lobbyists themselves have raised concerns about demands from officials for gifts and meals, while most citizens want to feel assured that their officials' loyalties lie with them rather than with special interest lobbyists that provide the largesse," Kauffman says.
Barry L. Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause/Pennsylvania, reports that the Senate State Government Committee passed two important government reform bills on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 346 upgrades the way that legislative and congressional districts would be redesigned after each Census, Kauffman says.
Changing the way Pennsylvania politicians draw political boundaries is "considered one of the critical pillars of reform," Kauffman says.
SB 346 moved out of committee by an 8-3 vote.
Kauffman complimented Committee Chairmen Jeffrey Piccola and Anthony Williams for working together to get the bill moving and give it a chance to meet the mid-July constitutional deadline.
"This redistricting reform bill is crucial to making Pennsylvania's legislative and congressional elections meaningful again. When SB 346 becomes law, there will be much greater likelihood that voters will have meaningful choices on election day, and therefore have a greater ability to hold their elected officials accountable." Kauffman said.
A companion piece of legislation is bogged down in the House, where the Democratic chairwoman of the House State Government Committee, Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., is refusing to allow a vote on the measure.
The Senate committee also unanimously approved Senate Bill 1488, which would make it illegal for lobbyists and those who hire lobbyists to provide gifts, hospitality, entertainment, meals or lodging to state-level officials and employees, Kauffman says.
The bill contains a reasonable exemption for plaques and also permits an official to participate in a group meal when speaking at a major organizational event that pertains to official duties, according to Kauffman.
"The Piccola gift ban proposal largely closes one of the big loopholes in the recently passed lobbyist disclosure; and in so doing ends a practice that appears to have raised serious concerns with most citizens. Lobbyists themselves have raised concerns about demands from officials for gifts and meals, while most citizens want to feel assured that their officials' loyalties lie with them rather than with special interest lobbyists that provide the largesse," Kauffman says.
Phyrillas returns to PCN
The popular "Journalists Roundtable" public affairs program on the Pennsylvania Cable Network is coming to Pottstown this week.
The panel for June 19 program will consist of Tony Phyrillas, city editor/political columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown; Nick Lawrence, host of "Great Talk Radio" on WPAZ 1370 AM and Phil Heron, editor of the The Delaware County Daily Times.
The one-hour program hosted by Bill Bova is shown Thursdays at 8 p.m. on cable systems throughout Pennsylvania.
The program will repeat Sunday at 5 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.
Click here for more.
The panel for June 19 program will consist of Tony Phyrillas, city editor/political columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown; Nick Lawrence, host of "Great Talk Radio" on WPAZ 1370 AM and Phil Heron, editor of the The Delaware County Daily Times.
The one-hour program hosted by Bill Bova is shown Thursdays at 8 p.m. on cable systems throughout Pennsylvania.
The program will repeat Sunday at 5 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.
Click here for more.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Good stuff at other blogs
Lots of interesting posts at blogs across Pennsylvania:
Instead of tolling Interstate 80, cut Pennsylvania welfare expenses by 10% at PowerBlog!
A new poll shows Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta leading incumbent Paul Kanjorski for Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District. Read more at Pennsylvania Ave.
Several good posts at POLICY BLOG. Take your pick:
Limiting political speech won’t create good government
Smoking bans and individual rights
Biofuels Are Indefensible
John McCain is the first (and so far the only) presidential candidate who understands that the U.S. ban on offshore drilling for oil must be lifted by the Democrats who control Congress in order to get gas prices under control. Read more at TONY PHYRILLAS
Big government = limited economic growth, says the TaxpayerProtection blog
Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews continues to make a fool of himself at PaWaterCooler.com
Instead of tolling Interstate 80, cut Pennsylvania welfare expenses by 10% at PowerBlog!
A new poll shows Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta leading incumbent Paul Kanjorski for Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District. Read more at Pennsylvania Ave.
Several good posts at POLICY BLOG. Take your pick:
Limiting political speech won’t create good government
Smoking bans and individual rights
Biofuels Are Indefensible
John McCain is the first (and so far the only) presidential candidate who understands that the U.S. ban on offshore drilling for oil must be lifted by the Democrats who control Congress in order to get gas prices under control. Read more at TONY PHYRILLAS
Big government = limited economic growth, says the TaxpayerProtection blog
Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews continues to make a fool of himself at PaWaterCooler.com
'Property Tax Madness'
The Philadelphia Inquirer has a big package on its Web site called "Property Tax Madness."
It's interesting stuff, but it's also the latest example of how the state's biggest newspaper is usually a couple of years late with the news.
Other newspapers have been harping on the need for property tax reform for years.
The gist of the Inky package is: "An Inquirer analysis of 500,000 tax records in Philadelphia and four suburban Pa. counties found wildly disparate tax rates that widen the economic divide between haves and have-nots."
You can check it out here.
And for the latest on the grassroots effort to get property tax reform passed in Pennsylvania, check out the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition Web site.
It's interesting stuff, but it's also the latest example of how the state's biggest newspaper is usually a couple of years late with the news.
Other newspapers have been harping on the need for property tax reform for years.
The gist of the Inky package is: "An Inquirer analysis of 500,000 tax records in Philadelphia and four suburban Pa. counties found wildly disparate tax rates that widen the economic divide between haves and have-nots."
You can check it out here.
And for the latest on the grassroots effort to get property tax reform passed in Pennsylvania, check out the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition Web site.
Republican National Committee: Obama's Economic Plan Deserves Close Scrutiny
Even liberal newspapers are wondering what Sen. Barack Obama is talking about. The Detroit News has a lot of questions about Obama's vague economic plans. Follow the link below to read the editorial.
Republican National Committee: Obama's Economic Plan Deserves Close Scrutiny
Republican National Committee: Obama's Economic Plan Deserves Close Scrutiny
Saturday, June 14, 2008
If it ain't broke, why fix it?
Check out this editorial from The Philadelphia Inquirer about a move in the state Legislature to allow government entities to place public meeting notices and other legal advertisements in shopping circulars and online instead of newspapers with widespread circulation in a community.
It's another effort by politicians to keep residents in the dark. For every door that opens on Pennsylvania's antiquated Sunshine Law, another one closes.
Politicians want residents to remain in the dark so they don't see how tax dollars are spent.
"The biggest and most important issue is the public's right to know and how best to get the information distributed to the broadest audience," the Inquirer writes. "Newspapers face many challenges these days, but they remain the cheapest and most reliable way to keep the public informed."
Tell you legislator to start working on real problems like property taxes, repairing roads and bridges and providing affordable health care instead of spending time on something that doesn't need fixing.
Read the full editorial, "Public Notices: Keep them where the audience is," here.
It's another effort by politicians to keep residents in the dark. For every door that opens on Pennsylvania's antiquated Sunshine Law, another one closes.
Politicians want residents to remain in the dark so they don't see how tax dollars are spent.
"The biggest and most important issue is the public's right to know and how best to get the information distributed to the broadest audience," the Inquirer writes. "Newspapers face many challenges these days, but they remain the cheapest and most reliable way to keep the public informed."
Tell you legislator to start working on real problems like property taxes, repairing roads and bridges and providing affordable health care instead of spending time on something that doesn't need fixing.
Read the full editorial, "Public Notices: Keep them where the audience is," here.
Obama: Wrong For Pennsylvania's Economy, Says Republican National Committee
Sen. Barack Obama spent time in Pennsylvania this week raising big bucks from rich Democrats.
If he's elected president, Obama will be raising taxes on the rest of us.
Read more below on the damage a tax-and-spend Obama presidency would do to the U.S. economy at the link below.
Obama: Wrong For Pennsylvania's Economy, Says Republican National Committee
If he's elected president, Obama will be raising taxes on the rest of us.
Read more below on the damage a tax-and-spend Obama presidency would do to the U.S. economy at the link below.
Obama: Wrong For Pennsylvania's Economy, Says Republican National Committee
Tim Russert
There's a nice collection of tributes to broadcast journalist Tim Russert, who died Friday, at the TONY PHYRILLAS blog. The fact that politicians, bloggers and journalists from the right and the left are so saddened by Russert's death is a tribute to the work he did and the man he was.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
GOP ship is sinking in Pennsylvania
If you want to read an honest assessment of the current state of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, I recommend "GOP Ship Continues to Sink" by Lowman S. Henry & Ryan M. Shafik of the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research:
And somebody please pass this column on to National Committeeman Bob Asher and National Committeewoman Christine Toretti, who appear to be oblivious to the fact that the Pennsylvania GOP is in decline on their watch.
If the massive number of Republicans switching to the Democratic Party in the weeks before the Pennsylvania Primary was a political earthquake, what has been happening since is a strong aftershock. The desertion of the GOP by voters in bellwether counties is continuing.Read the rest of the commentary at Pennsylvania townhall.com
Pre-primary conventional wisdom held that Republican voters were re-registering as Democrats to participate in the hotly contested election between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. GOP leaders predicted many, if not most, of the wayward Republicans would return to the fold after the primary. Reacting to the surge in party switches, the Republican State Committee and many county committees announced plans to entice their voters back into the party.
Early evidence suggests that is not happening. In fact, the erosion of the Republican Party's voter base continues apace. Nowhere has the GOP lost more ground than in southeastern Pennsylvania where the former GOP powerhouse counties of Bucks and Montgomery went "blue" in the days prior to the primary election. The trend is continuing. In Bucks County, since the April 22nd primary, 1,590 voters have switched to become Democrats; while 476 switched to the GOP.
And somebody please pass this column on to National Committeeman Bob Asher and National Committeewoman Christine Toretti, who appear to be oblivious to the fact that the Pennsylvania GOP is in decline on their watch.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Slots chip away at lottery sales in PA
One of the questions often asked when Gov. Ed Rendell first proposed legalizing slot machines in Pennsylvania was whether the casinos would harm the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Rendell said there was plenty of money for Pennsylvania residents to lose, to the lottery and the slot machines.
It appears the governor was wrong. (This is the same guy who promises "substantial" property tax relief from the gambling revenues, remember?)
Check out "Did slots hurt lottery collections?" at POLICY BLOG and "Told you so: Slots hurting lottery sales in PA" at TONY PHYRILLAS
POLICY BLOG also has a link to the full 148-page report about declining lottery sales.
Rendell said there was plenty of money for Pennsylvania residents to lose, to the lottery and the slot machines.
It appears the governor was wrong. (This is the same guy who promises "substantial" property tax relief from the gambling revenues, remember?)
Check out "Did slots hurt lottery collections?" at POLICY BLOG and "Told you so: Slots hurting lottery sales in PA" at TONY PHYRILLAS
POLICY BLOG also has a link to the full 148-page report about declining lottery sales.
Smokers no longer have a friend in Pennsylvania
After more than a year of haggling over who or what to exempt, the Pennsylvania Legislature has agreed on a statewide smoking ban. The bill is headed to Gov. Ed Rendell's desk for his signature.
Once it becomes law (90 days after Rendell signs it), the ban would prohibit smoking in most workplaces and public spaces in Pennsylvania.
The final vote in the state Senate was 41-9 on Tuesday. The House overwhelmingly approved the bill last week.
Rendell, who has indicated he will sign the bill, is also pushing for a higher cigarette tax and the expansion of taxes on other tobacco products.
Not sure how that's going to work. You ban smoking, but you tax it to fund other programs. You have to go deep inside the liberal mind of Ed Rendell to figure that one out.
The ban covers cigarette, cigar and pipe smoking in restaurants, offices, schools, sports arenas, theaters, bus stations and train stations. But a dozen exemptions remain. You can still light up in most bars and taverns, casino floors and private clubs like the VFW or the American Legion hall.
Once it becomes law (90 days after Rendell signs it), the ban would prohibit smoking in most workplaces and public spaces in Pennsylvania.
The final vote in the state Senate was 41-9 on Tuesday. The House overwhelmingly approved the bill last week.
Rendell, who has indicated he will sign the bill, is also pushing for a higher cigarette tax and the expansion of taxes on other tobacco products.
Not sure how that's going to work. You ban smoking, but you tax it to fund other programs. You have to go deep inside the liberal mind of Ed Rendell to figure that one out.
The ban covers cigarette, cigar and pipe smoking in restaurants, offices, schools, sports arenas, theaters, bus stations and train stations. But a dozen exemptions remain. You can still light up in most bars and taverns, casino floors and private clubs like the VFW or the American Legion hall.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Democrats block reform again
The following guest column is about redistricting, which could be the ultimate reform of Pennsylvania government.
Unfortunately, redistricting is in the hands of the very same politicians who could be kicked out of office if elections were fair in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania League of Women Voters and Common Cause/PA have issued an op-ed asking some questions about why Democrats are preventing redistricting reform from taking place.
Unfortunately, redistricting is in the hands of the very same politicians who could be kicked out of office if elections were fair in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania League of Women Voters and Common Cause/PA have issued an op-ed asking some questions about why Democrats are preventing redistricting reform from taking place.
WILL YOUR VOTE BE A RUBBER STAMP FOR THE NEXT DECADE?
Last week, two Philadelphia Democrats acted to suppress votes in the House and Senate State Government committees on redistricting reform. Redistricting is the most important governmental process people notice only once every 10 years, when they realize their legislative districts have been tortured into an even more bizarre shape than they were before, and their counties, townships, cities, and boroughs have been sliced and diced to suit the needs of legislators who want to pick their preferred voters.
Rep. Babette Josephs, chair of the House committee, pulled H.B. 2420, a major redistricting bill, from the agenda. Sen. Anthony Williams moved successfully to table a similar bill and amendment in the Senate committee that would also have made redistricting less partisan and protective of incumbency.
Both legislators assert that because Robert Zech, the director of the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau, which is charged in H.B. 2420 with administering redistricting, feels his staff lacks expertise to carry out the process and expresses anxiety that redistricting would "directly involve partisan politics [and] compromise the reputation of the Bureau," nearly 12 million Pennsylvanians should continue to live in the second most gerrymandered state in the US. (Georgia, where would we be without you?)
Gerrymandering makes it harder for citizens to connect with their legislators, who may only show up at election time, and harder for challengers to unseat incumbents. It serves the interests of a small number of politicians by making them less accountable to the voters and more comfortable assuming that "their" district is their personal property.
The decision to block reform is ridiculous on so many levels. First, the expertise question: In Iowa, the model for nonpartisan redistricting, one Legislative Services attorney and one computer specialist, plus a temporary data worker, carry out the process every decade. When not doing redistricting, the attorney does exactly what PA LRB attorneys do and the computer specialist provides technical support for Legislative Services.
If Pennsylvania, because of its more complex geography, would require more effort to map fairly, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and Rep. Samuelson, HB 2420’s prime sponsor, have always assumed that the LRB would hire experts from one of Pennsylvania’s many colleges and universities.
Second, the partisanship problem: The whole point of HB 2420 is to remove partisanship, and the criteria for redistricting explicitly rule out partisan considerations including voting records and addresses of incumbents and their potential challengers. In addition, the transparency of the process makes it easy to demonstrate a lack of partisan bias.
Rep. Josephs, in an attempt to "explain" her decision has done the following:
* Raised the specter of "a bureaucrat making hundreds of critical decisions," which is simply false. HB 2420 requires both consultation with an advisory commission and publication of all communications dealing with redistricting, in addition to a series of public hearings and a clear-cut avenue for legal challenges to proposed plans. Apparently Josephs and Williams much prefer the current system, in which the critical decisions are made by entrenched political leaders who are not accountable to the general electorate because they don’t run in the districts they have disemboweled, but in their own carefully crafted fiefdoms (e.g., Rep. John Perzel).
* Told several people that she doesn’t think HB 2420 can pass. But the bill has 94 co-sponsors, far more than any similar bill introduced any time in the last 20 years and only nine votes short of passage. If she doesn’t let it out of committee, it certainly won’t pass, but the bill’s supporters are willing to work with her on the details of the bill – if she could only be explicit about what she wants and would be willing to work for.
* Expressed a half-hearted commitment to "examining alternative proposals to improve the process." If she means that, she could put HB 84, Rep. Tangretti's redistricting bill, on the State Government Committee calendar as well as H.B. 2420 and give interested committee members (17 of the 29 are co-sponsors of one or both bills) a chance to discuss, amend, and vote on them. HB 84 does not utilize the LRB but creates an independent temporary bureau, established by a bipartisan, appointed committee, for redistricting. The bill avoids every element of HB 2420 that Rep. Josephs dislikes. So why has it been languishing in committee since Jan. 30, 2007?
HB 2420 itself can probably be improved upon, but that will only happen if people press Rep. Josephs to work with reformers to give Pennsylvanians fairer representation in the next decade’s elections.
Lora Lavin
Vice President for Issues and Action
League of Women Voters of PA
Sandra Christianson
Vice Chair for Issues
Common Cause/PA
Republican National Committee - Eat Crow, Iraq War Skeptics
Unless Barack Obama is elected president and surrenders, the U.S. is on the verge of winning the war in Iraq.
Follow the link below to an op ed piece by Arthur Herman from the New York Post.
Republican National Committee - Eat Crow, Iraq War Skeptics
Follow the link below to an op ed piece by Arthur Herman from the New York Post.
Republican National Committee - Eat Crow, Iraq War Skeptics
Monday, June 09, 2008
Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus
If you're near a radio or a computer Tuesday afternoon, tune in to WPAZ 1370 AM between 4-5 p.m. for some of the best political talk around.
Your hosts will be Tony Phyrillas, award-winning political columnist/blogger for The Mercury in Pottstown, and Mike Pincus, a Republican strategist.
Phyrillas and Pincus will talk about the presidential race and who might be the vice presidential picks for either party. They'll also discuss Ed Rendell's future and some of the hot Congressional races in Pennsylvania.
Listeners can call with questions or comments during the live broadcast at 610-326-4000.
You can also listen to the program on your computer by going to www.1370WPAZ.com and clicking on the "live audio" button at the top of the page.
Your hosts will be Tony Phyrillas, award-winning political columnist/blogger for The Mercury in Pottstown, and Mike Pincus, a Republican strategist.
Phyrillas and Pincus will talk about the presidential race and who might be the vice presidential picks for either party. They'll also discuss Ed Rendell's future and some of the hot Congressional races in Pennsylvania.
Listeners can call with questions or comments during the live broadcast at 610-326-4000.
You can also listen to the program on your computer by going to www.1370WPAZ.com and clicking on the "live audio" button at the top of the page.
Potts: Persistence is key to reforming PA government
Rep. Carole Rubley, R-157th Dist., and Tim Potts, co-founder of Democracy Rising PA, recently spoke to Great Valley Citizens Forum about reforming state government.
"To accomplish reform, the most important thing you need to have is persistence." Potts told the group. "You don't let a day go by without talking to somebody."
Rubley, a 16-year veteran of Harrisburg, is retiring at the end of the year. She told the forum that while individual lawmakers want to see changes, leadership continues to be the main obstacle.
Read the full story, "Forum focuses on reforming Legislature" in the West Chester Daily Local News.
"To accomplish reform, the most important thing you need to have is persistence." Potts told the group. "You don't let a day go by without talking to somebody."
Rubley, a 16-year veteran of Harrisburg, is retiring at the end of the year. She told the forum that while individual lawmakers want to see changes, leadership continues to be the main obstacle.
Read the full story, "Forum focuses on reforming Legislature" in the West Chester Daily Local News.
Help is needed to eliminate property taxes
David Baldinger has a message for Pennsylvania taxpayers. The only way to eliminate school property taxes is to lobby your legislators and legislative leaders. Here is Baldinger's latest message:
Dear Friends,
The "Save Our Homes" rally was held on June 2 in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg and was, by most accounts, a huge success. We had a great turnout of enthusiastic homeowners and lawmakers from both parties and our voices were heard loudly and clearly.
The media coverage was somewhat spotty and sometimes was tremendously inaccurate but we still had quite a bit of favorable coverage and a few good editorials.
A recap of the rally that includes photos, a complete video of the event, and media coverage has been posted on the PTCC website at http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/rally060208.htm. Please take a few minutes to check it out and, if you have the forty minutes to spare, please watch the video – it contains a lot of good messages.
The rally was a terrific starting point but we need intensive follow-up over the next few weeks to hammer the message home. Here are the details:
If the rally is insufficient to motivate the House Democratic Leadership to report HB 1275 out of the Appropriations Committee, Representative Sam Rohrer intends to again attach the bill's language as an amendment to one of the budget bills that must be debated during June. I'll be sending another update about this when details become available.
HB 1275 has undergone two major revisions from the version that was debated in January. The sales tax has been eliminated for five major retail professional services – legal, accounting, architecture, engineering, and computer – to blunt the intense lobbying, mostly from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, that helped to kill the bill in January. The revised version of HB 1275 also offers no property tax reduction for commercial properties but caps their taxes at current levels. This was another major hurdle that couldn't be overcome in January.
The bottom line is that all of the major objections to the School Property Tax Elimination Act have been addressed and the politicians have NO MORE EXCUSES for not passing this bill.
I have just one short story to tell you. At the rally one lawmaker told me that I should tell all HB 1275 supporters to let their representative know that the sales tax has been removed from food and clothing. I was taken aback by this comment, as the provision for taxing food and clothing was eliminated from HB 1275 over a year ago. Nevertheless, he said that some of his colleagues told him in January that they would not vote for HB 1275 because it taxes food and clothing!
At first I was flabbergasted by this but my reaction quickly turned to outrage and tremendous anger. For whatever reason, these politicians voted against a bill that they didn't even understand! If they are so blatantly ignorant of the provisions of a bill that is so urgently needed, if they are so lazy that they can't take the time necessary to learn about such vital legislation, they do not deserve to be representing us.
The June vote on HB 1275 will be a litmus test for the November elections. Both the PTCC and the PCTA, along with several newspapers, are advocating the ouster of any lawmaker who votes against this bill. It is time to let the politicians know that we will stand for no more delays, no more political games, and no more excuses. They must be sternly warned that their jobs will be on the line in November if they again refuse the will of the people that they supposedly represent.
The key to passage of HB 1275 is not only your own representative but the House leadership of both parties. It is the leadership who tells their members how to vote on an issue and all will follow these leaders like sheep except for the few courageous, independent lawmakers who deserve our thanks.
During the next week or so, please telephone, write, or e-mail your representative to let him or her know that you strongly support HB 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act, and that you expect them to vote for this bill when debate begins in June. You can locate your representative's contact information from the "Find Your Legislators" link in the left column of any PTCC webpage.
In addition, please contact the House leaders listed below my signature to firmly tell them that you want HB 1275 enacted NOW. These leaders can make all the difference in the passage of this legislation and it is very important to tell them your feelings.
The June debate will offer us another opportunity to make HB 1275 a reality and your help is urgently needed. Please do all you can top spread the word to everyone you know and to tell the politicians that we want action NOW.
Thank you so much for your continuing support! Please feel free to write to me at any time with concerns or questions, and your comments are welcome on the PTCC blog that you can access from the top of any PTCC webpage.
David Baldinger
PTCC Administrator
www.ptcc.us
Republican Caucus Leader:
Hon. Samuel H. Smith
527 East Mahoning Street
Punxsutawney, PA 15767
(814) 938-4225
Fax: (814) 938-1950
ssmith@pahousegop.com
Democratic Caucus Leader:
Hon. H. William DeWeese
222 Elm Drive
Suite 101, P.O. Box 832
Waynesburg, PA 15370
(724) 627-8683
Fax: (724) 627-6043
wdeweese@pahouse.net
Democratic Caucus Whip:
Hon. Keith R. McCall
162 West Ridge Street
Lansford, PA 18232
(570) 645-7585
Fax: (570) 645-9526
kmccall@pahouse.net
Dear Friends,
The "Save Our Homes" rally was held on June 2 in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg and was, by most accounts, a huge success. We had a great turnout of enthusiastic homeowners and lawmakers from both parties and our voices were heard loudly and clearly.
The media coverage was somewhat spotty and sometimes was tremendously inaccurate but we still had quite a bit of favorable coverage and a few good editorials.
A recap of the rally that includes photos, a complete video of the event, and media coverage has been posted on the PTCC website at http://mysite.verizon.net/drbsr/PTCCWeb/rally060208.htm. Please take a few minutes to check it out and, if you have the forty minutes to spare, please watch the video – it contains a lot of good messages.
The rally was a terrific starting point but we need intensive follow-up over the next few weeks to hammer the message home. Here are the details:
If the rally is insufficient to motivate the House Democratic Leadership to report HB 1275 out of the Appropriations Committee, Representative Sam Rohrer intends to again attach the bill's language as an amendment to one of the budget bills that must be debated during June. I'll be sending another update about this when details become available.
HB 1275 has undergone two major revisions from the version that was debated in January. The sales tax has been eliminated for five major retail professional services – legal, accounting, architecture, engineering, and computer – to blunt the intense lobbying, mostly from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, that helped to kill the bill in January. The revised version of HB 1275 also offers no property tax reduction for commercial properties but caps their taxes at current levels. This was another major hurdle that couldn't be overcome in January.
The bottom line is that all of the major objections to the School Property Tax Elimination Act have been addressed and the politicians have NO MORE EXCUSES for not passing this bill.
I have just one short story to tell you. At the rally one lawmaker told me that I should tell all HB 1275 supporters to let their representative know that the sales tax has been removed from food and clothing. I was taken aback by this comment, as the provision for taxing food and clothing was eliminated from HB 1275 over a year ago. Nevertheless, he said that some of his colleagues told him in January that they would not vote for HB 1275 because it taxes food and clothing!
At first I was flabbergasted by this but my reaction quickly turned to outrage and tremendous anger. For whatever reason, these politicians voted against a bill that they didn't even understand! If they are so blatantly ignorant of the provisions of a bill that is so urgently needed, if they are so lazy that they can't take the time necessary to learn about such vital legislation, they do not deserve to be representing us.
The June vote on HB 1275 will be a litmus test for the November elections. Both the PTCC and the PCTA, along with several newspapers, are advocating the ouster of any lawmaker who votes against this bill. It is time to let the politicians know that we will stand for no more delays, no more political games, and no more excuses. They must be sternly warned that their jobs will be on the line in November if they again refuse the will of the people that they supposedly represent.
The key to passage of HB 1275 is not only your own representative but the House leadership of both parties. It is the leadership who tells their members how to vote on an issue and all will follow these leaders like sheep except for the few courageous, independent lawmakers who deserve our thanks.
During the next week or so, please telephone, write, or e-mail your representative to let him or her know that you strongly support HB 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act, and that you expect them to vote for this bill when debate begins in June. You can locate your representative's contact information from the "Find Your Legislators" link in the left column of any PTCC webpage.
In addition, please contact the House leaders listed below my signature to firmly tell them that you want HB 1275 enacted NOW. These leaders can make all the difference in the passage of this legislation and it is very important to tell them your feelings.
The June debate will offer us another opportunity to make HB 1275 a reality and your help is urgently needed. Please do all you can top spread the word to everyone you know and to tell the politicians that we want action NOW.
Thank you so much for your continuing support! Please feel free to write to me at any time with concerns or questions, and your comments are welcome on the PTCC blog that you can access from the top of any PTCC webpage.
David Baldinger
PTCC Administrator
www.ptcc.us
Republican Caucus Leader:
Hon. Samuel H. Smith
527 East Mahoning Street
Punxsutawney, PA 15767
(814) 938-4225
Fax: (814) 938-1950
ssmith@pahousegop.com
Democratic Caucus Leader:
Hon. H. William DeWeese
222 Elm Drive
Suite 101, P.O. Box 832
Waynesburg, PA 15370
(724) 627-8683
Fax: (724) 627-6043
wdeweese@pahouse.net
Democratic Caucus Whip:
Hon. Keith R. McCall
162 West Ridge Street
Lansford, PA 18232
(570) 645-7585
Fax: (570) 645-9526
kmccall@pahouse.net
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Barack Obama: The Enemy Within
How scary is Barack Obama? Depends if you like living in a democracy.
From what Sen. Obama, the most radical politician to seek the presidency in 100 years, has been saying, we're going to turn this nation into a socialist state and disband our military as a sign of good faith to our enemies.
Has this guy been asleep since Sept. 11, 2001? Has the entire Democratic Party been asleep?
Check out this post at TONY PHYRILLAS for more on how radical Obama is.
From what Sen. Obama, the most radical politician to seek the presidency in 100 years, has been saying, we're going to turn this nation into a socialist state and disband our military as a sign of good faith to our enemies.
Has this guy been asleep since Sept. 11, 2001? Has the entire Democratic Party been asleep?
Check out this post at TONY PHYRILLAS for more on how radical Obama is.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Some say pay raise anger is over
Interesting article at PolitickerPA.com, an online magazine that cover politics, that concludes that the anger over the July 2005 pay raise has passed.
"The targets that might still be available are fewer and the issue doesn't seem to have nearly the resonance it did a few years ago," Chris Borick, a pollster and political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, told PolitickerPA. "That doesn't mean it's not simmering in the background, and that there's not a simmering emotional core among the electorate."
It might be too early to say for sure that voter anger is over. Let's wait until after the Nov. 4 election to see how many incumbents are voted out. Some incumbents in the Senate who supported the pay raise are facing voters for the first time because they run for re-election every four years.
Read the full article by Dan Hirschhorn here.
"The targets that might still be available are fewer and the issue doesn't seem to have nearly the resonance it did a few years ago," Chris Borick, a pollster and political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, told PolitickerPA. "That doesn't mean it's not simmering in the background, and that there's not a simmering emotional core among the electorate."
It might be too early to say for sure that voter anger is over. Let's wait until after the Nov. 4 election to see how many incumbents are voted out. Some incumbents in the Senate who supported the pay raise are facing voters for the first time because they run for re-election every four years.
Read the full article by Dan Hirschhorn here.
Guest column: 'Record Profits'
"Record Profits"
by Richard R. Tennesen
RECORD PROFITS continue to stack up. I know what your thinking. Your thinking about Big Oil. Anytime anyone mentions record profits we think about Big Oil - but that's not what I'm talking about. Perhaps you were thinking more literally about profits in the record industry but again, not so.
Profits are escalating and soon they'll have amassed even greater record profits in one industry - especially if one of the liberal Democrats running for President manages to get into office. The industry is Big Government!
That's right, the bureaucracy that has continued to become larger and larger with tax revenues stacking up higher and higher but unfortunately continues to recklessly spend more and more. Meanwhile, you have to continue working harder and harder to take home enough money to support your family.
The federal budget for 2009 is 3.10 trillion dollars (spelling correct). In other words, Washington is way richer than our 'greedy' friends at ANY big oil company. Our friends Big Government profiteer off the very same fuels we consume at an average just under 50 cents per gallon combined between state and local taxes. Meanwhile, our greedy friends at Big Oil supply us with the fuel we desperately need for our homes, cars, industries. Our greedy friends who collectively pay more in taxes than 75% of the country and must abide by a multitude of environmental standards to produce our fuels as well as those strangling their capacity to drill in areas where oil and fuels are known to exist. The oil companies are not our enemies, my friends.
The government and the media have popularized the terms 'dependence' and 'addiction' to describe our needs of foreign oil. These terms of derision are designed specifically to exclude themselves from the blame and pass it on to the consumer and to the oil companies. The fact is that about 50% of the oil we consume is our own.
The government has no problems spending itself into oblivion with the tax revenues incurred from the fuel purchases nor the revenues from those evil oil companies. We're not the ones addicted - they are.
The government could easily allow us to tap ANWR, allow us to drill off of any of our oil-laden coasts, allow us to produce more nuclear energy, lift some of the environmental impediments to our financial dilemma and allow for us to procure the practically limitless amounts of energy that we have right here before us. We could even consider the tapping of the federal reserve or supporting the gas tax holiday. But who loses out when we do that? Not our greedy friends at Big Oil, but our big greedy friends in Washington.
Allowing the companies the ability to drill for oil and open new refineries would increase production and supply and break us of our imported oil 'dependence' but no refineries have been built in America in over 30 years.
The only way to make more black gold and solve the cost crisis is to put the ink in Washington to good use.
Richard R. Tennesen is a freelance writer based in Pottstown.
by Richard R. Tennesen
RECORD PROFITS continue to stack up. I know what your thinking. Your thinking about Big Oil. Anytime anyone mentions record profits we think about Big Oil - but that's not what I'm talking about. Perhaps you were thinking more literally about profits in the record industry but again, not so.
Profits are escalating and soon they'll have amassed even greater record profits in one industry - especially if one of the liberal Democrats running for President manages to get into office. The industry is Big Government!
That's right, the bureaucracy that has continued to become larger and larger with tax revenues stacking up higher and higher but unfortunately continues to recklessly spend more and more. Meanwhile, you have to continue working harder and harder to take home enough money to support your family.
The federal budget for 2009 is 3.10 trillion dollars (spelling correct). In other words, Washington is way richer than our 'greedy' friends at ANY big oil company. Our friends Big Government profiteer off the very same fuels we consume at an average just under 50 cents per gallon combined between state and local taxes. Meanwhile, our greedy friends at Big Oil supply us with the fuel we desperately need for our homes, cars, industries. Our greedy friends who collectively pay more in taxes than 75% of the country and must abide by a multitude of environmental standards to produce our fuels as well as those strangling their capacity to drill in areas where oil and fuels are known to exist. The oil companies are not our enemies, my friends.
The government and the media have popularized the terms 'dependence' and 'addiction' to describe our needs of foreign oil. These terms of derision are designed specifically to exclude themselves from the blame and pass it on to the consumer and to the oil companies. The fact is that about 50% of the oil we consume is our own.
The government has no problems spending itself into oblivion with the tax revenues incurred from the fuel purchases nor the revenues from those evil oil companies. We're not the ones addicted - they are.
The government could easily allow us to tap ANWR, allow us to drill off of any of our oil-laden coasts, allow us to produce more nuclear energy, lift some of the environmental impediments to our financial dilemma and allow for us to procure the practically limitless amounts of energy that we have right here before us. We could even consider the tapping of the federal reserve or supporting the gas tax holiday. But who loses out when we do that? Not our greedy friends at Big Oil, but our big greedy friends in Washington.
Allowing the companies the ability to drill for oil and open new refineries would increase production and supply and break us of our imported oil 'dependence' but no refineries have been built in America in over 30 years.
The only way to make more black gold and solve the cost crisis is to put the ink in Washington to good use.
Richard R. Tennesen is a freelance writer based in Pottstown.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Phyrillas on the radio today
If you're near a radio or a computer this afternoon, catch Tony Phyrillas on Great Talk Radio with Nick Lawrence from 4-5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM.
Topics of discussion will include property tax relief efforts, the Democratic race for president and the odds of the new $28.3 billion state budget being approved by June 30.
Listeners can call with questions or comments during the live broadcast at 610-326-4000.
You can also listen to the program on your computer by going to The Mercury’s Web site, www.pottsmerc.com and clicking on the link for the live audio or you can listen at http://www.1370wpaz.com/ and clicking on the "live audio" button at the top of the station's home page.
Topics of discussion will include property tax relief efforts, the Democratic race for president and the odds of the new $28.3 billion state budget being approved by June 30.
Listeners can call with questions or comments during the live broadcast at 610-326-4000.
You can also listen to the program on your computer by going to The Mercury’s Web site, www.pottsmerc.com and clicking on the link for the live audio or you can listen at http://www.1370wpaz.com/ and clicking on the "live audio" button at the top of the station's home page.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Why did the media ignore tax rally?
Here's a more complete roundup of today's media coverage of Monday's "Save Our Homes Rally" in Harrisburg.
The event should have received a lot more coverage. The hundreds of people who went to Harrisburg Monday to demand the elimination of property taxes were not paid lobbyists or special interest groups. They were people who took time away from their jobs or other commitments to try to save their homes from Pennsylvania's antiquated way of funding public education.
Although some lawmakers attended the rally, most of the people gathered in the Capitol Rotunda were everyday citizens of Pennsylvania. Why does the media hover around politicians and lobbyists and ignore the people of the this state?
The most comprehensive coverage of the rally is in Tuesday's edition of The Mercury, which ran a lead story entitled, "Taxpayers rally: Save Our Homes" and a sidebar, "Lawmakers optimistic about revised tax plan"
The same story by reporter Michael Hays was picked up by the Daily Local News in West Chester under the headline, "Tough talk on Taxes" (There were quite a few Chester County lawmakers who were no-shows at the rally, even though several busloads of Chester County residents attended.) Another Chester County newspaper, The Phoenix, also ran both stories that originated in The Mercury.)
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review focused on state Rep. Sam Rohrer's long struggle to eliminate property taxes in a story headlined, "Lawmaker tries again to eliminate property tax"
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also ran a story, "Seniors rally against property taxes"
Even though David Baldinger, one of the organizers of the rally hails from Berks County (as does Rep. Sam Rohrer), the Reading Eagle ignored the rally.
The state's biggest newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, also ignored the story, as did The Morning-Call in Allentown.
The Associated Press moved a five-paragraph brief on the rally, which is all The Harrisburg Patriot-News ran even though the event was in the paper's backyard and was probably the biggest political story of the day.
The Pennsylvania Cable Network taped the rally and showed it several times on cable systems across Pennsylvania.
WFMZ Channel 69, which covers the Lehigh Valley and Berks County, ran a report on its evening newscasts and also posted it on its Web site.
No coverage in the Philly TV stations, who are busy covering a story about a TV anchor who read the private e-mails of his fired co-anchor.
In the blogosphere, the event was mentioned at GrassrootsPA, PowerBlog!, Lincoln Blog, THE CENTRIST and TONY PHYRILLAS
There's also a bunch of photos posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
The event should have received a lot more coverage. The hundreds of people who went to Harrisburg Monday to demand the elimination of property taxes were not paid lobbyists or special interest groups. They were people who took time away from their jobs or other commitments to try to save their homes from Pennsylvania's antiquated way of funding public education.
Although some lawmakers attended the rally, most of the people gathered in the Capitol Rotunda were everyday citizens of Pennsylvania. Why does the media hover around politicians and lobbyists and ignore the people of the this state?
The most comprehensive coverage of the rally is in Tuesday's edition of The Mercury, which ran a lead story entitled, "Taxpayers rally: Save Our Homes" and a sidebar, "Lawmakers optimistic about revised tax plan"
The same story by reporter Michael Hays was picked up by the Daily Local News in West Chester under the headline, "Tough talk on Taxes" (There were quite a few Chester County lawmakers who were no-shows at the rally, even though several busloads of Chester County residents attended.) Another Chester County newspaper, The Phoenix, also ran both stories that originated in The Mercury.)
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review focused on state Rep. Sam Rohrer's long struggle to eliminate property taxes in a story headlined, "Lawmaker tries again to eliminate property tax"
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also ran a story, "Seniors rally against property taxes"
Even though David Baldinger, one of the organizers of the rally hails from Berks County (as does Rep. Sam Rohrer), the Reading Eagle ignored the rally.
The state's biggest newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, also ignored the story, as did The Morning-Call in Allentown.
The Associated Press moved a five-paragraph brief on the rally, which is all The Harrisburg Patriot-News ran even though the event was in the paper's backyard and was probably the biggest political story of the day.
The Pennsylvania Cable Network taped the rally and showed it several times on cable systems across Pennsylvania.
WFMZ Channel 69, which covers the Lehigh Valley and Berks County, ran a report on its evening newscasts and also posted it on its Web site.
No coverage in the Philly TV stations, who are busy covering a story about a TV anchor who read the private e-mails of his fired co-anchor.
In the blogosphere, the event was mentioned at GrassrootsPA, PowerBlog!, Lincoln Blog, THE CENTRIST and TONY PHYRILLAS
There's also a bunch of photos posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Phyrillas on the radio Wednesday
Tony Phyrillas, award-winning political columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, be the guest on Great Talk Radio with Nick Lawrence from 4-5 p.m. Wednesday on WPAZ 1370 AM.
Topics of discussion will include property tax relief efforts, the Democratic race for president and the chances (slim and none) of the $28.3 billion state budget being approved by June 30.
Listeners can call in with questions or comments during the live broadcast at 610-326-4000.
You can also listen to the program on your computer by logging on to http://www.1370wpaz.com/ and clicking on the “live audio” button at the top of the home page.
Topics of discussion will include property tax relief efforts, the Democratic race for president and the chances (slim and none) of the $28.3 billion state budget being approved by June 30.
Listeners can call in with questions or comments during the live broadcast at 610-326-4000.
You can also listen to the program on your computer by logging on to http://www.1370wpaz.com/ and clicking on the “live audio” button at the top of the home page.
Pennsylvania sued over ballot access
Dennis Baylor, an independent candidate for Pennsylvania's 29th state Senate seat, filed a lawsuit Monday in Federal District Court to stop the Pennsylvania's Department of State from denying what Baylor says is his First Amendment rights of "Free Speech" and "Association." The deadline for independent and third-party candidates to file nominating papers for the November election is Aug. 1. Baylor is challenging how the state assesses the validity of the signatures on petitions to access the November ballot.
While Republicans and Democrats have to gather fewer signatures to get on the ballot and hold "invitation only" primary elections to select candidates, independent and third-party candidates are at a disadvantage in Pennsylvania, which has some of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation.
According to Baylor's complaint (Docketed at CV-08-1060), the candidate is also charging that the Department's practice of not "officially" recognizing third party candidacies until the Aug. 1 deadline for them to file petitions to access the ballot, is discriminatory, and amounts to giving the major party candidates an impermissible head start in political races.
Baylor also claims that the pervasive practice of gerrymandering legislative districts unconstitutionally burdens First Amendment rights of "Association" by geometrically expanding the media markets a candidate must reach due to the fracturing of "communities of interest."
It's a long shot, but Baylor has little to lose. The deck is already stacked against independent and third-party candidates.
A copy of Baylor's complaint is posted on his blog, http://dennisbaylor.wordpress.com/
The 29th Senate District covers all of Schuylkill County and parts of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton counties. The incumbent is Republican James Rhoades, who has held seat since 1981.
'It makes no sense to use a 19th century tax to fund a 20th century education'
No surprise. The best coverage of Monday's Save Our Homes Rally in Harrisburg can be found in The Mercury, which has been leading the crusade on tax reform for years.
You can also read more about the effort to eliminate school property taxes at PowerBlog! and at GrassrootsPA and at The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Web site
The Pennsylvania Cable Network also covered the the rally and showed the event several times on Monday. For photos from the event yesterday, see the TONY PHYRILLAS blog.
And why is there no mention of the rally on any liberal blog in Pennsylvania? Polls consistently say that property tax relief is the No. 1 issue facing Pennsylvania residents. I guess those well-to-do elitist don't have to worry about paying property taxes.
You can also read more about the effort to eliminate school property taxes at PowerBlog! and at GrassrootsPA and at The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Web site
The Pennsylvania Cable Network also covered the the rally and showed the event several times on Monday. For photos from the event yesterday, see the TONY PHYRILLAS blog.
And why is there no mention of the rally on any liberal blog in Pennsylvania? Polls consistently say that property tax relief is the No. 1 issue facing Pennsylvania residents. I guess those well-to-do elitist don't have to worry about paying property taxes.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Hundreds rally for property tax relief
Here's a release from state Rep. Sam Rohrer, one of the organizers of the Save Our Homes Rally held today in Harrisburg:
Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks) would like to thank the hundreds of concerned taxpayers from across the Commonwealth who joined with him and several other state lawmakers in the Capitol rotunda today to demand the elimination of school property taxes through the implementation of the School Property Tax Elimination Act.
This bipartisan, pro-growth plan (House Bill 1275) seeks to replace all school property taxes and other local nuisance taxes by maintaining the current 6 percent sales tax and expanding it to include services. All residential homeowners would immediately benefit from the implementation of this plan.
"I would like to personally thank each and every concerned taxpayer from across this Commonwealth who took time away from families or jobs to travel to Harrisburg to make your voice heard," said Rohrer. "Your participation represents a tangible example of your commitment and speaks for the tens of thousands of taxpaying homeowners who, like you, will settle for nothing less than the total elimination of school property taxes. Now is the time for both the General Assembly and the governor to act on the pleas of our people and support the passage of the School Property Tax Elimination Act.
Organized in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Taxpayer's Cyber Coalition and 27 other grass roots taxpayer groups from throughout the Keystone State, today's Save Our Homes Rally featured legislators, local leaders, and concerned citizens who spoke out in support of House Bill 1275 and against the unbearable burden that school property taxes have become.
"For the past 30 years and counting, thousands of our citizens have been forced from the security of their homes, many built with their own hands, by the very government who has been constitutionally entrusted to ensure the security of their property," said Rohrer. "In sharp contrast, the School Property Tax Elimination Act offers both hope and freedom for all Commonwealth citizens because, rather than an insignificant reduction, it will eliminate 100 percent of school property taxes on all primary residences.
"Furthermore, through the implementation of House Bill 1275, both the Legislature and governor hold the key to potentially providing relief for already overburdened taxpayers during these difficult economic times. The skyrocketing food, energy, and transportation costs, combined with rising property taxes have drained the budgets of countless homeowners. This bill provides the best solution to the problem by protecting the constitutional rights of homeowners to be secure in their homes while freeing up citizens' budgets to allow for the rising costs of food and energy," added Rohrer.
For more information on the School Property Tax Elimination Act, visit SamRohrer.com or PTCC.us
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