Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Trading Jim Gerlach for Joe Pitts
By Tony Phyrillas
There's an old expression that goes something like this: "You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family." You can also decide to build a dream house, but you can't pick who your neighbors are going to be. In other words, just when you've settled on where you want to live, Jed Clampett and the Beverly Hillbillies could move in next door and there goes the neighborhood.
Gov. Tom Corbett left something under the tree of many Pennsylvania residents a few days before Christmas — something that many were not expecting or really needed.
In signing Senate Bill 1249 into law on Dec. 22, Corbett helped redraw Congressional boundaries for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents.
For the past 10 years, my congressman has been Republican Jim Gerlach, who has represented Pennsylvania's 6th District since it was created in 2000.
I've been happy with Gerlach and wasn't expecting to find myself in a new Congressional district, but you never know who's going to move in next door.
I've interviewed Gerlach several times over the past 10 years and he comes across as a very knowledgable and practical person. He is considered a moderate in Congressional circles, someone who doesn't always toe the party line. Gerlach has also built a reputation as a very responsive member of Congress who spends a lot of time in his home district. Whether it was a Veteran's Day parade or the dedication of a new bridge, Gerlach was there.
Perhaps it is his relative youth — 56 — or the fact that he would rather spend time with the people of Southeastern Pennsylvania instead of the political elites in Washington, D.C., but Gerlach has done a nice job of representing his constituents over the past decade, something even his political foes grudgingly admit.
I haven't paid too much attention to the redistricting process mandated by the Constitution every 10 years following the release of new Census figures because I wasn't expecting to lose Gerlach as my congressman.
I knew there would be some tinkering with his district because Republicans control both chambers in the state Legislature and they would work to make districts held by incumbent Republicans safer for their fellow GOP members. Because Pennsylvania's population growth is stagnant, the state was forced to drop one seat in the House, down from the 19 seats it held over the past decade. Politicians of both parties generally take care of themselves. They look for the easiest way to meet the requirements for cutting a seat. The best thing that could happen is for an incumbent to retire. That way, his or her district could be carved up among neighboring districts. Since that wasn't happening this year, the next target was the member of Congress with the least seniority. That meant Rep. Mark Critz had a big bull's-eye target on his back. Critz won a special election in 2010 to represent Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District after longtime Congressman John Murtha died in office earlier that year.
Critz will now have to run against another incumbent Democratic Congressman to keep his job.
You can complain all you want about the process of redistricting, but both parties play the same game. If Democrats controlled the state Legislature this year, you can bet they would combine two districts held by Republicans and force incumbents to run against each other.
I would prefer to keep Gerlach as my representative in Congress, but it wasn't my decision to part ways. I fell on the wrong side of the new political boundary of the 6th District. Overnight, I moved into a new Congressional district and didn't even get a chance to pack. It's not the first time it's happened. Before Gerlach, my congressman was Democrat Tim Holden and before that, it was Democrat Gus Yatron.
On Dec. 21, I lived in the 6th District. On Dec. 22, with Corbett's signature, I was moved into the 16th District, which brings me to Congressman Joe Pitts.
Pitts is 72 and has been in Congress since January 1997. He is considered one of the most conservative members in the House and has been recognized by conservative groups as one of the most reliable votes in Congress on fiscal and social issues. The Republican has earned 100% ratings from the American Conservative Union, the Christian Coalition and various taxpayer groups.
Pitts is also one of the few members of Congress who refuses to seek pork barrel funding for projects in his home district.
I've never met Pitts and he doesn't have Gerlach's track record of pressing the flesh in his home district, but his voting record in Congress is impressive. It's like a new neighbor moving in next door. It appears Pitts will be my Congressman until he retires from Congress, so I better get used to my new neighbor.
Tony Phyrillas is the city editor of The Mercury and writes about politics. Email him at tphyrillas@pottsmerc.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyPhyrillas. You can also read his blog Talking Politics at www.pottsmerc.com/blogs
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Newt Gingrich Exposes Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine
Newt Gingrich on the Obama Regime: "The most radical administration in American history."
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tony Phyrillas Column: So long Jim Gerlach, hello Joe Pitts
Has this ever happened to you? I woke up one day last week and found myself in a new Congressional district. That's the result of Pennsylvania lawmakers redrawing the political boundaries in place for the past 10 years. I give up Rep. Jim Gerlach after a decade and now have to get used to Rep. Joe Pitts.
So long Jim Gerlach, hello Joe Pitts - pottsmerc.com
So long Jim Gerlach, hello Joe Pitts - pottsmerc.com
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Operation Holiday delivers to 237 families
More than 600 children in the Pottstown area enjoyed a brighter Christmas thanks to The Mercury's Operation Holiday appeal, which was funded by $50,000 in contributions from Mercury readers.
Operation Holiday delivers to 237 families (video) - pottsmerc.com
Operation Holiday delivers to 237 families (video) - pottsmerc.com
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Voters leaving Democratic Party in droves
More than 1.7 million voters have left the Democratic Party since Barack Obama was elected president.
Voters are leaving main parties in droves – USATODAY.com
Voters are leaving main parties in droves – USATODAY.com
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Guest Column: Why Gov. Corbett Didn't Get His Christmas Wish List
By Nathan BenefieldFor Christmas this year, Gov. Tom Corbett hoped the legislature would gift wrap three things he could tie a bow on: An education reform package that included school vouchers, state liquor store privatization and legislation addressing gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.
Unfortunately, the legislature played more Grinch than giver and the consequences of failure to act remain clear. Inaction on school choice traps students in violent and failing schools, where they see a violent act every 17 minutes. Pennsylvania loses jobs and tax revenue because residents spend hundreds of millions of dollars buying liquor in other states. And more jobs lie in the balance as natural gas companies are hedging their bets for future investment given the uncertainty of Pennsylvania's regulation and tax schemes.
Willing to pass the buck to Santa Claus, the General Assembly heads for home for the holiday break having delivered no gifts on any of these issues.
Both the Senate and House passed measures regulating gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. But the House version involves an optional local fee, with funds limited to, for the most part, uncompensated impacts of drilling. The Senate passed a statewide tax they euphemistically call a fee that would fund a variety of programs unrelated to the impact of the natural gas extraction process. The final bill can be only one of these things. Likewise, the Senate passed a school voucher bill the governor supports, but it isn't yet clear if the House will rescue poor kids in violent, failing schools.
Meanwhile, bills addressing the fiscal crisis in the city of Harrisburg, flood damage across the state, and tightening child predator laws following the Penn State scandal all reached the Governor's desk. These unexpected priorities, brought about by crises and national media attention, took time away from other agenda items.
With the Census results in, lawmakers had to redraw both Congressional and state legislative districts this year, or early January at the latest. Both the redistricting commission and the legislative process for Congressional mapmaking are inherently political, and every lawmaker seeking reelection (or higher office) has something at stake. The political reality of the redistricting process ended up consuming all the oxygen in Harrisburg this fall and left other good policy opportunities gasping for air.
While 2011 has been declared the "Year of School Choice" with 18 states creating or expanding school choice programs, Pennsylvania lawmakers punted to next year. In the middle of the year, lawmakers claimed they had no time to pass school choice legislation with budget concerns, but would take it up in the fall. When nothing happened in the fall, it has become "wait until next year."
In contrast, most of the victories in other states occurred early in 2011. Why? Most states have limited legislative sessions, with deadlines for accomplishments. Pennsylvania's full-time legislature and unlimited sessions tend to lead to severe cases of procrastination.
Encouraging the lack of action on issues such as school choice is the political reality that Pennsylvania's two party debate is not between Democrats and Republicans. It is actually between the Union Party and the Taxpayer Party. Unfortunately for taxpayers, the Union Party enjoys a majority in both the House and Senate on key issues where union financial and political power is threatened.
If you want to know why school choice or other union-related bills have stalled, or why politicians in both parties are demanding new and higher taxes, look no farther than lobbying by union bosses. During the last election cycle, the political action committees of the main government and private sector labor unions gave over $23 million to both Democrats and Republicans.
These heavy hitters include the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the Service Employees International Union, and the American Federation of State, Council and Municipal Employees, which account for nearly 260,000 union members in the commonwealth. The PSEA alone—after raising mandatory dues on teachers and school employees by 11 percent in early 2011—spent $4.2 million lobbying over the past year.
The lesson is this: With the labor unions working as the taxpayers' Grinch, the legislature will fail to deliver not only this Christmas, but for many to come. If Gov. Corbett really wants to put taxpayers, students and workers first, he must use his bully pulpit to overcome a legislature that is reluctant to oppose the Union Party. Only then will his priorities become more than just a wish list.
Nathan A. Benefield is Director of Policy Analysis with the Commonwealth Foundation (www.CommonwealthFoundation.org), Pennsylvania's free-market think tank.
Editorial: Guess which party is pocketing most of Wall Street's money?
The party of the rich? Barack Obama and the Democratic Party are being bankrolled by Wall Street.
Guess which party is pocketing most of Wall Street's money? - pottsmerc.com
Guess which party is pocketing most of Wall Street's money? - pottsmerc.com
Comeback America Poll: Most Americans Have a Low Fiscal IQ
It would also appear most members of the Obama Administration have a low fiscal IQ as well.
Comeback America Poll: Most Americans Have a Low Fiscal IQ
Comeback America Poll: Most Americans Have a Low Fiscal IQ
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Rendell Spending Spree Still Haunts Pennsylvania
Liberals still think Pennsylvania residents don't pay enough taxes, but the state's fiscal woes can be traced to the massive growth in state spending under Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, who left a $4.2 billion deficit for Republican Gov. Tom Corbett to deal with.
Déjà vu All Over Again: Mid-year Cuts and a Budget Shortfall on Tap for 2012
Déjà vu All Over Again: Mid-year Cuts and a Budget Shortfall on Tap for 2012
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Biggest Political Lie of 2011: The Democrat MediScare Campaign
Politifact, the non-partisan fact-checking organization, has selected the Democratic Party's scare tactics over Medicare as the biggest political lie of 2011. You would think that people would wise up by now since Democrats have used the same lie in the past.
Politifact Lie of the Year: The Democrat MediScare Campaign - HUMAN EVENTS
Politifact Lie of the Year: The Democrat MediScare Campaign - HUMAN EVENTS
Monday, December 19, 2011
Eric Holder Plays the Race Card
Columnist John Hayward: Racial politics and rank incompetence form a nauseating brew.
Eric Holder Plays the Race Card - HUMAN EVENTS
Eric Holder Plays the Race Card - HUMAN EVENTS
Obama Letter to Wealthy Friends
Obama represents the 1% that so many liberal rail against.
Obama Letter to Wealthy Friends | RNC: Republican National Committee | GOP
Obama Letter to Wealthy Friends | RNC: Republican National Committee | GOP
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
73,000 Visitors to THE CENTRIST
My site counter has recorded 73,000 unique visitors. Thank you for checking out THE CENTRIST and come back again.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Pennsylvania Jobless Rate Drops to 7.9%
The unemployment rate for Pennsylvania was 7.9 percent in November, down from 8.1 percent in October.
Pennsylvania's Employment Situation for November 2011
Pennsylvania's Employment Situation for November 2011
'JAMZ' Christmas Carol' debuts in Mount Penn Dec. 16-17
Footlights Jr., the Antietam Middle School Drama Club, presents its inaugural production of "JAMZ' Christmas Carol" on Friday, Dec. 16, and Saturday, Dec. 17."JAMZ' Christmas Carol" is a modern-day retelling of the Charles Dickens' classic that follows a pompous rapper down his path of redemption.Both performances begin at 7 p.m. in the Mount Penn Primary Center Auditorium, North 25th Street, Mount Penn.Tickets are just $5 per person and will be available at the door. Gather the whole family for a fun-filled holiday musical.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Climatology professor doubts global warming claims
David Legates, professor of climatology at the University of Delaware and associate Delaware state climatologist, told a gathering in Chester County that there is no consensus of human causes behind climate issues and some of the data has been manipulated by proponents of global warming.
"Is our climate changing? Are we to blame? It's changing because it always has changed and should be changing," Legates said.
Tea Party group discusses climate change - dailylocal.com
"Is our climate changing? Are we to blame? It's changing because it always has changed and should be changing," Legates said.
Tea Party group discusses climate change - dailylocal.com
Operation Holiday needs donations to help 601 children
You can help bring a little Christmas cheer to a needy child in the Pottstown area by donating to The Mercury's Operation Holiday program.
Since there are no administrative costs, every penny donated to this charity goes to help the needy.
Operation Holiday needs donations to help 601 children - pottsmerc.com
Since there are no administrative costs, every penny donated to this charity goes to help the needy.
Operation Holiday needs donations to help 601 children - pottsmerc.com
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Obama Suspends Presidential Dollar Coin Program
Talk about nickel and dime: Obama has run up $4 trillion in new debt in just three years and he figures he can save a few bucks by ending the $1 coin program.
Administration Gets it Wrong on Presidential Dollar Coin Program
Administration Gets it Wrong on Presidential Dollar Coin Program
DNC Chair Denies Unemployment Has Gone Up Under Obama
Ditzy Debbie Wasserman Schultz strikes again. I guess those 15 million collecting unemployment benefits are faking it?
DNC Chair Denies Unemployment Has Gone Up Under Obama
DNC Chair Denies Unemployment Has Gone Up Under Obama
Monday, December 12, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Mother treasures every moment with her terminally ill son
All donations to The Pottstown Mercury's Operation Holiday program go directly to needy families. There's no overhead because Mercury employees volunteer their time to administer the program and distribute the food and gift cards. Last year, the newspaper raised $50,000 and helped more than 250 families. With Christmas just a couple of weeks away, the program has raised just under $20,000 but the need is even greater this year. Follow the link below to read how you can help.
Operation Holiday: Mother treasures every moment with her terminally ill son - pottsmerc.com
Operation Holiday: Mother treasures every moment with her terminally ill son - pottsmerc.com
Friday, December 09, 2011
Opinion: Don't be fooled by the latest jobless numbers
From an excellent op-ed published in the West Chester Daily Local News on the misleading unemployment numbers released by the Obama Administration:
The technical reason the number of unemployed declined is that more than 350,000 people stopped looking for work last week and are no longer being carried on the books. In fact, if the total number of people who have stopped looking for work over the past few years were being counted (either because they are being sustained by endless unemployment insurance benefits or are simply discouraged because the economy IS moribund), the more accurate unemployment figure is closer to 17 percent ... (Table U-6 — Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, from Bureau of Labor Statistics).Don't be fooled by the latest numbers - dailylocal.com
The jobless rate has now remained above 8 percent since February 2009, the longest stretch since monthly records began in 1948. Additionally, there are still 5.7 million long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks and over), which represents 43 percent of the total unemployed and the average duration of unemployment rose to 40.9 weeks, the highest on record.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Editorial: Montco commissioners' arrest shows shame of past four years
The arrest this week of Montgomery County Commissioner James Matthews, brother of MSNBC talking head Chris Matthews, for lying to a grand jury about government corruption is the culmination of four disastrous years under the leadership of Matthews and sidekick Joe Hoeffel.
Editorial: Matthews' arrest shows shame of past four years - pottsmerc.com
Editorial: Matthews' arrest shows shame of past four years - pottsmerc.com
A reason to make the First Amendment part of the season
A guest column by Gene Policinski of the First Amendment Center:Give the First Amendment – and the nation – a unique gift this holiday season: On Dec. 15, "tweet" your support for this 220-year old guarantor of our basic freedoms.Gene Policinski is senior vice president and executive director of the First Amendment Center, 1207 18th Ave. S., Nashville, Tenn., 37212. Web: www.firstamendmentcenter.org. E-mail: gpolicinski@fac.org
And don't stop there … round out the holidays by making that 140-character pledge the first step in a New Year's commitment to better understand and defend year-round those precious 45 words that define our core freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.
What's the reason to make the First Amendment part of the season?
For one thing, Dec. 15 is the 220th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, beginning with the First Amendment's protection of freedom of expression and freedom of religion. That's an event deserving in its own right of glitter and tinsel.
More urgently, it's a chance to challenge and maybe change a sad result of national surveys the First Amendment Center has conducted since 1997. In all that time, never more than six percent in any year could name all five freedoms unaided.
We live in times in which the First Amendment never has been more on display – or more contested.
There are the yearly Yule concerns over religious-themed songs and carols at public school holiday pageants, but also the miraculous example to the world of multiple faiths in one nation peaceably observing holy days and holidays alongside one another.
There are Occupy Wall Street demonstrators exercising their rights to speak freely, to assemble and to petition the government for change – in the manner of generations of Americans who have taken to the streets to make their voices heard.
The U.S. Supreme Court soon will decide a dispute over what we can see and hear on broadcast TV. Meanwhile, we’re all "a-Twitter" over how private are our personal facts and messages. And the fight goes on over how public are our public records.
The Internet, e-mail, Facebook and Twitter have brought new concerns about smut, identity theft and hate speech, all while also giving us an unparalleled opportunity to talk with our fellow citizens – provided that government does not get in the way.
Has there ever been a time when all five of our First Amendment freedoms were more in play?
The "Free to Tweet" initiative is an unprecedented, day-long online call to the American public to stand up on Dec. 15 for these fundamental freedoms. High school and college students nationwide, ages 14 to 22, get a bonus for participating: Expressing themselves freely with the hash tag #freetotweet on Twitter will mean an opportunity to win one of 22 scholarships each worth $5,000. (Find more details on the initiative and the competition at www.freetotweet.org).
For more than two centuries, the First Amendment has been protecting our right to speak out. Let's do just that on Dec. 15!
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Bruce Castor: The Last Man Standing
Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. has had to put up with a great deal of ignominy at the hands of fellow Commissioners Jim Matthews and Joe Hoeffel over the past four years.Castor was the top vote-getter in the 2007 election and was expecting to play a major role in leading Montgomery County government. Instead, Matthews stabbed Castor (and county taxpayers) in the back by entering into a back-room, power-sharing deal with liberal Democrat Joe Hoeffel.
The Matthews-Hoeffel regime has nearly bankrupted what was once one of the most fiscally-sound counties in Pennsylvania.
The Montgomery County Republican Committee censured Matthews for his betrayal and told him not to bother running for another term because the party would not support him. The Democratic Party also had enough of Hoeffel and told the career politician he would not be endorsed for re-election in 2011.
On Tuesday came the bombshell news that Matthews is facing criminal charges for a variety of alleged improprieties during his tenure as a county commissioner.
From a story by reporter Jenny DeHuff of the Norristown Times Herald
Alleging that Matthews repeatedly lied to jurors "with impunity," District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman unsealed a 69-page grand jury report detailing charges of perjury and giving false statements during a press conference Tuesday morning.So what does Bruce Castor, a former two-term county district attorney, think of all this?
The presentment was the culmination of an 18-month investigation into the inner workings of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. The allegations are extensive, from no-bid contracts with a Matthews-affiliated title insurance company to allegations surrounding his violations of the state's open meetings laws during repeated breakfast meetings at an East Norriton diner.
Ferman identified five areas outlined in the grand jury report, including the alleged use of campaign funds for personal expenses, the county's competitive (or non-competitive) bidding process, allegations of Sunshine Law violations by two of the county commissioners, matters of expenditures through the county's open space program, and a potential conflict of interest involving Matthews and a company called Certified Abstract, which had been given the county’s contract for title insurance.
DeHuff contacted the only commissioner who will be returning in January and this is what Castor had to say about Matthews, whom he described as a "very arrogant man" -
"Jim Matthews lied to the voters, to his supporters, to his contributors, to the party – those things don't surprise me, but when he lies to a grand jury, that is a crime. My experience is that perjury cases before a grand jury are almost always successful for prosecutors. I cannot recall a perjury charge in any court that I've ever worked in or around that did not result in a guilty verdict, because it's such a rarely used charge. A prosecutor only uses it when they're sure they're going to win."It appears Bruce Castor will get the last laugh.
Grand Jury: Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews lied under oath
Nothing has gone right for Republican Jim Matthews since he turned his back on voters and made a power-sharing deal with Democrat Joe Hoeffel four years ago.
Matthews' back-room deal led to deficit spending at the hands of Hoeffel, censure for Matthews from the county Republican Committee, which eventually forced Matthews from the GOP ticket.
The Matthews-Hoeffel deal also caused the defeat of the Republican majority on the commissioners' board for the first time in 140 years.
Now Matthews is facing criminal charges.
When you make a deal with the devil ...
Grand Jury: Montco commissioner lied while giving testimony - pottsmerc.com
Matthews' back-room deal led to deficit spending at the hands of Hoeffel, censure for Matthews from the county Republican Committee, which eventually forced Matthews from the GOP ticket.
The Matthews-Hoeffel deal also caused the defeat of the Republican majority on the commissioners' board for the first time in 140 years.
Now Matthews is facing criminal charges.
When you make a deal with the devil ...
Grand Jury: Montco commissioner lied while giving testimony - pottsmerc.com
Antietam Middle School Drama Club Presents "JAMZ' Christmas Carol'
Footlights Jr., the Antietam Middle School Drama Club, presents its inaugural production of "JAMZ' Christmas Carol" on Friday, Dec. 16, and Saturday, Dec. 17.
"JAMZ' Christmas Carol" is a modern-day retelling of the Charles Dickens' classic that follows a pompous rapper down his path of redemption.
Both performances begin at 7 p.m. in the Mount Penn Primary Center Auditorium, North 25th Street, Mount Penn.
Tickets are just $5 per person and will be available at the door.
Gather the whole family for a fun-filled holiday musical.
"JAMZ' Christmas Carol" is a modern-day retelling of the Charles Dickens' classic that follows a pompous rapper down his path of redemption.
Both performances begin at 7 p.m. in the Mount Penn Primary Center Auditorium, North 25th Street, Mount Penn.
Tickets are just $5 per person and will be available at the door.
Gather the whole family for a fun-filled holiday musical.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Press Destruction Of Cain Tells Conservative Blacks: Don't Run Or Else
Investor's Business Daily:
Herman Cain's withdrawal concludes a media hit job that sends out two chilling warnings. To conservative businessmen: Don't dare run for high office. To black candidates: Don't stray off the liberal plantation.Press Destruction Of Cain Tells Conservative Blacks: Don't Run Or Else - Investors.com
It Just Doesn't Add Up
It must be that "new math" they talk about.
Since 2000, public schools added 35,821 additional staff while enrollment dropped by 35,510, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Read more at The Commonwealth Foundation's Policy Blog.
Since 2000, public schools added 35,821 additional staff while enrollment dropped by 35,510, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Read more at The Commonwealth Foundation's Policy Blog.
Columnist: Privatize the postal service
George F. Will on why the U.S. Postal Service is doomed: Labor costs are 80 percent of the USPS' costs (53 percent of UPS', 32 percent of FedEx's), in part because it has negotiated very friendly union contracts. The postal service did that because it is free from the tiresome need to make a profit and its competition is limited by law, which forbids anyone else to deliver a letter that is not "urgent."Read the full column at the link below:
Mail volume has declined 20 percent in five years and the decline probably will accelerate, in spite of the odd USPS ads seeking customers by saying letters "don't get lost in thin air," and "a refrigerator has never been hacked. An online virus has never attacked a corkboard." Surely privatization beats depending on the USPS for delivering the intellectual light that irradiates the republic.
Privatize the postal service - pottsmerc.com
How school districts waste tax dollars
Here's a perfect example of how Pennsylvania school boards consistently waste taxpayer dollars.
The Scranton School Board recently replaced a politically-connected lawyer who served as the district solicitor for the past 17. But the former solicitor is guaranteed a $25,000-a-year, lifetime pension by the board.
From the Times-Tribune:
The Scranton School Board recently replaced a politically-connected lawyer who served as the district solicitor for the past 17. But the former solicitor is guaranteed a $25,000-a-year, lifetime pension by the board.
From the Times-Tribune:
Mr. McGrath, Lackawanna County Democratic chairman, worked for 17 years with no contract and at the will of the board. He most recently received almost $60,000 a year in salary, plus $85 an hour for some legal work. He also has a private law practice - McGrath Law Offices in Scranton.Scranton School District solicitor could collect $25,000 yearly pension - The Times-Tribune
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Columnist: Bitter Residue Remains in Pennsylvania
Columnist Salena Zito on Obama's fading popularity in Pennsylvania:
Six weeks ago, Obama visited Pittsburgh. The union crowd was thin. Enthusiasm was nonexistent; so were local elected Democrats, who opted to shake his hand at the airport rather than stand on stage with him while he talked about jobs. Last week he went to Scranton, home to Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. A no-show in Pittsburgh, Casey again declined to appear with the president.Bitter Residue Remains in Pennsylvania
Drop in Unemployment a Statistical Fluke?
Investor's Business Daily says the drop in the U.S. unemployment rate from 9% to 8.6% is not much of an improvement.
"On closer inspection, the decline is highly questionable — and doesn't warrant a surge in optimism," the newspaper says.
Drop In Unemployment To 8.6% In November Is Good, But Not As Good As It Looks - Investors.com
"On closer inspection, the decline is highly questionable — and doesn't warrant a surge in optimism," the newspaper says.
Drop In Unemployment To 8.6% In November Is Good, But Not As Good As It Looks - Investors.com
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Some lawmakers giving back their pay raises to Pa.
Rep. Duane Milne of Chester County:
"It's a shared sacrifice and we (legislators) have to do our share, and that includes returning the cost of living raise. If every lawmaker in the state gave the raise back, we would save a half-million dollars. And that's not chump change."Some lawmakers giving back their pay raises to Pa. - dailylocal.com
Friday, December 02, 2011
Chester County Treasurer Ann Duke to run for Pennsylvania auditor general
After less than one-year in office, Chester County Treasurer Ann Duke has set her sight on a bigger political office: Pennsylvania Auditor General.From the West Chester Daily Local News:
"In these tough economic times, it is crucial that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely. I will bring the same commonsense, fiscally conservative reforms I have implemented in the Chester County Treasurer's office to the office of auditor general. We need a principled conservative reformer in the auditor general's office, and that is why I am running."Read the full story at the link below:
County treasurer talks about her run for state auditor - dailylocal.com
For more information about Duke's campaign, visit her website, http://anndukeforag.com/
Opinion: Stimulus was a failure
Obama's much-heralded stimulus package actually drained $5 trillion from the U.S. economy, killing millions of jobs.
How's that for hope and change?
Stimulus was a failure by the numbers - Lebanon Daily News
How's that for hope and change?
Stimulus was a failure by the numbers - Lebanon Daily News
Pa. legislators 'slap' constituents in the face
From an editorial in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on the latest pay raise for members of the Pennsylvania Legislature:
The arrival of yet another automatic cost-of-living pay raise is proof positive of state lawmakers' craven disregard for both taxpayers and economic reality.Read the full editorial - The legislative COLA: Slap! - at the newspaper's website.
Demand Pa. legislators justify pay raise
Christmas came early this year for the 253 members of the Pennsylvania Legislature.An automatic pay increase lawmakers voted themselves kicked in Dec. 1, boosting their salaries by 3 percent, from $79,613 to $82,026 per year.
That's just for the rank-and-file members. Legislative leaders will see their salaries jump from $115,364 to $118,845 per year.
Public service pays — at least in Pennsylvania.
State lawmakers were already the second highest paid in the nation and the cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) cements that standing. Act 51, the 1995 law that grants the automatic pay raises, was set up to keep legislative salaries in line with the consumer price index of the Philadelphia area, which is the highest in the state.
Because Pennsylvania has the largest full-time state legislatures in the country, taxpayers are on the hook for $300 million every year to support the legislators and the 3,000 staffers who support them.
Why nobody from the Occupy Wall Street movement hasn't set up an Occupy Harrisburg encampment yet is beyond me. The gap between the political aristocracy and working class Pennsylvanians has never been wider.
The average annual salary for Pennsylvania workers is $43,050, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. State lawmakers will make more than twice what their constituents get paid.
Legislative salaries in Pennsylvania are also out of line with the pay elected officials receive in other states. The average salary for a state legislator in the United States is $34,000.
And it's not just the legislative branch that makes out like bandits in Harrisburg. The same law that gives lawmakers automatic pay raises also covers the judicial and executive branches.
Raises for top executive branch and judicial positions take effect Jan. 1. Gov. Tom Corbett's annual salary will rise to $183,250, from $177,888.
And salaries are just the tip of the iceberg. State legislators enjoy top-of-the-line health benefits paid mostly by taxpayers and lifetime pensions.
Legislators also receive "per diem" expenses that allow them to collect $163 for every day they show up while the General Assembly is in session. That would be like your boss giving you an extra $163 every day you show up for work on top of your salary.
Only a handful of lawmakers defend the pay raises, saying they deserve the money. Most will sheepishly tell you they are forced to take the higher pay by law, but will donate the money to charity or return it to the state treasury. The two state lawmakers who represent Pottstown — state Sen. John Rafferty and state Rep. Tom Quigley — both told me recently they plan to return their pay raises to the state.
Many others will donate the money to a charity of their choice. The problem I have with this maneuver is that why should they get to choose the charity since it's our dollars they're giving away and the lawmakers still qualify for higher pensions because their base salary will now be $82,000 a year.
There was a half-hearted effort made earlier this fall to stop the COLA travesty but a bill introduced by Rep. Brad Roae died in committee. The legislative leadership just couldn't find the time to take a vote to turn down the pay raises.
Eric Epstein, co-founder of Rock the Capital, a citizen watchdog group that advocates good government practices, has been a lone voice crying in the wilderness when it comes to scaling back legislative perks.
"It's time to kill the COLA," Epstein wrote in a recent op-ed. "Act 51 needs to be abolished — or at a minimum — COLAs should be announced one week prior to the general election, so voters can decide if a pay raise is warranted."
Epstein recommends the creation of a Citizens Compensation Commission similar to one in California. It sets compensation rates for state officials and when the fiscal condition of state government requires it, the commission can reduce the salary of government officials.
That's the kind of shared sacrifice the permanent political class in Harrisburg refuses to abide be.
Pennsylvania taxpayers are struggling. Elected officials are thumbing their nose at constituents as they had to the bank to cash their big fat checks.
The only recourse voters have is to vote out incumbents in 2012 when all 203 members of the House and half of the 50-member Senate is up for re-election.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Democrat: Obama will lose Pennsylvania
Longtime Democratic Congressman Paul Kanjorski, who lost his seat in 2010, says Barack Obama would lose Pennsylvania if the election were held today.
From NationalJournal.com:
From NationalJournal.com:
If Obama can't win Pennsylvania, which last voted for a GOP presidential candidate in 1988, it's unlikely he'll reach the 270 electoral votes necessary for re-election. A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won the White House while losing the Keystone State since 1948, according to CBS.Former Pa. Congressman with Dire Warning for Obama - 2012 Decoded
Newspaper: Obama campaigns on taxpayers' dime
Investor's Business Daily:
Obama's Campaign Is All About Making The Public Pay For It - Investors.com
President Obama jammed traffic in Manhattan on Tuesday. State business? No, he was raising campaign funds. It's just the latest example of his questionable strategy of running for re-election by taking from the public.Read the full editorial at the link below:
And no, the public was not invited. Three stops the president made were strictly for fat-cat donors who paid as much as $36,000 a plate for the privilege, while reporters weren't even permitted to cover the protests outside the hotels.
Obama's Campaign Is All About Making The Public Pay For It - Investors.com
Pennsylvania tax collections running $345M behind
From the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue:
Pennsylvania collected $1.7 billion in General Fund revenue in November, which was $63.3 million, or 3.5 percent, less than anticipated. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $9.4 billion, which is $345.3 million, or 3.6 percent, below estimate.Pennsylvania Revenue Department Releases November Collections
Legislative pay raise is just plain wrong
Philly.burbs.com on why giving Pennsylvania politicians giving themselves another pay raise is just plain wrong:
We mention the pay raise for a few reasons: 1. It's automatic. There's no debate or discussion, and no consideration of merit. The raise is pegged to the cost of living in and around Philadelphia, the costliest area of the state. This year, living expenses increased 3 percent. Thus, lawmakers get a 3 percent raise. 2. The raise flies in the face of real world economics. 3. It comes in addition to a generous benefits package the likes of which nobody in the private sector has seen for decades.Raising objection to lawmakers' automatic pay raise - phillyBurbs.com : Editorials: pennsylvania lawmakers, automatic pay raise
Sen. John Rafferty says he's best qualified for PA Attorney General
While he has enjoyed serving in the state Senate and has accomplished more than most legislators in the past nine years, state Sen. John C. Rafferty Jr. said his dream job has always been Pennsylvania attorney general.And when the last elected attorney general, Tom Corbett, stepped down in January to assume the office of governor, Rafferty couldn’t pass up the opportunity to seek the state’s top law enforcement office.
Rafferty, who represents parts of Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties in the state Senate, became the first Republican to announce his candidacy for Pennsylvania attorney general on Wednesday.
"I've been called 'the law enforcement guy' in the Senate if not in the whole General Assembly," Rafferty said in a telephone interview. "It's a logical step. I look at public service as a noble profession. I plan to run on my qualifications."
Rafferty said his background in private business, as a local government official, his work in the Philadelphia district attorney's office, three years as a deputy state attorney general and nine years in the Legislature put him ahead of all the other candidates.
"The key element to government is protection of public safety," Rafferty told The Associated Press in announcing his candidacy at the Harrisburg headquarters of the Pennsylvania State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Touting his record as a law-and-order legislator, Rafferty has already picked up endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police, Pennsylvania State Lodge, and the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association.
He anticipates receiving the endorsement of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association.
As attorney general, Rafferty said he would vigorously fight crime and use the grand jury system to prosecute cases involving sexual abuse of children, political corruption and Medicaid fraud.
Rafferty, 58, of Collegeville, said he intends to remain in the Legislature during the campaign for attorney general.
He is currently chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee and formerly was chairman of the Law & Justice Committee, on which he continues to serve.
"I've enjoyed representing the 44th Senate District tremendously and have received a lot of support and encouragement from constituents to seek the office of attorney general," Rafferty said.
Rafferty has traveled across Pennsylvania since the beginning of the year seeking backing from Republican State Committee members.
He believes he can continue to be an effective legislator while spending time on the campaign trail.
"I'm not turning my back on my Senate work," Rafferty said.
Rafferty earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, his master's degree from Beaver College, and his law degree from Temple University.
Before his election to the state Senate in 2002, he spent three years as a deputy attorney general and served on the Montgomery County Board of Assessment Appeals, the Methacton School District board and the Lower Providence Board of Supervisors. He also spent nearly a decade as general manager of a recreation center.
Although he is clearly the front-runner, Rafferty may face competition for the GOP nomination in the April 24 primary.
If Rafferty can win the Republican nomination, he would be a heavy favorite to become the state's next attorney general. Republicans have won every contest for attorney general since it became an elective office in 1980.
Rafferty said the recent legislative redistricting process played no part in his decision to run for attorney general.
The borders of the 44th Senate District will change under the current plan under review, dropping Pottstown but adding Phoenixville and expanding into parts of Chester County and eastern Montgomery County.
If Rafferty wins the attorney general's office next November, a special election would be held to complete the remainder of his Senate term, which runs to the end of 2014.
The current attorney general is Linda Kelly, who was nominated by Corbett and confirmed by the state Senate to complete the remainder of Corbett's term, which runs to the end of 2012. Kelly agreed not to seek a full four-year term when she was confirmed.
Lawmaker says he'll keep $2,400 raise
Republican state Rep. Jim Cox says he deserves a pay raise despite how hard his constituents are struggling.
Lawmaker says he'll keep $2,400 raise
Lawmaker says he'll keep $2,400 raise
Columnist: Make Pa. legislators justify pay raise
Christmas is early for Pennsylvania lawmakers, who gave themselves a $2,400 pay raise today.
Make Pa. legislators justify pay raise - pottsmerc.com
Make Pa. legislators justify pay raise - pottsmerc.com
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