THE CENTRIST

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Lawmakers AWOL on property tax relief

Previously I listed 42 members of the Pennsylvania House who are co-sponsors of House Bill 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007.

Since there are 203 members of the House, the vast majority of lawmakers have yet to be heard on HB 1275, which is endorsed by more than two dozen taxpayer groups across the state.

Below is a list of legislators from my neck of the woods (Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties) who are conspicuously absent from the list of HB 1275 co-sponsors.

If you recognize any of the names below, you need to contact them today and ask them what's more pressing in Harrisburg than the elimination of schools property taxes? Check the previous list of co-sponsors to see if your legislator is on your side.

Find out why they are not standing with Pennsylvania taxpayers. And remind them that you will not be voting for them when they stand for re-election in 2008.

Here are The Missing lawmakers who represent districts in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties:

BERKS COUNTY
David Kessler (D-130)
Doug Reichley (R-134)
Tim Seip (D-125)

CHESTER COUNTY
Thomas Killion (R-168)
Barbara McIlvaine Smith (D-156)
Duane Milne (R-167)
Chris Ross (R-158)
Carole Rubley (R-157

MONTGOMERY
Lawrence Curry (D-154)
Michael Gerber (D-148)
Robert Godshall (R-53)
Kate Harper (R-61)
George Kenney Jr. (R-170)
Daylin Leach (D-149)
Kathy Manderino (D-194)
Jay Moyer (R-70)
Thomas Murt (R-152)
Josh Shapiro (D-153)
Rick Taylor (D-151)
Mike Vereb (R-150)

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Freshman lawmakers turn backs on taxpayers

A couple more members of the Pennsylvania House have added their names to the list of co-sponsors for the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 (House Bill 1275).

The latest sponsors are Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) and Rep. Mark Mustio (R-Allegheny), bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 42.

I posted the full list of 40 original sponsors at this site on Monday.

Is your state representative on the list? If not, why not? Call or e-mail your local legislator and demand that he or she stand with Pennsylvania taxpayers in support of House Bill 1275, which would eliminate school property taxes.

Also note that many of the freshman lawmakers elected in 2006 on promises of reform are not on the list of HB 1275 sponsors. The biggest reform Pennsylvania residents want to see is the elimination of property taxes. Make sure these new lawmakers keep their promises or you can make them one-term legislators in 2008.

A programming note:

On Monday, Nov. 19 at 7:00 PM, Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), the prime sponsor of HB 1275, will be on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) Call-in Program to discuss property taxes. Appearing with him will be Rep. David Levdansky, the prime sponsor of HB 1600, the fraudulent property tax "relief" plan that is actually a tax increase in disguise and is strenuously opposed by the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition and the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers Associations.

Taxpayer groups are urging their members to call the program to voice your support of HB 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, and especially to let Rep. Levdansky know that Pennsylvania homeowners will no longer tolerate more valueless, recycled approaches like HB 1600.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: 33 Republicans, 7 Democrats stand with Pa. taxpayers

Some good news on the property tax front.

The School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, the only measure endorsed by the two dozen active citizen taxpayer associations in Pennsylvania, has been introduced in the state House of Representatives.

House Bill 1275 has received the backing of 33 Republican and 7 Democratic members of the House. My first question: Why isn't your state legislator supporting this effort to eliminate property taxes? A bill needs a majority of 102 votes to pass the House.

Now is the time to get your lawmaker on the record when it comes to property tax relief. Find out where he or she stands on House Bill 1275 so you can decide if they deserve re-election 2008.

Is there a more pressing issue facing Pennsylvania than property tax reform? Don't settle for half-measures (House Bill 1600) pushed by House Democrats. That bill offers a temporary reduction in property taxes and a permanent increase in other taxes to make up the difference. Homeowners will end up worse off under this so-called tax relief plan.

The only solution is elimination of property taxes, which is the goal of House Bill 1275.

According to David Baldinger of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition, the following 40 House members have co-sponsored House Bill 1275.

Rohrer (R-Berks)
Argall (R-Berks/Schuylkill)
Quigley (R-Montgomery)
Cox (R-Berks)
Yewcic (D-Cambria/Somerset)
Denlinger (R-Lancaster)
Phillips (R-Northumberland/Snyder)
Stern (R-Blair)
Baker (R-Bradford/Tioga)
Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware)
Bastian (R-Bedford/Somerset)
Caltagirone (D-Berks)
Cappelli (R-Lycoming)
Creighton (R-Lancaster)
Everett (R-Lycoming)
Gabig (R-Cumberland)
Gibbons (D-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence)
Gillespie (R-York)
Goodman (D-Schuylkill)
Harris (R-Juniata/Mifflin/Snyder)
Hennessey (R-Chester)
Hershey (R-Chester)
Hess (R-Bedford/Fulton/Huntingdon)
Kauffman (R-Cumberland/Franklin)
Mackereth (R-York)
Mahoney (D-Fayette)
Mantz (R-Berks)
McIlhattan (R-Armstrong/Clarion)
Mensch (R-Montgomery)
Moul (R-Adams/Franklin)
Perry (R-Cumberland/York)
Pyle (R-Armstrong/Indiana)
Readshaw (D-Allegheny)
Roae (R-Crawford)
Rock (R-Franklin)
Santoni (D-Berks)
Saylor (R-York)
Schroder (R-Chester)
Steil (R-Bucks)
Swanger (R-Lebanon)

If your state representative is not on this list, get on the phone or e-mail today to find out why they won't stand with Pennsylvania taxpayers.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Mixed results for Montgomery County GOP

Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. delivered on his promise to maintain Republican control of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners but he's on the receiving end of verbal jabs from the county party chairman.

Castor gave up his high-profile job as the county's top law enforcement officer to run for commissioner because he saw a genuine threat by Democrats to take control of the commissioners' board for the first time in 130 years.

Castor was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's election, attracting 84,929 votes and carrying sad-sack Jim Matthews on his shoulder to keep the GOP majority on the three-member board.

Apparently that wasn't good enough for Ken Davis, the politically-challenged chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party. Davis is blaming Castor because five other Republicans lost county row offices on Tuesday.

Hey, how much water does Castor have to carry for the party? Castor was not only facing a well-funded Democratic ticket in Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker, but also had to carry Matthews, who was a liability, and deal with constant sniping from Ken Davis and the guy who pulls Davis' strings, Bob Asher.

Castor had to constantly watch his back.

The day after the election, Davis is giving interviews to newspapers blaming Castor for the Republican Party's inability to hold on to the row offices. Davis told veteran political reporter Margaret Gibbons of The Norristown Times-Herald that his candidates "did not get the help they thought they would from Bruce (Castor.)"

Cry me a river, launch a boat and row yourself down downstream, Ken.

Way to take one for the team, Davis. What was that they said about the buck stops here?

Row office contests feature nameless, faceless party workers. The public doesn't know the candidates and for the most part, doesn't care who fills those seats. It's up to the parties to make sure they get out the vote for their people. This is where Davis fell flat ... again.

Row offices is where party chairman show their political acumen. In the case of Montgomery County, Davis couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat.

If it wasn't for Castor, Democrats would not only hold the five row offices, but they'd be in charge of the commissioners' board. Davis originally backed Matthews and the other incumbent commissioner, Tom Ellis. That would have been the worst ticket since Carter-Mondale.

Castor responded to Davis' whining with class:

"This is exactly the type of finger-pointing that needs to stop if we are going to continue to be successful," Castor said. "Our party needs to move forward together and that is what I am committed to doing."

If Davis cared at all about the Republican Party in Montgomery County, he would have resigned over the row office debacle on Nov. 7.

The longer Davis remains as chairman, the worse things will get for the party. His term expires in 2008, but he's done enough damage already.

The future for the party is under Castor's leadership.

"It is my belief that a leader understands that when we win, we win together and when we lose, we lose together," Castor said. "That is how I intend to move — forward."

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Another black eye for PHEAA

Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse for the state's embattled student-loan agency comes the revelation that PHEEA spent more than $2 million on trinkets with the agency's name on it.

The full story was published by The Harrisburg Patriot-News.

According to the newspaper, PHEAA spent $2.2 million over the past five years to place its logo on such promotional giveaways golf balls, pencils, clothing and reusable glowing ice cubes. Huh? What the hell is a reusable glowing ice cube?

I've seen private companies put their logos on knick-knacks. But a state agency that is supposed to provide loans and grants to students to cover the rising cost of college doesn't need to promote itself on ash trays and dish towels.

Wouldn't you think that the $2.2 million could have been better spent?

Some of the more unusual items with the PHEAA logo, according to The Patriot-News, were 150 brass clocks at $22 each, $30 L.L. Bean jackets, 3,000 peppermint candies with its logo on the wrapper and $3,400 worth of gummy brains candy.

Keep in mind that 16 of the 20 members of the board of directors charged with overseeing PHEAA are elected members of the Pennsylvania Legislature, no stranger to wasteful spending.

The best quote about the latest PHEAA scandal came from Rep. John Shapiro, D-Montgomery County: "Gummy brains? The officials at PHEAA must have gummy brains if they were willing to waste scholarship money on these types of wasteful expenditures."

Shapiro promised legislation to limit PHEAA's spending on promotional items.

In case you haven't been keeping track of all the hijinks at PHEEA, the agency spent $900,000 on trips to resorts and spas for its employees, executives and board members. PHEAA then spent $400,000 in legal fees to prevent newspapers from gaining access to those spending records.

PHEAA approved more than $7.5 million in bonuses for its top executives. Some of those executives have decided to retire and will be collecting six-figure pensions.

And let's not forget that PHEAA spent $108,000 on employee passes to HersheyPark to give those stressed-out workers some time to unwind.

One of the clueless lawmakers who serves on the PHEAA board, state Sen. Sean Logan, D-Allegheny, who also happens to be vice chairman of the PHEAA board, defended the $2.2 million for promotional trinkets.

Logan told The Patriot-News that the student-loan agency's promotional giveaways helped advertise it to students and clients in a competitive marketplace.

And you need any more reasons why the cesspool in Harrisburg needs to be drained?

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: The $2M race for Montgomery County commissioner

Money makes the political world go around.

Running for public office these days is not the faint of heart or those light in the wallet.

The latest example of how out-of-control political races have gotten is the contest for Montgomery County Commissioner.

Veteran political reporter Margaret Gibbons reported Tuesday that the two major parties have raised more than $1.5 million in the past four months.

The big money so far has been pouring into the coffers of Democrats Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker, who reported raising $867,145 between June and mid-October.

Republicans Bruce Castor and Jim Matthews reported taking in $521,431 in the same time period, but Matthews is also raising money on his own. He took in $237,225.

Counting money raised earlier in the year, the Democrats have collected more than $1 million. That's four times what the Dems raised for the last county commissioners' race four years ago.

At least $30,000 in campaign money for the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign came from Gov. Ed Rendell, who wants to turn at least one Southeastern Pennsylvania county to the Dark Side (I meant to say Democrats) in preparation for next year's presidential elections.

With Berks and Delaware counties looking safe for the GOP, Rendell is targeting Chester, Bucks and Montgomery counties as a base of operation for the Hillary Clinton onslaught to come in 2008.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Mixed news for Montgomery County GOP

A new poll shows the Republican candidates for Montgomery County commissioner keeping county government in GOP hands for another four years. But voter registration numbers show the Democratic Party making inroads in what had been a Republican stronghold.

First the good news for Montgomery County Republicans.

A Newhouse/Public Opinion Strategies poll has the Republican candidates for Montgomery County commissioner rising, while their Democratic challengers are sinking.

The poll shows Republican Bruce L. Castor Jr., the Montgomery County district attorney, leading the pack with 52 percent, followed by Joe Hoeffel, a former Congressman, at 44 percent. The big news is the rise of Jim Matthews, an incumbent Montgomery County commissioner. Matthews, at 43 percent, has pulled to within one percentage point of Hoeffel. Trailing the field is incumbent Ruth Damsker, with 34 percent.

This is a much-watched race that could set the stage for the 2008 presidential race. Whoever wins Southeastern Pennsylvania will win Pennsylvania. And whoever wins Pennsylvania could be the next president of the United States. Having control of county government is essential for political parties.

If the poll numbers carry through Election Day, the commissioners' board will consist of Castor, Matthews and Hoeffel, with the two Republicans holding the majority.

The recent criminal charges filed against the campaign manager for Hoeffel and Damsker may have something to do with the Democrats' falling popularity.

Joanne C. Olszewski, a county party leader and co-chair of the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign, recently resigned as Montgomery County jury commissioner when she was implicated in an illegal video machine gambling probe. Olszewski quit the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign, but she is holding on to her county party post.

An earlier Newhouse poll had Matthews ahead of Damsker by six percentage points. He's now pulled ahead by nine points and could overtake Hoeffel to finish in second place.

That would leave Hoeffel and Damsker to battle it out for the final seat.

In addition to the bad publicity the Hoeffel-Damsker team has received, voters may also be realizing how expensive things will get if the liberal Democrats take control of county government.

According to veteran Montgomery County Courthouse reporter Margaret Gibbons of the Norristown Times-Herald, Hoeffel-Damkser have proposed more than $100 million in new spending during their campaign. Somebody has to pay for all the growth in government. Taxpayers are in no mood to pay more taxes.

Although the Hoeffel-Damsker team doesn't appear to be catching fire, Democrats are doing a much better job of attracting voters than their GOP counterparts.

Of the 6,992 newly registered voters since the May primary elections, 3,208 registered as Democrats, while 1,958 registered Republican, according to The Times Herald in Norrstown.

That pattern has been repeated in Montgomery County for most of the past decade.

The number of registered Republicans in Montgomery County is 247,766, compared to 217,052 Democrats.

Montgomery County GOP Chairman Ken Davis could offer no explanation for the continuing resurgence of the Democratic Party under his watch other than to blame President Bush.

"We will have to live with this for another year," Davis told The Times Herald.

Davis is in his third year as party chairman. He told the newspaper he needs more time to turn things around. A few more years under Davis' leadership and the Republican Party will be the minority party in the county. There was no mention in The Times Herald article of Bob Asher, who pulls Davis' strings.

Read the full story by reporter Margaret Gibbons at the newspaper's Web site, www.timesherald.com

Monday, October 22, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: RendellCare will sink Pennsylvania businesses

Gov. Ed Rendell's grandiose scheme to force Pennsylvania businesses to pay higher taxes to provide health insurance to all uninsured residents would ruin the state's economy, according to an independent assessment by an advocacy group for small business.

Rendell's payroll tax to fund his "Cover All Pennsylvanians" plan would cost the state at least 167,000 jobs over the next five years, according to a study released by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Of those losses, 103,000 jobs could come from small employers (those with fewer than 100 workers). Rendell's tax-and-spend policies over the past five years have severely crippled Pennsylvania's small businesses. The health care tax would put many small firms (the backbone of Pennsylvania's economy) out of business.

"The 3 percent payroll tax on employers who presently cannot afford to provide health insurance to their employees would hit roughly 50 percent of all small employers in Pennsylvania," said Bruce Phillips, a researcher who compiled the report for NFIB. "That tax, along with insurance premiums and accounting costs, will cost small-business owners in Pennsylvania an estimated $1.9 billion annually."

Kevin Shivers, the Pennsylvania state director for the NFIB, said he was not surprised surprised to learn the added costs could cripple many Pennsylvania employers, as many small job providers are already struggling.

"Small-business owners are already struggling with an increasingly competitive global economy and rising energy bills and other costs -- a whopping new payroll tax could put many of them out of business permanently," Shivers said.

Shivers is also concerned the Rendell proposal would do little to address the fundamental problem of affordability, but could exacerbate the problem by expanding the size and scope of state government with a payroll tax on those who can least afford it.

(Rendell has been promising property tax cuts in Pennsylvania for the past five years, but has failed to deliver. Rendell has also vetoed a Republican measure to reduce the state income tax, which is also paid by business owners.)

Rather than focusing on building a larger role for state government in health care, Shivers suggests "legislators focus on measures to expand consumer choices and improve quality of services at a lower cost."

"Providing more options and greater flexibility for employers to provide health care to their employees ought to be our goal -- not creating a vast and costly bureaucracy that in many cases will do more harm than good for struggling small-business owners."

For more on the study, visit www.nfib.com

Republican state lawmakers have offered their own plan (The Real Prescription for Pennsylvania) to fix the state's failing health care system. To read more, go to www.HealthCareForPaFamilies.com

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Lawmakers answer to teachers' union

Pennsylvania leads the nation in teacher strikes. Pennsylvania has recorded twice as many teacher strikes as any other state since 2000. Three school districts in Pennsylvania are on strike this week.

Thirty-seven states have already outlawed teacher strikes. The rationale is similar to laws preventing police officers and firefighters from walking off the job. These are essential public services. Since the government mandates a minimum number of days for students to attend school, why should teachers be allowed to disrupt the education system?

After years of lobbying lawmakers, a grassroots organization called Stop Teacher Strikes Inc. has persuaded a few courageous lawmakers to introduce a bill to ban teacher strikes in Pennsylvania.

Opposition to the ban is coming from the powerful teachers' union, which contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds to politicians to keep them voting the way the union wants.

We already know where Gov. Ed Rendell stands on the issue. Rendell, who received $500,000 from the Pennsylvania State Education Association's PAC for his re-election bid last year, said through a spokesman that a teacher strike ban is a "radical response." In other words, the governor is owned by the teachers' union.

So far, 25 state lawmakers have added their names to the teacher ban bill introduced by Rep. Todd Rock, a Republican from Franklin County. All 25 co-sponsors are Republicans, which says a lot about how much control unions have over the Democratic Party. That leaves another 228 lawmakers sitting on the fence (many of them counting the money they've received from the teachers' union.)

It's time for Pennsylvania residents to remind their elected lawmakers that they represent the people, not the unions.

Stop Teacher Strikes Inc. has posted the names of all 253 Pennsylvania legislators on its Web site and how much money the lawmakers have received from the state's largest teachers' union, the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

"What we're trying to do is rally the public," Stop Teacher Strikes Inc. founder Simon Campbell told The Associated Press.

Pennsylvania's 116,000 public school teachers are already among the highest paid in the nation (average salary of $54,027 in the 2005-06 school year, the most recent figure available). Under the current system, they can walk out on their jobs when they don't get their way and get paid for the time they walk the picket line because school districts are forced by the state to keep students in school for 180 days.

Regardless of how long teachers are on strike, the days will be made up. The only people inconvenienced are students and parents, who often have to make costly day care alternatives when their kids are forced to stay home by a teacher strike.

Rep. Rock's bill would force teachers to forfeit two days' pay for each day of a strike, fine individuals $5,000 for inciting a strike, and require nonbinding arbitration to resolve contract disputes within a certain time frame.

In other words, teachers will get hit where it hurts, in the pocketbook.

An actual ban on teacher strikes requires a change to the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Constitutional amendments must be approved by lawmakers in two consecutive legislative sessions and by voters in a referendum. That's a long and complicated process, but it's actually a good thing because changing the Constitution does not require the governor's approval.

Clearly Rendell dances to the teachers' union tune and would never side with Pennsylvania taxpayers on banning teacher strikes.

The Associated Press reviewed strike records over the past seven years and found that of the nearly 140 teacher strikes that occurred nationally between 2000 and 2007, 60 percent took place in Pennsylvania.

Much of the research about teacher strikes has been conducted by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy in Pittsburgh, which opposes strikes by public-sector unions in "vital sectors" such as mass transit and education, institute president Jake Haulk told the AP.

"The only way you get (support for a ban) is a massive uprising on the part of the taxpayers who say, 'Enough is enough,'" Haulk said. "That hasn't happened yet."

The teachers' union has used the threat of strikes and the willingness to walk off the job as bargaining tools to hold the state's 501 school districts hostage to its demands. School districts don't have much leverage in the bargaining process, which is one reason property taxes are so high. The teachers get pay raises and top-of-the-line benefits, including lifetime pensions, all paid by the Pennsylvania taxpayer.

It's time to level the playing field by taking away the teachers' ability to strike.

Let your state lawmaker know that your vote is what keeps him or her on the job, not the payoff money they get from the teachers' union.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Empty promises on tax relief

What do Rep. John Perzel's "Older Pennsylvanian Property Tax Elimination Act" and Rep. Jay Moyer's "Senior Property Tax Freeze Bill" have in common?

Both measures are the latest attempts by elected officials to fool senior citizens (who are the most consistent voters) into giving Pennsylvania lawmakers another free pass on the property tax issue. The shell game has been going on for 30 years.

Lawmakers promise to tackle property tax reform in Harrisburg, but break their promises to the voters as soon as they get into office. When voters start threatening to kick out the career politicians, the legislators come up with various schemes to address property taxes.

It's a vicious cycle that can only come to end with the passage of the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007 or the ouster of the majority of the current Legislature.

Perzel's plan would eliminate property taxes for Pennsylvania residents who are 65 or older and earn up to $40,000 a year (that's about 600,000 people). Moyer's plan would freeze property taxes senior citizens pay on their homes at current levels.

If you were under the impression that Gov. Ed Rendell and the Legislature tried to appease senior voters the same way last year, you have a good memory. Special Session Act 1 of 2006, signed into law by Rendell on June 27, 2006, was a ruse to buy Rendell and the Legislature more time. That worked. Rendell and most incumbents were re-elected in November 2006, after which they promptly shoved property tax relief on the back burner.

Voters are starting to make noise again and politicians are coming up with plans to attack the problem.

It's all part of the endless cycle of broken promises from Harrisburg.

Read more about the waiting game on tax relief in this editorial from The Mercury in Pottstown.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Judges feel the heat as Nov. 6 draws near

I don't recall ever seeing a political sign in Berks County asking voters to retain a county judge. I saw one today. Actually, I saw bunch of signs along Route 422 asking for a "Yes" vote on Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl, who is seeking another 10-year term on the Berks County Court of Common Pleas.

Retention of judges at the county level has always been automatic. Not this year. The state's judges, from the county level to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, are sweating. And it's not just because they're wearing dark robes in this October heat wave.

The heat is coming from Russ Diamond and PACleanSweep, which has launched a campaign to oust almost all of the state judges as punishment for the judiciary's role in the July 2005 pay raise. (The chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court lobbied for the pay raise and even wrote an op-ed piece for newspapers praising the Legislature for its 2 a.m. vote to raise the pay of elected officials by 16 percent to 54 percent).

"Judicial Clean Sweep" is calling for voters to vote "No" on 66 judges listed on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The judges and the political establishment are worried. The Pennsylvania Bar Association and county bar associations are fighting back with ads and op-eds in newspapers.

And the establishment is bringing in some heavyweights to stop the PACleanSweep juggernaut, which is credited for helping to force 55 state legislators from office in 2006. And who can forget the 2005 ouster of state Supreme Court Justice Russel Nigro by reform groups that asked voters to punish Nigro by denying him retention.

The state's judges are more worried today than they were about Nigro.

Just last week, Pennsylvania Republicans asked former Gov. Tom Ridge to defend the judges and ask voters to let bygones be bygones.

Ridge's comments may have backfired. Many who heard Ridge speak or read accounts of his condemnation of the PACleanSweep campaign believe Ridge came off as condescending.

Ridge, who no longer lives in Pennsylvania, may be as out of touch with the reality of voter anger as the state's political establishment.

"At some point in time, yesterday's issues are yesterday's issues," Ridge said at a Harrisburg news conference. "Politics is about tomorrow. Government is about tomorrow."

I like what Tim Potts of DemocracyRisingPA said about Ridge's comments:

To some the admonition to "get on with it," is eerily reminiscent of the angry 2005 e-mail by Sen. Minority Leader Robert Mellow, D-Lackawanna, telling a citizen to "get a life" as Mellow and others stonewalled public anger and refused to discuss repealing the pay raise.

To DemocracyRisingPA, Ridge's advice is better aimed at public officials than reformers for whom repealing the pay raise was only the beginning, not the end. As DR's long form of Reality Check documents, there is a great deal of work to do in PA and we, along with many other citizens and groups, have been working hard to get our government to "get on with it." It is our government's refusal to improve our reputation as having the most corrupt state government in the nation that keeps the Pay Raise of 2005 alive.

Don't be surprised if Pennsylvania judges lose retention votes on Nov. 6. And this election is just a taste of what legislators will face in 2008 when all 203 House members and 25 Senate members face the voters again. Times have changed. It's the political establishment that still doesn't get it.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Who would oppose taxpayer rights?

What person in their right mind would oppose TABOR, the Taxpayers Bill of Rights?

How about people who benefit from keeping taxes high? Namely, unionized teachers and government workers.

The more taxes working people pay to government, the higher salaries and benefits can be paid to teachers and government workers.

On Wednesday, Oct. 10, the Coalition for Common Sense Priorities (that sounds so much nicer than "government moochers") is holding a free seminar at a union hall in Harrisburg to educate interested parties (teachers' unions and government workers) how to prevent TABOR from coming to Pennsylvania.

TABOR is a set of constitutional provisions Colorado voters adopted in 1992 to limit revenue growth for state and local governments in Colorado and to require that any tax increase in any state or local government (counties, cities, towns, school districts and special districts) must be approved by the voters of the affected government, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures Web site.

If your boss is willing to spare you for a few hours, you can educate yourself on how to prevent TABOR from seeing the light of day in Pennsylvania, where taxpayers already support the most expensive state legislature in the country and where Pennsylvania teachers' unions lead the nation in strikes.

And who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? The Coalition of Common Sense Priorities will be providing free lunch to all attendees.

You have to read the tiny print at the bottom of the press release to find out who is behind the Coalition. Among the sponsors are the Pennsylvania State Education Association (the state's largest teachers' union), PA AFL-CIO; AARP-Pennsylvania (probably represents a lot of retired union workers); and AFSCME (which represents more than 45,000 state workers).

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Entire PHEAA board should be replaced

Things haven't been this bad for Pennsylvania's upper class since "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" went off the air. Robin Leach, where are you?

Times were good during Dick Willey's tenure at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

The champagne flowed at ritzy resorts, where foot rubs and facials were the norm, in between expensive meals, $150 cigars and rounds of golf. Why did it have to end?

Who would have thought that a trip to Hersheypark would lead to Willey's ignominious exit from his $289,000-a-year job?

Willey treated PHEAA employees and their families to a day of fun in "the sweetest place on Earth" to the tune of $108,000. I speak from experience that a trip to Hersheypark can leave your wallet flat. A slice of pizza and bottle of water will set you back $6, which charges $46 for admission.

I guess Willey didn't think anyone would notice … until that busybody Jack Wagner came along. Wagner, the state auditor general, released a scathing report Thursday documenting excessive spending by the state's student-loan agency.

The audit comes after months of troubling revelations about trips to swanky resorts by PHEAA executives and board members. Nearly $900,000 was spent on the junkets. And the agency spent another $400,000 to hire lawyers to fight release of the expense reports when news agencies filed lawsuits seeking access to spending records.

And those bonuses. Wagner said PHEEA handed out $2.5 million in bonuses to employees during the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2007. Willey himself pocketed $181,000 in bonus money last month.

Willey was planning to retire at the end of the year, but the Hersheypark incident was the final straw. He's leaving town next week.

Willey deserves the public humiliation he got, but let's not forget his co-conspirators. The 20-member PHEAA Board of Directors, consisting of current Pennsylvania lawmakers and other government appointees, is also guilty of incompetence in failing to adequately supervise PHEAA spending.

Smelling blood, the politicians quickly pounced on Willey's carcass Thursday.

From the Associated Press:

Sen. Sean Logan, D-Allegheny, the board's vice chairman, said it was "totally unacceptable" that the board was not told in advance about the April 22 outing at Hersheypark, about a month after PHEAA executives had pledged to rein in unnecessary spending.

"This is another example of Dick Willey thinking he's bigger than the board," Logan said.

Most of the board members have been "supervising" PHEAA for 20 years or more. If they didn't know about the wasteful spending, they're too stupid to serve in an oversight capacity. If they knew and went along, they don't deserve to hold public office.

All 20 board members should be removed and the 16 elected legislators voted out by their constituents. Many of them will be on the ballot in 2008.

The following is a list of PHEAA board members: Rep. William F. Adolph Jr.; Sen. Sean Logan; Rep. Ronald I. Buxton; Sen. Jake Corman; J. Doyle Corman; Rep. Craig A. Dally; Sen. Jane M. Earll; Sen. Vincent J. Fumo; Sen. Vincent J. Hughes; Rep. Sandra J. Major; Rep. Jennifer L. Mann; Rep. Joseph F. Markosek; Sen. Michael A. O'Pake; Roy Reinard; Sen. James J. Rhoades; Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr.; A. William Schenck III; Rep. Jess M. Stairs; Sen. Robert M. Tomlinson; and Rendell's Education Secretary, Gerald L. Zahorchak.

Wagner told the AP that PHEAA should eliminate the bonus program altogether.

"They are state employees, not money managers on Wall Street," he said.

And none other than Gov. Ed Rendell chimed in.

Rendell said the report showed clearly there have been "abuses," including the Hersheypark event, according to the AP.

"We've got to clean that agency up," Rendell said.

This from a many who has presided over $6 billion in new state spending over the past five years.

There's a lot more cleaning up to do in Pennsylvania than just PHEAA, Gov. Spendell.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Murtha, Democrats push for higher taxes on working class

You've heard of a trial balloon, where politicians float an idea to see where the public stands on it. File this directly under lead balloon, as in it will sink before the day is out.

The Associated Press is reporting that three senior House Democrats, including John Murtha of Pennsylvania, are pushing for a tax surcharge on American workers to pay for the Iraq War.

Never mind that American taxpayers are already paying for the war, Democrats want you to pay more.

This would be on top of the higher taxes that Democrats are pushing to fund socialized health care. (Democrats want low-income Americans to pay higher cigarette taxes to support health care programs). And if Hillary Clinton is elected president next year and Democrats increase their majority in Congress, just sign over your entire paycheck to Uncle Sam.

The latest tax hike plan, unveiled by Reps. David Obey, D-Wis., John Murtha, D-Pa., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass., would require low- and middle-income taxpayers to add 2 percent to their tax bill. Wealthier people would add a 12 to 15 percent surcharge, according to the AP.

This is the same Democratically controlled Congress that approved massive pork spending since taking over control in January. (I don't know about you, but I need that 2 percent in my paycheck to pay my bills.)

Don't say you weren't warned last year when you decided to punish Republicans and George W. Bush for the Iraq War mess by electing Democrats. This is what you get: More spending, higher taxes. See "Hillary McGovern" editorial in Investor's Business Daily.

"The war will cost future generations billions of dollars in taxes that we're shoving off on them and it is devouring money that could be used to expand their educational opportunities, expand their job training possibilities, attack our long-term energy problems and build stronger communities," Obey told the AP in justifying the tax hike.

The bottom line is that Democrats are acting like spoiled children. They don't have the votes to deny funding for the war. They don't have the votes to withdraw the troops. So they've decided to stick it to Americans by forcing them pay more in taxes.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Jim Matthews is his own worst enemy

Winning elections is hard work. Running against well-known opponents with deep pockets is a challenge even for an incumbent or an elected official seeking a different office.

One of the most watched races on Nov. 6 will be the contest for Montgomery County commissioner. Republicans have controlled county government for more than 130 years. But some in the party are getting nervous as Election Day approaches.

The GOP candidates are incumbent Commissioner Jim Matthews (Lynn Swann's running-mate in 2006) and Bruce L. Castor Jr., the current county district attorney, who passed up what would have been automatic re-election to run for one of three open county commissioner seats.

The Democratic candidates are incumbent Commissioner Ruth Damsker and former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, who also served as a Montgomery County commissioner before winning a seat in Congress.

Although the Democrats have been chipping away at the voter registration lead Republicans had, the GOP is still dominant in Montgomery County. And while Damsker and Hoeffel have name recognition and lots of money to spend, they haven’t exactly electrified voters with their agenda of higher spending and a more government bureaucracy.

What worries Republicans more is fellow Republicans with their own agenda. The combination of a dull campaigner in Matthews, the inept leadership of Montgomery County Republican Chairman Ken Davis and the party’s ties to convicted felon Robert Asher could prove to be a huge obstacle for the party to overcome.

The Castor-Matthews ticket was a shotgun wedding forced on both men by the county Republican Committee, which has been split since Davis was narrowly elected chairman. Castor wanted a clean break from the Davis-Asher team that has presided over a string of embarrassing defeats for Republicans at the polls in recent years.

Castor also made it clear he won't take any money from Asher, who was convicted in 1986 on charges of conspiracy, five counts of mail fraud, four counts of interstate transportation in aid of racketeering, and one count of perjury. The case also involved former state Treasurer R. Budd Dwyer, who was convicted in the bribery scheme. Dwyer was the guy who shot himself during a televised press conference.

Despite his past legal troubles, Asher is the darling of a certain segment of the Republican Party, both at the county and state level. Some Republicans apparently believe that lots of money makes past sins go away.

Davis has also hurt the party because his lobbying firm was awarded a huge county contract by Matthews and Tom Ellis, the other GOP commissioner.

Matthews is one of those people who can't live without Asher's money or Davis' lousy political instincts. See Jim Matthews Exposed Web site for more.

A recent poll showed Castor ahead in the commissioners' race, with Hoeffel second and Matthews barely keeping ahead of Damsker, who brought up the rear. Instead of hitching his wagon to a winner like Castor, Matthews keeps running back to Davis and Asher.

Matthews has set up his own campaign fund and has hired his own consultants, which begs the question: Is Matthews trying to lose the race for the Republicans?

Castor is a proven vote-getter who appeals to Republicans, Democrats and independents. He has an outstanding track record as the county's top law enforcement officer and can keep the county commissioners in GOP hands for another four years.

From the start, Castor was willing to unify the party and run with Matthews as long as Davis and Asher kept their distance. That isn't happening. Matthews appears to be running his own campaign, with Davis and Asher pulling the strings. That is a recipe for disaster.

As the campaign enters the home stretch, Montgomery County Republican leaders better send a clear message to Davis and Asher to stop their meddling. The only people Davis and Asher have helped so far is the Democratic candidates.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Pennsylvania legislators are batty

The state's bridges are crumbling, nearly a million Pennsylvanians don't have health insurance, electricity rates are about to skyrocket and property taxes are chocking the state's growing elderly population.

So what is the nation's most expensive state legislature dealing with today? Which crisis are lawmakers tackling?

Metal or aluminum bats. Specifically, whether the state should forbid kids from using metal bats in baseball and softball games.

A bill introduced by Rep. Michael B. Carroll, D-Luzerne, would impose fines for youth baseball teams that do not start using wooden bats for their games. Players would be fined $25 and organizers $50 for using non-wood bats, according to the bill.

You wonder why Pennsylvania voters got rid of 1 in 5 state lawmakers in the 2006 elections or why the Legislature has a 30 percent approval rate?

It's not like there aren't enough real problems Pennsylvania lawmakers can address.

Rep. Carroll is worried that players who use metal bats, that's pretty much everybody in the past 25 years, are hitting baseballs too hard. Those line drivers could injure players, he argues.

Little League Baseball Inc. President Stephen D. Keener testified before the House Children and Youth Committee. Keener said metal bats are not dangerous and banning them would hurt the sport. Keener said he's never heard of once case in the past 25 years where a child was injured as a result of using aluminum bats.

Is there a bigger waste of time and taxpayer dollars than this?

Somebody in Carroll's home district should seriously consider running against this guy next year. It's obvious he has too much time on his hands or he's taken a line drive to the head.

Has Carroll ever watched a youth baseball or softball game? The kids are lucky to make contact with the ball and it general doesn't leave the infield. Unless Little Leaguers are on steroids, there's not reason to ban metal bats.

Keener isn't the only person who thinks the proposed ban is batty.

Check out the Don't Take My Bat Away coalition's Web site: http://www.dtmba.com/

Also, a group of Olympic gold-medalists and current members of Team USA — the Team USA – the women's Olympic softball team – sent a letter to the Legislature opposing the proposed ban on aluminum bats.

The letter (printed below) was signed by 12 gold medal winners from the 1996, 2000 and 2004 teams, including: Michele Smith, Julie Smith, Laura Berg, Natasha Watley, Stacey Nuveman, Cat Osterman, Jessica Mendoza, Lovieanne Jung, Jenny Topping, Lisa Fernandez, Jennie Finch, and Amanda Freed, and three members of the 2008 Team USA – Andrea Duran, Alicia Hollowell, and Lauren Lappin -- which will go for gold next summer at the Olympics in Beijing. Sarah Pauly, an all-star softball player and current college assistant coach, (but not an Olympic athlete), also signed the letter.

Dear Chairman Bishop and Chairman Rubley:

As Olympic champions, gold medalists, current and former members of Team USA, and supporters of softball, we are writing to express our strong opposition to Pennsylvania House Bill 1482, introduced by Representative Mike Carroll, which would prohibit non-wood bats in amateur softball and baseball games in the State of Pennsylvania.

Despite good intentions, this bill won't improve safety one bit, but it will damage our game. Girls softball is one of America’s greatest success stories, not only for its contribution to fitness and athleticism, but for the values it has taught generations of young women: discipline, teamwork, competitiveness, and sportsmanship.

Softball is one of the safest sports, period. In the National Collegiate Athletics Association, women's softball has the lowest rate of game injuries among 15 of the most-played sports at the college level, according to the Journal of Athletic Training. Since 2000, the Amateur Softball Association has used bat performance standards to regulate the batted ball speeds (the speed of the ball coming off of a bat) of all its approved bats. These rules and standards have protected player safety.

Softball is also one of the most popular sports for girls to play, with over 75,000 girls playing fast pitch in Pennsylvania alone. This caps a long period of growth in the sport that has introduced many girls to competitive high school athletics for the first time in their lives. There is large body of evidence that participation in high school sports is a positive factor for physical fitness, academic achievement and developing the skills needed for success in life.

We've achieved this success not from government, but from the partnership of dedicated league officials, coaches, players and parents…and with respect, as the athletes who actually play the sport, we believe we have a greater understanding of its dynamics than do the politicians who have most likely never played the sport. We have dedicated ourselves to keeping our game great while at the same time protecting the health and safety of the players.

Amateur Softball is not broken and does not need to be fixed. We hope you will agree.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Gambling probe forces Democratic official to resign

With less than six weeks to go before the Nov. 6 election, the Democratic ticket of Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker suffered a major blow in its efforts to win control of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

One of the co-chairs of the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign resigned Tuesday after authorities busted a huge illegal gambling operation in Montgomery County. The case involves bars and other establishments housing video poker machines.

One of the businesses raided was Cisco's Bar and Grille in the 1500 block of Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown. Cisco's is owned and operated by Joanne C. Olszewski and her husband. Olszewski is an elected jury commissioner in Montgomery County and co-chair of the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign.

Everyone knows that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is now in the gambling business thanks to Ed Rendell, so Olszewski will have a hard time explaining why her family business is running video poker machines.

Olszewski is also first vice president of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee and a member of the State Democratic Committee. Read more about Olszewski's resignation in The Mercury.

The other interesting quirk in this story (other than the timing) is that the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, which is handling the investigation, is headed by Bruce L. Castor Jr., who is a Republican candidate for Montgomery County Commissioner.

Castor said his First Assistant D.A., Risa Ferman, is handling the case, but Castor was pictured prominently in the press conference announcing the raids. Ferman is the Republican candidate to replace Castor as Montgomery County D.A.

Reporter Margaret Gibbons pointed out in her story that, "Even before the district attorney's press conference, a story taken from KYW-AM radio citing sources indicating that an unnamed county elected official was caught in the investigation went up on the Castor-Matthews campaign Web site."

Gibbons also asked Montgomery County Democratic Chairman Marcel L. Groen if the timing of the raids were politically motivated.

"I do not believe the underlying investigation was politically motivated, but the timing of the announcement of the investigation coming just six weeks before the election is interesting to say the least," Groen said.

Ferman denied any shenanigans.

"We don't accuse public officials of committing crimes unless we're sure," Ferman told Gibbons. "We're in the business of doing investigations and we understand that a public official's reputation is paramount."

Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman Ken Davis isn't satisfied with Olszewski's departure from the Hoeffel-Damsker campaign. He wants the Democratic candidates to push for Olszewski's resignation as a jury commissioner.

"Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and I ask that the rights of Ms. Olszewski be observed as she deals with this difficult situation regarding an investigation for an illegally rigged gambling machine operated out of a business she owns, Cisco's Bar," Davis said in a written statement.

Because Olszewski is a key member of Damsker-Hoeffel '07, the Montgomery County Democratic Committee and State Democratic Committee who has donated and raised a significant amount of money for the Damsker-Hoeffel campaign and Democratic Party, Davis wants Damsker and Hoeffel to consider asking for her resignation as Jury Commissioner in light of these serious allegations.

"Her resignation simply from the Damsker-Hoeffel campaign is not enough," Davis said.

Hoeffel and Damsker have made numerous allegations about corruption in the Republican-controlled county. Davis wasted no time in turning the tables on the Democrats.

"Republican officials have repeatedly been exonerated from recklessly false claims made by both Damsker and Hoeffel," Davis said. "I hope that the alleged crimes of Ms. Olszewski, the only Democratic elected official in the Court House, do not represent the type of culture Damsker and Hoeffel want to establish in Montgomery County."

Davis wants Damsker and Hoeffel and the Montgomery County Democratic Committee to answer the following questions:

• Did Damsker, Hoeffel or any Democratic Party official hold campaign fundraisers at Ms. Olszewski's bar, Cisco's?

• Did Damsker, Hoeffel or any Democratic Party official at any time play, or encourage attendees/patrons to play, the allegedly rigged illegal video poker machines in Cisco's Bar?

• Did any illegal gambling proceeds from the video poker machines in Cisco's Bar find their way in to the campaign coffers of Damsker, Hoeffel or the Democratic Party?

• Have any representatives of JC Vending Inc. made campaign contributions to Damsker, Hoeffel or any Democratic Party organizations?

Stay tuned.

Tony Phyrillas

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. He received a first place award for Best Opinion Column in 2007 by Suburban Newspapers of America. He was also honored for column writing in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Copyright © 2005-2007, THE CENTRIST Blog; All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Is Jim Matthews trying to sink Montco GOP ticket?

Is Jim Matthews trying to throw the Nov. 6 election?

It's beginning to look that way as the incumbent Republican Montgomery County Commissioner proves once again to be his own worst enemy.

With the election just six weeks away, Matthews is keeping the fading Democratic Party challengers alive by continuing to accept money from convicted felon Bob Asher.

Matthews' bonehead loyalty to Asher is giving his Democratic opponents, Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker, plenty of ammunition as they try to take control of the three-member Board of Commissioners.

Hoeffel and Damkser haven't had much success in attracting support with their raise taxes/make government bigger agenda, but they keep scoring points every time they point out that Matthews is funded by Asher.

Read Margaret Gibbons' story in the The Times Herald for more on the ongoing controversy.

The person you feel sorry for is Bruce L. Castor Jr., who is giving up his post as Montgomery County District Attorney in a valiant effort to keep Republican control of the commissioners' board.

Castor made it clear from the start that he wanted nothing to do with Asher (or his puppet, county GOP Chairman Ken Davis). Castor managed to push Republican Commissioner Tom Ellis, another Asher supporter, out of the race. But Montgomery County Republican Party Committee members would not support Castor's hand-picked running mate and instead endorsed Matthews to run with Castor.

It was a shotgun wedding that appears to be unraveling as we get closer to Election Day. If the party leaders knew now what they didn't know then -- that Matthews would continue to take money from Asher -- GOP Committee members would have dumped Matthews in favor of a Bruce Castor-Melissa Murphy Webber team.

Here's my advice to Matthews, who couldn't deliver Montgomery County for Lynn Swann in last year's governor's race and is running a distant third in a recent poll on the Montgomery County commissioners' race:

Return every dime you got from Asher, keep your distance from Asher, and listen to Castor, who has more political sense in his little pinkie that you do in your entire body.

If Montgomery County Republicans want to keep control of county government, they better wake up and insist that Matthews ditch Asher, who should do the party a big favor and leave Montgomery County until after Election Day.

The best thing Matthews can do for the Republican Party is stand next to Castor smile at campaign stops and press conferences. Let Castor to do all the talking until Nov. 6.

Otherwise, Republicans will wake up on Nov. 7 to Joe Hoeffel, an Ed Rendell-crony as the next chairman of a Democratic-controlled Board of Commissioners. And if that happens, no amount of money from Asher will get Republicans back in control of county government.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Berks GOP should retake control of county government

I sat down down recently with Christian Leinbach, a Republican seeking a four-year seat on the Berks County Board of Commissioners.

I've interviewed or observed hundreds of local, county and state officials over the past 25 years. I've known some good ones, a lot of mediocre ones and some who have no business holding public office.

Although he has never held elected office before, Leinbach is an impressive candidate, thoughtful, well-spoken and with a solid grasp of the issues.

Leinbach knows what he's talking about. He has devoted a lot of time in the past year educating himself on the issues facing county government. He's talked to county department heads, past and current office-holders and everyday people. He's done his homework and has a clear strategy for improving county government.

Leinbach's priorities are in the right place. He promises not to raise property taxes if elected and supports property tax elimination across the state. That's a refreshing position considering the current Democratic majority on the commissioners' board raised property taxes 34 percent in 2005. Incumbent Commissioner Tom Gajewski wants four more years after he pushed for a 34-percent? What do Berks County homeowners have to look forward to if Democrats retain control for another four years? A 50-percent tax hike?

In addition to his "No New Taxes" pledge, Leinbach wants the county commissioners to get more involved in fighting crime, which has spread from the City of Reading into the suburbs. The best the current Democratic majority has done over the past four years is hold endless meetings and hire consults to study the crime problem. Leinbach said there's been enough talk. It's time to start fighting crime.

"I will work with local law enforcement officials to make our neighborhoods safer," Leinbach said when he announced his run for commissioner. "These are the people who know Berks County and I have believe we should listen to local experts — not pay big bucks for outside consultants."

Leinbach's third priority is economic development. He is also concerned about the burden illegal immigrants are placing on Berks County taxpayers.

It would be refreshing to see a successful businessperson enter government. Tom Gajewski hasn't had a private sector job in more than 30 years. He's gone from one political post to another, collecting paychecks from taxpayers all the way. It's been my observation that lifetime politicians lose touch with the realities of everyday life.

Plenty of people talk about "running government like a business," but that's unlikely to happen as long as career politicians like Gajewski hold office. It takes somebody with practical business experience to bring fiscal accountability to government.

Leinbach is vice president of Westlawn Group, a graphics and marketing agency in western Berks County. He is also founder and publisher of Berks County Living magazine. You can learn more about where he stands on the issues at his Web site.

The other Republican running is incumbent Commissioner Mark C. Scott, who is seeking re-election to a fourth term. (Scott voted against the 34-percent tax hike that Gajewski supported).

Also running is Democrat Kevin S. Barnhardt, a last-minute replacement for Judy Schwank, who bailed out of the race instead of attempting to defend the 34-percent tax hike she and Gajewski approved.

Voters get to choose two commissioners on Nov. 6, with the top three vote-getters winning seats on the three-member board.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Murtha, Murphy among most corrupt in Congress, group says

Pennsylvania has two of the most corrupt members of Congress, according to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

Representing Pennsylvania on the list are Rep. John Murtha, a Democrat, and Rep. Tim Murphy, a Republican.

Murtha, an 18-term member of Congress, represents the 12th Congressional District in western Pennsylvania. He rose to prominence in 2006 as the foaming-at-the-mouth, anti-Iraq War spokesman, but Murtha has a long and checkered history involving ethics violations, deals with lobbyists and pork spending. Murtha is a repeat offender from the 2006 list of most corrupt members of Congress.

Murphy is a third-term member of Congress, representing the 18th Congressional District, also in western Pennsylvania. "Rep. Murphy's ethics violations involve his misuse of official resources for political campaign activity," according to the watchdog group. Murphy currently is the target of a Department of Justice investigation, the group states.

The full report, "Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch)" is available at the group's Web site, http://www.beyonddelay.org/

This is the third annual report released by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington documenting "the egregious, unethical and possibly illegal activities of the most tainted members of Congress."

Somehow, I get the feeling the group could have come up with more than just 24 corrupt members of Congress. Sixteen members of this year's most corrupt list have been replaced from last year's list of 25. And yes, Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA), the man found with $90,000 in cash stuffed in his freezer, did make the list.

Alaska has the dubious distinction of having both of its U.S. Senators -- Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski -- on the most corrupt list. That's pretty bad considering that only four members of the Senate made the list.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington compiles its list based on "members' transgressions," analyzing them in light of federal laws and Congressional rules, according to the Web site.

The Web site offers short summaries of each member's transgressions as well as the full-length profiles and all accompanying exhibits.

Pennsylvania residents will have an opportunity to remove Murtha and Murphy from Congress next year. All 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be up for re-election in 2008.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: Watchdog group calls for 'clean sweep' of Pennsylvania judges

Having trouble deciding which Pennsylvania judicial candidates to retain in the Nov. 6 election?

The folks at PACleanSweep want to make it easier for you. Just vote 'No.' That's right. Vote 'No' for everyone on the ballot.

The non-partisan watchdog group that helped launch the citizen revolt against politicians after the July 2005 pay raise is targeting state judges for defeat this year.

PACleanSweep held a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg Thursday morning to launch its new campaign to defeat all 67 judicial candidates up for retention in November.

In addition to its "Just Say No" stance on judges, the group unveiled a new Judicial CleanSweep section of its Web site at http://www.pacleansweep.com/

PACleanSweep has collected a list of all judges up for retention on its Web site with a link to county-by-county lists for use by voters across Pennsylvania.

The group is recruiting volunteers to work the polls on Election Day to help educate voters about the retentions and has released the first of its Top Ten Reasons to Vote NO on Nov. 6, entitled "The Judicial Swindle."

"The twisted judicial pay raise decision by the Supreme Court and the fact that every single judge in the state has benefited from it is the first issue every Pennsylvanian needs to consider," said Russ Diamond, PACleanSweep chairman. "We'll be offering more valid reasons to vote 'no' over the next seven weeks, but this is one that grates on citizens more than most."

Of the 67 judges seeking retention, 25 would not be able to serve out the entire term they seek due to Pennsylvania's mandatory judicial retirement age of 70, Diamond said. This number includes five of the seven statewide appellate court retention candidates. After a retirement, Gov. Ed Rendell appoints a successor until a new contested election can be held to fill that particular seat.

PACleanSweep is basing its retention campaign objectives on an online poll made available over the last month to Web site visitors and e-mail subscribers, Diamond said. The results of the poll are available at www.pacleansweep.com

"Reform-minded people have spoken and this organization is dedicated to doing the people's work," added Diamond. "Judges may decide the law, but the people decide who the judges are."

All Pennsylvanians - regardless of party affiliation - will have an opportunity to cast a vote on seven statewide judges from the Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth courts on Nov. 6, Diamond said.

Another 53 Common Pleas Court judges will also be on the ballot for retention in various counties scattered across the state. All these judges are seeking new 10-year terms.

In Philadelphia, where voters can cast a vote on the seven statewide judges and 10 Common Pleas judges, voters will also determine whether six Municipal Court judges and one Traffic Court judge receive new six-year terms. The next-busiest retention election area will be York County, where voters will decide the fates of six Common Pleas judges.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: GOP should hold Montgomery County

An internal poll done for the Republican candidates in the much-watched race for Montgomery County Commissioner shows the GOP slate of Bruce Castor and Jim Matthews keeping control of this crucial SE Pennsylvania county for four more years.

Republicans have controlled Montgomery County politics for the past 138 years, but Democrats have been chipping away in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Castor, the current Montgomery County District Attorney, is on top with 55 percent support, according to the poll. Democrat Joe Hoeffel is second with 51 percent. Jim Matthews comes in third with 40 percent. Incumbent Democrat Ruth Damsker brings up the rear with 34 percent.

If the trend holds until Election Day, Castor and Matthews would keep a Republican majority on the board, with Hoeffel as the minority commissioner.

Castor is the best known political figure in Montgomery County and is well respected as a tough prosecutor. He will be the top vote-getter on Nov. 6. Hoefell, a former county commissioner and former area Congressman, has lots of name recognition, too, because he's always running for something. His ultra liberal politics will attract support from the eastern half of the county.

It's no secret that Gov. Ed Rendell is working hard to capture one of the traditional Republican SE Pennsylvania counties for the Democrats. The key is control of county government. Rendell wants a base where he can operate to swing SE Pennsylvania for the Democrats in the 2008 presidential race.

With the Montgomery County commissioners' race looking safe for the GOP, expect Rendell to concentrate on Chester County and Bucks County in the final weeks of the campaign.

Looking over the latest poll numbers, Matthews, who ran for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania on the Lynn Swann ticket in 2006, has gained 6 points on Damsker in the past month. The last poll showed Matthews and Damsker dead even.

Damkser has lost ground with some wacky behavior and oddball comments. She brought up the "R" word (reassessment) in a county that is doing very well financially. Property taxes are a big issue in Montgomery County and a countywide reassessment would be a de facto tax increase for many residents.

Damsker also has had several widely publicized spats with Commissioners' Chairman Tom Ellis and even broke into tears are a recent commissioners' meeting. There's no crying in politics!

The current GOP-led board managed to cut property taxes in 2007 and Castor/Matthews have promised another property tax cut in 2008 if they're elected.

The poll by Neil Newhouse also asked potential voters to rank the candidates via favorable and unfavorable traits.

Here are the results:

Castor -- Fav. 68% Unfav 9%
Hoeffel -- Fav. 57% Unfav 24%
Matthews -- Fav. 34% Unfav. 6%
Damsker -- Fav. 25% Unfav. 9%

And for laughs, the poll also asked views on other politicians:

Specter -- Fav. 68% Unfav. 28%
Rendell -- Fav. 70% Unfav. 27%
Giuliani -- Fav. 64% Unfav. 29%
H. Clinton -- Fav. 51% Unfav. 46%
Bush -- Fav. 34% Unfav. 65%

(Note the difference between Giuliani's and Clinton's numbers in Montgomery County. If Republicans have any hope of winning Pennsylvania in 2008, Giuliani has to be the party nominee.)

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: The jig is up for Pennsylvania House Democrats

It's not looking good for House Democrats and their razor-thin majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

It's becoming evident that a major reason Democrats were able to recapture the majority in the House after 12 years of GOP control was because they cheated.

A grand jury is investigating whether tax dollars were used to pay legislative staffers who did campaign work for House Democrats. That's against the law. The growing scandal has been dubbed "Bonusgate" by bloggers and newspapers and could bring down the current House leadership.

While the grand jury's work is secret, information is filtering out about the investigation. We know for sure that investigators raided the offices to top House Democrats in Harrisburg last week looking for a paper trail that would tie Democratic leaders to wrongdoing.

Today's edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a story by Tracie Mauriello saying there is evidence showing "Campaign work tied to House bonuses." That would prove Democrats broke the law.

"All together, Democrats handed out $1.9 million in bonuses last year, four times as much as they did in 2005, a non-election year," Mauriello writes.

She also names names of Democratic staffers who received large payments in the form of bonuses despite taking most of the year away from their normal jobs to work on campaigns.The Post-Gazette also has more background on "Bonusgate" on its Web site.

Keep in mind that the Post-Gazette is the liberal newspaper in Pittsburgh so it's going to be hard for Democrats to weasel out of this one.

Indictments of current or former Democratic House leaders would not only place the current 102-101 majority in jeopardy, but would hand Republicans a terrific campaign issue for 2008 (Democrats are corrupt) when the GOP tries to retake the House.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: I want my money back

After finishing the 2006-07 fiscal year with a $650 million surplus, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to take in more than it needs to operate.

Politicians call it a surplus or a rainy day fund or a cushion, but what we're dealing with here is over-taxation. Government is taking in too much money, more money than it projected it would need to stay in operation and more money than its number-crunchers anticipated.

The August numbers released by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue show that Pennsylvania collected $1.7 billion for its General Fund, which was $6.5 million more than anticipated.

The state took in $1.8 billion in July, the first month of the new fiscal year. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $3.5 billion, which is $17.4 million above estimate.

Here's a suggestion. Give the money back. Today. Not a year from now. Not when it has accumulated to $500 million or more. Now.

You remember what happened to the $650 million the state had left over after the last fiscal year, don't you? The politicians spent it. It's gone. As in we'll never see a dime of it despite umpteenth promises by Gov. Ed Rendell and the Legislature that they're going to cut property taxes.

Here's some other highlights from the Department of Revenue's monthly report:

Sales tax receipts totaled $693.7 million for August, which was $11.4 million above estimate. Sales tax collections, year-to-date, total $1.5 billion, which is $11.5 million above estimate, or 0.8 percent, more than anticipated.

Personal Income Tax (PIT) revenue in August was $651.4 million, which was $16.9 million below estimate. This brings year-to-date PIT collections to $1.3 billion, which is $16.8 million, or 1.3 percent, below estimate.

August corporation tax revenue of $62.3 million was $2.6 million below estimate. Year-to-date corporation tax collections total $160.2 million, which is $0.9 million, or 0.6 percent, below estimate.

Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $73 million in inheritance tax, which was $8.3 million above estimate, bringing the year-to- date total to $151.7 million, which is $8.3 million above estimate.

Realty transfer tax revenue was $53.1 million for August, bringing the total to $107 million for the year, which is $13.2 million more than anticipated.

Other General Fund revenue including the cigarette, malt beverage and liquor tax totaled $119.6 million for the month, $6.9 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $243.8 million, which is $2.2 million above estimate.

In addition to the General Fund collections, the Motor License Fund received $182.8 million for the month, $17.4 million below estimate. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund total $375.7 million, which is $17.4 million, or 4.4 percent, below estimate.

The Gaming Fund received $88.6 million in unrestricted revenues for August. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund total $222.9 million. Gaming Fund receipts include taxes, fees and interest. Of the total for the month, $37.9 million was collected in state taxes for property tax relief, bringing the year-to-date total to $71.9 million.

Other gaming-related revenues collected for August included $4.5 million for the local share assessment, for a total of $8.9 million for the year; $5.6 million for the Economic Development and Tourism Fund, for a year-to-date total of $10.6 million; and $13.4 million for the Race Horse Development Fund, bringing the total for the year to $25.4 million.

I'm not sure what all the gaming mumbo-jumbo means. All I know is that Ed Rendell signed the casino gambling bill into law in July 2005. Here we are 26 months later and not a penny from slots revenue has returned to Pennsylvania residents in the form of promised property tax relief.

Government should not be in the business of making a profit on the backs of taxpayers. It's time for Pennsylvania residents to stage a modern day Boston Tea Party. How about a Philadelphia Tea Party? We can start by tossing Ed Rendell into the Delaware River.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Tony Phyrillas: PHEAA needs an overhaul

State Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr., R-30th Dist., said he has seen a letter from Gov. Ed Rendell to the chairman, vice chairman and board members of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency in which Rendell listed "startling new information about the depth of the problems swirling around PHEAA."

The $570,000 bonus figure for top PHEAA executives initially released included just the agency's management team. The new total includes bonus money paid to all staff in 2007 and has soared to $2.5 million, according to Eichelberger.

PHEAA is the Pennsylvania agency responsible for providing student loans to college students. While most of the agency's funding comes from investments, Pennsylvania taxpayers contribute $500 million a year to PHEAA.

"The patronage laden work force reaches a total of 2,574 employees," Eichelberger noted. "Defenders of PHEAA cite the good work of the agency and the management in particular to justify these bonuses, but a closer look reveals that when comparing the same nine-month period from last year to this, operating expenses have grown 70 percent faster than operating revenues, operating income is down and the agency's net assets are $11.5 million lower."

Eichelberger is outraged by the growing scandal, saying, "This mess is unfortunately what I have found all too often in Harrisburg. The legislature and many state agencies are bloated bureaucracies that have no regard whatsoever for the hard working people who pay their salaries. This is an embarrassment for Pennsylvania and I will do everything in my power to stop this abuse immediately."

PHEAA fought for two years to prevent release of expense records that showed the agency wasted nearly $900,000 on trips to resorts and spas and lavish gifts for its executives, board members and their spouses.

The bonuses to top executives have also been widely criticized. PHEAA's top executive, Richard E. Willey, received $180,857 in addition to his annual salary of $289,118. Bonuses of $113,514 each were awarded to Tim Guenther, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Brian Lecher, executive vice president of information technology and chief information officer; and James Preston, executive vice president of client relations and loan operations. Kelly Powell Logan, executive vice president of public service and marketing, received a $52,436 bonus. Guenther, Lecher and Preston earn annual salaries of $217,757 each; Logan's is $201,178.

PHEAA previously awarded $852,834 in bonuses in the 2005-06 fiscal year to Willey and six executive vice presidents.

The lack of oversight by members of the Legislature who make up the PHEAA board is scandalous. For a national perspective on the PHEAA mess, read Richard Vedder's article, "Ripping Off Taxpayers, Pennsylvania Style" at the Center for College Affordability and Productivity blog.

The following is a list of PHEAA board members, primarily incumbent state lawmakers: Rep. William F. Adolph Jr.; Sen. Sean Logan; Rep. Ronald I. Buxton; Sen. Jake Corman; J. Doyle Corman; Rep. Craig A. Dally; Sen. Jane M. Earll; Sen. Vincent J. Fumo; Sen. Vincent J. Hughes; Rep. Sandra J. Major; Rep. Jennifer L. Mann; Rep. Joseph F. Markosek; Sen. Michael A. O'Pake; Roy Reinard; Sen. James J. Rhoades; Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr.; A. William Schenck III; Rep. Jess M. Stairs; Sen. Robert M. Tomlinson; and Rendell Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak.

Many of the career politicians listed above will seek re-election in 2008, as if you needed any more reasons to vote them out.

A major overhaul of the scandal-ridden agency is long overdue. It should start with all the top executives and should include replacement of all 20 board members. The foxes have been guarding the chicken coop long enough.

Additional oversight, including bills introduced by state Sen. John Rafferty and state Sen. Jane C. Orie, to require independent audits and a new way of appointing the PHEAA board, should be a priority when the Legislature returns in session.