PA OKs Mixed Martial Arts Competitions

Pennsylvania to Allow Mixed Martial Arts

Small Businesses Demand President Obama Keep Campaign Promise

Small Businesses Demand President Obama Keep Campaign Promise

Paris Hilton was robbed

Did I just spend nearly four hours watching the Academy Awards? Or maybe I slept through most of it. Was this the most predictable Oscars telecast ever? No surprises in any category.

What was the point of the show if all the winners were predicted ahead of time? Did we really need to hear that awful speech by Sean Penn, Hollywood's ranking left-wing loon?

It's a shame that the 29th Annual Razzie Awards weren't televised. That would have made for more interesting television.

The Razzies, announced each year by the Golden Rasperry Award Foundation, spotlight the worst movies of the year, but I'm not so sure the 81st Annual Academy Awards and the Razzies didn't get some of their films mixed up this year.

The awful Mike Myers' movie "The Love Guru" won three Razzies, including worst picture, worst actor and worst screenplay. No argument here. It was supposed to a comedy but I didn't even crack a smile during the entire film.

But I have to differ on Razzies for Paris Hilton, who won for worst actress for "The Hottie and the Nottie."

Granted Hilton can't act or sing or dance or put a sentence together ... you get the picture, but "The Hottie and the Nottie" wasn't a bad film. I laughed out loud several times.

Other Razzies highlights: Pierce Brosnan as worst supporting actor for "Mamma Mia!" No argument here.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was named worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel. Agreed. The movie was dull.

Check out the full list of winners at the Razzies Web site.

I also took exception with the Razzies last year when Eddie Murpy was picked as worst actor, wrost supporting actor and worst supporting actress for his multiple roles in "Norbit," which was a very funny movie.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Obama and Fiscal Responsibility

Less than a week after increasing the national debt by $1 trillion, the White House is planning to host the first "Fiscal Responsibility Summit."

The inmates are running the asylum.

Republican lawmakers are hoping President Obama comes to his senses and hits the "reset" button on his disastrous economic policies.

"Republicans and Democrats agree that the American people deserve a secure retirement, including affordable health care they can count on, U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich. "But we all know that vital programs like Medicare and Social Security face serious financial challenges as Baby Boomers get older, people live longer lives and families have fewer children. Republicans genuinely want to work with the President to solve these problems - in a responsible way that does not burden our children and grandchildren with a mountain of debt.

Read the full transcript of the GOP's weekly radio address below:

Congressman Dave Camp (MI-04) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Democrats hold U.S. jobs hostage

From American Energy Alliance President Thomas J. Pyle:

"Unlike the $790 billion stimulus package lawmakers just passed, increased offshore activity would fuel our economy without squandering taxpayer funds. In fact, oil and gas is one of the U.S.'s only industries in a position to put money into, rather than take money out of, the government's piggybank.

"With more than 85 billion barrels of recoverable oil and over 440 trillion cubic feet of natural gas located right off our shores, exploration in the OCS stands to contribute $273 billion annually to the national economy. That's good news, especially for the 46 states that now face a combined $350 billion budget shortfall for the next three fiscal years. Economic relief wouldn't end there -- America would sustain approximately 1.2 million well-paying jobs each year over the life of production.

Follow the link below to read the full report prepared by the American Energy Alliance:

Over a Million U.S. Jobs Locked Away in 'Off-Limits' Offshore Resources

Cross-posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

The streak is over

After a record-breaking six consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the BlogNetNews.com "Weekly Influence Index," TONY PHYRILLAS has dropped to No. 2 this week. You knew it had to happen eventually. What goes up must come down.

I'm pleased to relinquish the top spot to a fellow conservative blogger, PAWatercooler.com Let's see if the merry band of bloggers at PAWatercooler can start a streak of their own at the top.

(And what happened to all the other conservative bloggers in Pennsylvania this week? Nearly all dropped out of the Top 20.)

Here's this week's Top 10, with conservative bloggers highlighted.

Pawatercooler.com (1)
TONY PHYRILLAS (2)
THE CENTRIST (3)
Suburban Guerrilla (4)
Capitol Ideas (5)
Lehigh Valley Ramblings (6)
PolitickerPA (7)
Lehigh Valley Somebody (8)
Mark Rauterkus (9)
POLICY BLOG (10)

I also want to welcome The Sanatoga Post, one of the newest blogs to join the BlogNetNews.com site, to the Top 20. The very informative blog is operated by fellow Montgomery County blogger Joe Zlomek. It's holding the No. 16 spot on this week's "Influence Index."

2 more chances to watch 'Journalists Roundtable'

Two more chances to catch the popular "Journalists Roundtable" program on the Pennsylvania Cable Network coming to you from the offices of The Pottstown Mercury this week.

The one-hour program hosted by Bill Bova airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on cable systems throughout Pennsylvania. It's also shown Sunday at 5 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.

This week's program features Tony Phyrillas, city editor/political columnist for The Mercury; Lisa Mossie, contributing columnist for The Norristown Times-Herald; and Evan Brandt, reporter/columnist for The Mercury.

PCN is shown on Comcast Channel 98 in Berks County; Service Electric Cable Channel 23 in Berks/Lehigh counties; and Comcast Channel 186 in the Pottstown area.

Consult your cable guide for the Pennsylvania Cable Network channel in your area.

Corbett: 'Corruption total will be stunning'

When the state's top law enforcement officer says corruption in the Pennsylvania Legislature will "shock the conscience of people" you have to pay attention.

It appears last year's arrest of 12 people connected to the House Democratic Caucus was just the tip of the iceberg in what is shaping up to be the biggest political scandal in Pennsylvania history.

Dubbed "Bonusgate" by the media, the charges against top Democratic officials stem from the awarding of millions of tax dollars to state employees who were doing political work while they were on the clock.

The biggest fish snared so far is former state Rep. Mike Veon, the former No. 2 Democratic leader in the House.

But Attorney General Tom Corbett, in an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, says charges anticipated later this year will leave Pennsylvania residents "stunned" by the amount of money involved in the corruption probe.

Reporter Brad Bumstead also notes that the Legislature's costs for legal fees related to the investigation has reached $5.8 million so far. In other words, the political aristocracy in Harrisburg has spent nearly $6 million of your tax dollars to defend itself from charges that it illegally spent more than $4 million to hand out bonuses to political operatives.

Only in Pennsylvania.

I hear that the state is planning to build a new maximum security prison to replacing the aging Graterford Prison in Montgomery County. Perhaps it could set aside an entire wing to house current and former members of the Pennsylvania Legislature and their staffers.

Read Bumstead's full story, "Corruption total will be stunning, says Corbett,"
at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Hoffa Denounces Hershey for Exporting American Jobs to Mexico

Hoffa Denounces Hershey for Exporting American Jobs to Mexico

Congressman Dave Camp (MI-04) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

Congressman Dave Camp (MI-04) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

CNN Rejects Ad Celebrating Obama's Life

CNN Rejects Ad Celebrating Obama's Life

Executive Director to Lead Task Force on Guantanamo Bay Detainees

Attorney General Appoints Executive Director to Lead New Task Force on Review of Guantanamo Bay Detainees

State, Local Agencies Team to Help Pittsburgh-Area Residents Weather Rough Economy

State, Local Agencies Team to Help Pittsburgh-Area Residents Weather Rough Economy

A disappointing start for Obama

While the Obama Media has been working overtime to cover up the various failings of The Chosen One, the Republican National Committee Research Department has documented the first 30 days of the Obama Administration.

It's not a pretty picture. Broken promises, etchics scandals and the stimulus bill from hell.

Arguably the worst presidency since a fellow named Jimmy Carter moved into the White House.

"Obama's first month has been marked by wasteful spending, failed bipartisanship and questionable ethics," the RNC says.

Follow the link below for a comprehensive list of Obama's first 30 days of failure:

RNC: A Disappointing Month

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Experts: Recession will linger into 2010

As if we needed more bad news...

Chief financial officers and senior-level executive Certified Public Accountants believe that the U.S. economic downturn will last longer than previously expected according to a new survey conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School.

So why exactly did President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats agreed to raise the national debt by another trillion dollars?

Arleen Thomas, AICPA's senior vice president for member competency and development, said the survey indicates any economic recovery will begin six months later than previously expected.

"As the recession has deepened and pessimism solidified, a majority of CPAs working in business and industry now don't expect an economic recovery before 2010," Thomas said.

If you want to get more depressed, read more about the survey at the link below:

Outlook Dims for U.S. Economic Recovery Before 2010, CFOs and CPA Executives Say

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

The kiss of death

We now have confirmation the Obama stimulus package will not work. The plan has been endorsed by none other than Jimmy Carter, the last Democratic president who puttered around for four years without a clue.

The Associated Press reported that Jimmy Carter is confident the Obama stimulus plan will work:

ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter has voiced support for President Barack Obama's plan to stimulate the economy.

Carter says he has "full confidence" in Obama's proposal and expects it will take about six months for the economy to begin improving.

Who knows more about screwing up the U.S. economy than Jimmy Carter? Up next: Perhaps Obama can take some advice from Carter on dealing with Iran.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Consumer Watchdog to U.S. Senate: Don't Leave Consumers Out of Health Reform Debate

Consumer Watchdog to U.S. Senate: Don't Leave Consumers Out of Health Reform Debate, Public Opposes Mandatory Purchases of Private Insurance & Supports Opening Medicare to Everyone

PA Awards Health Research Grants From Tobacco Settlement Funds

Rendell Administration Announces Health Research Grants From Tobacco Settlement Funds

What's Crazy Harry Reid Up To These Days?

New Nevada Zogby Poll and FAIR Cost Study Show Harry Reid Promoting Unpopular and Expensive Immigration Policies

Attempt to evade PA's cigarette tax foiled

I have visions of Elliot Ness going after store owners in Pennsylvania who sell illegal cigarettes.

Imagine the trouble we'd have if the state legalizes video poker machines.

The moral of the story is don't try to cheat Ed Rendell out of taxes.

He's already spent the money, so he's going to go after you for every penny.

Butler County Store Owner Sentenced for Possessing, Selling Cigarettes Illegally

Flight 93 National Memorial

Governor Rendell, Senator Specter Announce Flight 93 National Memorial Will Be Completed by 10th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks

Lessons From Humpty Dumpty on the Financial Crisis

Lessons From Humpty Dumpty on the Financial Crisis

AARP Pennsylvania Launches Toll Free Help Line to Aid Consumers During DTV Transition

AARP Pennsylvania Launches Toll Free Help Line to Aid Consumers During DTV Transition

State workers earning six-figure salaries

Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Baer, who has covered Harrisburg for decades, is having a difficult time understanding why members of the Pennsylvania Legislature, already among the highest-paid in the country, need to keep so many high-paid staffers around.

A recent Associated Press report listed 73 state legislative staffers who earned more than $100,000 in 2008, more than double what the average Pennsylvanian earns — $43,000. Two staffers brought home more than the governor's $174,914 salary, the wire service reported.

The Pennsylvania Legislature is already the most expensive in the nation, with an annual cost of $334 million, according to Baer.

In addition to 253 elected lawmakers, the Legislature employs 3,156 staffers, Baer says. Base pay for rank-and-file lawmakers is $78,315, but the job, with perks and benefits, is really six figures, Baer writes.

From Baer's column:

I never understood why the sixth-largest state needs the largest legislature (technically, New Hampshire's is larger, but part-time; its 424 lawmakers are paid $100 a year), especially given the legislature's performance, venality and, if you believe the state attorney general, level of corruption.

I sure don't understand why we need the largest staff - especially as thousands of regular state workers face layoffs.

Our bloated Legislature has a bloated underbelly.

Read the full column, "Our state lawmakers are tops ... when it comes to staff numbers," at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Pennsylvania Realtors back Obama mortgage plan

Pennsylvania Can Benefit From Economic Stimulus Plan

Is America Exporting Part of Its Chance for Energy Independence?

Is America Exporting Part of Its Chance for Energy Independence?

Consumer Watchdog Calls on HMO Regulator to Disclose Communications With Insurance Companies Regarding Autism Coverage Denials

Consumer Watchdog Calls on HMO Regulator to Disclose Communications With Insurance Companies Regarding Autism Coverage Denials

Cartoon controversy

This is the editorial cartoon by Sean Delonas published in the New York Post that has caused such an uproar.

"I question the judgment of the editorial editors to move this to print as well as the diversity of its staff that would let them think this passes as comedy," said Barbara Ciara, president of the National Association of Black Journalists and vice president of UNITY: Journalists of Color.

YWCA USA calls the cartoon racially offensive.

"I think this cartoon is inflammatory, inappropriate and irresponsible," said Lorraine Cole, PhD, YWCA USA CEO. "It recalls deeply offensive negative stereotypes of African Americans characterized as monkeys and is seemingly directed at our first Black President who championed the economic recovery stimulus bill. It also brings to mind racially charged police brutality incidents involving Black men who were recklessly shot by New York City police officers."

Read more from the groups at the links below:

YWCA USA Decries Racially Offensive New York Post Cartoon

Unity Condemns New York Post Cartoon

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

What's the worst that could happen?

From an editorial in today's Investor's Business Daily:

It's strange that so few mainstream media outlets have pointed out the obvious: The bill Congress hurried to pass late last week without anyone having read the entire 1,434 pages will in fact not stimulate much of anything.

It is a spending bill, pure and simple. Every dollar the government spends must either be borrowed, taken through taxation or printed. Any way you look at it, every dollar comes from the pockets of the people it will be spent on.

The bill adds $10,000 to each American's debt. No matter how you view it, that's a $10,000 hike in future taxes, not counting interest. We've been lectured often that Americans have become greedy and overly indebted. So how does adding still more debt help? Unless there's an explosion of economic activity directly due to this bill, Americans' standard of living will decline — count on it.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

New evidence of Turkish atrocities in Cyprus

Thirty-five years after the illegal invasion and occupation of the island-nation of Cyprus by Turkey, the Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) is calling for the arrests of the perpetrators of The Palekythro Massacre and demands that they be brought to justice.

Thousands of Greek-Cypriot civilians were murdered by Turkish troops during the invasion.

According to reports and recent DNA Testing of remains in illegally Turkish-Occupied Cyprus, some 18 Greeks were slaughtered in Palekythro and the remains of 11 of the dead were recently discovered in an olive grove in the occupied village and identified using DNA matching, CANA says in a statement.

London-based Greek-Cypriot blogger Hellenic Antidote released on You Tube a report from Saturday's RIK news (with English subtitles) on the funeral of Sotira Georgiou, 28, and her two children Mary, 7, and Yiannakis, eight months, murdered in the village of Palekythro during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

View this report here: http://hellenicantidote.blogspot.com/2009/02/palekythro-massacre.html

Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus reorganizes

Here's the latest news from the Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus:

The Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, a bipartisan organization consisting of members of both the state House of Representatives and Senate, has elected its leadership team and created an executive council.

Rep. Marc Gergely, D-Allegheny, will remain the elected chairman and Rep. Keith Gillespie, R-York, will remain the elected minority chairman. Reps. Scott Conklin, D-Centre, and Karen Boback, R-Columbia/Luzerne/Wyoming, were also reelected to their positions as treasurer and secretary.

During the reorganizational meeting, the members of the PALSC unanimously approved the creation of an executive council to be appointed by the two chairmen.

"The unanimous adoption of the executive council is yet another example of our commitment to a bipartisan and active leadership," Gergely said. "The Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus is aimed toward delivering results for wildlife and habitat conservation, and the advancement of sportsmen's interest in the political arena. We believe the executive council will further that cause."

The newly appointed members of the PALSC that will join Gergely and Gillespie on the Executive Council include Reps. Neal Goodman, D-Schuylkill, Deberah Kula, D-Fayette/Westmoreland, Jeff Pyle, R-Armstrong/Indiana, Dan Moul, Adams/Franklin, and former chairmen Ed Staback, D-Lackawanna/Wayne, and Gary Haluska, D-Cambria.

The PALSC is one of the fastest-growing caucuses in Harrisburg with membership nearing triple digits. Gillespie said such rapid growth provides the caucus a greater say on sportsmen's issues and helps display the importance of those issues statewide.

"I am excited about our increased membership. It shows that sportsmen’s issues are important throughout the state and having a group of nearly 100 members committed to a common cause will give sportsmen a greater voice as we move through this legislative term," Gillespie said.

Pyle and Goodman echoed their chairmen's enthusiasm.

"I am honored to be appointed to the PALSC Executive Council. The executive council provides an opportunity to increase the awareness of sportsmen’s issues in Harrisburg and deliver for our constituents on these important matters whether they hail from Ford City or Pottsville," Pyle said.

"Our caucus has a significant and growing voice," Goodman added. "As a newly appointed member of the executive council, I look forward to using that voice to deliver on issues important to sportsmen as we strive to conserve our land and protect our rights as sportsmen."

Columnist: PA rewards failure

Reform activist Eric Epstein, writing at his Capitol Domes blog, is not happy Pennsylvania, especially under Gov. Ed Rendell, is continually stepping in to bail out failing companies and out-of-work politicians.

From Epstein's latest post:

Political patronage is as old as the state. Now we're bailing out campaign contributors. Gov. Doesn't-Make-Any-Sense has no problems baling out millionaires who contributed to his campaign.

Pennsylvania needs to:
1. Seriously consider instituting a law banning state employment, contracts or bailouts for campaign contributors over the term of the office of the recipient; and

2. Institute and enforce a period between when the electorate fires a legislator and the same person can accept state employment, contracts, or bailouts.

Read the full post, "Pa.'s new state motto: Nothing Succeeds Like Failure," at Capitol Domes

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

New U.S. Attorney for SE Pennsylvania

The new U.S. Attorney for eastern Pennsylvania is Laurie Magid, who took over as Acting U.S. Attorney last July when Republican Patrick Meehan resigned to prepare to run for Pennsylvania governor.

Attorney General Eric Holder, Obama's far-left appointee, made the decision to promote Magid last week, but it was announced this week.

Conventional wisdom was that Meehan's replacement would be somebody more in line with Holder and Obama, not a Republican holdover.

Perhaps this was part of the deal Arlen Specter made for his vote on the stimulus bill?

It's rare for a new administration to retain U.S. Attorneys or promote someone tied to a Republican administration.

Magid, the mother of three, joined the Department of Justice in 2001 during the Bush Administration.

The Philadelphia resident also served five years on the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing during the administration of Gov. Tom Ridge.

This has nothing to do with her qualifications, but U.S. Attorneys serve at the whim of the president and the posts are often awarded for political reasons. That's why I suspect Specter is involved.

Her biography is posted at the U.S. Attorney's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Deadly in Pink: New Report Warns Big Tobacco Has Stepped Up Targeting of Women and Girls

Deadly in Pink: New Report Warns Big Tobacco Has Stepped Up Targeting of Women and Girls

Don't Believe What You Hear on Countdown: Keith Olbermann's Factual Errors

Don't Believe What You Hear on Countdown: Keith Olbermann's Factual Errors

RNC Goes On Air In NY-20 Special

RNC Goes On Air In NY-20 Special

'Journalists Roundtable' returns to Pottstown

The popular "Journalists Roundtable" program on the Pennsylvania Cable Network is coming to you from the offices of The Pottstown Mercury this week.

The one-hour program hosted by Bill Bova airs Thursday at 8 p.m. on cable systems throughout Pennsylvania.

The program will repeat Sunday at 5 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.

The panel for Feb. 19 edition will be Tony Phyrillas, city editor/political columnist for The Mercury; Lisa Mossie, columnist for The Norristown Times-Herald; and Evan Brandt, reporter/columnist for The Mercury.

PCN is shown on Comcast Channel 98 in Berks County, Service Electric Cable Channel 23 in Berks/Lehigh counties and Comcast Channel 186 in the Pottstown area.

Consult your cable guide for the Pennsylvania Cable Network channel in your area.

Newspaper: Lay off the PA Legislature

I've been beating the drum for reducing the size of the Pennsylvania Legislature for a long time. I'm glad to see others are joining the chorus.

The Delaware County Daily & Sunday Times says in an editorial that cutting the size of the Legislature might be the smart thing to do in these tough economic times.

From the editorial:

As more and more workers in the state lose their jobs, there is one sure way to ease the tax burden, but it is the one thing this state’s elected representatives refuse to consider.

Pennsylvania should have a smaller Legislature. Honest, caring legislators have tried to make that happen. From 1997 through 2008, attempts have been made for those in General Assembly to reduce the House and Senate through passage of introduced legislation or through a constitutional convention, where the issue of a reduced Legislature could be addressed and put on the ballot. Those efforts did not muster enough votes for passage.

Pennsylvania has 253 members, second only to New Hampshire. Of course, New Hampshire's Legislature meets a limited number of days at $200 a day. That's a far cry from the $340 million price tag put on Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg Hilton crew last year.

The Delco Times also has trouble with the fact that 73 Legislative staffers earn at least $100,000 a year.

From the editorial:

An Associated Press report last week claimed 73 state legislative staffers earned more than $100,000 in 2008, more than double what the average Pennsylvanian earns — $43,000. Two staffers brought home more than the governor’s $174,914 salary.

These are the aides to the men and women voters send to Harrisburg each year.

It's getting harder to justify such exorbitant spending to maintain the political aristocracy in Harrisburg.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

'King Size Combo:' New Report Reveals Broad Toll on Taxpayers by Bailed-Out Bank Goldman Sachs and Its Holdings in Burger King

'King Size Combo:' New Report Reveals Broad Toll on Taxpayers by Bailed-Out Bank Goldman Sachs and Its Holdings in Burger King

Columnist: House Dems kill reform

Brad Bumstead, who covers Harrisburg for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, has a knack for cutting through the BS and getting to the heart of an issue.

Commenting on the recent move by House Democratic leadership to undo the Legislative reforms enacted over the past two years, Bumstead says the members of the entrenched Harrisburg political class "still don't get it."

From his column:

Then on the night two weeks ago when Gov. Ed Rendell unveiled his $29 billion state spending plan and most reporters were paying no attention to the House, the Democrats struck:

• They made it easier and more likely that the House will be able to hold late-night sessions. The 11 p.m. curfew can be suspended with fewer votes.

• Realizing they had erred in approving an amendment by Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, that prevented legislators from working as lobbyists, the Democrat majority approved a motion that declared Maher's amendment unconstitutional and allowed a handful of Democrat members to continue working at big law firms with lobbying arms.

• They restored the power of the House Rules Committee, a panel controlled by leaders, to serve as a mechanism to kill any bill or alter the face of legislation.

• They weakened the 24-hour rule before the House can vote on legislation. The previous rule was supposed to give lawmakers a chance to read the bills they'd be voting on. "In essence, I don't think we have a 24-hour rule any longer," said Rep. Curt Schroder, a Chester County Republican.

It's clearly a retreat from the measures proposed by the Speaker's Reform Commission and adopted by the House in 2007. And Schroder reminds that some Democrats who served on the reform panel voted for "this destruction of openness."

Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

The streak continues: Week 6

The streak continues.

TONY PHYRILLAS has held the No. 1 spot on the "Influence Index" at BlogNetNews.com for six consecutive weeks, a new record.

Here's this week's Top 10 (with conservative blogs highlighted):

TONY PHYRILLAS (1)
Pawatercooler.com (2)
Lehigh Valley Ramblings (3)
GrassrootsPA (4)
THE CENTRIST (5)
Lehigh Valley Somebody (5)
Suburban Guerrilla (7)
PolitickerPA (8)
Capitol Ideas (9)
The Pennsylvania Progressive (10)

Let's count to a trillion

From the Competitive Enterprise Institute:

If the irony of using debt-based spending to solve a problem caused by debt-based spending has escaped you (I doubt it has), perhaps these fun facts will put things into perspective:

If you spent $1 every second, you'd have to keep spending for 412,000 years to get to $13 trillion. That means you'd have to start shortly after the time human beings first starting using stone tools and fire to get to $13 trillion today.

$13 trillion in one dollar bills weighs 28 million pounds. That's as much as 87 blue whales or 462 Statues of Liberty.

If you laid 13 trillion one-dollar bills end-to-end they'd reach from the earth to the sun and back...five times over. That's 946 million miles of greenbacks.

The amount we're looking at now—roughly $2 trillion between the Secretary Geithner's new bank bailout plan and President Obama's stimulus package—isn't small potatoes either. So what is $2 trillion?

$2 trillion is bigger than the entire Gross Domestic Product of our neighbor to the north, Canada. In fact, according to the IMF, only Japan, Germany, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy have bigger total economies than the combined bailout/stimulus plan—all other countries on Earth have economies smaller than $2 trillion per year.

Then there's the interest on this staggering debt, which isn't exactly small. Paying the interest on the current $10.7 trillion debt cost Americans $451.1 billion last year alone. How big is that?

That's $1478 dollars in interest for every man, woman, and child in the United States.

That's bigger than the annual budgets of New York ($121.1 billion), California ($111.1 billion) and Texas ($83.8 billion) combined

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Steele blasts Obama for politicizing the Census

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement on the Democrats' politicizing the U.S. Census:

"It is disappointing that President Obama would make the Census about politics rather than an accurate count of the American people by taking control of the process away from career professionals at the Department of Commerce and putting the most partisan chief of staff since H.R. Haldeman in the Nixon Administration in charge."

A failed presidency

I know what the Obamaniacs are saying. He needs more time. Give him a chance. He's stumbled, but will recover.

But there's clear evidence that Barack Obama has no clue.

Our worst fears about electing an inexperienced, unqualified empty suit have been realized.

We need an adult in the White House. But John McCain is stuck over in the Senate.

Has the Obama presidency already failed? The answer is yes.

Alan Caruba chronicles Obama's disastrous first weeks as commander-in-chief in a post titled "One Month Into A Failed Presidency" at his Warning Signs blog.

"The barbarians aren't at the gates, they are inside the gates," Caruba writes. "This isn't just a failed presidency at this point. It is a suicidal one that is threatening to take down the nation with it."

Lack of experience? Yes
Lack of maturity? Yes
Lack of judgment? Yes
Lack of focus? Yes
Surrounded by liars and crooks? Yes
Can the U.S. survive 4 more years of this? No

Hell, Joe Biden is looking and sounding more presidential than Obama.

Read the full post at Warning Signs

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Pitts Slams Obama Stimulus

U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, issued the following commentary regarding the "stimulus" bill passed by House Democrats:

Stimulus bill grows government, turns back reform

By Rep. Joe Pitts

Over the objections of nearly all Republicans, and millions of Americans, Democrats in Congress passed an $800 billion big government, special interest spending bill that will do little to help the economy in the short term, and may end up doing harm in the long term.

The bad provisions in the bill are too great to cover in just one column, though I'm sure we will continue to find more as people get the chance to really read and analyze the bill (the thousand page bill was made available to Congressional Republicans and the public just over 12 hours before the House voted on it).

Among some of the most egregious examples of spending that has little or nothing to do with creating jobs is $2 billion dollars for the Neighborhood Stabilization Fund. This funding will be available to organizations such as ACORN, which has been accused of practicing unlawful voter registration in recent elections.

There is also $8 billion for a high speed rail "gambler's express" program, which will fund at least one project from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

The bill provides billions of dollars to massively expand the federal government. There are billions of dollars in the bill for the renovation, building or expansion of federal government buildings and programs.

One of the provisions that is of great concern to me is $1.1 billion to conduct "comparative effectiveness research" to evaluate the effectiveness of different preventative healthcare interventions. This may sound innocuous, but it means we are spending a billion dollars to set up a board that will inch us one step closer to government run socialized healthcare and rationed care.

In countries with government-run healthcare systems, comparative effectiveness is often used as an excuse to deny patients life-saving medical care on the grounds of cost-effectiveness. Comparative effectiveness research will be used by a board of unelected government bureaucrats who decide on the most cost effective healthcare treatment. In socialized medicine, this then becomes the standard by which the government approves treatments. The problem is, some people respond differently to some treatments or medications than others.

Each of us is unique, and our healthcare needs differ greatly. This is why healthcare decisions are best made by individuals in consultation with their doctor. A treatment that works from many people may not work the same with your body. The healthcare board of the United Kingdom has repeatedly denied breakthrough drugs to citizens suffering with breast cancer, Alzheimer's, and even multiple sclerosis on the grounds of comparative effectiveness. The British government has stripped citizens of the freedom to choose their own healthcare. And Democrats in Congress included a billion in this plan—which is supposed to be about creating jobs—in order to take another step down the road to government run, socialized healthcare.

Additionally, the bill will roll back one of the key reforms Congressional Republicans included in the successful 1996 welfare reform law -- discouraging welfare dependence.

This reform in the 1990s incentivized people to get off welfare and back to work. As a result of the reforms in 1996, U.S. welfare caseloads fell by more than 60 percent as people got back on their feet and off government help. The so-called stimulus plan undermines one of the key aspects of the reform that required individuals on welfare to be engaged in education, training, or job search. Even though numerous studies confirm that high school dropouts are more likely to be on welfare, live in poverty, by unemployed, and lack health coverage, the stimulus bill eliminates the requirement under current law that requires these individuals to participate in GED or other education or training programs ion order to receive welfare.

Why would the majority party want to stop encouraging people who are out of work to pursue education or training that will improve their skills and make them more attractive in the job market?

Obviously difficult economic times may require the government to do more to help families who are out of work, but the Democrats' stimulus bill is taking advantage of the situation by rolling back one of the fundamental tenets of welfare reform and returning it back to its failed model as a check without strings, rather than a temporary program to help needy families get back on their feet.

I opposed the so-called stimulus bill because it was full of big government, special interest spending and has little hope of accomplishing the job creation that our economy so desperately needs to get back on track.

How to spot a RINO

Why Republicans oppose Obama stimulus bill

Among the objections voiced by Republicans to the Obama/Pelosi stimulus: "the bill isn't temporary because it calls for a permanent expansion of government that could add hundreds of billions of dollars to the federal budget every year."

Read a transcript of the full GOP response by following the link below:

Senator Lisa Murkowski Delivers Weekly Republican Address

ATR: Did Even One Democrat Read The Bill?

ATR: Did Even One Democrat Read The Bill?

Toll-Free Line and Online Form Available to Report Unsafe Driving, Improper Pennsylvania State Vehicle Use

Toll-Free Line and Online Form Available to Report Unsafe Driving, Improper Pennsylvania State Vehicle Use

The Daily Watchdog

The Center for Public Integrity has launched a new blog called The Daily Watchdog, which will compile investigative reports from around Washington, D.C. -- from the Government Accountability Office to Inspectors General to Congressional oversight committees.

"We'll be compiling these (often-overlooked) investigative reports, so you don't have to go searching for them," the Center said in announcing the new site. "The Daily Watchdog is your go-to resource for the latest results of important federal investigations."

Be sure to bookmark the site and check it often. The Democrats are back in power in Washington, but I'm afraid little has changed.