ATA Tells Congress That Climate Change Legislation Comes at Great Cost to American Consumers

ATA Tells Congress That Climate Change Legislation Comes at Great Cost to American Consumers

When Rendell doesn't get his way

After running up a $3.25 billion budget deficit and proposing a $4.5 billion tax hike in an attempt to destroy what's left of the Pennsylvania economy, Gov. Ed Rendell and his staff have now turned to insulting constituents who dare question the direction they're taking the state.

It's not the first time Rendell or one of his minions have resorted to verbal abuse when someone disagrees with them. The subject of today's tirade is a familiar target: Matthew Brouillette, president and CEO of The Commonwealth Foundation.

Brouillette was attempting to pass out information about state spending at a public event when Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo ordered him to cease and desist. When Brouillette refused, Ardo called him a "flaming asshole." Nice.

Ardo also vowed to keep Brouillette from coming to any future Rendell press conferences.

Read the full account at POLICY BLOG

Brouillette should consider it a badge of honor to be insulted by Rendell and his cronies. It means he is helping expose the fact that Emperor Rendell Has No Clothes.

Also check out what PAWatercooler had to say about the confrontation.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Gerlach makes it official: He's running for PA governor

Here is the press release issued today announcing Congressman Jim Gerlach's decicion to run for Pennsylvania governor:

Gerlach Pledges to Create Jobs, Cut Government Spending & Waste and Make Pennsylvania the Leader in America's Energy Independent Future

Exton, PA - Jim Gerlach, a western Pennsylvania native and four-term United States Congressman from Chester County, will run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania next spring. Gerlach is the only Republican to formally declare his candidacy for Governor.

"The economic challenges Pennsylvania faces over the coming years demand proven, fiscally conservative leadership, and a successful record of dealing with a wide-range of tough issues. From cutting state spending, income taxes and welfare rolls, I have been on the front lines for years fighting for smaller government and greater efficiency in Harrisburg and Washington. Our next Governor must employ those values and put them to work in Harrisburg, and make Pennsylvania a competitive place to do business so we can create jobs and put families back to work. It's that simple," said Gerlach.

"The debate in Harrisburg of raising state income taxes by 16 percent, creating a new tax on one of the most promising energy industries in Pennsylvania, and increasing spending in one of the worst budgets in a generation show the need for new leadership. I cannot sit back and Pennsylvania taxpayers cannot afford to allow the proponents of larger, unsustainable government to prevail. One of my top priorities will be to enact results-based budgeting with performance benchmarks on state spending. This will insure that taxpayers aren't funding failing government programs year after year without seeing any return on the investment of their hard-earned dollars. My campaign will focus on restoring fiscal sanity to Harrisburg, increasing accountability and cutting waste, creating jobs and making Pennsylvania the leader in America's energy independent future," Gerlach continued.

"It has been a privilege and an honor to serve the residents of the 6th Congressional District for more than six years. But I believe the best place for me to improve the lives of Pennsylvania's taxpayers, families and seniors is as Governor. It is not a decision I made lightly. However, it became clear after careful deliberation with my wife Karen, our six kids, friends, constituents, party leaders and grassroots folks across the state who want to re-energize our state Republican Party, give voters a choice next spring and create a bright economic future for the next generation of Pennsylvanians."

To date, Congressman Gerlach has secured over $1 million in financial commitments for his gubernatorial run on top of the $200,000 in exploratory funding raised since February. In addition, 100% of his federal campaign funds are transferable to his statewide gubernatorial campaign committee. A formal statewide announcement tour and kick-off fundraising events are being planned for the near future.

"I did not want to wait any longer to make this announcement. I know our team will need plenty of time to formalize our support and organize the campaign's infrastructure. In addition, I know full well how competitive a 2010 open seat congressional race will become, and I owe it to our Party's candidates to ensure they have enough time to raise the money and support to be successful," added Gerlach.

Gerlach is in Washington, D.C. as debate begins on Democrat plans to put government bureaucrats in charge of the nation's healthcare system. Back in February, Gerlach voted against the bloated federal stimulus package and was the first in Pennsylvania to call on Governor Ed Rendell to establish a stimulus oversight commission to protect and monitor billions of dollars in federal aid from waste, abuse and mismanagement.

For more on Gerlach, visit his campaign Web site, http://www.gerlachforpa.com/

Game Commission Unveils New Habitat Improvement Signs; Game Commission Adds 'Habitat Happenings' to Website

Game Commission Unveils New Habitat Improvement Signs; Game Commission Adds 'Habitat Happenings' to Website

For those who want to pay more in taxes

There's a big debate in Pennsylvania over Gov. Ed Rendell's call for a "temporary" 16 percent increase in the state's personal income tax, which is paid by workers and businesses. Rendell says the increase would only last three years and would raise $4.5 billion, enough to cover the $3.25 billion deficit Rendell ran up this year with some spare change to spend on bigger state government.

The problem with Rendell's "temporary" tax hike is very few people are interested in paying it. Senate and House Republicans in the state Legislature have vowed to fight Rendell on the "temporary" tax hike.

I have an alternative. How about a "voluntary" tax hike?

Since Rendell claims that people want to pay more, here's the opportunity to prove it.

Under my plan, the state will raise taxes only for those who want to give more of their income to Harrisburg. We probably won't be able to collect $4.5 billion, but it's a start.

I'm taking names of Pennsylvania residents who would like to pay more taxes:

1) Ed Rendell
2) Joe Hoeffel
3) Keith McCall
4) Dwight Evans
5)

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

www.StopThePARipOff.com launches

Tom Knox is a Democrat running for Pennsylvania governor in 2010. Although he was not successful in his bid to become mayor of Philadelphia last year, Knox may have latched on to an issue that could jump-start his gubernatorial campaign.

Knox wants to prevent the scheduled lifting of caps on electricity rates that could send utility bills skyrocketing for Pennsylvania homeowners and businesses.

From an e-mail the Knox for Governor campaign sent out:

Pennsylvania is about to raise your utility bill 65%. It's true. Even though we are in the middle of a recession, Pennsylvania is about to deregulate its electric utilities. And, every expert agrees this will increase consumers' electrical rates by 65%.

I don't know about you, but I'm not going to just sit by and watch struggling middle class families be squeezed even further by higher utility rates. So, if you are as upset as I am, you must act right now.

Please sign the petition and tell Pennsylvania's state legislature not to raise your utility rates: www.StopThePARipOff.com

Knox goes on to say that in every state where deregulation has been tried, it has failed.

From his e-mail: If you don't want your utility rates to go up 75%, then I need you to join with me and tell the Pennsylvania state legislature to stop this utility rate hike. What you do right now really matters. You have the power to stop this rate hike, put an end to deregulation and protect Pennsylvania's families, but it will only happen if we all join together and demand it.

We must act now - sign the petition today: www.StopThePARipOff.com

Stopping this rate hike, which would be the equivalent to the "biggest tax increase in Pennsylvania history," is just common sense, good government, Knox says.

Pennsylvania already has some of the highest electricity costs in the nation, Knox says. "Deregulation would be disastrous."

I know this guy is a Democrat, but I can't argue with his desire to protect Pennsylvania's beleaguered taxpayers, who have suffered enormously under Ed Rendell.

For more on Knox, visit www.knoxforgovernor.com

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

New Poll: 86% of Americans would significantly restrict abortion

New Poll Shows Americans Continuing to Move Toward Pro-Life Position on Abortion

Call to Action from the Free Speech Alliance

From the Free Speech Alliance:

There's a chance to get the newly expanded Broadcaster Freedom Act (BFA) tacked on as an amendment to the Financial Services appropriation on Tuesday. The BFA is currently being redrafted to prevent the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from not only reimposing the Censorship Doctrine - also mis-known as the "Fairness Doctrine - but also to address the new censorship threats – including "localism" and "media diversity."

To get it a full, fair up or down vote, we need to act over the weekend and all day Monday.

We need to get as many people as possible to call their Representatives and have them tell Speaker Nancy Pelosi to add the BFA as an amendment.

Contact your member of Congress today.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

A new way to elect school boards

If you've been following the circus involving the Owen J. Roberts School Board in Chester County firing its superintendent shortly after several board members were ousted by voters in the May primary, then you'll understand why there's a need to prevent lame-duck school board members from causing mischief after they lose an election.

While state Sen. Andy Dinniman came up with a pandering proposal to address the OJR situtation, what's needed is a different way of electing school boards, argues The Pottstown Mercury.

From an editorial in Sunday's edition:

Voter laws in Pennsylvania allow for the cross-filing of school board and judicial candidates in primary elections, following a misguided assumption that those offices are not as politically charged as other seats.

But the opposite effect has occurred. Over the years, school board elections have become the most polarizing among local races. Pennsylvania's system of funding education with local property taxes has given school boards authority over residents' greatest tax burden, as well as authority over their children's future.

The combination makes school board elections the most hotly contested of all local races. The notion that political factions can be set aside has become as outdated as the property tax in Pennsylvania.

And, it has created seven-month time bombs throughout the Commonwealth.

Read the full editorial, "School election cross-filing is an outdated practice," at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Just Tax It!

Please take a number

Investor's Business Daily has a terrific series posted at its Web site about the government-run health care system Barack Obama is proposing.

You can read the series, "Government-Run Healthcare: A Prescription For Failure," here.

If you think there are problems now with health system, wait until Obama installs a European-style rationing system.

By the way, please note that the Obama family as well as members of Congress will not be forced into the government program. It's just for average schmucks like you and me.

In other words, "Take a number and wait to die."

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Rep. Pitts: Where are the jobs?

Where are the Jobs?

By Congressman Joe Pitts

When President Obama signed the $787 billion so-called economic stimulus bill earlier this year, he said it was necessary in order to save and create jobs. In fact, he said it would save or create four million jobs.

The President's economic team claimed the bill would keep unemployment from climbing above 8 percent. Yet, today, the unemployment rate stands at a 26 year high of 9.5 percent and everyone, including the President, believes it will rise beyond 10 percent before it gets any better.

According to the assumptions of the President's own economic advisors, not passing any stimulus at all would have lead to a lower unemployment rate than the 9.5 percent we are looking at now.

Recently, Vice President Joe Biden went on television to defend the stimulus plan and said that "everyone guessed wrong" on the impact of the economic stimulus. Though the Vice President may have been attempting to defend the plan, I cannot imagine a more insulting notion to the American people than to indicate $787 billion of their tax money was spent guessing it might have helped the economy.

I was not guessing at all when I voted against the plan. I knew that a bloated, big government, special interest give-away would not be the remedy our economy needed. In fact, in a January 28 memo to my constituents, I explained I voted against the bill because I knew it wasn’t going to work. I explained that, "at best, twelve percent of this bill goes to creating jobs. The rest is simply old-fashioned government spending, which will not grow the economy."

Jobs don't come from the federal government — they come from the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people. Prosperity is not something the government can simply "create." That may be a difficult thing for Congress to admit, but it's true. Only the American people and the businesses they work for can do it, through hard work, smart investing, and creative entrepreneurship. But government can get in the way by crowding out private industry and misallocating funds for wasteful projects.

I did not vote against the stimulus plan with nothing in mind to offer as an alternative. In that same memo, I noted that, "The only thing that can create real growth is an American public confidently engaged in spending, investing, and entrepreneurship. Congress can help to create that confidence by leaving money in the economy instead of removing it to pay for more bureaucracy. It can do that by encouraging entrepreneurship and investment — once again through lower taxes. It can do that by helping open new markets abroad for American exports. It can do that through wise regulation that does not impede innovation and entrepreneurship but does stop the excesses of greed and foolishness."

Republicans in the House presented an alternative plan that would have helped businesses create 6.2 million new jobs; reduced the bottom two income tax brackets; allowed small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income; eliminated taxes on unemployment benefits; extended unemployment benefits; and created a new health insurance deduction.

Unemployment is now at a 26 year high, and the taxpayers have been swindled out of $787 billion that has gone to liberal spending priorities, Social Security checks for dead people, and wasteful or unnecessary projects.

I propose we end this misguided project before it gets any worse. Since the President’s own economic advisors admit that doing nothing would have been better than the stimulus plan, let's stop spending the money.

This is why I have signed on as a cosponsor to the REBOUND Act (H.R. 3140). It would recall the authority to spend any stimulus funds that have not already been obligated – saving taxpayers $460 billion. It would leave intact the tax relief and unemployment benefits in the plan. Further, it would prohibit the Treasury Secretary from spending any returned TARP funds – saving taxpayers $150 billion. It would also require all repayments of TARP money to go exclusively to debt reduction.

The first thing to do when you find yourself in a hole is stop digging. If slow government spending on liberal funding priorities isn't creating the jobs the President promises, then let's stop the spending. If the plan isn't working, let's use the money instead to reduce the deficit and get our fiscal house in order.

A government that lives within its means will go a long way toward creating the kind of environment in which the entrepreneurs of America can create the jobs we need to help us get the economy back on track.

Congressman Joe Pitts is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District in Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

The waiting is the hardest part

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Poll: Voters trust GOP more than Democrats on 8 of 10 key issues

Congressional Democrats marching to the beat of Barack Obama may be heading over a cliff. The 2010 midterm elections will be here sooner than anyone realizes and it's looking like Democrats will pay for Obama's hubris and incompetence.

From Rasmussen Reports:

Voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on eight out of 10 key electoral issues, including, for the second straight month, the top issue of the economy. They've also narrowed the gap on the remaining two issues, the traditionally Democratic strong suits of health care and education.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that voters trust the GOP more on economic issues 46% to 41%, showing little change from the six-point lead the party held last month. This is just the second time in over two years of polling the GOP has held the advantage on economic issues. The parties were close on the issue in May, with the Democrats holding a one-point lead.

Voters not affiliated with either party trust Republicans more to handle the economy by a 46% to 32% margin.

Read more from the poll at Rasmussen Reports.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Signs

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Columnist: Obama is a total moron

Alan Caruba makes a convincing case the U.S. elected a moron for president last November.

I know this will confuse some of you out there because you've been indoctrinated to believe that Barack Obama is the second coming, but the evidence is pretty convincing so far that he just may be the dumbest man to occupy the White House.

From Caruba's column:

So far on Obama's watch:

He has doubled the national debt.

Announced the termination of the space defense system the day after the North Koreans launched an ICBM.

Against the advice and urgings for his own CIA director and the prior four directors, he released information on intelligence gathering.

Announced that he would close Guantanamo without having any idea what to do with its detainees, all of whom are hard-core jihadists. Several of those released have since returned to the terrorist trade.

Spent a lot of time in foreign nations apologizing for things about which most Americans take pride.

Told Mexicans that the violence in their country was our fault because some of the guns they use to kill each other had been purchased in the U.S.

Appointed an Attorney General who orchestrated the forced removal and return to Cuba of a nine-year-old whose mother died to give him a life of freedom in America.

Caused panic in New York by authorizing the flight of Air Force One over New York for a photo you can purchase with Photo Shop for less than a dollar. The flight cost $400.000.

And there's much more. Read the full column at Caruba's Warning Signs blog.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

GOP slams Obama on failed stimulus

'The people do get it, no tax increase'

From the Republican Party of Pennsylvania:

PA GOP: REPUBLICANS DEFEAT DEMOCRAT TAX INCREASE

HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason was elated after hearing the news that hardworking Pennsylvanian s will not have to suffer the burden of Governor Ed Rendell's plan for a major increase in the personal income tax.

"I am pleased to see that concrete and positive steps are being taken to reach a fiscally responsible solution to our current budget crisis that does not raise taxes on hardworking Pennsylvanians," Gleason said. "This is a major victory for the taxpayers of our Commonwealth and I am proud of our Republican leaders in the state Senate and House for flatly rejecting the Governor and the Democrat Party's attempt to impose a major tax increase."

Over the last few weeks, Democrats in Harrisburg have proven just how out-of-touch they are with hardworking Pennsylvanians. Democrats everywhere used scare tactics and the Governor traveled the state on the taxpayer dime trying to convince hardworking Pennsylvanians that his 16% tax increase was necessary and that an additional $500 a year wasn't really that much money. Perhaps the most out-of-touch comment came from Rep. Phyllis Mundy of Luzerne County who, in the midst of stressing the need for the Governor's major tax increase, was quoted in The Patriot News as saying, "The people just don't get it."

Gleason added, "Sorry Representative Mundy, the people do get it! They can't afford another tax increase and they are glad it failed. They also believe that the state government should work to control their spending, just as other Pennsylvania families have been forced to do during these tough economic times.

"Our Party is founded on the principles of lower taxes and fiscal responsibility, and the budget plan being supported by our Republican leaders adheres to those beliefs. This is a big win for our Party and we are ecstatic that we were able to defeat such a major tax increase that would have cut the budgets of hardworking Pennsylvania families."

Readers 'Sound Off'

The Pottstown Mercury runs a daily column called "Sound Off," where readers can leave a voice mail on any issue they wish to comment on. Here's a sampling of what's on the minds of area residents:

"I just heard a deputy White House press secretary say that the cap and trade bill is a jobs bill first and foremost. Why do we need a jobs bill? That's what the stimulus package was. That's what we spent all that money for and continue to spend. So let's bag the cap and trade bill."

"They want an increase in our real estate taxes but our house isn't as valuable as it was so why couldn't we be getting a rebate back?"

"It's official. Our Congress is made up of a bunch of clowns. The bozos in Minnesota decided to elect a vulgar, vile comedian with no expertise in anything other than being an idiot on television as a United States senator. Unbelievable. Minnesota, you got what you deserve. The United States of America did not."

"It's amazing how Fast Eddie and his band of thieves can find all kinds of ways to cut spending that affects the taxpayers, but no way at all to take some of the excess he and his cronies get. He sure is taking care of the taxpayers in Pennsylvania."

"The fact is that the world population of polar bears has increased 300-400 percent over the last 30 years. Is the Arctic warmer now than then? If so, it hasn't been a problem for the polar bears. The polar bear scare is pure poppycock nonsense, another hysterical fantasy dreamed up by the scaremongers with sticky fingers in your wallet."

"The bloated government will not be denied their new taxes. Slavery by debt so huge there's nothing left. That's the goal."

"Wow! I really feel sorry for those government officials for having no budget, no pay. Yeah, right. I don't think so. I don't feel sorry for them. Now maybe they will know what it is to be like the rest of us especially us who lost our jobs, our homes, our whole livelihood. It's not nice is it politicians? Especially you, Fast Eddie."

"Our property taxes just arrived. When you read through all the mumbo jumbo and figure it out, they actually went up $117, even with the discount they put on a piece of paper telling you how much of a discount you got. But when everything is added up, we ended up with an increase of $117.42. This year we cannot pay it — nobody is working."

"I hope the governor doesn't add more money to our taxes for us seniors. We barely have enough to live on my husband and I. We don't want to move out of the house we've been in for over 50 years. I just can't believe this is happening in this day and age."

"The global warming liberals have lashed onto CO2 as their chosen boogeyman because this gives them excuse to control virtually every activity on earth seeing as we are a carbon-based species on a carbon-based planet."

"I believe in our form of government. It is what once made us the greatest nation the world has ever known. However, sadly, I no longer believe in the people running it hence the current predicament our nation is in. I grow weary of elections where I am voting for the lesser of two evils instead of for a person who will get the job done. Always remember, people should never fear its government but government better fear its people."

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Keep the pressure on Democrats to prevent tax hike

As of Friday, 11 state Senators and 73 state Representatives have made the affirmation to oppose new taxes on Pennsylvania families and businesses, according to the Commonwealth Foundation, but it takes 26 Senators or 102 Representatives to stop a tax increase.

Taxpayers must keep the pressure on the Legislature to oppose any of Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed tax increases.

Find out if your area lawmakers have signed the No Tax pledge here.

You can also sign an online petition opposing new taxes at http://pleasenomoretaxes.org/

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Rendell's Bad English

PA House GOP unveils no-tax-increase budget

A day after effectively killing Gov. Ed Rendell's call to raise the state income tax by 16 percent, Pennsylvania House Republicans have enveiled a balanced General Fund budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year that calls for no tax increases.

House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-66) and Republican Appropriations Chairman Mario Civera (R-164) announced the House Republican Caucus' $27.27 billion, no-tax-increase budget proposal at a Harrisburg press conference.

From a press release issued by Smith's office:

"Pennsylvanians expect a balanced budget, and they can't afford more taxes. House Republicans are offering a plan which meets those expectations," Smith said. "House Democrats have gone from one extreme to the other, yet, despite the budget deadline having passed more than a week ago, they still haven’t brought a budget bill to the floor.

"As consequences mount without a budget, Republicans think the Democrats' approach is irresponsible."

The Republican's fiscally responsible alternative increases funding for public education and continues funding for state parks, hospitals and universities.

"Today, we're presenting a $27.27 billion budget with no tax increases that ensures each school district gets increased funding. It continues necessary government services and avoids the thousands of layoffs projected by the governor and House Democrats. The Republican priority has always been protecting public safety, human services and educating our kids ... our budget proposal accomplishes it."

To balance the budget in the face of declining revenues and a $3.2 billion deficit, House Republicans are proposing a tax amnesty program to collect an estimated $1.5 billion in back taxes, as well as leasing of state-owned lands for natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region.

"We have brought to the people of Pennsylvania a balanced and fiscally responsible spending plan that does not raise a single tax. The governor and House Democrats said it could not be done, and we are here today to show them it can," Civera said.

"This plan does what every family in the Commonwealth has to do every day – it budgets what we can afford. It protects the state's priorities like education and public safety, and it ensures we are prepared for what may lie ahead.

"I admit it does not come without some pain. There were a lot of tough decisions made in this budget. But we took leadership and did what needed to be done."

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Group opposes Obama soda tax

New Coalition Says No to Regressive and Discriminatory Beverage and Food Taxes

Americans United for Life President to Testify at Sotomayor Senate Judiciary Hearing

Americans United for Life President to Testify at Sotomayor Senate Judiciary Hearing

Let's try that stimulus thing again

The jig is up. Democrats are beginning to admit they played the American people for suckers with the first "stimulus" bill in February. Now they want you to bend over so they can do it again. Hey, maybe all those Democrats who voted for the first stimulus bill will actually read what's in it this time.

Check out these posts at SAVE THE GOP and PAWaterCooler for more on how the Democrats screwed us over big time.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Karl Rove: Obama Can't Be Trusted

From a dead-on Karl Rove column in The Wall Street Journal:

In February, President Barack Obama signed a $787 billion stimulus bill while making lavish promises about the results. He pledged that "a new wave of innovation, activity and construction will be unleashed all across America." He also said the stimulus would "save or create up to four million jobs." Vice President Joe Biden said the massive federal spending plan would "drop-kick" the economy out of the recession.

But the unemployment rate today is 9.5% -- nearly 20% higher than the Obama White House said it would be with the stimulus in place. Keith Hennessey, who worked at the Bush White House on economic policy, has noted that unemployment is now higher than the administration said it would be if nothing was done to revive the economy. There are 2.6 million fewer Americans working than Mr. Obama promised.

The economy takes unexpected turns on every president. But what is striking about this president is how quickly he turns away from his promises. He rushed the stimulus through Congress saying we couldn't afford to wait. Now his administration is waiting to spend the money. Of the $279 billion allocated to federal agencies, only $56 billion has been paid out.

Rove asks why anyone in their right mind would trust Obama's promises on health care reform based on his six months of broken promises on every other issue.

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

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

'Transformers 2' tops $300M

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" has topped $300 million at the box office in just 14 days.

BoxOfficeMojo.com says the film has earned $305.5 million so far in the United States alone.

Only one other film has reached the $300 million mark faster, a small independent production called "The Dark Night," which eventually grossed $533.3 million in the U.S.

While "Transformers 2" is not on pace to catch "The Dark Night," it could end up making $400 million domestically, something only eight films have achieved.

The sequel is already No. 29 on the all-time domestic box office list and will soon pass the original "Transformers," which took in $319.2 million in its 2007 release.

"Transformers 2" is a smash worldwide, earning a total of $623 million so far.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Obama poll numbers sinking

He never had support from Republicans and now independent voters are waking up to the realization that "hope and change" won't put food on the table as the Obama recession continues.

From a story posted on POLITICO about Obama's declining job approval numbers:

In a potentially alarming trend for the White House, independent voters are deserting President Barack Obama nationally and especially in key swing states, recent polls suggest.

Obama's job approval rating hit a — still healthy — low of 56 percent in the Gallup Poll on Wednesday. And pollsters are debating whether Obama's expansive and expensive policy proposals or the ground-level realities of a still-faltering economy are driving the falling numbers.

But a source of the shift appears to be independent voters, who seem to be responding to Republican complaints of excessive spending and government control.

"This is a huge sea change that is playing itself out in American politics," said Democratic pollster Doug Schoen. "Independents who had become effectively operational Democrats in 2006 and 2008 are now up for grabs and are trending Republican.

"They're saying, 'Costing too much, no results, see the downside, not sure of the upside,'" he said.

Read the full story, "Independents begin to edge away from President Obama" at POLITICO

The latest Rasmussen Reports numbers corroborate Obama's declining popularity.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

The real cost of Obamacare

Sotomayor and abortion

AUL President to Senate Judiciary Committee: Ask Top 10 Questions to Judge Sotomayor

Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Launches Racial Discrimination Investigation

The NAACP has filed a complaint against a swanky Montgomery County country club after allegations that black kids were told they can't swim in pool.

Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Launches Racial Discrimination Investigation

How's that first stimulus working out for you?

A casino in Berks County?

Anyone familiar with the Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel (formerly a Sheraton) knows it's not exactly a "hotel resort" but then again it's up to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to decide if the owners qualify for the state's remaining Category 3 slots license.

Gaming Control Board Receives One New Application for a Category 3 Resort Slots License

The Reading Eagle has more on the story at its Web site.

Mystery co-host on 'Talking Politics'

Tune in today at 5 p.m. for a mystery co-host on "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" on WPAZ 1370 AM

You can call the station with questions or comments at 610-326-4000.

If you can't receive the radio signal, you can listen to the broadcast online at www.pottsmerc.com or www.1370wpaz.com

Working hard or hardly working?

A Central Pennsylvania television station recently calculated that the Pennsylvania Legislature is burning through $50,000 a day in taxpayer money every day it convenes since the June 30 fiscal year deadline.

And what is the most expensive state legislature in the country doing with its time (other than debating the budget, of course)?

From an editorial in today's edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Legislative 'priorities'

Pennsylvanians can take comfort in knowing that while their elected representatives couldn't cobble together a cohesive state budget by deadline, they nevertheless were dutifully at work attending to pressing public matters.

Among some lawmakers' priorities: a resolution on the Borough of Dushore's 150th anniversary and legislation on county park police training requirements.

Then there's that crucial legislation from Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, which bans the forced implantation of computer chips in humans. What a relief!

Maybe this crew should draft legislation banning the replacement of state representatives with cyborgs. With regard to some, it's difficult to differentiate the human beings -- those capable of intelligent problem-solving -- from what appear to be preprogrammed robots at work on the assembly line at the Susquehanna Sausage Factory.

Now, it doesn't require an awful lot of intelligence, artificial or otherwise, to figure out that a growing multibillion-dollar state deficit, looming for months, would demand considerably more focus in state budgeting this year. And yet, once again, the clock ran out without a fiscal accord in hand.

Thus began the backroom dealing, with Gov. Ed Rendell's 16 percent income-tax hike in the balance. And, ultimately, the adoption of a state budget that will be handed to the public as a done deal.

This, sadly, is what passes in Pennsylvania as "representative government."

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Columnist: At least 1 RINO willing to back Rendell tax hike

John Baer of the Philadelphia Daily News has found a Republican state House member willing to support Gov. Ed Rendell's call for a 16-percent tax hike for Pennsylvania families and small business owners.

No surprise that he is Rep. Dennis O'Brien, the Philadelphian who served as Speaker of the House under Democratic control of the House from 2007-09. O'Brien may be registered as a Republican, but his is a RINO who always votes with Rendell.

That still leaves 98 Republicans who would probably oppose the tax hike. A defection by a few Democrats would give the GOP the 102-vote majority it needs to kill the $4.5 billion Rendell tax hike.

From Baer's column:

Selling higher taxes in the current political and economic environment might be the toughest task Rendell's faced to date.

Even an urban House Democrat supportive of the governor tells me, "There will be an endgame here, but it won't include the income tax."

Read the full column, "Tax-hike plan hitting GOP wall, for now," at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Rep. Schroder: 'We must live within our means'

Tax Hike Not the Answer to Pennsylvania's Spending Crisis

By Rep. Curt Schroder
R-Chester County

Gov. Ed Rendell has announced plans to raise the Personal Income Tax of Pennsylvania taxpayers by 16 percent, or a half percentage point increase as his answer to the state’s $3.2 billion budget shortfall.

The Rendell administration is spending a lot of time selling the idea that we have a revenue crisis in this state and more money is needed. We don't have a revenue crisis in Pennsylvania. We have a spending crisis and it's time we acknowledge it and begin dealing with it responsibly.

The state Senate recently passed a budget bill that was widely criticized for the depth of cuts it proposed. While the Senate bill was far from a perfect solution, it did reflect the economic realities facing lawmakers and Pennsylvania citizens.

Now is the time to scale back state government, to cut non-essential services and discretionary grant programs, and hold the line on spending. Yet, the governor's original budget proposed $700 million in new state spending even in the face of a massive deficit, at a time when people are losing their jobs and losing their homes to foreclosure. Now he proposes to take even more out of their paychecks. This is not a responsible or acceptable solution.

Last year, before passage of the 2008-09 budget, we were warned by Senate budget analysts that the proposed spending plan would result in a $1 billion deficit this year. They warned that revenue estimates were too high and unrealistic, and one-time revenue sources were being used. I rejected that budget, as did 31 of my House colleagues.

The taxpayers of this commonwealth need to know what is at stake. In order to maintain the level of state spending the governor is proposing, a broad-based tax increase like the one he has proposed would be necessary. Our current economic crisis could have been avoided if Pennsylvania's spending increases had stayed within the rate of inflation during the Rendell years. Under Rendell, the state budget has increased nearly 40 percent -- double the rate of inflation. Had we held spending to a modest 3 percent in each of the past six years, our spending would be in line with the revenues coming in today. Our budget would be balanced, important programs would be retained and there would be no danger of a tax increase.

Instead we are in a budget crisis. We are left with no easy choices, but the choices are clear. We must live within our means or prepare for a major tax increase. I will not vote for a tax increase, and I challenge those members of the General Assembly who are critical of efforts to budget responsibly to come clean with taxpayers and let them know which taxes they will raise in order to pass a budget that increases spending to the levels proposed by the governor.

Rep. Curt Schroder is a Republican who represents the 155th House District in Chester County. For more information, visit his Web site, www.curtschroder.com

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

The Obama Propaganda Minister

Does Robert Gibbs remind you of former Iraqi Propaganda Minister Muhammed Saeed? For those with short memories, check out www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com

Newspaper: Public notice law change hurts taxpayers

An excellent editorial published in today's edition of The Mercury putting the push by Democrats in the state House to remove the requirement that government bodies place public notices in newspapers.

The people behind the bill say it will save money, but when was the last time anyone in Harrisburg saved you money?

From the editorial:

Is there one taxpayer in this state who believes his or her taxes will go down if this becomes law?

Is there one taxpayer who believes giving state government the right to set up permanent public notice Web sites, maintained by state employees, will be cheaper than the same service provided by private industry?

And cost is only part of the equation. Should the state government be in charge of informing taxpayers how their state, counties, boroughs and townships plan to spend tax money? The issue once again is information about how local government works.

Just this week those without Internet access would have missed notices that the borough of Pottstown was accepting bids for materials for the wastewater treatment plant and that the zoning hearing boards in East Vincent and Lower Pottsgrove townships would be holding hearings on property development requests.

No other state in this nation has gone to Internet-only legal advertising and there is a reason. The most significant reason is a large portion of the public would be uninformed.

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

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Democrats Enjoy Their Turn to Feed at the Trough

Analysis: House Financial Services Committee Received $62.9 Million in Campaign Contributions From Financial, Insurance, and Real Estate Interests

Rendell is getting bad advice

This might help explain Gov. Ed Rendell's disconnect from reality as he continues to push for a $4.5 billion tax hike on Pennsylvania families and small business owners.

It appears the governor is getting bad advice from his underlings.

This is what Rendell's chief of staff, Steve Crawford, told Tony Romeo of KYW Newsradio 1060:

"I've talked to Republican members of the Senate who have said to me that they're willing to vote for a PIT increase. I've talked to Republican members of the House who've said to me that they're willing to vote for a PIT increase. I've talked to Democratic members of the House who say, 'I really, really, really, don't want to vote for a PIT increase, I need to be convinced.' And we're prepared to convince them."

I hate to say this, but it appears Mr. Crawford has been having conversations with imaginary members of the Legislature.

The state Senate already voted 30-20 to adopt a 2009-10 General Fund budget that does not include any income tax hike. All 30 Republican members of the Senate are on record opposing a tax increase.

The House has not been allowed to vote on a budget by the Democratic party bosses who control the agenda. The reason the Democrats won't bring a budget up for a vote is because all 99 Republicans and at least 20-30 Democrats will vote against any budget that includes a tax increase.

Rendell doesn't have the votes to pass a tax increase in either chamber.

The fact that Rendell's chief of staff can't count may explain how the Randell administration ran up a $3.25 billion budget deficit for the 2000-08 fiscal year.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Far left lines Specter's pockets

From the Whispers column in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN? Specter's new Democrat colleagues certainly are being generous to his re-election campaign.

House Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Patrick Leahy of Vermont each have donated $10,000 to Specter, as has Democrat-turned-independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

Pitching in $5,000 each were Sens. Max Baucus of Montana, Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan wrote a $4,000 check and Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico each ponied up $2,000.

The Hill, a Washington, D.C.-based newspaper, speculated that the generous donations might be an attempt to make up for the considerable sum Specter lost by defecting from the GOP.

He has refunded more than $100,000 to irate contributors who assumed they were giving their money to a Republican -- right up until the moment Specter turned turncoat.

Given Specter's atrocious polling numbers, we're thinking a less reckless way for his fellow senators to have spent their money would have been to toss it from the top of the Washington Monument.

Read the rest of the column at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Obama plants seeds for 'double-dip recession'

As if Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats havent' done enough damage to the U.S. economy, a new report warns that another recession could hit in late 2010.

This assumes the U.S. recovers from the current recession, which has dragged on for 18 months and has been prolonged over the past six months by Obama's ill-advised economic policies.

From a story by Kent Hoover in the Philadelphia Business Journal:

The end of the recession is "literally just around the corner," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's chief economist said, but there is a 15 percent to 20 percent chance of another economic downturn by late 2010.

Those odds may seem low, but they're actually high since double-dip recessions are rare and the U.S. economy grows 95 percent of the time, said the chamber's Marty Regalia.

He predicted that the current economic downturn will end around September but that the unemployment rate will remain high through the first half of next year. Investment won't snap back as quickly as it usually does after a recession, Regalia said.

Inflation, however, looms as a potential problem because of the federal government's huge budget deficits and the massive amount of dollars pumped into the economy by the Federal Reserve, he said. If this stimulus is not unwound once the economy begins to recover, higher interest rates could choke off improvement in the housing market and business investment, he said.

"The economy has got to be running on its own by the middle of next year," Regalia said.

Almost every major inflationary period in U.S. history was preceded by heavy debt levels, he noted.

On the bright side, a "double-dip" recession in 2010 will most like result in a backlash against Democrats in the midterm Congressional elections. The end of a Democratic majority in Congress would put a stop to Obama's socialist agenda for the remaining two years of his term.

Read the full story, "Economist: U.S. may see double-dip recession by late 2010," at the Philadelphia Business Journal's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Cardinal Rigali Criticizes Final NIH Guidelines for Destructive Stem Cell Research

Cardinal Rigali Criticizes Final NIH Guidelines for Destructive Stem Cell Research

Free legal, financial advice for PA residents

First Lady Judge Rendell Opens 'Get Help Now, Pennsylvania' Initiative

Stimulus failed so let's do it again

From an editorial in Investor's Business Daily:

Those who pushed through this year's $787 billion fiscal "stimulus" seem to be counting on the American people's short memory. Wasn't it just last year that we were told, repeatedly and with stark emphasis, that this economy was the "worst" since the Great Depression?

That was the pretense for not only the stimulus, but for the federal takeover of the U.S. auto industry and the quasi-takeover of the U.S. financial industry. It's also the underlying premise for both nationalized health care and massive new taxes to cut CO2 emissions.

If the stimulus passed, the White House vowed, unemployment would peak at 8%. Today, it's 9.5% — and rising.

"The truth is, we and everyone else misread the economy," said Biden. He used that phrase — "the truth is," or something similar — at least three times in a talk with ABC's George Stephanopolous. But the "truth is" something quite different.

Many voices — including ours — were raised in opposition to the stimulus when it was debated. We didn't "misread" the economy. We knew from history that, left alone, it would get better without government meddling.

Instead, Americans were promised "shovel ready" projects would put stimulus money to work right away creating jobs. For the record, since February, the month the stimulus was passed, the U.S. has lost 2 million jobs. The stimulus is clearly a failure.

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

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

The Obama Wrecking Ball

Record alcohol sales reported in PA

We now know where $1.8 billion in disposable income went during the past fiscal year in Pennsylvania.

Sales at Pennsylvania's state-operated Wine & Spirits stores reached a record $1.84 billion in fiscal year 2008-09, generating more than $494.5 million in sales tax, liquor tax and profits for the commonwealth's General Fund, Patrick "P.J." Stapleton III, chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said today.

From a press release:

"We are fortunate that sales at our Wine & Spirits stores continue to rise, even as the economy slows," said Stapleton. "Our success is all the more important to Pennsylvania taxpayers when you consider the $494.5 million in taxes and profits the Liquor Control Board transferred to the General Fund to help pay for essential services, such as public safety, education, transportation and health care."

Wait a minute. Is Stapleton encouraging Pennsylvanians to drink more alcohol in order to get the state out of its current fiscal crisis? Sure sounds like it.

More from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board:

For the fiscal year ended June 30, the agency collected $265.9 million in liquor taxes and $103.6 million in sales taxes and transferred $125 million of store profits to the state Treasury. The total of $494.5 million transferred to the General Fund is the largest amount in agency history.

"In 2009-10, Pennsylvanians will continue to see significant changes in the way our stores operate, and the Liquor Control Board will remain fully committed to fulfilling this mission," Stapleton said. "We will keep changing for the better to benefit all Pennsylvanians."

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Tim Potts on the 4th anniversary of the pay raise

The Pay Raise of 2005 – Four Years Later

By Tim Potts
DemocracyRisingPA

Four years ago today, our political leadership committed an unprecedented act of theft.

Without the knowledge or consent of the citizens of PA, our leaders enacted a massive pay raise for themselves and their posterity.

The events that occurred thereafter proved what can happen when citizens decide to sign up, speak up and show up.

The names of those who felt the power of PA's citizens, in no particular order, are: Russell Nigro Fred Belardi Don Sherwood Robert Jubelirer Tom Gannon Mike Diven Melissa Hart Stephen Maitland Chip Brightbill Frank Pistella Kenneth Ruffing Paul Semmel Teresa Forcier Mike Veon Patrick Fleagle Shawn Flaherty Gib Armstrong Roy Baldwin Frank LaGrotta Peter Zug Rick Santorum Roy Cornell Robert Allen Curt WeldonM atthew Wright

And a few others. The legislature repealed the pay raise, but our supreme court violated the Constitution to keep it. PA finally got a law to control lobbying. PA finally got a new open records law. PA finally got public officials who are looking over their shoulders. But we also got much that we didn’t want. Lawmakers who promised to change their ways in 2005 instead gave us the Bonus Scandal of 2006. And 2007. And 2008. And 2009.

It is the only major instance of public corruption in PA that is actually being prosecuted by a state official. Former Senator Fumo and former judges Joyce, Ciavarella and Conahan all were brought to justice by federal prosecutors while state and local officials who knew what was going on continued the conspiracy of silence.

We didn’t want to learn how corrupt our courts are, but we can't escape it. We didn’t want to learn how high the cost of corruption is, and we still don’t know for sure. But it's somewhere over a billion dollars and growing. And today, on this fourth anniversary of the Pay Raise of 2005, scores of lawmakers and staff take a break from their failure to enact a budget to defend their failure simply to be honest.

Defendant Mike Veon has called on them to attest in court that illegally using tax-paid staff, offices, equipment and money for election campaigns is so commonplace that no one should be charged with breaking the law. Or else everyone should be charged, which is the remedy we prefer. Breaking the law and being proud of it is a way of life in PA's capitol. Watch what happens during the budget passage to restricted receipt accounts that can be used only for a very specific purpose.

Those funds will be raided for illegal expenditures because, as one administration official recently put it, "By the time they catch us, we'll be gone." Every day from now until the budget passes, we will hear a variation on the theme, "We're no worse than other states."

It sounds a lot like the Veon defense, doesn't it? Whatever else this attitude is, it is not the rallying cry of excellence, and excellence is what our citizens need and deserve. It is why Democracy Rising PA, from day one, has insisted that PA finally and permanently achieve the highest standards of public integrity in America. Anything less continues corruption and invites more of it.

But from the governor's office to the legislature to the supreme court, no one in the past four years has provided excellence. No one who has the power has used the power to demand and deliver excellence in public service. Occasionally they rise to a level of mediocrity. Often, we get far worse. And after four years of platitudes and promises, there is not a single example of PA leading the nation in any aspect of public integrity.

If nothing else, the past four years have proven the need for a Constitution convention. The inability to pass a budget is the least of our problems. The greatest of our problems is the refusal of public officials to obey the Constitution, to trust the people they represent to debate and decide what they want from their government, and to deliver fundamental change that will stop today’s incredible waste of talent and treasure.

Thanks to our bi-partisan political leadership, we face the 21st Century armed with a 19th Century Constitution. The citizens of PA understand this. Frankly, so do our lawmakers, and that is why they refuse to put a referendum on the ballot asking citizens whether we want a convention. On this anniversary of the Pay Raise of 2005, lawmakers hate the people who want integrity, value, transparency and confidence in their government. Too conspicuously, they do not respect, honor or even represent ordinary citizens.

Sadly, it appears that we citizens will make progress again only when lawmakers fear us as well as hate us. A third of the legislature is new since 2005. Next year may be time to change the other two thirds.

Tim Potts is co-founder of DemocracyRisingPA

Four years ago today ...

Four years ago today, the Pennsylvania Legislature voted itself, the governor and state judges a middle-of-the-night pay raise.

The Legislature has taken hundred of votes since that fateful day, but this is the only one we're still talking about.

The pay raise led to the modern reform movement and launched a thousand bloggers, including this one.

I agree with the assessment below by Lowman S. Henry and I actually said the same thing on my radio show on July 2 when state Rep. Tom Quigley called in to discuss the latest talk in Harrisburg about a potential tax hike to get Gov. Ed Rendell out of the deficit hole he created.

One-third of the Legislature in place during the 2005 pay raise vote is gone, driven into early retirement or tossed from office by voters.

In retrospect, the amount of the pay raise is insignificant compared to the $4.5 billion income tax hike Gov. Ed Rendell is pushing this year.

I told Rep. Quigley to tell his newer colleagues (the ones who replaced the payjackers over the past two election cycles) that if they vote "yes" for any broad-based tax increase, they will be voting to end their political careers.

If the Legislature votes to increase any major tax in 2009, whether it's the income tax or a sales tax, we'll be talking about the vote four years from now.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS