Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Who is Pia Varma?
Pia Varma is running for Congress. She has no political experience and she's fine with that.
In fact, that's the appeal of her campaign. We've seen what the "professional politicians" have done with this country. Why not give regular person a chance?
Pia Varma is a Republican running in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District. The seat has been held by Democrat Bob Brady since 1998.
Varma ran a full page ad in The Philadelphia Inquirer this week with a simple message: Hate Philly Politics?
If the answer is yes, you should vote for Varma. If you like the job Congress is doing, keep political insiders like Brady in office.
Find out more at www.votepia.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Would Obama lie?
Medicare is broke. Social Security is broke. The postal service is broke. The entire federal government is broke. Why am I having such a difficult time believing that Obamacare will end up reducing the federal deficit, just like Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi say?
From POLITICO:
Congressional Budget Office releases health bill estimates - Patrick O'Connor and Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From POLITICO:
The Democratic health care bill would cost $940 billion over 10 years and cut the federal deficit over the next two decades — figures that should help ease the worries of fiscal hawks who have been reluctant about supporting the sweeping measure.Why do I have such a hard time believing the government? Would Obama lie?
The bill would reduce the deficit by about $130 billion in the first 10 years and by $1.2 trillion over the second 10 years. It will expand coverage to 95 percent of Americans, according to Congressional Budget Office figures released Thursday by House Democrats.
Congressional Budget Office releases health bill estimates - Patrick O'Connor and Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Rep. Kate Harper faces challenger in 61st District
Six-term incumbent Republican state Rep. Kate Harper will face a challenger in little-known Democrat Mary Lou Readinger for Montgomery County's 61st House District.From a story in the Lansdale Reporter:
State Rep. Kate Harper, R-61st District, is eager to publicly debate Mary Lou Readinger, her Democratic opponent in November.Read the full story at the link below:
"Unlike most incumbents with good name recognition, I am more than willing to appear with her in front of large crowds," Harper said. "I'm happy to meet with the people and allow them to ask questions. Let the voters decide who has better qualifications."
Harper said she views any election year appearance as an opportunity to update her constituents on state government.
"What we do affects their lives," she said. "Most people have no idea what is going on."
Readinger, a member of the Plymouth Township Council, would not commit to any joint appearances.
"I'm not going to decide on that right now," she said.
Harper faces challenge in 61st District - The ReporterNews: Serving North Penn, Indian Valley and neighboring communities
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Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Cleaning up another Rendell mess
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that Pennsylvannia lawmakers need to revisit Act 1 of 2006, Ed Rendell's bogus scheme to stem rising property taxes. The legislation has failed miserably, much like most of Rendell's schemes.
From the editorial:
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From the editorial:
The 2006 state law that was supposed to give taxpayers at least some say in school budget increases has instead led to continuing property tax hikes -- with marginal public recourse.Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.
Unlike in most states, Pennsylvania's 501 school districts have carte blanche to nose-thumb taxpayers -- most notoriously in union contracts, which become public after the dealing is done.
Pennsylvanians deserve a meaningful say in what their school boards spend. And voter referendums shouldn't be the exception to the rule. That change begins by reforming Act 1.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Columnist: The Cost of Conviction
The Cost of ConvictionBy Peg Luksik
We Americans are proud of our varied ethnic heritages. We laughingly debate who is more stubborn, or creative, or outgoing. And we enjoy sharing how many different backgrounds are contained in our family trees.
Except in March. In March, almost every American claims to have an Irish ancestor somewhere in his bloodline. An Irish ancestor who needs to be remembered and celebrated along with Saint Patrick.
The incidents in the life of Saint Patrick are also incidents in the life of Ireland. If the Irish had not responded to Patrick, there would be no holiday to celebrate. The holiday is equally a testament to the courage and conviction of Patrick, and to the willingness of the Irish to embrace and honor his gift of faith in their lives, matching his courage with their own.
One of the best examples of that willingness can be found in the baptism of Prince Aengus, son of the King of Munster. The baptism of an Irish prince by the famed Patrick was a very public affair, with the entire clan of Munster in attendance. As the ceremony progressed, Patrick accidentally pierced the foot of the young prince with the sharp point of his staff. The prince did not move or make a sound, and the staff remained in his foot for the duration of the ceremony.
When the baptism was completed and Patrick lifted his staff, he saw the blood and realized what had happened. He immediately called for someone to bind the prince's foot, and asked why the young man had not said something earlier. The prince replied that he had assumed that the piercing was part of the ceremony, an offering for the blessings that were being imparted. It was an offering that he had been quite willing to give.
Looking at today's America, one wonders what the Saint and the Irish who followed him would think about many of those who will toast them.
We want the blessings of liberty, but many of us do not even bother to vote to protect them.
We want prosperity, but many of us believe we are entitled to receive it without work. We want limited government, but many of us demand that Washington solve every problem instead of taking responsibility for our own actions. We want things to change, but many of us expect the price of that change to be paid by someone else.
The reality is that convictions come with a cost. Only those who are willing to bear the cost will see their convictions become reality. It's the distinction between those who make excuses and those who make a difference. And in the end, it's the most important distinction.
Saint Patrick made a difference because he acted on his convictions. The Irish who followed him did the same. If we truly want to celebrate their lives, we will combine our toast with a pledge to act on our own convictions, even when they come with a cost.
Peg Luksik is a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. For more information, www.pegluksik.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Table Games Coming to 2 PA Casinos
Two Pennsylvania casinos won approval Tuesday to begin offering poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and other table games by mid-year, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.Downs Racing, LP, operators of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Luzerne County, and Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment Inc., operators of Parx Casino/Philadelphia Park Racetrack in Bucks County, were the first two licensed slots facilities in the Pennsylvania to receive approval for table games, according to a Gaming Commission press release.
Read the full release at the link below:
Gaming Control Board Grants First Authorizations to Conduct Table Games at Pennsylvania Casinos
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Al Gore - Doctor Of Lies
Investor's Business Daily can't figure out why the far left keeps honoring Al Gore for selling his Global Warming Snake Oil.
From a new editorial:
Doctor Of Lies - Investors.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From a new editorial:
Instead of having his Nobel Prize rescinded for espousing climate fraud, the prophet of doom is set to receive an honorary doctorate of laws and humane letters from the University of Tennessee for his work.Read the full editorial at the link below:
'Vice President Gore's career has been marked by visionary leadership, and his work has quite literally changed our planet for the better," UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said in a prepared statement.
We are not making this up, though we will not dispute Gore's having had visions.
He has warned us of sea levels rising so high and so fast that we should see boats moored on the top of the Washington Monument. Polar bears would drown en masse for lack of ice at the same time snow measured in feet blanketed large parts of the country.
We used to call it weather. He called it climate change and made a fortune doing so.
Doctor Of Lies - Investors.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
'Avatar' on DVD April 22
James Cameron's "Avatar" is coming soon to DVD and Blu-Ray, but do yourself a favor and see it in a theater in 3-D if it's still playing near you. "Avatar" has grossed $730 million domestically and $1.9 billion worldwide for a record-breaking $2.6 billion run.
I can't imagine the movie will have the same impact in 2-D or on your television screen.
Also beware that this is a no-frills release, without any extras. A special edition of "Avatar" (with rumored extended and deleted scenes) will be released in November.
Read more about the film's DVD/Blu-Ray release at EntertainmentWeekly.com by clicking on the link below:
'Avatar' DVD to hit stores on April 22 (Earth Day)
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Social Security IOUs
You knew the day was coming. Everybody knew the day was coming. But nobody has done anything about it. Social Security is taking in less money that it pays out. In some circles, that's called bankruptcy. (And since the government has done such a great job with Social Security, why don't we let the feds run health care, too?)From The Associated Press:
This year, for the first time since the 1980s, when Congress last overhauled Social Security, the retirement program is projected to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes — nearly $29 billion more.Read the full story at the link below
Sounds like a good time to start tapping the nest egg. Too bad the federal government already spent that money over the years on other programs, preferring to borrow from Social Security rather than foreign creditors. In return, the Treasury Department issued a stack of IOUs — in the form of Treasury bonds — which are kept in a nondescript office building just down the street from Parkersburg's municipal offices.
Now the government will have to borrow even more money, much of it abroad, to start paying back the IOUs, and the timing couldn't be worse. The government is projected to post a record $1.5 trillion budget deficit this year, followed by trillion dollar deficits for years to come.
IOUs come due for Social Security (pottsmerc.com)
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Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
School bus driver ran 10 stop signs before fatal crash
A senseless tragedy that could have been prevented had Pennsylvania had tougher restrictions on who can drive a school bus.From a story in The Mercury by reporter Carl Hessler Jr.:
A DVD supplied by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Monday showed images taken from cameras on a school bus that allegedly caused a fatal crash in front of Perkiomen Valley Middle School West. The video, labeled evidence A, showed Frederick Poust III turning in front of an oncoming car after going through 10 stop signs without stopping.You can view the video at The Mercury's Web site. Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Mercury.
Homicide by vehicle charges against Poust were announced Monday afternoon by the Montgomery County district attorney for the fatal crash that occurred Feb. 17 outside of Perkiomen Valley Middle School West on Route 73. Also filed were 45 charges of recklessly endangering another person because of the 45 middle school students on Poust's bus at the time of the crash.
Also today, state Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, called for the state Department of Transportation to start making accident records available to school districts to prevent the hiring of bus drivers with severe accident records from being hired.
Shapiro's action was in response to the Feb. 17 crash in which the bus involved was driven by Poust, who had caused a fatal crash in Bucks County in 1999. Poust had been using a cell phone when he drove through a stop sign and hit an oncoming car, killing a 2-year-old girl, Morgan Lee Pena.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Harrisburg Happenings
Here's the latest edition of Harrisburg Happenings courtesy of state Sen. Bob Mensch, R-24th District:
Military Family Relief Assistance Program Extension Sent to GovernorOriginally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
The Senate unanimously approved the extension and expansion of the Military Family Relief Assistance Program. House Bill 1533 has been approved by the House and Senate and was sent to the Governor’s desk for his signature. The Military Family Relief Assistance Program provides grants to military members who have a direct and immediate financial need due to the sudden loss of income directly related to their service or an emergency need for child care, food, shelter or other necessities. The program also provides emergency funding for travel and lodging in the event of the death or serious illness of a spouse, parent, sibling or child. HB 1533 would extend the program until 2016 and adds National Guard members to the list of service members who are eligible for the program. The legislation also expands eligibility guidelines so military families could be eligible for assistance for up to a year following their return from active duty.
Bill Strengthening Prosecution of Child Sex Offenders Headed to House
The Senate unanimously approved legislation giving the Attorney General stronger tools to prosecute child sexual abuse cases that cross county or state lines. Senate Bill 260 addresses a loophole in existing law that makes it difficult to prosecute sexual offenders who use the Internet to contact minors for sexual purposes. SB 260 would give the Attorney General concurrent jurisdiction with county district attorneys to investigate and institute criminal proceedings for the sexual abuse of children when involving more than one county or a county and another state.
Senate Approves Science in Motion bill
The Senate approved Senate Bill 766, legislation formally enacting into law the Science Technology Partnerships Program, better known as "Science in Motion." While the bill formally establishes the popular program, it does not address funding. Governor Rendell has repeatedly eliminated funding for the program in his budget proposals and left it to the Senate to restore the money. We provided $1.9 million for the program in the current budget, only to see the Governor eliminate the funding as part of his budget freezes earlier this year. Fortunately, $1.71 million or about 90 percent of the funding was restored in February. Funding is again eliminated in the Governor’s proposed 2010-11 budget, and this line item will again be considered by the Legislature during our budget deliberations. The program makes state funding available to higher education institutions to purchase high-tech science equipment. This equipment is then transported to and shared with surrounding schools. More than 300 public, private, and parochial schools were served throughout the state by 11 higher education institutions: Cedar Crest College, Clarion University, Drexel University, Gannon University, Gettysburg College, Juniata College, Susquehanna University, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Ursinus College, Westminster College, and Wilkes University.
Committee Approves Bill for Military Burials at Washington Crossing
The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee approved legislation to allow for formal military burials of veterans at Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Bucks County. Current law does not provide for honor guard burial details at Washington Crossing National Cemetery. Only Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Lebanon County and National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Washington County are authorized to conduct those ceremonies. Senate Bill 1186 would expand the authority of the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to provide this honor and burial allowance to veterans buried at Washington Crossing.
Couple who lost 2 kids to cancer still in running for grant
From The Morning-Call:
Refresh Everything Grant: Refresh Everything Grant from Pepsi - mcall.com
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A Montgomery County couple trying to raise money to purchase a family homestead and use it to serve families who have lost children to cancer are in the running for a $250,000 prize through Pepsi's "Refresh Everything Project."Read the full story below:
Erin Curtis and Jeff Megonigal of Boyertown lost two children to infant leukemia, and Curtis wants to purchase her grandmother's farmhouse in Schwenksville to raise her own family and use it as a resource for families experiencing the death of a child.
Their daughter, 17-month-old Avery, died in October 2007, and a 7-month-old son, Nolan, died in March 2009.
"Erin's Dream" would allow her to raise her surviving son, Nolan's identical twin Calvin, in the home which left her with joyful and fond memories, and use it as a base of operations to counsel and instruct families about innovative fund-raising solutions.
Her project was featured in The Morning Call's "Stories of Hope" Jan. 1, and Curtis has set up a fund-raising Web site at www.erinsdream.com.
She must raise the money for the farmhouse by November, when it will be sold to finance her grandmother's nursing home care.
"Erin's Dream" is in second-place among many projects for the $250,000 Pepsi grant, which will be among $1.3 million in grants Pepsi awards through online voting.
Refresh Everything Grant: Refresh Everything Grant from Pepsi - mcall.com
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Monday, March 15, 2010
The Jihadists Next Door
What is the Obama Administration doing to uncover home-grown terrorists?
From an editorial in Investor's Business Daily:
The Jihadists Next Door - Investors.com
From an editorial in Investor's Business Daily:
While the essential ingredient in these cases is militant Islam, we have to wonder if the left isn't making otherwise normal Americans vulnerable to such treasonous seductions. After all, the hate-America lobby — led by the American Civil Liberties Union and often cheered by the media — has comforted even the most guilty in the war on terror, including the 9/11 mastermind and other Gitmo detainees.Read the full editorial at the link below:
The Jihadists Next Door - Investors.com
Newspaper: Those who violate open-meeting law should pay a price
Elected officials routinely violate the state Sunshine Law because the penalty for breaking the law amounts to a slap on the wrist.
From an editorial in the Reading Eagle:
Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site:
Those who violate open-meeting law should pay a price (3/14/10)
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From an editorial in the Reading Eagle:
In fact, the Sunshine Act is intended to assure that elected and appointed officials throughout the commonwealth perform the public's business in full view of anyone who is interested in watching it, and the law is ignored almost as frequently as the 55-mph speed limit on the West Shore Bypass. But the odds of motorists being fined for exceeding the speed limit are infinitely greater than the chances that any elected or appointed public official will be cited for violating the Sunshine Act.If the law had some real teeth, with hefty fines for violators, those who take an oath of office may actually follow the law and conduct the public's business in the open.
Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site:
Those who violate open-meeting law should pay a price (3/14/10)
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Newspaper: 15 Reasons Why Health Bill Makes No Sense
From Investor's Business Daily:
So it's come down to this — desperate Democratic leaders strong-arming members on the worst bill ever before they go home to explain to constituents why they decided to commit political suicide.The newspaper offers 15 reasons why a government takeover of the finest medical system in the world makes no sense. Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.
We've said just about all we've had to say on this issue — actually dating back to 1993-94, when we wrote nearly 100 editorials in opposition to HillaryCare. Since January of last year, we've weighed in 150 more times against the latest version of socialized medicine.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
The Budget That Devoured America?
From Investor's Business Daily:It's a good thing President Obama isn't in the private sector. If he was, the budget he just put forward for the next 10 years just might get him indicted for fraud.Read the full story at the Investor's Business Daily Web site.
Of all the promises the president made during the 2008 presidential campaign and last year's budget debates, none rings so hollow now as the pledge of "fiscal responsibility."
As a recent nonpartisan analysis by the Congressional Budget Office shows, our current budget path is, to use the euphemism du jour, unsustainable. It will leave a nearly insurmountable mountain of debt and spending to future generations.
Just last year, U.S. public debt totaled $7.5 trillion — a sum equal to all the indebtedness accumulated from our 225 years in existence as a nation. But by 2020, total U.S. public debt will be $20.3 trillion — an increase of 171% in just 10 years.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
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