3 Bills Leave Ed Committee

Members of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee passed three measures aimed at increasing student safety and better allocating funding for special education, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

House Resolution 53 would authorize the formation of a select committee to investigate, review, and make recommendations regarding safety and security in public and nonpublic schools and institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania.

House Bill 555 would require all public schools to include the Megan’s Law website on any transportation-related communication distributed to students, parents and the public, as well as posting the website on schools’ homepages in an effort to offer parents and families information about safe bus and walking routes.

House Bill 2 would create a Special Education Funding Commission to develop a new special education funding formula that better reflects the actual special education populations in Pennsylvania school districts.

All of the measures are before the full House for consideration.

10 Pennsylvania Legislators Reject Pensions

10 Pennsylvania Legislators Reject Pensions — The difference between a leader and a tyrant is that a leader acts first expecting others to follow knowing full well that he will share in their sacrifice while a tyrant orders others to accept pain in order to keep himself in wealth and comfort.

Brad Bumsted, the Harrisburg reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, informs us that there are 10 true leaders in the Republican contingent in the state Capitol, as that is the number who refusing their legislative pensions.

They are: Rep. Matt Gabler of Clearfield County,  Rep. Tom Sankey of Clearfield County, Rep. Rick Saccone of Allegheny/Washington counties, Rep. Rosemarie Swanger of Lebanon County, Rep. John McGinnis of Altoona, Rep. Justin Simmons of Lehigh County,  Chester County representatives Dan Truitt, Warren Kampf and John Lawrence, and Sen. Mike Folmer of Lebanon.

The average legislative pension is $31,314 with some reaching $120,000. The honest 10 are making a real sacrifice. They deserve your thanks and praise.

Hat tip Bob Guzzardi.

10 Pennsylvania Legislators Reject Pensions

most watched U.S. television programs in 2012

The four most watched U.S. television programs in 2012 involved Super Bowl XLVI with the game itself coming in number 1 with 111, 346,000 viewers.

The next four were NFL playoff games.

Coming in 9th was the Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony drawing 40,651 viewers, with the Grammy Awards coming in 10th with 39,909,000 viewers.

Hat tip eMarketer.com

AP Uses False Headline Regarding Sen. Paul

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) appeared on Fox News Sunday, yesterday, Feb. 17, and said I think people want a little different phase on immigration frankly. They don’t want  somebody who wants to round people up, put them in camps and send them back to Mexico. AP Uses False Headline Regarding Sen. Paul

Associated Press transcribes interviews from newsmakers on the Sunday shows. Concerning Paul’s interview they left out the word “don’t” from his quote and sent it out with a headline “Sen. Paul: Voters Want To Round Up Immigrants”.

Sorta changes the meaning — and impression — don’t it. It appears AP’s reporters don’t listen to the actual words when they have a stereotype in mind.  More damningly, the editors who write headlines don’t bother to consider the ease at which mistakes can be made in transcribing when the opportunity presents itself to further such stereotypes.

AP did send out a correction to its credit.

AP Uses False Headline Regarding Sen. Paul

Hat tip Newsbusters.org

Bagpiper Septic Tank Tribute

Bagpiper Septic Tank Tribute Courtesy of Cathy Craddock

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn’t stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man. As I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep. They wept,  I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car.Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I ain’t never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”

Apparently, I’m still lost… It’s a man thing.

Bagpiper Septic Tank Tribute

Bagpiper Septic Tank Tribute

Obama Hires $1,000 Per Hour Golf Pros

In his continuing quest to look out for the little guy and solve this country’s problems, President Obama has signed up for private golf lessons with Butch Harmon and his son Claude, who charge $1,000 per hour and are considered the best teachers in the nation.

Budget Hearings Begin Tomorrow

The Pennsylvania House and Senate Appropriations committees will begin budget hearings, tomorrow, Feb. 19, to review the governor’s budget proposal and to discuss the plan with various agencies and departments, reports state Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

Governor Tom Corbett presented his $28.4 billion budget proposal before a joint session of the General Assembly last week.

Among the first to testify include the Department of Revenue, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania State Police.

A full House hearing schedule, as well as live streams of hearings, will be available at www.pabudget.com.

The hearings will continue through the first week of March to ensure all state departments and agencies are provided an opportunity to testify and to allow members to ask questions regarding proposed allocations in the 2013-14 spending plan.