Month: February 2010

Singel Backs Critz For Murtha Seat

Former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel, who ended his bid Thursday to replace fellow Democrat John Murtha as Pennsylvania 12th District’s representative in Congress, has endorsed Mark Critz for the seat. Critz is Murtha’s former district director.

A special election will be held May 18, the day of the state’s primary election, to fill the remaining months of the term of Murtha who died Feb. 8.

A election for a full-term will be held in November.

Other Democrats seeking the seat are Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr., former Navy officer Ryan Bucchianeri, and former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer and writer Ron Mackell Jr

Theleading contender for the GOP nomination is Bill Russell, who wasMurtha’s opposition in 2008.  GOP activist Dave Battaglia  andbusinessman Tim Burns were also GOP primary candidates.

Thanks to PoliticsPa.Com

Sestak OK With Terror Trials In Pa., Is Lentz?

Congressman Joe Sestak (D-Pa7) is fine with having the trials of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his fellow 9/11 plotters  held in a federal court in western Pennsylvania if they should be blocked in New York City or Northern Virginia.

“I would accept them anywhere in America, to be brought here, to bebrought to justice, to have the keys thrown away or to have them giventhe death sentence by a jury of our peers,” said Thursday according to the Wall Street Journal.

If you feel that way, Joe, why bother with the trial? Do you understand the concept of the presumption of innocence? Do you realize that a judge is mandated to throw out tainted evidence, an action that could almost guarantee acquittal? Or do you think we should make exceptions for these guys and, if so, how would that not be a far greater mockery of due process and our system of justice than simply putting them  before military tribunals in accordance with well-established procedures?

Can you comprehend that these guys aren’t afraid of death — which as noted is not guaranteed so imagine them serving a life sentence in federal prison and being a constant source of inspiration for kidnappings and terrorist acts in attempts to free them — and that they would use these trials as platforms for propaganda and the acquisition of sensitive information  which they can funnel to their followers?

I guess not.

To be honest, Joe, I would be far more willing to guarantee a Specter-Toomey senate race this fall than I would KSM’s conviction in a civilian trial much less death.

Which brings us to the race to replace Sestak in the 7th District:  Does Bryan Lentz, the presumptive Democratic nominee agree with Sestak about this state being a fine place for a civilian terror trial? If not, is Lentz, who served in a civil affairs unit in Iraq and  was a prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, willing to explain to the congressman why such a trial is a real bad idea?

Pat Meehan, the former federal prosecutor and Delaware County D.A. who is going to be the GOP nominee for the seat, certainly can.

Specter Says Reconciliation OK For Destroying Health Care

Sen. Arlen Specter (S as in Specterite-Pa.) has changed his mind. At first blush that’s not news with regard to the longtime Republican who switched to the Dems when it looked like he’d lose the GOP primary, but when you realized Specter is not blushing when he says it regarding this particular matter, it becomes rather remarkable.

Specter was one of 20 senators who signed a letter presented to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Feb. 19,  supporting the use of reconciliation, a process to avoid a Senate filibuster regarding budgetary matters, to pass ObamaCare.

Specter says he changed his mind to support of this dubious action — the people of America are making it clearer by the day they don’t want socialized medicine — because he has learned it has been used many times in the past according to PoliticsPa.Com.

So, Specter — who has been a senator since 1981 — has just come to realized this?

“I have (supported reconciliation) after taking a look at theprecedents and seeing that it has been used very, very broadly,”Specter said.

At least he didn’t cite Scottish law.

The sooner he goes the better off this country will be.


Pastor Watkins Ends Lt. Gov. Bid

Joe Watkins, the pastor of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church which is the oldest African American Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, has announced he is ending his bid to be the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor making the road for party-endorsed Joe Cawley, a Bucks County Commissioner, that much smoother.

Watkins was expected to Cawley’s biggest threat.

Those saying they are still in the race are:
Chet Beiler — former Lancaster County GOP chairman
Steve Johnson– York County businessman
Russ Diamond, founder of PaCleanSweep

Candidates who still have their campaign websites up include:
Billy McCue, a businessman
John Kennedy, a former state representative

The Democratic candidates are party-endorsed Jonathan Sadel, a former Philadelphia city controller; and Doris Smith-Ribner, a retired Commonwealth Courth judge.

The primary election is May 18.

More Seek Murtha Seat


The ballot to replace Democrat John Murtha as the representative for Pa-12 in Congress has gotten longer with announcements by Murtha’s former district director Mark Critz and Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr. that they will seek the seat.

They join fellow Democrats former Lt. Gov Mark Singel and former State Treasurer Barbera Hafer in the race along with Ron Mackell Jr. and 34-year-old Ryan Bucchianeri who had begun primary challenges before Murtha’s Feb. 8 death.

Meanwhile, Murtha’s widow, Joyce, has announced she will not run.

The
leading contender for the GOP nomination is Bill Russell, who was
Murtha’s opposition in 2008.  GOP activist Dave Battaglia  and
businessman Tim Burns were also GOP primary candidates.

There will be a special election May 18, the day of the primary election, to fill the remaining months of Murtha’s term. The election for a full two-year term, of course, is in November.

Pa House Members Use Per Diem To Buy Houses

Pennsylvania state representatives  who don’t live within 50 miles of Harrisburg are eligible for a $163 per diem when in the state capital on legislative business. The money is supposed to be used for food and board — $111 for housing and $52 for meals.

It turns out some of members of our legislature are using it to solve the housing crisis.

For instance Jim Wansacz (D-114), rather than stay at hotels, bought a three-story row home at314 S. Second St. on Oct. 2, 2003, for $72,000, and is using the per diem to pay off his 30-year mortgage. Pretty clever.

He acknowledges he also rents to other legislators.

Now you might wonder why our representatives need the stipend since they are already getting a base pay of $78,000 along with a lot of really great benefits, but that would just show your insensitivity and intolerance to the important work they do.

For a list of other houses being bought by House members see this story from the Scranton Times-Tribune.

For solution to the problem, see this.

Kudos to Nathan Benefield of Commwealth Foundation for the tip.

 

Pa House Members Use Per Diem

 

Pa House Members Use Per Diem To Buy Houses

Rendell Tax Would Hurt Pa.’s Surprisingly Large Online Cigar Biz


Pennsylvania is one of two states without a tax on the sale of cigars — the other being Florida — and Gov. Ed Rendell is again attempting to let the Sunshine State own the field with the assumption that it would have no impact on the Pa. economy, as Commonwealth Federation’s Nathan Benefield points out.

However, Pennsylvania’s near unique status has caused it to become the headquarters for a large number of online cigar and smokeless tobacco retailers — such as Famous Smoke Shop, Cigars International, and Holt’s —that do tens of millions of dollars in online business, which is subject to corporate tax, and who employee hundreds of Pennsylvanians  who do pay income, property and sales taxes.

It should be obvious that these companies would not find it that hard to move to the land of orange trees.

Cigar International, a $90 million company with  150 employees, is one that would consider it according to its CEO Keith Meier.

It should be obvious that this would hurt the Pennsylvania economy.

But we are dealing with Democrats, however.

Welch Quits 6th District Race

Chester County businessman Steven Welch announced this morning that he is ending his quest to represent Pennsylvania’s 6th District in Congress preventing what could have been a costly primary battle with incumbent Jim Gerlach.

Gerlach said last year he was going to seek a move to the Governor’s Mansion rather than re-election to Congress, causing several strong candidates to put their hats in the ring for the GOP primary. Gerlach ended the gubernatorial bid Jan. 7. The next day he announced he was going to try to keep his House seat.

State Rep. Curt Schroder (R-155) left the field, Jan. 11, so with Welch’s announcement the most dangerous primary challengers to Gerlach are out of the game.

The gerrymanded 6th District 
includes Lower Merion in Montgomery County, Coatesville and Yellow Springs in
Chester County, a large part of Berks County and part of Lehigh County.

Kudos to Pa2010.Com for the tip.

Singel Seeks Murtha Seat

Former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel has announced that he will seek the 12th District Pennsylvania congressional seat left vacant by the Feb. 8 death of fellow Democrat John Murtha.

A special election will be held, May 18, the same day as the primary election, to fill the remaining months of Murtha’s term. An election for a fresh term will occur in November.

Singel represented the 35th District in the state senate from 1981-87, before becoming being elected lieutenant governor with Gov. Bob Casey. He wasacting governor for six months in 1993.

Ron Mackell Jr. and 34-year-old Ryan Bucchianeri  had announced primary challenges to Murtha. With the congressman’s death former state Treasurer Barbera Hafer has also expressed interest in the seat. Another possible candidate is Murtha’s widow, Joyce.

The leading contender for the GOP nomination is Bill Russell, who was Murtha’s opposition in 2008.  GOP activist Dave Battaglia  and businessman Tim Burns were also GOP primary candidates.

I’ve met Singel. Somehow, the subject of economist Milton Friedman came up. Singel seemed confused as to who he was then dismissed him saying something akin to “he’s from the 60s”.

Teacher Salaries Listed For Pa. And N.J.

 

The oppressed masses in the Rose Tree Media Education Association — the union the covers teachers, school nurses and guidance counselors in the Rose Tree Media School District — voted to strike Wednesday.

Obviously, the working conditions in the district must be horrible for these caring professionals to take the drastic step of harming a child’s education.

And they are! Consider the plight of Springton Lake Middle School physical education teacher Stephen Adams. His salary was $87,329 in 2009. And that was for 195 days grueling days of teaching gym class. Granted, he also gets benefits but can’t you understand why he might have to vote to hurt a child with working conditions such as that?

Or consider Indian Lane Elementary School teacher David Woods. He  made a mere $95,817  in 2009. I weep for these people.

BTW, this link can give you the salaries of just about every public school teacher in Pennsylvania.

This one can give you the salaries of just about every public school teacher in New Jersey.