The hottest pepper in the world is the Carolina Reaper with a Scoville scale measurement of 2.2 million. It is about 20 times as a hot as an habanero, which was the world’s hottest back in 1999.
It is 2,000 times hotter than a jalapeno.
Month: February 2016
Governor Wolf Handshake Dishonorable
Governor Wolf Handshake Dishonorable by Sen. Scott Wagner
Governor Tom Wolf delivered his 2016-2017 budget address for Pennsylvania, Feb. 9.
The Governor’s budget address was delivered on the back of an unfinished 2015-2016 budget.
Governor Wolf did not mince words when he placed all of the blame for the 2015-2016 budget mess on House Republicans.
I must confess that I was taken back by the Governor’s comments and arrogance – during his budget address he made this statement to PA House Members – “If you won’t take seriously your responsibility to the people of Pennsylvania – then find another job.”
The Governor directed blame towards the House Republican Leaders for the budget impasse.
Governor Wolf stated, “We had a deal. And then the House Republican leaders walked away.”
How ironic – I had a similar personal experience with Governor Wolf.
On Dec. 20, I attended a holiday Open House at a home in Southeastern PA – Governor Wolf showed up at the Open House – after a brief period I was approached by a Democratic Senator to ask if I would have a discussion with the Governor – a discussion took place with another Republican Senator, the Democratic Senator, the Governor and me.
I was asked if I would help the Governor and consider talking to Republican House Members that I have relationships with about the budget and help bridge the gap.
I agreed to meet with the Governor and the other two Senators on Tuesday – Dec. 22 – I asked the Governor to clear three hours of time so we could have the discussion and come up with various resolutions – the Governor looked me in the eye, shook my hand and said “we have a deal.”
When we arrived on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. for our meeting at the Governor’s office, I immediately sensed that something had changed – the Governor commented that he had another meeting in 35 minutes – so much for the three hour hand shake deal.
The Governor was quick to let me know that he knew that I was focused on reining in out of control spending – he stated, “I have to get this budget done and then next year in January we can meet to discuss spending controls” – January has come and gone – no call from the Governor – in the private sector business world when someone shakes my hand and says we have a deal, I take that gesture as a gesture of honor – Governor Wolf broke that gesture of honor.
My prediction is that Governor Wolf is going to play the same hostage game as he did last year with schools and non-profit agencies.
Yesterday afternoon (Feb. 11) a mass email was sent by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party to readers kicking sand into the faces of Republican House and Senate Leaders, two other House members, and myself for saying no to Governor Wolf’s tax increases.
I can only speculate that as a child Governor Wolf was picked on at his elite boarding school – little rich bullies run up and kick sand in the other kids faces and run away – Governor Wolf is attempting that same technique with the legislature and then running to his public sector union friends to defend him, and then asking them to give him millions of dollars collected from their members paychecks to fund negative TV ads and mailers in Republican House and Senate Districts slamming those members, and now yesterday’s email blast directed towards leaders and members of the legislature because they didn’t vote for his tax package.
Governor Wolf has quickly driven a wedge into any relationships that might have been possible with House and Senate Republicans – to be clear – Governor Wolf has gone toxic – and he has burned many bridges and may have lost any opportunity to have a positive outcome with his remaining time in office.
It is also worth pointing out that most Democratic House and Senate Members do not want to vote for any tax increases either – these same Democrats are being thrown under the bus by their own Democratic Governor – many Democrats will secretly agree with my assessment but their leadership is keeping them in line with intimidation tactics.
I have a different perspective of the budget and the Pennsylvania economy – very different from the perspective of Governor Wolf.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I along with other Senate colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, will begin to participate in budget hearings over the next six weeks with all state agencies.
I have an advantage coming from the private sector – I continue to operate several business so I get to see first-hand the current business climate.
I continue to see massive amounts of waste and out of control spending in Harrisburg – if you have been regularly receiving my emails you will know I have not changed my opinion on this.
Many businesses in Pennsylvania are laying off employees because of weak business conditions.
The oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania, and the rest of the country, has been clobbered because of historic low oil and gas prices – the ripple effect to suppliers and service providers of the oil and gas industry have also been affected.
Click here for one example: http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-air-products-posts-quarterly-earnings-20160129-story.html
Governor Wolf and his administration have not delivered any sizable cost reductions or efficiency savings over the last year – Governor Wolf cares about one thing – raising taxes on Pennsylvanians.
It is time to “Restructure Harrisburg” – the time is now, not next week, next month, or next year.
The bad news is that Governor Wolf will not do any “Restructuring” while he is office – so the next three years are going to be tough for everyone – especially Pennsylvania Taxpayers.
Sen. Wagner represents the 28th District in the Pennsylvania Senate.
Governor Wolf Handshake Dishonorable
West Virginia Goes Right To Work
West Virginia Goes Right To Work — Legendary labor powerhouse West Virginia — the land of Matewan and the UMWA — just went “right to work”.
“Right to work” means it is illegal to make as a condition of employment joining a union or paying union dues. One can still join a union, of course, or pay dues. He just can’t be fired if he chooses not to do so. Maybe he doesn’t like his hard-earned, involuntarily taken money being used for his local’s leader’s $277,000 salary. Or perhaps, he’s really mad that it winds up as donations to politicians who support unrestricted immigration, closing refineries, and Planned Parenthood while opposing letting him have the means to defend himself if he should feel the need.
Polling shows that 74 percent of U.S. voters support “right to work”.
West Virginia follows in the footsteps of legendary labor powerhouses Michigan and Indiana which went RTW in 2012, and Wisconsin which did so last year.
West Virginia’s law was enacted yesterday, Feb. 12, when the state House and Senate overrode Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s veto.
West Virginian also, yesterday, repealed its prevailing wage law which is a law that mandates workers on public projects be paid at a rate set by the government rather than the market.
Pennsylvania also has a prevailing wage law. It is estimated that it adds 20 percent to the cost of public works. This means that a new high school that cost $130 million with prevailing wage would cost $104 million without it. It would be almost as if the community magically found $26 million.
If reforms such as these could happen in West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin, there is no reason to think they couldn’t happen in Pennsylvania.
West Virginia Goes Right To Work and ends prevailing wage.
William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 2-12-16
So where did Abraham Lincoln keep his bankbook? In his stovepipe hat. Really.
William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 2-12-16
Poor Congresspeople
Poor Congresspeople — We’ve all seen lists of the richest congresspeople, but there are some for the poorest among them as well.
Can there really be poor people in Congress? The congressional salary, after all, is $174,000 not including benefits.
“The 10 on our list have millions in debt among them — from business loans to credit cards to unpaid attorney fees related to an impeachment,” RollCall.com explains. The site notes, however, that determining “minimum net worth is an inexact science” and that several on the list have multiple homes and other assets not generally associated with the poor.
Roll Calls 10 poorest members of Congress in 2015 are:
- Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) -$8.7 million
- Rep. Alcee L Hastings (D-FL)-$2.2 million
- Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)- $1.3 million
- Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) -$1.3 million
- Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) -$907,000
- Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) -$896,000
- Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-M)-$813,000
- Sen. Matin Heinrich (D-NM)-$723,000
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) -$713,000
- Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) -$700,000
Palmer Gibbs of InsideGov.com has also compiled a list of the poorest albeit with 25 names. Some are the same, some are not and the order and valuations are different. It contains explanations for Valado’s and Hastings’ problems — namely Valado’s family dairy farm debt and Hastings 1988 bribery impeachment as a federal judge — who again hold the the first and second places.
While Fattah is the only Philly area rep that Roll Call lists, InsideGov omits him but includes Chester County’s Rep. Ryan Costello (R-6) in 11th place with a worth of -$47,944 and Philadelphia’s Brendan Boyle (D-13) in 17th with a worth of -$24,997.
Poor Congresspeople
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 2-11-16
Dueling US Navy — Dueling was a serious problem in the U.S Navy back in the day. Between 1798 and the Civil War it lost two-thirds as many officers to it as to combat at sea.
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 2-11-16
Penncora Decorated Parkway For Pope
Penncora Decorated Parkway For Pope –Penncora, the excellent Phoenixville design firm run by Barbara Bater, provided the flowers for the Papal stages on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for Pope Francis’ visit last September.
A behind the scenes look can be found here.
Penncora Decorated Parkway For Pope
Dems Save Kathleen Kane
Dems Save Kathleen Kane — The Pennsylvania Senate, yesterday, Feb. 10, fell four votes short of the two-thirds needed to removed a disgraced person who shamelessly ignores the law as the state’s top law enforcement officer.
In fairness the vast majority of senators — the vast majority being Republican — did realize that Kathleen Kane should be removed as attorney general. The 29-19 vote though was just not quite enough.
Choosing party over principle, all Democrats except Bob Teplitz of the 15th District voted to protect her. They were joined by Republican Stewart Greenleaf of the 2nd District, who may as well be a Democrat considering his voting history.
Ms. Kane is facing charges of perjury, false swearing, three counts of obstructing administration of law, and four counts of official oppression relating to allegations that she leaked grand jury information to the press.
The state Supreme Court suspended her law license on Sept. 21. The state Constitution requires the attorney general to be a member in good standing with the bar, which suspended lawyers are not.
The senators protecting Ms. Kane say she shouldn’t be removed because she had been elected and that her duties were managerial so forget the law and let this person remain as head of law enforcement.
And that political leaders could make this claim with a straight face is why people across the political spectrum have acquired the feelings they do regarding the political class.
Further, if the shoe were on the other foot and it was the removal of a Republican being sought for the same reasons, every one of the D’s who had voted to save Ms. Kane would have voted otherwise. We think most of the R’s would have actually voted consistently even if it was just to save themselves from the inevitable media outrage which is not going to happen in this case.
Dems Save Kathleen Kane
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 2-10-16
John Dunlop did not invent the pneumatic tire for a car, but for his son’s tricycle.
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 2-10-16
New Wolf Budget Also Burdens Little Guy
New Wolf Budget Also Burdens Little Guy By Matthew J. Brouillette
Yesterday, Feb. 9, Gov. Wolf doubled down on his tax-and-spend agenda. Here are five facts you need to know about how Gov. Wolf’s budget would affect your family and our state:
1. It’s more of the same. Wolf’s proposed budget mirrors what he repeatedly offered—and lawmakers repeatedly rejected—last year: Massive tax hikes and record spending increases. 
2. It’s the biggest spending increase in 25 years. Wolf’s $33.3 billion General Fund budget (including pension payments) represents a 10% increase over the budget passed by the legislature in December and is the bgigest spending increase since 1991-92.
3. Wolf’s tax hike = $850 more per family four annually.
4. Wolf’s budget includes $1.1 billion more for public schools, on top of the record-high level of funding passed by the legislature in December. This comes with no accountability measures and with punitive cuts to public charter schools.
5. At least eight different tax hikes are in the budget. This includes an 11% personal income tax hike—retroactive to January 2016 (in other words, you already owe the state more taxes).
Wolf talked about ‘saving’ the taxpayers of Pennsylvania. Instead, he’s taxing us backwards and forwards.
Join us in telling Gov. Wolf, “Please, no more taxes!” Get all the budget facts—and a catchy decal—over on our site at Commonwealth Foundation.
Matthew J. Brouillette is president and CEO of Commonwealth Foundation.
Wolf New Budget Also Burdens Little Guy