Rohrer, who is the representative for the 128th District in the State House and Republican chairman for the House Finance Committee, faces party-endorsed state Attorney General Tom Corbett in the May 18 primary.
Mrs. Bachmann met Rohrer in 1998 when Rohrer went to Minnesota to describe federal mandates regarding schools. She says it was he who inspired her to run for office as a state senator.
Rohrer will speak 7 p.m., April 5 at West Chester Christian School, 1237 Paoli Pike.
It won’t be the most entertaining night of your life but it will certainly be educational and it’s education you should quickly acquire unless it is your desire to live in poverty and servitude.
Congressman Chris Carney, who represents Pennsylvania’s 10th District, made his first visit to the district since his vote to socialize our health care system, throwing pieces of silver at favored organizations in a way he hoped might redeem himself in the eyes of his constituents.
In the end, though, the “pro life” Democrat is likely to hang himself on the vote.
He made a rather whiny challenge to Sarah Palin and the Tea Party groups to visit Northeast Pennsylvania after they swarmed Searchlight, Nev., the hometown of socialist Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and she announced on Facebook that Carney’s seat was in her crosshairs.
That apparently frightened Carney who did not, strangely, express any concern regarding President Obama’s direction that “if they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun” given in Philadelphia on June 13, 2008 while a candidate as was pointed out by David Madeira who is among those seeking the GOP nomination for Pa10.
Carney ought to be putting his effort into keeping Nancy Pelosi out of the 10th District, someone who is hopefully going to be brought up on a consistent basis by either Madeira, Malcolm Derk or Tom Marino this summer and fall.
Neither Republican candidate had a problem releasing their income tax returns to the Philadelphia Inquirer as reported in yesterday’s story, and while Democrats Jack Wagner and Joe Hoeffel released their 1040s both balked at releasing supplementary forms.
Democrats Dan Onorato, the Allegheny County executive and State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, who represents the 8th District which includes large parts of southwest Philadelphia and southeast Delaware County, did not release their forms although they both said they eventually will.
Republican Tom Corbett and wife, Susan, made $215,568 in 2008 almost all of it from his salary of $145,529 as auditor general and her salary as vice president for development at the Gettysburg Foundation which works to preserve the battlefield. They gave $3,270 to charity.
Republican Sam Rohrer and wife, Ruth Ann, earned $83,650 in 2008 most of it from his $71,112 in salary as state representative for the 128th District, making him by far the lowest-earner on the ballot. The Rohrers are also the most generous reporting $16,187 in charitable donations in 2008. Other 2008 income for the couple showed $17,213 in capital gains from the sale of a family farm and $1,012 in dividends and interest. Wagner and wife, Nancy, showed an income of $132,548 in 2008. Wagner, the state auditor general, has a salary of $141,565 put retirement contributions put his reported income as less. The form he provided showed no charitable giving
Hoeffel and wife, Francesca, a nurse, reported $156,630 in income in 2008. Hoeffel was paid $86,000 by Montgomery County where he serves as a county commissioner. The returns also showed $12,499 in tax-exempt interest and $1,145 in dividends. As noted, he declined to provide information as to the source of the investment revenue. The Hoeffels reported giving $3.958 to charity in 2008.
Sam Rohrer took his underdog gubernatorial campaign to the auditorium of the Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square Pa., Friday night. He spoke for about an hour and a half to crowd of about 50 then gave detailed answers to any and all questions, then mingled in the lobby with those attending.
His talk was dry, in fact it was often downright dull, but the details he provided — whether on budgetary, educational, constitutional or on energy matters — were done extemporaneously and effortlessly, and with respect to cold reality. For any Obama fans reading this, that means there were no teleprompters. Rohrer very well might be what Pennsylvania is looking for right now.
Ruth Ann And Sam Rohrer in the lobby of the auditorium of the Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square. Mrs. Rohrer is a graduate of the school.
Rohrer, who represents the 128th District in the State House and is Republican chairman of the House’s Finance Committee, is challenging party-endorsed Tom Corbett, the state attorney general, for the Republican nomination. The primary election is May 18.
After introducing his wife, Ruth Ann, and his two youngest sons — the Rohrers have three other sons and a daughter — Rohrer gave the audience a dose of cold water.
“The challenges facing the next governor will be the greatest in Commonwealth history,” he said. He noted the state is nearing bankruptcy and is expected to take in $4 billion less than the $28 billion it has budgeted. He also pointed out the looming pension crisis.
He said the budget crisis could be traced to the Casey administration when a choice was made to deal with a budget deficit by increasing spending and for which we now must pay.
He then noted that Pennsylvania is a horrible place to start a business.
“We are not unfriendly to business but downright hostile,” he said.
Rohrer said The Keystone State’s business problems come down to taxes, regulations and labor. He said Pennsylvania has the highest business taxes in the nation. He said, in fact, that if the state were a nation it would have the highest business taxes in the world.
With regard to regulations, he said the state regulators go out of their way to place obstacles in front of entrepreneurs. He said a permit for a new coal mine that cost $1,000 a few decades back was now six figures. He, said, however that was easiest problem to fix due to the regulatory outlook largely being the result of direction set by the governor.
He said biggest hurdle for business was the labor environment. Pennsylvania is a “union shop” state which means that all employees at a business with a union must pay dues to the union. Rohrer said Pennsylvania is losing jobs yearly to “right to work” states such as North Carolina that don’t have that requirement.
Rohrer supports the state’s Open Workforce initiative that was introduced in the legislator in November.
In the good news department, Rohrer brought up the natural gas waiting to be tapped in the Marcellus Shale, which cover a good part of the state. He said it has not been widely reported but an additional layer has been found in the formation which possibly doubles the amount of gas it holds. He said some now estimate it as meeting the nations energy needs for the next 100 years.
Rohrer’s next topic was education and property taxes which fund most of Pennsylvania’s public schools. He said he was the author of Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program which he describes as the most successful school choice program in the country and provides assistance to 50,000 children a year. He wants it expanded.
Rohrer said that 30 percent of the school districts in the state are insolvent.
Regarding the property tax, Rohrer wants to get rid of it.
“How many of you own your home?” he asked the audience. “I used to think I did too.”
Rohrer said the property tax is among the cruelest tax and disproportionately affects the poor. He said that 70 percent of those below the poverty line in Pennsylvania are home owners. If they fail to pay their taxes for two straight years the state is likely to take their home.
If you want to see what your child’s teacher made in 2009, btw, visit here.
Rohrer’s plan is to replace the property tax by expanding the sales tax to things such as labor; getting fees from Macellus Shale; and casino money. He noted that food and utilities would remain exempt and the tax would remain at 6 percent.
He noted he could easily cut each department in the state budget by 10 percent to more than cover any left over shortfall.
Rohrer final, and maybe most important, point involved ethics. He said the mistrust many hold for government comes from their elected officials unwillingness to tell the truth and to humbly consider themselves as public servants.
Corbett ought to keep his eye on the rear-view mirror. Rohrer is clearly playing to win and is getting a lot of help from the Tea Party groups.
“Seventy percent of those polled said they would support a Tea Party endorsed candidate over a party-endorsed candidate,” Rohrer said.
Long-time Delaware County activist Rick Lacy backed up that point when he introduced him.
“This year for the first time in 25 years of being involved in politics, I will not be voting for the lesser of two evils,” he said.
Rohrer was scheduled for a stop in Scotland, Pa. in Franklin County. 9 a.m., Saturday.
The uncontrolled mouth of Congressman Joe “The Fink” Sestak (D-Pa7) may send his master down muck creek sans motor.
The Drudge Report and CBS News are now reporting that the top Republican — Darrell Issa (R-Ca49) — on the House Oversight Committe will call for a special prosecutor if the White House does not address Sestak’s claim that he was offered a job to drop his Senate challenge to party comrade Arlen Specter, the incumbent.
Sestak made the claim in mid-February on “Voice of Reason”, a Comcast Network cable news show hosted by veteran anchor Larry Kane.
Sestak said he could not comment that the job was Navy Secretary but did confirm it was “high up”.
If true, the offer would be a violation of federal anti-bribery laws, along with laws prohibiting government officials from interfering in elections and using federal jobs for for political reasons.
Violation of each provision is punishable by up to one year in jail.
Will Sestakgate become a new word? Well, yes it seems. Remember Mr. President, it’s the cover-up not the crime that gets you in trouble.
Meanwhile, Specter, showing the loyalty to friends and benefactors for which he has become famous, said it sounds like bribery to him and basically double-dog dared Admiral Joe to name names and dates.
The latest Franklin & Marshall poll has Pat Toomey beating incumbent Arlen Specter to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate 33-29 with 32 undecided. This is a direct reversal of March’s results which had Specter up 33-29 with 29 percent  undecided. In January F&M had Toomey & Specter tied at 30.
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Also in the latest, Toomey beats Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) Â 27-19 with 49 percent undecided. This is up from last month which had Toomey ahead 25-22 with 47 percent undecided.
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And party-endorsed Specter keeps a strong lead over Sestak in the Democrat Primary race 32-12 with 52 percent undecided.
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The Rasmussen Poll has had Toomey ahead of Specter for three straight months with the most recent tally being 49-40, and Toomey beating Sestak 42-37.Â
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Rasmussen has Specter leading Sestak handily.Â
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A QuinnipiacUniversity poll released March 2, however, has Specter beating Toomey by 7points and Sestak by 24 points.
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In the GOP gubernatorial primary race, F&M has  Attorney General Tom Corbett  extending his lead over state Rep. Sam Rohrer to 28-4 but 66 percent remain undecided. In January, it was 23-5 with 69 percent undecided.
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In the four-man Democrat gubernatorial race, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato is the front runner favored by 11 percent of the Dem voters followed by state Auditor General Jack Wagner at 7 percent, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel at 5 percent and State Senator Anthony Williams (D-191) at 2 percent with 71 percent undecided.Â
Chris Paige has withdrawn from the Pennsylvania 11th Congressional District Republican Primary leaving Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta the last man standing to face the Democrat candidate this November. That candidate is almost certainly going to be incumbent Paul “I Believe In Executive Orders” Kanjorski but still he faces a May 18 challenge from Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien and in this climate you never can tell.
Barletta would have likely beat Kanjorski in 2008 but for the Obama surge.
The former U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Delaware County District Attorney who is going to almost certainly be the Republican nominee for the Pennsylvania 7th District Congressional seat being vacated by Democrat Joe Sestak for a senate run has spoken out on the health care disaster passed last night by the House of Representatives.
“Dems rammed through legislation that raises taxes on middle class & represents a government takeover of 17% of the economy,” Pat Meehan said on Twitter. “This is a bad bill filled with corrupt backroom deals to secure a bare majority of support. (The) bill could not stand on own merits.”
His expected opponent in November, State Rep. Bryan Lentz (D-161) has called the travesty “The type of common-sense starting point we need to lower costs for the consumer, improve the quality of care and help stabilize our economy.”
Where does the Democrat Party find such geniuses.
Hey Lentz, how about we put in the restrictions on access to lawyers that we just put on access to doctors and nurses and drugs? How about we restrict the actions of lawyers as we just did the actions of doctors and lawyers and drug makers?
It should be noted that Sestak voted for the bill, and was an enthusiastic backer.
State Rep. Sam Rohrer, the underdog challenger to be the GOP gubernatorial candidate, will hold a town hall, 7 p.m., Friday, at Delaware County Christian School, 462 Malin Road, Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.
And Dwight Weidman informs me that Sam will hold a town meeting 9-10:30 the following morning at the Scotland Community Center, Main St., Scotland, — the one near Chambersburg not Northumbria.
Mark M. Gillen, the man who won an election in 2001 for Berks County Jury Commissioner to eliminate the $18,000 part-time job, is seeking the 128th District seat in the State House being vacated by Samuel E. Rohrer to pursue the Republican nomination for governor.
He is running in the GOP primary which is May 18.
Gillen says he will work to reduce the size and cost of Pennsylvania government, not serve more than eight years, and not accept per diem payments.
