News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
Adolph Replaces Civera — The members of the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus, yesterday, elected William Adolph to replace Mario Civera as Appropriations Chairman for the rest of the 2009-2010 legislative session.
Civera, who represents the 164th District, won a seat on Delaware County Council last November and will be resigning from the legislature, according to House GOP Leader Sam Smith of the 66th District.
Adolph represents the 165th District and lives in Springfield.
Legislators Not Passing Out Calendars This Year — The calendars featuring photos of the state capitol that our legislators bestow on favored constituents were not printed this year due to Pennsylvania’s financial difficulties.
The Senate spent $59,612 in 2009 on printing and distributing
calendars. The cost to the House was about $90,000.
Meanwhile assistants to the assistants of school superintendents are still making six figures in many if not most districts in this state.
But the calendar cutting is a start.
COLA Pay Cut? LOLOLOL — The Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield points out that Pennsylvania legislators, judges and executive branch people get an automatic cost-of-living adjustment in their pay using the consumer price index (CPI) for Philadelphia as the measure for inflation.
Will fancy that, the CPI is down 0.15% this year. Does the pay of our solons and mandarins go down?
Did I really need to add a LOLOLOL to headline?
Gov. Ed Rendell was among those sending a letter to U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter praising convict Vince Fumo and urging an easy sentence.
Who says there is no honor among thieves?
It didn’t do that much good. Buckwalter gave Fumo –who was ranking the Democrat on the state Senate Appropriations Committee until his indictment in February 2007– 55 months today for his conviction on 137 federal corruption charges.
Hey, it’s still half-a-year less than what his predecessor as the people’s representative from South Philadelphia’s 1st Senatorial District — Buddy Cianfrani — got in 1978. Take heart, Vince. Buddy was out in 27 months.
Also sending a letter of support for Fumo was former State Supreme Court Judge Sandra Schultz Newman, a Republican.
For an interesting explanation of Pennsylvania politics read the book by former Delaware Countian and judicial reformer (and martyr) Bob Surrick: “Lawyers, Judges and Journalists: The Corrupt and the Corrupters”. Free chapters can be found here: surrickbook.com/free.htm.
Mrs. Newman’s son Jonathan chaired the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board for 4.5 years until January 2007. He actually did a pretty good job.