House GOP Saves Pa. From 28 Cent Per Gal Tax Hike

House State Government Committee Majority Chairman Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) issued the following statement  regarding final passage of Pennsylvania’s 2013-14 state budget.

“I voted for this year’s $28.4 billion state budget because in the
end it is a victory for limited government and limited government
spending.  For the third consecutive year, total spending growth falls
below the TABOR allowable growth rate of 2.54 percent by $59 million.
Best of all, fiscally-conservative House Republicans were able to hold the line and, ultimately, defeat Governor Corbett’s nearly $2 billion annual gas tax-driven transportation funding plan and a backdoor attempt by the state Senate to expand Medicaid under ObamaCare.

“No matter how you look at it, Medicaid expansion is a blatant attack on working taxpayers and a blatant violation of our Constitutional rights.  Pennsylvania needs to stand together with the states that have already rejected ObamaCare in full to protect our citizens’ freedoms and pockets from this accelerated spending nightmare.

“Rather than increasing taxes and fees to generate transportation
revenue out of the pockets of hard-working taxpayers, we should look to other areas ripe for cuts.   If we cut the Department of Public Welfare budget by 10 percent, more than $1 billion in revenue could be generated for necessary infrastructure improvements and repairs.  Using the money from the sale of the state liquor stores could also generate $1 billion.  Tax and fee increases are the wrong answer for funding roads and bridges.  I will continue my fight to protect taxpayers.”

House GOP Saves Pa. From 28 Cent Per Gal Tax Hike

House GOP Saves Pa. From 28 Cent Per Gal Tax Hike

Budget Sets Record For Basic Ed Spending

The new state budget increases the basic education subsidy by $122 million reaching putting it an an all-time high of $5.5 billion reports Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association.

GOP Saves Health Care For Needy

GOP Saves Health Care For Needy — State Rep. Ryan Aument (R-41) has tweeted that “Medicaid Expansion effort in the PA House fails by a 108-94 vote. A major win for Pennsylvania taxpayers.”

The plan as approved in the state Senate was to expand  Medicaid to low-income workers without considering how the expansion would be funded in the long term or expanding the existing number of doctors much less those willing to accept Medicaid patients. This would have meant that those now eligible for the program would have had to fight with the newcomers for attention from the existing pool of doctors willing to treat them.

GOP Saves Health Care For Needy

Omnibit Of The Day

Ask yourself why anyone would want to walk 871 miles on his hands from Vienna, Austria to Paris, France. Johann Huslinger did it circa 1900.

— William W. Lawrence Sr.

Public Schools Fewer Students More Staff

Public Schools Fewer Students More Staff — For those who wonder why life seems to be getting harder with regard to the tax burden consider this tidbit from Commonwealth Foundation — Since 2000, public school enrollment has dropped by 60,000 students while staffing is up 17,000.

If the  cost — salaries, benefits, insurance, tuition etc. —  to the taxpayer for  each extra staffer is about $75,000 then the taxpayer is unnecessarily burdened by $1.275 billion.

And remember, in a sane world you need actually need fewer staff for fewer students.

Public Schools Fewer Students More Staff

Christie Nixes Medicaid Expansion

Christie Nixes Medicaid Expansion — Hey Pennsylvania Republicans look at this: New Jersey’s Christie vetoes Medicaid expansion bill

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on June 28 vetoed a bill that
attempted to make the state’s expansion of Medicaid eligibility
permanent under  Obamacare saying it “would add
potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to state and local budgets.”

If the “RINO Obama-loving” Christie can do this in a much more liberal state how about you show some similar backbone? Are you listening Sen. Pileggi? Gov. Corbett? Are you afraid the Philadelphia Inquirer will call you names? Don’t be. Nobody reads that paper anymore.

Christie Nixes Medicaid Expansion

Col. May Welcome Home

Col. May Welcome HomeLt. Col. David T. May was welcomed  to Springfield, tonight, June 29, escorted by police and ambulance with sirens blaring, and a motorcycle escort from Warriors Watch that kept traffic clear from Philadelphia International Airport down I-95 to the Blue Route to his home on Lewis Road.

May, who serves in the Special Forces with the Army Reserves, was returning from his third tour in Afghanistan.

May’s street was decorated with American flags placed curbside starting at Thompson Avenue by neighbors who had been informed of his homecoming as part of a celebration organized by  Alan Shooster and Rick Megaro. On his front yard were dozens of them, some of whom had prepared a barbecue of hot dogs and soda and beer along with other treats. It should be noted that May missed his first flight and his arrival came at nearly 9 p.m. The delay didn’t seem to affect the crowd.

Members of Heroes’ Welcome held signs and carried flags and applauded.

The greeting was a complete surprise to the Colonel. May spent nine months in Afghanistan this time according to his wife Denise, who along with daughter Katy greeted him at the airport.

She said she will shoot him in the foot if he is ordered back.

Among the greeters was Ruby, the puppy he and Denise adopted while he was on leave. Ruby was a replacement for Trooper, the blind yellow Labrador retriever the Mays adopted 10 years ago, said Robin Shooster. Trooper died while May was overseas.

Thank you for your service Colonel. Welcome home.

Col. May Welcome Home

Omnibit Of The Day

No, Christopher Anthony, don’t bother to ask your green grocer for a fruit from the jackfruit tree. The sweet fruit weights over 100 pounds — making it the world’s largest tree fruit. They are popular in India and Sir Lanka.

–William W. Lawrence Sr.

Daryl Metcalfe Concerning Proposed Gas Tax Hike

Daryl Metcalfe Concerning Proposed Gas Tax Hike — State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12) put this on Facebook about 50 minutes ago: I
strongly voiced my objections in a Republican Caucus meeting yesterday
regarding the proposed gas tax increase. In a heated exchange with a
caucus leader he accused me of being a bully because I let them know
that if they went against a majority of Republicans to pass the gas tax
with democrat votes then they should not be re-elected as leaders.

He has 2,867 likes.

Daryl Metcalfe Concerning Proposed Gas Tax Hike

Liquor Privatization Clears Hurdle 2013

Liquor Privatization Clears Hurdle 2013 — The Pennsylvania Senate at 1:20 this morning, June 29, voted 27-23 on party lines with Republicans as ayes to approve a revised plan to privatize the sale of liquor.

The deadlock was broken after Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9) offered this amendment.

The bill  allows Pennsylvania’s 1,100 retail beer distributors to buy permits to sell wine and liquor and grocery stores with beer licenses to be able to get a permit to sell wine, Bars will be able to sell three six-packs instead of two and distributors will be allowed to sell six packs now. Local brewers will be able to see their wares at farmer’s markets.

Democrat Shirley Kitchen of the 3rd District tweeted “this is a purely political move at a political time.”

Gov.Tom Corbett thanked the Senate and said he looks forward to signing the bill, which still need reconciliation with the one passed by the House.

Liquor Privatization Clears Hurdle 2013