News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
Toomey Supports Victims Of Military Sex Assault — Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) announces that the has sponsored legislation with Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to assist service members who are victims of sexual assault in the military and to hold their attackers accountable.
Hopefully the male victims will be eligible too.
The season has finally arrived!
Memorial Day weekend ushered in the unofficial start of summer when people relax with family and friends, enjoying what little leisure time is left in America.
But Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett made it abundantly clear he wasn’t interested in that season.
For him, it was all about making it Open Season — on Pennsylvanians.
In a move that defies every ounce of common sense for a governor touting the lowest popularity in the nation, Corbett had his state police slip across the border over the weekend to engage in sting operations, targeting Pennsylvanians for the capital crime of buying liquor in Delaware and crossing back into the Keystone State.
And what was the mammoth haul of Tommy’s troopers?
The equivalent of 17 cases of beer, 10 cases of wine, and 15 bottles of liquor.
At least Pennsylvania has no other pressing problems to which its increasingly limited resources should be allocated. Oh, wait. It does. A lot, actually.
That was made readily apparent watching the local news when, immediately after the liquor confiscation story, it was reported that Pennsylvania had the worst, most dangerous bridges in the nation (while Delaware’s were second best).
How can the governor reconcile those things? Despite having historic Republican majorities in both legislative chambers, Corbett has made zero headway fixing our crumbling infrastructure, yet prioritizes undercover operations (which nab three people) buying alcohol in another state. Going out on a limb here, but wouldn’t the substantial resources spent on operations in Delaware be better utilized elsewhere? Like in Pennsylvania?
How much taxpayer money was wasted on logistics, fuel costs, and troopers’ salaries, compared to the miniscule tax Pennsylvania “lost?” The numbers aren’t even in the same ballpark, so what were they doing? Squandering resources just to make a point — whatever that point is?
Try explaining that to the family who loses a loved one to a drunk driver who maybe, just maybe, could have been stopped had the state police been patrolling in-state. Or to those victimized by burglary, assault and numerous other crimes while their police were busy making out-of-state, small-time liquor busts.
On a holiday weekend where there is always an upswing in driving while intoxicated (there were five fatal DUI crashes, according to state police), the governor unleashed his dogs on those simply trying to avoid the whopping 18 percent Johnstown Flood Tax of 1936 (plus the additional sales tax) that Pennsylvania levies on wine and liquor.
Is this his way of strong-arming his liquor privatization plan? A kind of “pass my bill or it’ll be like this until you do” message?
Great, except that his bill wouldn’t keep people from flocking to other states to buy liquor, as Freindly Fire explained in a prior column. No one is a bigger privatization proponent than I, but do it right or not at all. But since neither Corbett’s nor the Legislature’s plan eliminate the Johnstown tax, prices will remain high or, quite likely, further increase, if either proposal passes.
And if Delaware stings aren’t about liquor privatization, then what are they about? And why?
Give Tom Corbett credit for one thing: If he’s trying to attain a single-digit approval rating, he is succeeding better than the Democrats ever dreamed.
Aside from the sheer stupidity of engaging in such an operation, several questions are worth asking:
1. Are Pennsylvania State Police legally permitted to operate in other states? If so, why? A call to the Delaware State Police yielded no information, as two individuals had no knowledge of Pennsylvania’s actions. Which makes sense, since it is not in Delaware’s interest to put a damper on legal Delaware commerce.
2. How is this not a violation on the Interstate Commerce Clause? It should be, but the 21st Amendment has a provision allowing states to regulate alcohol almost any way they want. It should be changed.
3. Since random, empty liquor boxes are used to package alcoholic and non-alcoholic bottles at the checkout counter, do the police have probable cause to search one’s trunk after the border crossing is made? How do the police know that the Grey Goose box doesn’t contain soda and non-alcoholic beer? As long as we’re talking about amendments, the governor and police should read the Fourth one. It’s kind of important.
4. When Corbett’s liquor privatization plan doesn’t pass this month — and it probably won’t — will the number of search and seizures escalate? Bet you a case of Delaware liquor they will.
Corbett continues to rationalize why his Jerry Sandusky investigation took so long. One excuse was that he didn’t have the necessary resources, since as attorney general, he didn’t control the state police — the governor did. Under that rationale, Tom Corbett as governor is, and must be, responsible for all operations of the state police under his command, so the buck stops with him on these heavy-handed liquor stings.
As the backlash grows, it has become yet another reason why next year’s re-election chances looks very sobering for Tom Corbett.
Michele Bachmann Coming To Philly — Minnesota Congresswomen Michele Bachmann, who made a run fro the presidency last year, will speak at the Union League of Philadelphia, noon, Friday, June 7 following a reception that begins at 11:30 a.m.
Tickets are $50. The event is sponsored by The Union League Public Affairs Committee and Philadelphia Freedom Center.
For information call 484-380-2549. To register click here
Hat tip Bob Guzzardi
Cyber Schools Threatened By Pa. Cuts — The Pennsylvania House Education Committee will hold hearings, Monday, on proposals that threaten to slash funding for cyber schools, reports Commonwealth Foundation. And cyber schools already receive only 81 percent of what traditional districts receive per student!
These drastic cuts will make it difficult—if not impossible—for cyber schools to compete. Indeed, many will be forced to close if funding is reduced, the Foundation says.
Cyber schools are public charter schools that more than 32,000 Pennsylvania students have chosen as the school that best fits their needs. These kids should not be treated as separate and unequal second-class citizens by shortchanging their education funding.
The schools give children a chance to escape bullies and bad teachers, who do exist.
For those without children or whose children are beyond school age, the existence of cyber schools helps dissuade the unions from being completely unreasonable in their contract demands and placing even more of a burden on you home or business property tax.
The state’s porcine educational establishment sees them as a threat.
To send a message to our governmental leaders visit here
Sen. Pat Toomey has taken on the uncaring federal health care establishment in an attempt to to save the life of a 10-year-old Newtown Square girl.
He notes that Sarah Murnaghan may have just weeks to live. Sarah has cystic fibrosis and needs a lung transplant. She is fighting for her life at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“Pediatric organ donors are in short supply and the likelihood of Sarah receiving a pediatric lung in time is virtually non-existent,” Toomey said.
This is due, in part, because the decision is being made based on a waiting list rather than medical necessity.
Toomey notes that a federal mandate that allocation policies be based on medical necessity only applies to patients over the age of 12.
Sen. Toomey is asking the Department of Health Human Services for intervention.
“I have asked Secretary Sebelius to do everything she can to assist Sarah and I hope and pray that red tape doesn’t get in the way of helping her. I understand we need rules to prioritize organ transplants, but the fact that Sarah is 10 and not 12 shouldn’t be a reason to deny her a chance at life,” he said.
Toomey is also promoting this petition to save Sarah created by her family.
Did O Steal Election In Ohio? — President Obama beat Republican Mitt Romney in Ohio by 166,214 votes out 5,489,028 cast last November for a 3 percent margin of victory.
Well it turns out that one out of every five — or 20 percent for public school grads — registered Ohio voter is ineligible to vote.
Now some could say that is just innocent sloppiness and these people never came out to vote anyone.
Or some could say that was a pretty strong sign that the Democrats stole the election in Ohio.
BTW, Ohio Secretary of State John Husted was given the cold shoulder by Attorney General Eric Holder when he sought a meeting to try to balance conflicting federal laws to pare down the list.
Hearings Held On Pa. Child Abuse Bill — Members of the House Children and Youth Committee recently held a public hearing on legislation that would more clearly define what constitutes child abuse in Pennsylvania and strengthen protections for children, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
House Bill 726 proposes to lower the injury threshold for physical abuse, terming it “bodily injury” – the standard used for the crime of simple assault. The bill also defines, and makes it easier to substantiate, cases of serious emotional abuse or neglect, sexual abuse or exploitation, or conduct that intentionally compromises the safety of a child.
House Bill 726 was introduced based on recommendations made by the Task Force on Child Protection to improve state laws to protect against child abuse. The House Children and Youth Committee has made child protection one of the top priorities this session in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Child Identity Theft Bill Advances — The House has approved a bill aimed at combating the growing crime of child identity theft, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
House Bill 714 would include children within a protected class of victims for which the offense of identity theft receives an enhanced grading.
Often, a child doesn’t know his or her identity has been stolen until many years after the fact, when he or she first applies for college assistance or a credit card. This can lead to financial headaches and delayed enrollment in college until the situation can be resolved. The Federal Trade Commission has recognized identity theft committed against children as a growing problem. One study that found an estimated 142,000 instances of identity theft are perpetrated against children in the United States each year.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Douglas Shulman, who was IRS commissioner during the Obama’s first term, visited the White House 118 times just in 2010 and 2011.
His successor, Steven Miller, also visited “numerous” times.
The IRS commissioner is a managerial position, not a policy one.
Mark Everson, who was IRS commission for most of the Bush II Administration, visited but once.
We should be very scared about what this administration is capable of doing.
Court Upholds Redistricting Plan — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of a plan to redraw the boundaries of state House and Senate districts following the 2010 census, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)