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What with all the attention focused on the reprobates in Washington and our efforts to depose them, let’s not forget about all our own reprobates in Harrisburg and the fact that some of the have gotten their due.

As a powerful state representative, Mike Veon for years was perfectly coiffed, wore $1,000 custom-made pin-striped suits, smoked expensive cigars and sipped Makers Mark bourbon with lobbyists. He zipped around on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, attended conferences in Las Vegas and flew back and forth to Harrisburg in a state plane.

He dispatched a legislative staffer to retrieve his dry cleaning, arranged for his clothes to be tailored every time he lost or gained a few pounds and never wore the same tie twice on days the Legislature was in session.

Times have changed.

These days, the former House Democratic whip wears a brown Department of Corrections uniform, gets monthly haircuts from the prison barbershop and shaves with a 95-cent disposable razor bought from a prison commissary.

His leisurely dinners have been replaced by food mixed in huge vats and served on trays passed through a slot in a Plexiglass wall that runs between the kitchen and prison dining room. Inmates file in and sit four to a table. Talking is allowed, but there is little of it because inmates scarf down food in the precious few minutes allotted to eat. Meals lately have included hot dogs, braised chicken, baked beans, roasted potatoes and watermelon.

Oh, Mikey. How far you’ve fallen. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

Admittedly, as I read the article, it occurred to me that this facility is more daycare than prison, but still there are no lobbyist lunches, no limousines, an no rubbing elbows with the high and mighty. In fact, it looks like Mike Veon Inmate #JP4741 is getting
a taste of what it’s like to be a plebe just like the rest of us.

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Bill Murray must be furious.

Two decades after the release of his classic “Groundhog Day” —- in which a series of events is repeated over and over — Governor Rendell and the Pennsylvania legislature have trumped him.

The passage of yet another horrendous budget has made our politicians the new poster children for “Groundhog Day.”

While, ironically, the movie and budget debacle are set in the same state, there is one key difference.

The movie is a make-believe two-hour comedy.  But the budget is a tragedy that will play out for decades to come.  And it’s one from which we can’t awaken, relieved that it was all a bad dream.

*****

Give Rendell and the legislature credit where it’s due.  If nothing else, they’re consistent.

Collectively, they haven’t executed a budget on time in ANY of the eight Rendell years.

And each budget is a replay of the year prior: bloated spending, job-crushing tax increases, more bureaucracy, and the preservation of pols’ pet projects.

The consequence of this deliberate malfeasance is no longer opinion, but simple fact:

Our state is at or near the bottom of job creation, employment prospects, and college students remaining in the state after graduation.  We have the most hostile legal system in the country, levy some of the highest taxes, and produce a vastly inferior educational product.

Our bridges and infrastructure are, literally, falling apart, and, year after year, we earn the dubious distinction of having the worst roads in the nation.

And, certainly not least, the legislature’s excessive coddling of the unions and their sacred-cow state pension system has made the state insolvent, with bankruptcy in the next two to three years a very real possibility.

Quite a legacy.

We are imploding, and will soon reach fiscal Armageddon. 

(As an aside, it was quite strange to repeatedly hear the Governor refer to our situation as “Armageddon,” a term he seems to have borrowed from Yours Truly, despite that fact that 1) he won’t consent to an interview with Freindly Fire, and 2) he, more than anyone, is responsible for the financial calamity in which we find ourselves.)

Why?

Because our elected officials “have theirs.”  It’s that simple.

The Governor will parachute into a seven-figure job when he’s done in January, and legislators enjoy one of the most lavish pension and perk systems in the country. Which, of course, they voted to give themselves, courtesy of we the (forgotten) taxpayers.

Oh, and one more thing.

In order to facilitate this legendary budget prowess, they break the law on an annual basis….

Read more at Philadelphia Magazine’s Philly Post:

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/07/06/armageddon-in-pennsylvania/

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Bill Murray must be furious.

Two decades after the release of his classic “Groundhog Day” —- in which a series of events is repeated over and over — Governor Rendell and the Pennsylvania legislature have trumped him.

The passage of yet another horrendous budget has made our politicians the new poster children for “Groundhog Day.”

While, ironically, the movie and budget debacle are set in the same state, there is one key difference.

The movie is a make-believe two-hour comedy.  But the budget is a tragedy that will play out for decades to come.  And it’s one from which we can’t awaken, relieved that it was all a bad dream.

*****

Give Rendell and the legislature credit where it’s due.  If nothing else, they’re consistent.

Collectively, they haven’t executed a budget on time in ANY of the eight Rendell years.

And each budget is a replay of the year prior: bloated spending, job-crushing tax increases, more bureaucracy, and the preservation of pols’ pet projects.

The consequence of this deliberate malfeasance is no longer opinion, but simple fact:

Our state is at or near the bottom of job creation, employment prospects, and college students remaining in the state after graduation.  We have the most hostile legal system in the country, levy some of the highest taxes, and produce a vastly inferior educational product.

Our bridges and infrastructure are, literally, falling apart, and, year after year, we earn the dubious distinction of having the worst roads in the nation.

And, certainly not least, the legislature’s excessive coddling of the unions and their sacred-cow state pension system has made the state insolvent, with bankruptcy in the next two to three years a very real possibility.

Quite a legacy.

We are imploding, and will soon reach fiscal Armageddon. 

(As an aside, it was quite strange to repeatedly hear the Governor refer to our situation as “Armageddon,” a term he seems to have borrowed from Yours Truly, despite that fact that 1) he won’t consent to an interview with Freindly Fire, and 2) he, more than anyone, is responsible for the financial calamity in which we find ourselves.)

Why?

Because our elected officials “have theirs.”  It’s that simple.

The Governor will parachute into a seven-figure job when he’s done in January, and legislators enjoy one of the most lavish pension and perk systems in the country. Which, of course, they voted to give themselves, courtesy of we the (forgotten) taxpayers.

Oh, and one more thing.

In order to facilitate this legendary budget prowess, they break the law on an annual basis….

Read more at Philadelphia Magazine’s Philly Post:

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/07/06/armageddon-in-pennsylvania/

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For the first time in his ‘reign’ as Governor, Ed Rendell has a budget that passed through the State House and Senate before the June 30th deadline. Congratulations Governor Rendell! Congratulations, too, to the 37 Senators and 177 Representatives that signed on to that “pile of garbage” that they called a State Budget.

Why is it a pile of garbage? . . . Because it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Our legislature is REQUIRED BY LAW to pass a balanced budget. The budget that passed the House and Senate yesterday is balanced on federal funds that don’t yet exist and a tax on the extraction of Marcellus Shale natural gas that has yet to be passed. In essence, “the budget stands for nothing” . . . which is appropriate since that is also the case with many of our legislators.

Who is to blame?

The opportunity to STOP the budget was in the Republican controlled Senate. The budget bill passed the State Senate by a vote of 37 to 13. There were only 13 Senators that did the right thing by voting NO to this example of fiscal irresponsibility. What about the Senate leadership? Here are their votes . . . for the record.

REPUBLICANS

YES – Joseph B. Scarnati III (President of the Senate)
YES – Dominic Pileggi (Majority Floor Leader)
YES – Michael Waugh (Majority Caucus Chair)
YES – Robert Robbins (Majority Caucus Secretary)
YES – Jake Corman (Majority Appropriations Committee Chair)
YES – Patrick M. Browne (Majority Caucus Administrator)
YES – Edwin Erickson (Majority Policy Committee Chair)

DEMOCRATS

YES – Roberta Mellow (Minority Floor Leader)
YES – Michael O’Pake (Minority Whip)
YES – Vincent Hughes (Minority Caucus Chair)
YES – Sean Logan (Minority Caucus Secretary)
YES – Jay Costa (Minority Appropriations Committee Chair)
YES – Christine Tartaglione (Minority Caucus Administrator)
YES – Richard Kasunic (Minority Policy Committee Chair)

THIS PROVES that the Senate leadership MUST change . . . one way or another!

The budget bill passed the State House by a vote of 117 to 84. This is not a shock seeing that the House is controlled by Rendell Democrats. What is shocking in this number, however, is that 16 Republicans voted WITH the Rendell Democrats in order to achieve a supermajority which was required to waive a rule requiring 24 hours’ notice before a bill is voted.

If you would like to see how your Senators and Representatives voted, please refer to the voting records below:

June 30 Budget Vote in Senate is HERE
June 30 Budget Vote in House is HERE

What about Northwest PA?

MOST of the legislators from our region in Northwest Pennsylvania agree with my views on the budget, and MOST of them voted against the budget bill yesterday. Specifically . . .

Mercer County Legislators

Representative Michele Brooks (R) – NO
Representative Dick Stevenson (R) – NO
Representative Mark Longietti (D) – YES
Senator Bob Robbins (R) – YES

Crawford County Legislators

Representative John Evans (R) – NO
Representative Brad Roae (R) – NO
Representative Michele Brooks (R) – NO
Senator Bob Robbins (R) – YES

Republican Representatives (and Conservatives) Michele Brooks, Dick Stevenson, John Evans, and Brad Roae all did the RIGHT thing and voted NO to the budget.

Rendell Democrats Bob Robbins and Representative Mark Longietti voted YES to the budget. Representative Mark Longietti did what his caucus told him to do . . . in the end he supported his Governor and his Caucus (right or wrong). Republican Senator Bob Robbins PROVED his allegiance to the Democrats that WROTE HIM IN in the Primary (all 800 of them) and he also supported his fellow Democrat Governor and his new Caucus.

As a Republican LEADER in the Senate, Bob Robbins should be ashamed of himself. Even more important, his CONSTITUENTS should be angry with him. It shows that he was more concerned with getting rid of the “budget problem” in an election year that he was with standing on principles of good government and fiscal responsibility.

In press releases that were sent out last night, Bob Robbins fellow legislators from this area made their thoughts about the budget clear . . .

Representative Michele Brooks stated:

“Although this budget was passed on time – as it should be – it falls short to earn my support. I have many serious concerns about funding allocations and the source of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.”

“Many of us have concerns regarding whether this budget is constitutionally balanced as it relies heavily on $850 million in funding from the federal government, which has not yet been approved by Congress and there are some doubts whether it will be approved. It also has a structural deficit of approximately $3 billion.”

Representative Brad Roae stated:

“State budgets are about priorities,” Roae said. “This budget sets the wrong priorities for Pennsyvlania.”

“This budget literally spends money the state doesn’t have,” Roae said. “This budget is based on the hope of a federal bailout for the state. If the federal government runs up the deficit to pay for this bailout, taxpayers will be paying for it for years to come.”

“This budget doesn’t reflect my priorities and it certainly doesn’t reflect the wishes
of the people I represent,” Roae said. “We needed to reduce spending due to the recession, but the cuts in this budget weren’t applied fairly. This budget sets up huge tax increases or painful spending cuts for next year. I simply could not support a budget that is this irresponsible.”

According to these statements, it seems to me that the conservative legislators that represent our area need help to fight for fiscal responsibility in Harrisburg . . . and they are not getting that from their own Senator. Hmmmmmm.

Where do I stand on the subject?

Anyone that voted FOR this budget made a conscious effort to pull the wool over the eyes of taxpayers. This is not a VALID budget . . . no matter how you look at it.

It is the responsibility of our legislators to make certain that the state government does not spend beyond its means. If we don’t have the money, we ought not to be spending it. Federal dollars that simply aren’t there should not be considered in the calculations, and tax revenues from Marcellus Shale should NOT be considered in the equations either. IF the tax on Marcellus Shale extraction is pushed through (in October), it will be the worst fiscal decision in Pennsylvania . . . ever!

If I were the Senator in Pennsylvania’s 50th District, I would have voted NO to yesterday’s budget. I would have continued to vote NO until the budget was actually balanced on REAL numbers. More importantly, I would have been pushing for these changes back in February and March . . . when budget negotiations SHOULD have been taking place. Waiting until the 11th hour so that they can push through the equivalent of a legislative joke is shameful.

I usually sign off by stating “as alway, just my opinion”. Today it is important that I sign off by stating the following:

This is not just my opinion. It is my official statement.

Roberta Biros
Editor, Mercer County Conservatives

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Lisa, Senator Leach writes:

The overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania’s legislators, on both sides of the aisle, are extremely smart, hard-working, completely honest people who are doing their level best to make Pennsylvania a better place.

The notion that legislators are, (except for rare exceptions) corrupt in any way is plain false. And thus any “reforms” based on this notion are ill-grounded.

I think taxpayers deserve the list of stupid, lazy, and dishonest legislators. Leach said they’re there. Don’t their constituents deserve to know who isn’t serving them?

Who is he covering for?

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Altogether now…. awwwwww…..

One of about every 20 bills introduced in the Legislature winds up as state law, according to state records.

Legislators introduced 4,461 bills in the 2007-08 session, and 213 became law.

The difficulty of getting a bill approved by both chambers is a double-edged sword, analysts say. While the low success rate might mean some good ideas never see the light of day, the process may ensure that enacted bills are comprehensive and fine-tuned, they say.

No matter how well-intentioned the campaign promises of a candidate might be, voters should remember the reality check waiting in Harrisburg, said Christopher Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.

“For some of these (bills), it’s an annual rite,” Borick said.

Last session, Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery County, introduced the most legislation, with 168 bills and resolutions; Rep. Nick Kotik, D-Coraopolis, introduced the fewest.

“A lot of the things that I contemplate running will never get brought up for vote,” said Kotik, who introduced only one piece of legislation during the last session, according to GovNetPA. “So I just view it as spinning wheels.”

That’s a feature.

Every stupid insidious invasive regulation or law was someone’s “good idea.”

These guys have to pass one bill a year. That’s it. The budget. Just the one. … and they can’t. Again and again and again and again (let’s make it eight in a row late this year).

Instead, they pass things like Milk & Ice Cream Appreciation Week and a Resolution Declaring that Mom and Apple Pie Are Great Things.

The budget.

The clock is ticking.

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Benefield posts at the Commonwealth Foundation blog:

Yesterday, the Pennsylvania House approved legislation - HB 2399 – to allow the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) to borrow and additional $50 to $100 million for additional “economic development projects.” Two other bills, HB 2394 and HB 2401 would redirect $60 million of CFA funds.  All votes were along party lines, with only House Democrats voting for the measures.

Benefield also reminds us that PA spends a whole lot of money on “economic development” (i.e. corporate welfare) and yet we have very little to show for it.

Centrally planned economy struggles — who’da thunk it?  Oh, wait.

To follow up on my question from yesterday, “Is our politicians learning?” — the answer is still “no”.

Really, House Dems?  Really?!?

Good on the Republicans for opposing this one.

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Why does it seem that every time a politician takes on corruption, his motives are called into question?

We often hear that investigations of this sort are “politically motivated,” but rarely whether or not the charges are true.

Attorney General Tom Corbett is a good example.

Despite great success in rooting out legislative corruption — an investigation known as “Bonusgate,” — Corbett, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, continues to be accused of using his office for political gain.

Unfortunately, too many of the Attorney General’s critics fail to look at the facts before they open up with both barrels.

Bonusgate was not the brainchild of an ambitious man looking to generate headlines for a gubernatorial run, but an investigation dropped into his lap by a newspaper’s investigative reporting.

In fact, Bonusgate was investigated using the evidence as a guide, wherever it happened to lead. At first, that was the Democratic Caucus, where ten felony convictions have been achieved thus far.

Later, it was the Republican Caucus, where a host of GOP insiders have been indicted, including powerful former Speaker John Perzel.

Because of the investigation, Corbett has said he will take neither campaign donations nor endorsements from legislators. 

So how alienating an entire legislative body, including members of your own Party who normally contribute over a million dollars to a gubernatorial candidate’s war chest, is politically beneficial, remains a mystery.

But the criticism continues unabated.

Corbett has come under more fire recently, this time for obtaining a grand jury subpoena against Twitter to ascertain the identity of an anonymous blogger who had repeatedly criticized the Bonusgate investigation.

The Attorney General believed that Brett Cott, a convicted Bonusgate defendant, was the mastermind behind the blog.  And since Cott was scheduled for sentencing, it was Corbett’s intention to show that Cott lacked remorse for his crimes, and therefore deserved a long prison term.

Was Corbett within his legal right? Certainly.

Was it damaging to his political aspirations? Absolutely.  Of this, there can be any doubt.

And that, in a very real sense, is what would make Tom Corbett an effective governor.

*****

A veteran of the political arena, Corbett knew the subpoena would unleash a torrent of negative press only five months before the election. Despite this, he chose to move ahead, and in the process, provided an insight into the type of governor he would be.

The easy road would have been to forget the subpoena.  After all, Cott was already convicted, and that’s the only headline he needed to be perceived as successful.

But Corbett, a prosecutor to the end, made the decision to see the case through in the manner he deemed most appropriate —political repercussions be damned.

Whether or not one agrees with the Attorney General’s decision…..

Read the rest at Philadelphia Magazine’s Philly Post:

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/05/25/corbett-shows-his-independence-with-twitter-subpeona/

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Figured I’d link this for those interested in watching as they come in.

Here are the PA-12 Special election results.

Legislative special elections: 20th(Allegheny County), 138th(Northampton), 147th(Montgomery).

Statewide primaries(governor, lt. governor, U.S. Senate).

U.S. Congress primaries.

PA Senate primaries.

PA Representative primaries.

Democratic state committee.

Republican state committee – may be an interesting write-in in this category

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A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Rick Saccone, Republican candidate for the 39th House District. This district covers the southern reaches of Allegheny County as well as a handful of communities in eastern Washington County. The seat has been in Democrat hands for four decades which is reflective of the industrial heyday of the Monongahela Valley when Democrats controlled every part of the political landscape.

That has changed, though. Communities like Jefferson Hills and South Park in Allegheny County and Union and Nottingham Townships in Washington County have become more Republican over the past 20 years as people fled the crowded confines of central Allegheny County or sought refuge from property taxes in Washington County. Even the Democrat stronghold of Clairton, which anchors the district, no longer dominates the district due to its ever-declining population.

Rick is a veteran of the Air Force, a retiree from the diplomatic corps, and currently a part-time instructor at St. Vincent College. He is one of those conservative candidates who, frankly, doesn’t come along that often. He is pro-life and pro-second amendment, having just received an endorsement from Firearm Owners Against Crime. He is also one of the few candidates I have seen who explicitly supports term limits. Beyond that, he understands that government is a servant, not a master, and supports efforts to reduce its size and scope wherever possible. Even the Post-Gazette has endorsed him, although you should not hold that against him.

When I asked Rick why he was running, his response was that he was doing it because government was broken and needed to be fixed. His plan is only to serve a few terms and then move on to something else. That tells me he is approaching the office in the mindset of a public servant rather than someone who feels entitled to the job. If we had 252 more of those in the Assembly, I think most of our problems would be solved.

Rick is facing a primary this spring and needs your support. Donate, volunteer, and, if you can, give him your vote on May 18.

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Nice.

It’s happened so often that it’s now a cultural cliche: the gay politician pretending to be straight. In most parts of the nation, homosexuality or bisexuality is a clear electoral liability.

Not in Center City’s 182d state House district. There, it’s a badge of honor.

Veteran Rep. Babette Josephs (D., Phila.) last Thursday accused her primary opponent, Gregg Kravitz, of pretending to be bisexual in order to pander to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender voters, a powerful bloc in the district.

“I outed him as a straight person,” Josephs said during a fund-raiser at the Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant, as some in the audience gasped or laughed, “and now he goes around telling people, quote, ‘I swing both ways.’ That’s quite a respectful way to talk about sexuality. This guy’s a gem.”

In unrelated, but strange news:

Three bisexual men from the San Francisco area have filed a lawsuit claiming they were discriminated against during the Gay Softball World Series in the Seattle area two years ago.

The Seattle Times reports that the men filed the case Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle against the softball tournament’s organizer, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance. It alleges that after another team complained, the alliance ruled the three men were “nongay,” and took away the team’s second-place finish.

The lawsuit accuses the alliance of violating Washington state laws barring discrimination.

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Written by Roberta Biros

Governor Rendell is in a hurry to pass a budget before the June 30th deadline (for the first time in his career as Governor I might add). That is a GOOD THING.

Unfortunately, the piece of garbage that passed the House today is a mess. I don’t usually allow legislators to put words in my mouth, but in this case I’ll make an exception. I’d like to quote Representative Michele Brooks (R-17th District), whose official email announcement stated that “this spending plan is a fiscal train wreck”.

Wow! I wish I had written it myself! In a way, I guess I just did. It was absolute plagiarism . . . plain and simple but I digress. Regardless of WHO said it first . . .

Calling the budget a “fiscal train wreck” is some strikingly straight talk from a Harrisburg insider. In response, I say “It’s about time”.

I received numerous email messages from Pennsylvania legislators today. Each one explained that the idea of passing a budget quickly (and well before the deadline) is a great idea. Every legislator hopes to have a budget passed before the end of June this year . . . especially those legislators that have opponents in the General Election. However, the obvious fiscal irresponsibility of House Bill 2279 is poor policy. We can all tiptoe around the fiscal quagmire that IS the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but all of the icing in the world can’t sweeten this poison pill that they call a State budget.

Here are a few excerpts from the legislator email messages that were received in my “In Box”:

Representative Dick Stevenson (R-8th)

“At a time when state revenues have not yet rebounded, Pennsylvania needs to look to other states and follow their lead to reduce spending, not increase the state budget by $1.2 billion or 4 percent,” said Stevenson, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Neighboring states like Maryland, New Jersey and New York have all taken steps to decrease expenses. They face the same financial obstacles we do, but they realize their taxpayers cannot afford a penny more in increased taxes and fees.”

Representative Brad Roae (R-6th)

“I voted ‘no’ because there is too much spending in the budget bill. Spending has increased by more than $8 billion since Governor Ed Rendell took office. We cannot afford to spend more than a billion dollars more than last year’s budget.

Representative Karen Boback (R-117th)

“I am greatly concerned about the overall spending number of this budget. The 2009-10 budget used all of Pennsylvania’s reserve accounts, and we are facing another deficit at the end of the year. To increase spending by $1.2 billion, which is 4 percent growth, is not wise. We should continue to look for ways to allocate our resources prudently, and we should remain cognizant that federal stimulus funds we have received for the past two years will soon run out. This is just not the time to increase state spending. “

Representative Sam Rohrer (R-128th)

“The current administration has led Pennsylvania down the path to fiscal insolvency,” Rohrer said. “The budget approved today by the House is simply a continuation of the fiscally irresponsible practices of the last eight years. It spends too much, disregards financial reality and ignores the wishes of Pennsylvanians.”

Representative William Adolf (R-165th)

“While I am pleased to see us debating the budget this early in the process, I believe the spending plan that was passed today is taking us in the wrong direction,” Adolph said. “This budget spends far more than we can afford, and it sets us up for some major financial problems in the near future.”

Representative Michele Brooks (R-17th)

“I agree that government should be listening to the people it serves and address the numerous calls to live within its means. This spending plan is a fiscal train wreck that does not reflect the priorities of the people who are paying the bills and who have told us government must operate more efficiently and effectively.

In Closing . . .

HERE is a link to the budget document, and HERE is a link to the House Vote (which ended at 107 to 89 . . . pretty much along party lines).

My father used a saying when I was a kid. I never had a purpose for it until today. He would say “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sows ear”. I find that analogy to be perfect in this situation. House Bill 2279 is a sows ear. It will be the job of the State Senate to transform it into a silk purse before June 30th.

Unfortunately, my faith in the ability of the Senate to bend and twist this sows ear into something attractive is limited. Our State Senators are concerned about having their names tethered to another delayed budget. That concern will make them hold their nose and vote FOR this “train wreck” with hopes of not drawing attention to themselves. They are crossing their fingers, closing their eyes, and praying for this election year to blow over without incident.

Time will soon tell.

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Love the deer-caught-in-headlights look:

But they can’t do this to poor Mike Veon, because, you know, he’s for the little guy, he’s a Democrat.

Don’t worry, Mike. Plenty more Democrats will join you in prison soon enough, God willing. Can a Tea Partier please run on a platform of jailing Democrats for deliberately trying to destroy the United States of America? I’d send him or her a large donation.

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Despite overwhelming opposition by the American people to the federal goverments’ takeover of one-sixth of the US economy, democratic House leadership and the White House are pressing on with their plans to shove Obamacare down the throats of the citizenry. This next week will be one of the most monumental in recent American history as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanual attempt to strong arm members of their own caucus into approving the Senate measure passed late last year by the March 21st deadline set by President Obama last week.

This is it, folks. One last up or down vote to decide the most important issue of this generation. If Obamacare is defeated in the House vote expected to take place on Friday or Saturday, it is dead as a door nail . . . FOREVER.

So, who holds the keys to the kingdom? It is surely not the Republicans. With a 54-seat minority, all they can do is form a united front and pray. It will take 38 democratic defections to defeat socialized medicine once and for all .

Rep. Bart Stupak (D) and his 12-member coalition of democrat congressmen who voted yes to the 2009 House bill, but have vowed to vote no this time without abortion language being removed from the legislation, are definitely important role players on the anti-Obamacare squad albeit they are somewhat over-hyped. Oddly enough, the REAL headline grabbing superstars in this mix are the Pennsylvania House delegation. The votes of this state’s congressmen will be the ultimate deciding factor about whether good hardworking people get to keep their private health insurance  or are shepherded into the bureaucratic nightmare that is socialized medicine.

According to the whip count at The Hill, there are currently 34 democratic congressmen that are firm nos, likely nos, or leaning nos, leaving the magic number at 4 to defeat Obamacare. On the list of undecideds are five Pennsylvania democratic congressmen:

Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA4):A western Pa. so-called “centrist”, Altmire voted no in committee and on the floor in 2009, but is considered a buyable vote. If Pelosi gives him enough swag and provides him cover with the Slaughter Rule, Altmire could flip his vote to yes.

Rep. Chris Carney (D-PA10):A Susquehanna County democrat who represents a Republican district, Carney is a member of the vaunted conservative “Blue Dog Coalition”, but unlike his blue dog colleague Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA17), Carney voted yes to Obamacare last year. A big concern with Carney is that he is beholden to the President for his election victory over Don Sherwood in 2006 as Obama raised a considerable amount of funds for Carney’s campaign.

Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA3):A freshman lawmaker, Dahlkemper represents the northwestern portion of the state in an around Erie. In 2008, she rode Obama’s coattails to a win over seven-term incumbent Phil English. Another self styled “conservative”, Dahlkemper too is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition who voted yes on the House floor last year. The leverage with her, though, is that because she represents a very conservative district and will not have Obama on the top of the ticket to carry her, Dahlkemper is fighting for her political life in re-election polls.

Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA14):Doyle represents overwhelmingly democratic Pittsburgh and is in little danger of losing his seat. He voted yes to Obamacare in 2009. However, a switch to no by this guy would be a back breaker for Pelosi.

Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA11):Another self-described “moderate”, Kanjorski also voted yes to the House bill last year. However, he again will be facing Hazelton mayor Lou Barletta, who lost by only 4 points and carried 3 out of the district’s 5 counties in 2008. Like Dahlkemper, Kanjo’s saving grace was Barack Obama being on the ticket. This November, he won’t have that luxury.

In the next few days, these five representatives will be offered everything under the sun by the White House and by the Speaker to buy their vote. However, as we all know, most politicians care only about numero uno first. We can do our part to help beat back socialism again by making it clear to these members of Congress that a vote to pass Obamacare will be the end of their careers. So, I urge all of you out there reading this to send e-mails and letters to their offices, call their staffers, phone in to local talk shows, and show up to rallies to demonstrate your opposition. Let these politicians know with full clarity that if they try to shove communist health care down our throats, they will be run out of town in November.

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No, I got that exactly backwards.

Witness: Pennsylvania taxpayers saved Dems $1 million

A former campaign coordinator for Democrats in the Pennsylvania House testified Wednesday that his candidates saved more than $1 million by being able to use the Legislature’s taxpayer-supplied high-volume e-mail system.

Dan Wiedemer told jurors in the public corruption trial of a former state lawmaker and three ex-aides that the blast e-mail system was only part of the public resources commandeered to run elections while he served as executive director of the House Democratic Campaign Committee, a nongovernmental campaign organization, from 2003 until 2007.

Wiedemer said the e-mail addresses themselves — purchased with public funds — can cost between a nickel and $1.50 each, and millions of them were used on behalf of candidates. Blast e-mail systems, which distribute material to large mailing lists, cost money in staff time and computer server capacity, adding to the total savings, he said.

“In my mind, it would have been certainly over a million dollars” that was saved, Wiedemer said under questioning by a prosecutor from the State Attorney General’s Office.

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Policy Blog:

Turns out, many legislators have indeed bought homes in Harrisburg, while continuing to collect per diems for their lodging. The Scranton Times finds that state Reps. Wansacz , Eachus, Peifer, Scavello, and Yudichak (who represent parts of Northeastern PA) all uses per diems to pay their mortgages on homes in Harrisburg.

Does it matter that they used the money to buy a home rather than rent a room in the Hilton? No. But the value of per diems is excessive for taxpayers, especially given the fact lawmakers need not actually spend that money, but could pocket it. I would also note that per diems are not mentioned in the PA Constitution, when it says lawmakers shall receive “salary and mileage…and no other compensation whatever” That would seem to include a new house.

Nate Benefield offers a solution.

A dorm for lawmakers.

I disagree.

Not only would that place be so icky and unsellable, it encourages them to linger in Harrisburg.

They dont need to be in Harrisburg long enough to need buy second homes. They need to go to work, then go the hell home. The more they hang around in Harrisburg they more they are tempted to do something.

… and that something is always with your money, not theirs. QED.

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FREINDLYFIREZONE.com Link:

http://www.freindlyfirezone.com/index.php/local-news/item/6-explosion-in-the-6th-congressional-district-could-the-implausible-occur?

Is State Rep. Curt Schroder A Dark Horse For The Endorsement?

BY CHRIS FREIND
“FREINDLY FIRE”

Hollywood couldn’t have scripted the drama any better in the GOP’s nomination race for Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District.

Try to follow along:

Four-term incumbent Jim Gerlach tells the world — repeatedly — that he would NOT seek re-election, opting instead to jump into the gubernatorial fray.

Based on Gerlach’s word, popular Chester County State Representative Curt Schroder announces he would seek the GOP nomination for the open seat, raising nearly $200,000 in just a few months. Based on political sources close to the race, he was clearly on the path to the Chester County endorsement. (Chesco accounts for a majority of the district, which also includes parts of Montgomery and Berks counties).

But in September of 2009, a wrench is thrown into the mix. After running in another congressional district for half a year, self-funding 33-year old millionaire Steve Welch bows to pressure from Party bosses, quitting his effort in the 7th Congressional District (CD) to make way for former gubernatorial candidate Pat Meehan, long a favorite of the Delco Machine. He then jumps into the 6th CD race, despite the fact that he does not live in that district.

After the New Year, Schroder, Welch, and several lower-tier candidates kick their campaigns into full gear, only to be shell shocked to learn that Jim Gerlach has changed his mind once again, and would be running for Congress after all.

Are you getting all of this?

Rep. Schroder, sensing fundraising difficulties if he chose to oppose the incumbent, begrudgingly dropped out of the race. Welch, with his ample funds, is still vying for the nomination.

So where does the race stand?

It’s anyone’s guess.

Over the last month, several straw polls of Chester County committee people provide a startling picture of the volatility in the Republican ranks. Gerlach received less than 60% of the vote in the first round, and only slightly more the following week. Given that these committee folks are the same ones who will vote to endorse a candidate at their convention this Saturday, Feb. 20th, (where 60% is necessary to earn the endorsement), and they have known the incumbent for well over a decade, many eyebrows have been raised. There is a growing sentiment that perhaps an election is in order — not a coronation.

Both candidates have major political baggage which makes the outcome of both the May primary and November general election far from certain.

Congressman Jim Gerlach

In a typical election year, the power and resources of incumbency trump most challengers, particularly in a primary. But 2010 is shaping up to be an explosive year where anything can happen, and no scenario is off the table.

That said, Gerlach retains the upper hand at this point. His name recognition is vastly superior to that of newcomer Welch, and his brand, for now, is still largely a positive one.

Remember that for the last eight years, Gerlach’s opponents and well-funded special interests have spent a fortune — a conservative estimate is well over $10 million — painting the congressman as a far-right-wing conservative Republican out of touch with the 6th District. Since Pennsylvania’s GOP primary is a closed one, meaning only Republicans can vote in it, that label is not a bad one to have.

Combine that with Gerlach’s proven ability to win general elections in otherwise horrid years for Republicans (2006 and 2008), and it’s hard to argue with conventional wisdom that the incumbent will once again triumph.

But things have changed, and Gerlach is carrying some new negatives which could prove decisive in the primary—and perhaps the general.

For starters, the campaign is broke. Since Gerlach’s warchest was transferred to help fund his failed gubernatorial bid, the congressional campaign had only $5,000 cash on hand as of just a few weeks ago, although staffers claim they have commitments for several hundred thousand dollars.

Against a typical opponent, the lack of funds at this point might not be a huge issue. But against a self-funder like Welch, who has already pumped in over $500,000 of his own fortune and has $650,000 cash on hand — with millions more if he needs it—, the lack of a significant warchest should be disconcerting to Gerlach.

On the issues, Gerlach will have to deal with conservatives’ wrath because of his voting record in a number of hot-button areas. The Congressman voted in favor of TARP (the first major bailout), the Medicare Prescription Drug program, commonly described as one of the largest expansion of welfare benefits in U.S. history, and Cash for Clunkers, while major increases in the deficit and national debt occurred on his watch. And here’s the kicker for many fiscal conservatives: much of this spending took place while Republicans were in charge of the House, Senate and White House.

If Gerlach can be tied into the “Business As Usual” crowd that is “part of the problem,” with voters believing that it shouldn’t just be an anti-Democrat year but an anti-incumbent one, he could be the recipient of a severe voter backlash.

But the one issue above all that could doom Gerlach is his support for Card Check, the bill proposed by labor unions that, among other provisions, would eliminate the secret ballot in union elections. Card Check is such a make-or-break topic for a huge number of Republicans that this issue alone could be enough to topple an incumbent.

According to the AFL-CIO website, Gerlach, along with former GOP colleagues Curt Weldon and Mike Fitzpatrick, all signed on as sponsors of Card Check in 2006. However, the Gerlach campaign denies that he favors Card Check, pointing to his vote in 2007 against the bill.

But in this environment, playing coy and stretching the truth could put an incumbent on the unemployment line very quickly.

The reality is that these three Republicans played games in 2005 and 2006, deciding to take both sides. Figuring that the GOP would be in power for decades (a woefully short-sighted outlook), Gerlach and Company thought that they could appease Big Labor by signing onto a bill that would never see the light of day.

Which was correct, for about another year, until Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats were swept into power.

His 2007 vote against Card Check has done little to mollify conservatives, who continue to think Gerlach’s heart leans toward Labor.

Despite meaningless polls showing Gerlach with a sizable lead over his unknown opponent, the potential of millions being unleashed on the 6th District Republicans in the coming weeks by Steve Welch, combined with many who are still fuming because of Gerlach’s broken word on retiring from Congress and backstabbing Curt Schroder, makes this race not just far from over, but one that hasn’t even begun.

Steve Welch
New to the political scene, Welch comes to the table with the most important weapon in campaigns: money. After selling his successful bio-tech company for a large sum, he decided on a foray into politics as his next professional move.

For six months, he ran unopposed in the 7th District, where Democratic incumbent Joe Sestak is not seeking re-election. Instead, Sestak is challenging Arlen Specter for U.S. Senate. The open seat became quite attractive for Pat Meehan, whose gubernatorial bid never got off the ground.

It’s here that Welch’s baggage began to pile up.

After repeatedly stating that he would remain in the 7th District race, even against a Meehan challenge, Welch yielded to Party pressure and abandoned the race. His decision to change his sights to the 6th District, even though he was not a resident, was viewed by many as a failure in his first real test of independence. Instead of standing by his principles, he caved in to the Delaware and Chester County party bosses.

The carpet-bagger issue was so difficult to overcome that Welch moved into the 6th District several months ago.

And even though the residency issue has been resolved, Welch continues to feel Republican wrath on a number of other issues.

First, he played loose with the truth when he claimed to have raised more than $250,000, when public records showed that number to be only $50,000. It’s one thing to slightly round up fundraising numbers, but such a huge discrepancy rubbed many the wrong way. This was the kind of doublespeak that voters have come to expect from Congress.

(NOTE: In all likelihood, Gerlach did the same thing. After claiming he had raised $1 million in the governor’s race, campaign finance disclosures put that number at a quarter million dollars less.)

Much more detrimental to Welch, though, is his Democratic past —the very recent past. Many GOP activists are having a difficult time reconciling how Welch can be part of the solution for the Republican Party when he:
A) Gave money to Democrat Joe Sestak. And Sestak is no ordinary Democrat, but one of the few who can make Arlen Specter look conservative.
B) Registered as a Democrat in 2006, and remained a D through the 2008 election, switching back to the GOP before running for Congress.
C) Admitted voting for Barack Obama in the 2008 primary election.

Given these facts, it’s a tough sell for Welch to claim he is a “lifelong” Republican.

While money doesn’t solve everything, it keeps one in the game. Whether or not Welch’s funds can alleviate his major negatives remains to be seen.

If he is able to make a strong showing at the nominating convention, and makes Jim Gerlach the issue for why a change is needed, he remains a serious threat to the incumbent.

But the $64,000 question is whether committee people and the Republican voters of the 6th District will:
A) determine that Gerlach is damaged goods and needs to go, and
B) if Steve Welch, with his Democratic ties, is the answer.

For those looking for another option, chew on this possibility:

What if, at this week’s convention, a committee person decides that enough is enough with candidates whose veracity and judgment are seriously flawed, and nominates a candidate with a solid Republican track record? Someone with the credentials and experience necessary to represent the 6th District better than the current field?

What if someone nominates State Representative Curt Schroder?

He may yet have the support of the committee, and could, at the very least, deny the endorsement to Gerlach or Welch.

Crazy? Sure— in most election years. But so was the unthinkable result in Massachusetts with Scott Brown’s victory.

This is 2010. Change is already upon us, and the rising tide may yet turn into a raging tsunami.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter whose news site, The Artorius News Bureau, is slated to launch in this month. Readers of “Freindly Fire” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on a Philadelphia-area talk radio show, WCHE, and makes numerous other television and radio appearances. He can be reached at CF@FreindlyFireZone.com

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Remember Kendrick Buckwalter? Probably not. But you should get to know him.

He was the fellow I mentioned a few weeks ago who won a small victory for the PA Constitution. His borough took an unconstitutional action, and he risked his Borough Council seat to make an issue of it, prevailing unanimously. Link here.

If you check out coverage of his announcement, you will find you like the cut of his jib. A mainstream conservative who wins elections in heavily democratic Phoenixville, he is not a typical politician but just a man who has taken public service seriously his entire life.

He is exactly the type of man we need in Harrisburg, so I will be helping out in his campaign.

Become a fan of his Facebook page, if you use the platform. He has also been a blogger for a very long time, and his campaign web site is very thorough.

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Marcy Toepel won the endorsement of the MontcoGOP tonight to be their candidate for the vacancy in the 147th district, vacated when Bob Mensch became a State Senator.

The special election will take place on May 18th, along with the 2010 primaries.

Bill Shaw notes another victim of the Matthews Effect…

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Family first, of course, but hmm.…

McCall’s representatives did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Veteran state Rep. Richard Grucela, D-Northampton, who has also decided against a re-election bid, called the news “shocking.”

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