Presidential candidate Ron Paul exposed his anarchist beliefs in a simple response in the latest debate when Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney argued over health care. Paul said the fallacy of both arguments was in the premise that the two men were arguing about which government program was best. According to Paul's answer no government is best. That's an anarchist view and it underlines ALL of the Congressman's beliefs. It is a fallacy because good government is a powerful force for good in people's lives.
Do you enjoy traveling from place to place. Going to work means driving on good roads and stable bridges, buying gas and knowing you're actually getting a gallon of fuel for your money instead of being cheated. It means being able to travel safely knowing not everyone can run red lights, drive 90 mph, swerve and tailgate because police on patrol insuring that every driver follow established rules of the road set by government.
Good government means you can go to the market and be relatively safe about the safety of the food you're consuming, that your water won't make you ill or the air you breathe won't give you cancer. Good government means you know your neighbor can't build some monstrosity right on your property line or take in 50 noisy tenants. It means being able to buy a home where you know the plumbing and electrical systems are up to a safe standard. It means if your neighbor's house goes up in flames or a burglar is poaching in your area firemen and police are there to keep you safe.
Good government means that when you go to work standards of safety are enforced so your coal mine doesn't blow up, your tools are safe along with all of your working conditions and that your boss cannot sexually harass you. It means if there's a child predator in your neighborhood or a rapist on the prowl officers of the law are on the job. It means a free public education for every person, higher education of a distinct quality respected around the world, medicines that won't kill you and a Center for Disease Control ready to responding an outbreak and exhaustive medical research extending our lives.
Ron Paul, if he had his way, would eliminate all government save for defense. He doesn't care that for fifty cents you can send a letter clear across the country, that we have an energy infrastructure bringing power to your doorstep, water to your tap and sewage into treatment plants. The ultimate conservative ideology is that it's all for one instead of one for all. It would take civilization back to a time before civilized society, to a time of anarchy when only the rich and powerful were safe. That isn't America and it disqualifies him for any public office. If one doesn't believe in government they shouldn't be part of it.
I tried keeping my eyes dry watching yesterday's memorial service but found it was impossible. We had a death in the family this week, the Penn State Family. It's been a tough week. It shouldn't have ended this way for Joe Paterno but no one has the power to change events, even the legendary coach. What we did see yesterday though was everything which is good about Penn State. I sat there thinking that, perhaps, this might change the attitudes of many people whose sole opinion of us is the controversy surrounding a former coach.
I really enjoyed Jimmy Cefalo's touching remembrance. Maybe it was because he represented my era or perhaps because he reminded us how Joe took the sons of small town Pennsylvania, sons of coal miners (my father, class of '42, was the son of a coal miner) and molded them into men. The Paterno legacy, as was said, is not 409 victories, 2 national championships, 5 undefeated seasons, 50 consecutive non losing seasons, or a 106,000 seat stadium. His legacy was the thousand former lettermen sitting on the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center. It was how he touched the lives of millions of people, of hundreds of thousands of alumni. He lives on in all of us.
There's an old saying that no one really dies until the last person who knew and remembers them breathes their last. I like to believe in that and in such a case Joe Paterno will live forever.
I was disappointed any mention of the scandal engulfing the University and which led to Joe's dismissal was even mentioned. His life transcended one moral lapse. I'd have rather listened to all the remembrances and stories shared about his life, his passions and his ideals and they were abundant. Unfortunately Nike Chairman Phil Knight couldn't resist and reminded all of the painful final chapter of Joe's life:
"There is a villain in this tragedy, and it lies in that investigation, not in Joe Paterno's response," Knight boomed.
"I do not follow conventional wisdom. Joe Paterno was my hero for 12 of the last 12 years. My question is, who was the real trustee of this university?"
This was not the time to excoriate Tom Corbett, there will more appropriate times for that. Knight's question however, was poignant in that it reminded us that Joe Paterno was really the one person, "the Trustee," who really ran Penn State and that was the problem and the source of his downfall. We could have done without that reminder. That was the culture which nurtured Jerry Sandusky and resulted in tragedy, not for Joe Paterno, but for young boys raped inside the Lasch Football Building.
This week wasn't, and shouldn't, have been about the Sandusky scandal, it was about Joe Paterno and his real legacy. Other than Knight it was a beautiful day beginning with the Glee Club singing the alma mater and ending with a lone Blue Band trumpeter playing "Hail to the Lion" (not those songs cited erroneously in The Morning Call).
(This bill would close the "Delaware Loophole." - promoted by John Morgan)
A blog post by Chris Lilienthal, originally published at Third and State.
Pennsylvania Representatives Dave Reed and Eugene DePasquale rolled out legislation today that would take an important first step towards closing corporate tax loopholes in Pennsylvania.
Corporate tax loopholes have been a problem for a long time in Pennsylvania. They don't create jobs but do drain needed resources from good schools, health care and infrastructure.
Representatives Reed, a Republican, and DePasquale, a Democrat, deserve credit for recognizing this is a problem and taking steps to address it.
The bill, however, takes a limited approach and leaves many loopholes open for companies to exploit. It should be strengthened to ensure that big profitable corporations cannot use other artificial means to shift profits out of state and dodge taxes.
Matthew Gardner of Citizens for Tax Justice tellsPhiladelphia Inquirer columnist Joe DiStefano that combined reporting would be a better approach to closing loopholes. Under combined reporting, corporate net income tax would be assessed against income earned in Pennsylvania from a parent company and all of its related businesses.
As Gardner says:
Even if you're successful in closing one [loophole], you're doing nothing to stop the emergence of additional loopholes. Combined reporting ends the Whack-a-Mole game by taking away the incentive for companies to artificially shift income from one state to another.
Pennsylvania businesses are at a competitive disadvantage when multistate corporations are able to game the tax system. The Reed/DePasquale bill takes a step toward leveling the playing field for all businesses in the commonwealth, but more needs to be done.
Confusion is reigning over the Commonwealth today as many candidates are discovering they no longer live in legislative districts redrawn and rejected by the state Supreme Court. This entire operation has been a debacle for Republicans. They delayed and squandered time and resources gerrymandering the state House and Senate districts until very late in the game then watched it all fall apart late yesterday.
Candidates had no idea in which district they resided until late last year and began announcing, organizing and gathering nominating petition signatures this week and now many no longer are eligible to run. What a massive waste of time, money and effort because the Reapportionment Commission was too lazy to do its job properly. Instead of performing an intelligent map they got tied up in partisan politics and so the people got screwed. I'm not blaming Republicans entirely for all of this because Democrats share equally. Rep. Frank Dermody, a Democrat, voted for the plan as a member of the Commission and Rep. Babette Josephs, then Chair of the State Government Committee, killed a bill which would have required a nonpartisan citizen's commission to draw the maps. Had Democrats been in control they would have gerrymandered too. If ever there was a time to rejuvenate support for a new system this is it.
Matt Cartwright officially announced his primary challenge to Congressman Tim Holden Tuesday. This is the second consecutive election the corporate Blue Dog Democrat has been primaried. How many Cartwright supporters will have their jobs threatened by Holden? That was his ruthless tactic against Sheila Dow Ford two years ago and told us much about his lack of character. I've gone from having Holden as my Congressman to Joe Pitts and, frankly, don't see much difference.
If you enjoyed the teddy bears explaining quantitative easing last week they're back talking about bank bailouts:
Reading is turning into the Wild West thanks to the Castle Doctrine. A store owner opened fire and a bicycle rider shot two attackers on a trail just outside the city killing one of them. Since when does a citizen have the right to be judge, jury and executioner all at once? The use of deadly force in a robbery is a travesty. What if some of these bullets had hit innocent bystanders?
Faux News has been creating outrage about light bulbs for months. Angry about losing their "liberty" to buy the most polluting lighting possible so as to accelerate global warming (hasn't Texas suffered enough? Well, it's Texas so perhaps not) the propaganda artists at Faux have been telling people they won't have the freedom to buy their incandescent bulbs. Media Matters went light bulb shopping to debunk the BS:
Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer is off to a rocky start. City Council won't reopen his budget to hire his new staff including a Communications Director through whom all media contact must pass. This means I can no longer chat with my neighbor who works for the Mayor. Heaven help someone suspect he's telling me something... I keep remembering Spencer's ownership by the Mascaro Brothers and wondering if the mob mentality of omerta is at work here.
The interesting revisionist history being conducted by the four remaining GOP presidential contenders has been fascinating. Now Rick Santorum is saying he never called for Congressional intervention in Terri Schiavo's medical care. I distinctly recall those events because they effected the life of my oldest sister. In fact Sen. Santorum rushed back to Washington after doing a fund raiser hosted by Outback Steakhouse to push through a resolution to that effect. Liar, liar pants on fire Rick.
Poor old Mitt Romney, demonized for being the candidate of the 1%! He finally released some tax returns and it turns out he doesn't have a job. Instead he earns $21 million/year from investments. He has bank accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands and pays about 14% in taxes. That's a lower rate than everyone actually working for a living. He's afraid Obama will use it against him. Conservatives killed the estate tax and lowered the capital gains tax (paid on investment income) so much they've created this huge gap between the rich and poor. Complain though and they'll accuse you of class warfare.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court acted today to reject the legislative maps drawn up to redistrict House and Senate districts. Because candidates have already begun circulating petitions this is throwing a huge haymaker into the year's political process.
In presidential election years our primary election is conducted in April rather than May. That backed up the nominating petition process to this week and those running for office have about thre weeks to gather signatures on petitions from within their legislative districts. Now no one knows the boundaries of those districts.
The reapportionment commission split up numerous municipalities and gerrymandered others resulting in today's decision. Eleven appeals were heard Monday and a Republican Court overturned the plan when Chief Justice Ronald Castille voted with Democrats.
What will this mean? Absent the new maps the old ones revert back to force. This means candidates must gather their signatures based on the old legislative districts. The commission cannot map new ones in time for the April primary. Any redrawn maps will go into effect in 2014 instead.
Gov. Tom Corbett (R-Pa.) praised Joe Paterno and ordered flags on all state buildings to fly at half-staff for four days.
That would be the same Tom Corbett who had said he was "personally disappointed" in Joe Paterno for not doing more to alert authorities in the Jerry Sandusky case, while acknowledging that Paterno did nothing illegal and followed university rules for conduct.
That would be the same Tom Corbett who, as attorney general, assigned only one investigator to the case in 2009, while devoting almost innumerable personnel and financial resources to prosecute high-profile cases that could help lead him to the governor's office.
That would be the same Tom Corbett who had the authority to order the arrest of Jerry Sandusky as soon as the claims were made, but who allowed the investigation to drag two years.
That would be the same Tom Corbett who stepped up the investigation only in the third year, after he was elected governor.
That would be the same Tom Corbett who accepted about $200,000 in campaign donations from trustees of Sandusky's Second Mile foundation and then danced around questions of why, as governor, he authorized a $3 million grant to the Second Mile.
That would be the same Tom Corbett who as an ex-officio member of the Penn State Board of Trustees, with the power to increase or decrease state appropriations to the university, big-footed his presence to demand that the Trustees do something to Joe Paterno.
Now, let's look at the Board of Trustees. On Jan. 22, the day that Joe Paterno died from lung cancer, the Board issued a honey-dripped PR-laden written commemoration.
That, of course, would be the same Board that, influenced by the harpies of the media and a horde of the public who knew everything about everything, except people and football, had wanted to terminate Joe Paterno's contract after his teams had losing seasons in 2003 and 2004. He was too old, they said. He was getting senile, they claimed. His coaching strategy was too conservative, they cried with the shrill cry of a wounded hyena. But, an 11-1 season in 2005 quieted their panic. And so they stewed, knowing that a football coach, educator, philanthropist, and humanitarian had a greater reputation than all of them combined.
That would be the same Board that violated every expectation of due process, listened to the other sanctimonious hypocrites who were quick to condemn someone without knowing the facts, and by a cowardly and impersonal phone call violated four levels of the chain of command and fired Joe Paterno hours after he had announced his retirement. It was their pathetic way to make people believe they, not the most recognizable person in Penn State history, were in control. The reality, of course, is they botched the firing in a feeble attempt to protect themselves, not Penn State and, certainly, not the rights of a tenured full professor, who had given 61 years of service to the university.
That, of course, would be the same Board that should have known for at least six months, and probably longer, of a grand jury investigation into Jerry Sandusky's conduct, but apparently had no crisis management plan to deal with what would become the greatest scandal in its 156-year history.
That, of course, would be the same Board that had operated in a culture of secrecy that regularly violated the state's Sunshine law and enjoyed its status as receiving state tax moneys while not having to be under the glare of the public right-to-know law.
That, of course, would be the same board that includes the CEOs of U.S. Steel, Merck, and a major division of the Bank of New York Mellon; and an assortment of senior executives from insurance, investment, and education. Even a retired assistant managing editor of The New York Times is on the Board. And, yet, this Gang of 32, which should have known better, bumbled, stumbled, and proved that malfeasance and incompetence is what it should be best known for. For the most part, they acted like undergraduates struggling to earn a grade of "C" in a course in human relations, having already decided they didn't need the course in business communications.
Now, let's turn to the new president. The Board forced the resignation of a respected 17-year president for not doing enough to investigate the Sandusky allegations. By most accounts, the new president, formerly the provost and executive vice-president, is a decent person with a good academic reputation. But, is it credible that if the No. 1 person should have known more and done more, how could the No. 2 person be ignorant of the allegations. Nevertheless, the Board sent the newly-minted president out on nothing less than a belated PR field trip to calm the rising storm against the Board for its incompetence and insensitivity in firing Joe Paterno. At three meetings with hundreds of alumni, the new president, facing alumni wrath, did little to alleviate their anger. But, he promised the university would do something-he didn't know what-he didn't know how or when-to honor Joe Paterno.
Of course, since the Board was so inept, secret, and hypocritical in its own actions, it had no idea what it was going to do. The Board statement the day of Joe Paterno's death merely stated the university "plans to honor him," and is considering "appropriate ways."
The greatest honor will not come from the Board, the administration, or even the Legislature, many of whom sought the media spotlight to pander to certain voters by condemning the coach. At the statue by Beaver Stadium, thousands of students, staff, faculty, and community residents are coming to pay their respects. Hundreds had met him, for he was one of the more accessible persons in the community, often walking home alone from practices and games; his phone number was in the book; his home was in a quiet residential area not a mansion on a hill reserved for the wealthy. Most of the mourners had never met him, but they all knew him.
On Tuesday, about 27,000 people from all over the United States stood in line up to three hours to walk past the body of Joe Paterno, guarded by past and present scholar-athletes. NFL super-stars and football fans, academics and those who never went to college, all were there to honor the man who was an outstanding quarterback and cornerback who earned an English literature degree from Brown University, one of the more prestigious in the country; a man who later created the "Great Experiment" to develop and promote a winning football program that would make education and citizenship more important than sports, and would make "success with honor" more than words.
Within ten minutes, mourners grabbed the first 10,000 tickets for a Thursday memorial at the Bryce Jordan Center. The center capacity for the memorial is 12,000.
Sue Paterno need not have worried when she quietly asked some mourners to keep her husband warm. When journalism turns into history, it will be written that Joe Paterno had done more than was expected, in every part of his life. The people, not the governor or the trustees who will quickly be forgotten in the cold, will keep Joe Paterno warm.
[Dr. Walter Brasch is an award-winning journalist, former tenured full professor, and author of 17 books. His current one is Before the First Snow: Tales from the Revolution.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walter M. Brasch, Ph.D.
Latest Book: Before the First Snow: Stories from the Revolution
(www.greeleyandstone.com)
Here is the full text of the President's speech last evening:
Remarks of President Barack Obama - As Prepared for Delivery
State of the Union Address
"An America Built to Last"
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Washington, DC
As Prepared for Delivery -
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:
Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq. Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought - and several thousand gave their lives.
We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world. For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al Qaeda's top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban's momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.
These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and teamwork of America's Armed Forces. At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations. They're not consumed with personal ambition. They don't obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together.
Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example. Think about the America within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. A future where we're in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren't so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.
We can do this. I know we can, because we've done it before. At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. My grandfather, a veteran of Patton's Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.
The two of them shared the optimism of a Nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism. They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share - the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement.
The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. What's at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. We have to reclaim them.
Let's remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren't, and personal debt that kept piling up.
In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn't afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people's money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didn't have the authority to stop the bad behavior.
It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hard-working Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect.
Those are the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, we've agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we've put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like that never happens again.
The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we've come too far to turn back now. As long as I'm President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.
No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that's built to last - an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.
This blueprint begins with American manufacturing.
I live in the 126th House District where Dante Santoni Jr. recently announced he won't run for re-election. I've been involved in discussions with some folks considering runs but no one is yet ready to announce. As soon as I do have news I will Tweet it.
Today begins the official period for gathering signatures on nominating petitions. It is the first opportunity for candidates to canvass and listen to voters and their concerns.
I watched the long Supreme Court session yesterday where appeals of reapportionment were heard. Spending five hours listening to lawyers should be grounds for cruel and unusual punishment.
President Obama makes his State of the Union address tonight at 9 PM. It is the unofficial kickoff of his campaign. Parkside, PA teacher Sara Ferguson will be in the First Lady's box this evening.
The President spoke with Sue and Jay Paterno yesterday offering his condolences on the loss of Joseph Vincent Paterno Sunday. Writing the article about Joe was one of the most difficult I've ever done. This man touched everyone who ever attended Penn State, whether we met him or not. Because he insisted the university be as great as its football team we all benefited from his high standards. There will be a memorial service at the Bryce Jordan Center Thursday.
The Republican presidential field is down to Romney and Gingrich (for all practical purposes). Either one will be dead meat coming out of their convention. They have so much baggage they'll need additional planes to carry it around the campaign trail. Both believe corporations have more rights than real people. They have supported the erosion of our rights while expanding those of business entities. Think Progress released this video of Mitt yesterday:
Bill Bispels of Kutztown announced his candidacy for the 187th House District. There is at least one other Democrat circulating petitions for this seat.
Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer has tripped badly coming out of the gate. He released a policy over the weekend insisting that all city employees refrain from speaking to the press. He is saying that all press contacts go through his Communications Director. One problem is that City Council hasn't authorized such a position and, after this, likely won't. It is still possible for city employees to communicate with me via personal cell phones, iPads or computers (their own) while at lunch or after regular hours.
I just listened to Rep. Thomas Caltagirone (D-Allentown Diocese) lament the fate of children suffering at the hands of adults. It's a shame he doesn't feel the same way about children abused by Catholic priests.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona announced her resignation from Congress so she can focus on her rehabilitation. This is a wise decision as she needs to concentrate on her own recovery and her constituents deserve full time representation.
A blog post by Mark Price, originally published at Third and State.
Tonight President Obama will deliver his State of the Union Address to Congress. We are expecting the President to recommend an extension through the end of 2012 of extended unemployment insurance benefits and the payroll tax credit. It looks as though a major theme in the address - besides the catch phrase "built to last" - will be conventional policies aimed at reducing inequality, such as increased spending/tax credits for education and training.
Education and training are important and fruitful means of reducing inequality, but they fall well short of what's needed to reduce the degree of inequality we now face. A more forceful step in the direction of reducing inequality would include raising the minimum wage and making it easier for workers to form and join unions. We don't expect to hear the President call for either of those changes.
The President will propose paying for his new initiatives with higher taxes on wealthy households. As with education and training, restoring some sense of fairness to the tax code is a laudable goal but longer-lasting reductions in inequality will only come from policies that allow the pre-tax wages of more Americans to rise as the size and wealth of our economy grows.
Manufacturing, energy, job training and middle-class growth will be the cornerstones of President Barack Obama's speech tonight as he takes to the nation's grandest political stage for the annual address on the state of the union, according to senior advisers.
We are slowly getting details of a settlement of allegations of fraud by banks during the housing bubble. Dean Baker notes this morning that the deal is said to include immunity from prosecution for banking executives in exchange for mortgage relief paid for by investors (not the banks). It's good to be a banker.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports this morning that the association that represents construction contractors who mainly compete for work in the non-residential construction sector is expecting essentially no change in the number of workers they will employ in 2012. Non-residential construction makes up roughly two-thirds of all construction employment in Pennsylvania. Also of note in the article: 62% of Pennsylvania contractors surveyed reported relying on some stimulus-related work. Remember that factoid next time you hear someone claim stimulus spending had no effect on the economy.
Construction employment will go up - very slightly - in 2012, contractors predicted in a survey released Monday by the Associated General Contractors of America...
The survey notes that many contractors relied on stimulus-funding projects over the past years, but few expect to perform much stimulus-funded work in 2012.
In Pennsylvania, for example, 62 percent of those surveyed had stimulus work, with most of them assigning the majority of their workers to those projects. But in 2012, only one in five expects stimulus work.
More news of property tax hikes, teacher layoffs and larger class sizes - this time out of Dauphin County.
The Central Dauphin School Board Monday night approved a $155.4 million preliminary budget for 2012-13 that could mean higher taxes, larger class sizes or furloughs of as many as 50 district employees.
The Patriot-News Editorial Board notes that the asset tests for food stamps proposed by the Corbett administration are unwise and likely to punish many rural families.
Creating an asset test for food stamps in Pennsylvania is the wrong approach...
Given the economic woes many families are facing with at least one parent - sometimes both - out of a job, the car rule hardly makes sense. This is especially true in rural parts of the state. Reliable transportation is critical to achieving financial independence, and in many families that means parents having two decent cars to drive.
The other issue is the $2,000 limit in savings. Families struggling to get out of poverty are likely to be trying to save money, build up funds to help them pay off bills, make a security deposit on an apartment or catch up on mortgage payments. It makes no sense to compel people to potentially liquidate funds to be able to put food on the table.
Hunger is a problem in our state, and many people rely on food stamps to solve it.
State Senator Daylin Leach kicked off his campaign today with an open event for supporters in King of Prussia. He's a genuine hero for progressives leading the fight in Harrisburg for every cause we hold dear. He has the courage to stand up for women, for minorities, for kids, for the LGBT community. In an age when we hunger for true leaders Sen. Leach is always there for the people, unafraid to take the point and fight. If I say any more he'll just get a huge head and wind up posting something on facebook so I'll leave it at that...
Pictures from today's event:
With Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz:
With Rep. Tim Briggs, Sen. Vince Hughes and Congressman Chaka Fattah:
I began my freshman year at Penn State in September, 1970 and the head football coach was a young man named Joe Paterno. In the ensuing decades he became much more than a football coach: the face of the University, a prodigious fundraiser for the university library, a major donor himself, the winningest football coach of all time in major college football but, most importantly, a molder of men. It was that final quality for which he was proudest. He didn't see his role as simply winning games and national championships, he saw his duty as upholding the integrity of college athletics, making his players go to class, keep their grades up and graduating them so they could have careers after football.
As a maker of men he had few peers. As the symbol of a major university he had none. I was in State College about a year ago covering President Obama's speech at Rec Hall and JoePa walked into the hall directly behind our press area to thunderous applause. Though Obama got a huge round of support it paled in comparison.
I never encountered the man personally. I spent most of my time in the HUB at the student government offices, in my fraternity house or in class. He lived north of campus, I was on the south side. Many students did see him as he routinely walked to his offices and the word was he was always approachable. Where other major college coaches had State Troopers surround them at games Joe never felt so pretentious. He prowled the sidelines in his rolled up khakis, blue jacket and black rimmed glasses. He wasn't just a man or a football coach, he was an institution.
Joe Paterno passed away this morning, finally losing a battle he couldn't outwit: lung cancer. It is a very sad day for all Penn Staters and anyone who admired and respected someone for whom doing things the right way was his life's mission. He was the personification of the term "class act." Though his legacy will forever be linked to the Sandusky affair and how his coaching tenure ended we should put those memories behind us and remember the great years, the great teams, the great young men who he molded at Penn State.
Not many football players go to the pros and Joe understood that part of his job was to prepare them for a regular life and for life after their professional careers. For this he truly was a molder of men. In that regard he was an example and role model for every Penn Stater. Even after being fired he refused to be bitter, to hold a grudge.
I'll always remember those thrilling days as an undergraduate sitting in Beaver Stadium rooting on his great teams. I'll always remember the man who was a molder of men, not as the man whose final moral lapse made national news. His glasses should be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
A president will be inaugurate done year from today. Will it be Barack Obama, Mitt Romney or someone else?
Last night's GOP debate (yes, still another one) Rick Santorum went off when asked about SOPA (which is now on the back burner) and criticized those who think they can do anything on the internet. All I could think of was what happens when you Google his name. That couldn't be what set him off could it?
My bank has a drive up ATM which has a sticker addressing the sight impaired. Why would a blind person be using the drive through ATM? Is it just me or do you find this odd?
Nominating petitions begin being circulated and many candidates are hosting kickoff announcements, launching campaigns and/or events. Since I don't belong to a political party I can neither sign nor circulate petitions.
Are you confused about what the Federal Reserve is doing and don't have a clue what Quantitative Easing is: Here's a cute explanation:
Jane Orie's trial has been postponed until Feb. 27th due to schedule conflicts of her attorney. Meanwhile the trial of Bill DeWeese is under way and he took a moment to skewer Governor Gasbag, noting how the former AG assigned 14 people to BonusGate while the Sandusky case got but one. Bill needs to understand that BonusGate was Corbett's road to the Governor's mansion while indicting Sandusky would have cost him thousands of votes. Surely he doesn't think Tom Corbett would have run his OAG differently does he? After all, this is Harrisburg we're talking about.
The EPA is delivering water to Dimock, something the DEP is supposed to do. Of course the DEP doesn't do much at all to protect our environment so what's new?
Tea Party and anti-teacher zealot Julian Stolz was hit with a $500 fine for failing to file campaign finance reports. In the past his have been riddled with errors and filled with questionable expenses. Maybe he was so late this time trying to come up with clever new ways of falsifying them.
Pennsylvania's revenue picture remains mixed as Governor Tom Corbett prepares to roll out his 2012-13 state budget proposal in a few weeks.
Pennsylvania continues to see an increase in collections over last year, but revenues trail Corbett administration estimates so far this year. That has prompted the administration to announce midyear budget freezes this month and could impact the budget plan the Governor will present in early February.
Weak corporate collections are taking a toll, and it appears likely that Pennsylvania will end the year with a revenue shortfall, despite solid growth from 2010-11. Still, the revenue picture, in the short term, may not be as dire as that painted by the Corbett administration. The state is carrying a half a billion dollars in reserve that more than covers the current shortfall.
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center has a full analysis of the revenue numbers at the midpoint of the 2011-12 Fiscal Year.
Year-to-date tax collections as of December are up $398 million, or 3.6%, over this point last year, but are falling short of Corbett administration estimates by $466 million, or 3.9%. Total revenue collections are $487 million, or 4%, below estimates.
Year-over-year growth slowed in December with monthly tax collections outpacing those a year earlier by only $6.5 million, or 0.3%. Some of this slowdown has to do with a shift in the timing of sales tax payments, but weak corporate collections are also having an impact.
Changes to the revenue estimate itself may be playing a role in the shortfall, as well. The administration projected a larger share of revenue collections in the first half of the year and a smaller share in the second half than has been the case in recent fiscal years. That may have contributed to the midyear shortfall and could set the stage for a stronger revenue showing between now and June.
Actions taken by the Corbett administration and the General Assembly have also contributed to the current revenue shortfall. The decision last year to allow corporations to accelerate depreciation costs may be costing more than originally estimated, while doing little to improve the economic outlook. That, combined with the continued phase-out of the capital stock and franchise tax in 2012, will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Everyone was surprised when Jennifer Mann announced she was retiring as a State Representative. Her distinguished career representing Allentown led to some statewide runs, the last being four years ago for State Treasurer. Allentown City Councilman Mike Schlossberg immediately began gearing up for the race and kicked off his campaign yesterday at the West End Youth Center. Mike is a good guy, we had him on Democratic Talk Radio and he always struck me as a young man with a bright future. His speech was the best I've heard at a kickoff event and he hit the right issues with humor and obviously enjoyed every minute of his evening in the spotlight. I predict there will be more spotlights ahead for Mike.
A blog post by Mark Price, originally published at Third and State.
On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry released data on employment and unemployment in December. Compared to the summer months, the top line numbers were good, with unemployment falling three-tenths of one percent to 7.6% (U.S. rate is 8.5%).
Nonfarm jobs were up 6,500, which is a pretty good number (we need to average 8,000 new jobs a month to get back to full employment in three years). Service-sector job growth in December was atrocious; the sector added just 300 jobs. Most of the month's job growth was in durable goods, with manufacturing adding 2,600 jobs, construction adding 3,000 and mining adding another 600.
Those 3,000 construction jobs don't represent a sudden resurgence of the construction industry. As most of you are happily aware, December was quite warm; this meant construction activity in the month was above historical averages which shows up as job growth in the final numbers. The actual trend in construction employment is at best no or very slow growth.
The bottom line is that in the last 12 months, Pennsylvania added 59,200 jobs. That's fewer jobs than were added from December 2009 to December 2010 (63,900). The primary reason Pennsylvania added fewer jobs in 2011 than it did in 2010 is the loss of 19,800 jobs in the public sector.
