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Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Pennsylvania's oldest pro-business PAC makes 2014 Primary endorsements
We must be getting close to Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania.
PEG PAC, the affiliated political action committee of the Pennsylvania Business Council and the state's oldest pro-business PAC, issued the following press release endorsing seven incumbent members of the state House for re-election – three Republicans and four Democrats.
PEG PAC, the affiliated political action committee of the Pennsylvania Business Council and the state's oldest pro-business PAC, issued the following press release endorsing seven incumbent members of the state House for re-election – three Republicans and four Democrats.
PEG PAC endorsed:
•
GOP incumbents
Mike Fleck (81st) of Huntingdon County,
Seth Grove (196th) of York County and
Karen Boback (117th) of Luzerne County; and,
• Democratic incumbents
Margo Davidson (164th) of Delaware County,
Patty Kim (103rd) of Dauphin County,
Jake Wheatley (19th) of Allegheny County and Jim Roebuck (188th) of Philadelphia.
"These
seven House members all supported both the recent Transportation
overhaul legislation and the 'Apology' bill, a tort reform measure which
prohibits plaintiffs from
using most physician apologies against them in court," said PBC
President & CEO David W. Patti.
All but Fleck are engaged in competitive primaries – his primary opponent was recently removed from the May ballot.
All but Fleck are engaged in competitive primaries – his primary opponent was recently removed from the May ballot.
In addition, PEG PAC backed three GOP candidates
in House districts across the state:
•
Republican
Jason Ortitay,
a small business owner and member of the Burgettstown Area Community
Development Corporation, from the 46th District in Washington and
Allegheny counties who is vying to take on incumbent Rep.
Jessie White;
•
East Marlborough Township Supervisor and former Chairman of the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission, Republican
Cuyler Walker, business owner and Partner at Pepper Hamilton LLP, running in the open 158th District in southern Chester County; and,
•
Former Rep. Tom Quigley, running to reclaim his seat in the 146th District in Montgomery County.
"We
believe Ortitay, Walker and Quigley will be strong pro-business voices
in the state House," said Patti, who noted that all of the candidates
also received a financial
contribution from PEG PAC.
More about PEG PAC: Since
its founding in 1972, PEG PAC has worked to build a better Pennsylvania
by electing candidates for office who offer the best capacity to create
and sustain a better
Pennsylvania. PEG PAC supports candidates who are best for the business
community without regard to political party membership. PEG PAC
supports candidates for office with financial contributions, campaign
consulting, and grassroots action.
Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, May 20.
Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, May 20.
Allyson Schwartz pitch for Pa. governor: Vote for me because I'm a girl
Ultra-liberal Allyson Schwartz, the former abortion clinic owner running for Pennsylvania governor, is trying to separate herself from the tax-and-spend crowd seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Tom Corbett. But all Schwartz can think of is Pennsylvania has never had a female governor and she should be the first one.
Schwartz ad pledges to 'break through' boys club
Schwartz ad pledges to 'break through' boys club
You Call This Property Tax Relief? Average Pa. Homeowner To See $200 Savings From Casino Revenues
Pennsylvania Budget Secretary Certifies More Than $779 Million for Statewide Property Tax Relief (via PR Newswire)HARRISBURG, Pa., April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Budget Secretary Charles B. Zogby today certified that more than $779 million in gaming revenue will be available for property tax relief in 2014. The 2006 Taxpayer Relief Act established the…
PA DEP awards 26 counties $2.1M to combat West Nile Virus
DEP Awards 26 Counties Nearly $2.1 Million in West Nile Virus Grants (via PR Newswire)HARRISBURG, Pa., April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced it is awarding nearly $2.1 million in West Nile Virus (WNV) Control Program Grants to 26 counties. "These county grants ensure…
Pa. gambling revenues up slightly in March
PA Table Games Revenue Up In March (via PR Newswire)$67.9 million in revenue highest single month to date HARRISBURG, Pa., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Revenue from the play of table games at Pennsylvania's casinos rose 1% during March, producing the highest level of revenue, $67.9 million…
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Editorial: Federal taxes too high, too complex
The Orange County Register: The 74,000-page tax code has Americans spending 6 billion hours trying to comply.
Editorial: Federal taxes too high, too complex - The Orange County Register
Editorial: Federal taxes too high, too complex - The Orange County Register
Monday, April 14, 2014
4 Dead, 31 Wounded In Weekend Shootings in Obama's Hometown of Chicago
One would think that Obama's hometown, run entirely by Democrats and with one of the toughest gun control laws in the nation, would be a safer place to live. Another glaring example of how Democrats have ruined this country.
Four Dead, 31 Wounded In Weekend Shootings « CBS Chicago
Four Dead, 31 Wounded In Weekend Shootings « CBS Chicago
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
975,000 Page Views
My site counter has recorded 750,000 Page Views from 498,000 Unique Visitors to Tony Phyrillas on Politics. That 1,000,000 mark is just around the bend. Thanks for checking out the blog ... and come back again.
Democratic Nev. Official Tells Rancher's Supporters They 'Better Have Funeral Plans'
Liberal fascism is on the rise in Obama's America.
Rancher's Supporters Told They 'Better Have Funeral Plans'
Rancher's Supporters Told They 'Better Have Funeral Plans'
Columnist: The Fourth Estate's repugnant double dichotomy
Columnist Colin McNickle raises an interesting question about freedom of the press in an age when the liberal media works in conjunction with the White House to spread propaganda:
Why is it that a free press claiming to work so assiduously to protect its constitutionally guaranteed right — and that of its first cousin, speech — appears to be working so unremittingly to undermine both?The Fourth Estate's repugnant double dichotomy
Guest Column: My Obamacare Plan is Failing Me
Guest columnist
Tuesday is the last day to sign up for health insurance on the Obamacare exchange. Luckily, I’ve already purchased an exchange plan. But barely one month into my new health care coverage, I’ve started running into serious roadblocks.
I battle fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that forces me to work from home many days. My need to see specialists and try expensive prescriptions makes affordable health insurance crucial to softening the financial sting. This longtime uninsured, sickly gal ought to be happy.
Plaster my picture on Healthcare.gov now, right?
But this victim — who knows intimately the pressures of no health coverage — can’t get over how damaging the Affordable Care Act is across the nation. Must we really destroy jobs, inflate others’ health costs, and enact countless new taxes and fees just to help people like me?
Worse yet, Obamacare isn’t even keeping its promise to provide quality health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions. On top of higher premiums or deductibles, critical drugs may not be covered at all, and the costs patients incur by buying them with cash won’t count against out-of-pocket caps or deductibles.
As Pennsylvania moves to shift 6,960 people from its high-risk pool to Obamacare, more people will discover how limited their new coverage really is.
Information about covered drugs on Obamacare exchange plans is hard to find and in some cases doesn’t appear to be available at all. Restrictions on covered drugs are nothing new, but the limits are more widespread in exchange plans to keep premiums low.
Only one brand-name drug that works on the nervous system has helped me keep the pain at bay over the years. Getting it on my Obamacare plan has proven a challenge.
Without insurance or discounts, the drug costs $400 per month. But I couldn’t simply refill my regular prescription — my new insurance company required pre-authorization for the drug. Just last week, my exchange plan insurer told me they will not cover the drug. For now, I’m surviving by driving 50 miles to pick up free samples from my doctor’s office. This isn’t the affordable, quality care I was promised.
Many Americans sicker than me are doing much worse. Take Lupus patient Emilie Lamb. Her state-subsidized plan was cancelled because it didn’t provide enough coverage — a “junk” plan according to President Obama. Lamb’s premium jumped from $52 to $373 a month, forcing her to get a second job so she can still see her doctors and buy medicine.
Fifteen-year-old Michigan twins Austin and Micheala Davert, suffer from a bone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta. They lost their primary insurance due to Obamacare’s mandates. Their parents, after failing to resolve technical issues on Healthcare.gov, purchased an exchange plan directly from an insurer with a similar premium plus a nearly $8,000 deductible increase.
Their mother noted, “The only other plan that had a lower out of pocket maximum was a plan that’s not accepted by their doctors.”
With the health conditions I face, my $176 per month premium for a silver exchange plan is almost inconceivable. Before, all I could get in Pennsylvania after multiple denials was a $476 per month premium with a high deductible.
Don’t get me wrong: I know the country desperately needed health care reform — and still does. But millions of canceled plans, special exemptions, and countless extensions show that Obamacare is incapable of ensuring all Americans can access quality and affordable care.
However, real health care reform could reduce skyrocketing costs on everything from doctor visits to MRIs. It could promote visible pricing, which would allow people to plan and pay for much more of their own routine health care.
For people with pre-existing conditions, like me, who couldn’t get individual health insurance, expanding state high-risk pools would have been a better option. They give the “uninsurable” an affordable option by offering subsidized coverage comparable to private plans, rather than restructuring the entire insurance marketplace.
It’s the states, not Washington, that have the real solutions to our health care crisis. There was — there is — a better way than Obamacare. Even on my most pain-filled days, I know that.
# # #
Priya Abraham is a senior policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation (CommonwealthFoundation.org), Pennsylvania’s free market think tank.
Bill O'Reilly: No accountability for Obama and the big spending liberal movement
From Bill O'Reilly's latest column, "The Tax Collector Knocketh" -
The problem for President Obama and the big spending liberal movement is accountability. The former boss of Medicare candidly admitted that about 30% of all payments are wasteful, with the health care money either stolen or used for unnecessary treatments. You may have seen the news this week that Florida ophthalmologist Dr. Salomon Melgen billed Medicare for $21-million in 2012. That's $21,000,000! We might add that, coincidentally or not, Melgen is a close pal and wing man of Democratic Senator Robert Menendez.Read the full column here.
President Obama continues to expand the federal government, and the Democratic Party wants more of our pay diverted to them so they can give it to those not earning very much. But the Obama administration, like others before it, refuses to watch how the money is dispatched. Therefore, tens of billions of dollars are abused every year. Even as federal debt nears $17-trillion, government waste continues to climb right along with the red ink.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
The Perfect Person to Replace Sebelius
I nominate Susan Rice to replace Kathleen Sebelius as HHS secretary. We know for a fact that Rice is an accomplished liar (see Benghazi), so she would be the perfect person to continue the Obama Administration's propaganda campaign for Obamacare.
Annual Report on Casino Gaming's Impact on PA's Horse Racing Industry Released by Gaming Control Board
Annual Report on Casino Gaming's Impact on PA's Horse Racing Industry Released by Gaming Control Board (via PR Newswire)HARRISBURG, Pa., April 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today released its seventh annual Racetrack Casino Benchmark Report. Since its first release in 2008, this annual report has concentrated on the impact…
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
House kills Obama budget 413-2
Who says there's no more bipartisanship left in Washington? The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly defeated President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 by a vote of 413-to-2. The two "yes" votes came from Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and Jim Moran (D-Va.), who is retiring. Moran is the same idiot who is pushing for a pay raise for members of Congress.
House kills Obama budget 2-413 | TheHill
House kills Obama budget 2-413 | TheHill
Lowman S. Henry: A Taxing Tale
By Lowman S. Henry
Guest Colimnist
President
Obama's claim that "If you like your health care plan you can keep your
health care plan" was dubbed by pundits as the 2013 lie of the year. Fast
forward to this year's gubernatorial campaign and two lies are competing for
top honors. Take your choice between: Governor Tom Corbett has slashed
spending on public education; and Marcellus Shale gas drillers, unlike other
states, are not paying high enough taxes.
Pollsters
for the four remaining Democratic candidates for governor seem to have all
discovered that education funding has surpassed unemployment and the melting
polar ice caps as the main issue concerning likely voters in the upcoming
primary. Thus a happy convergence of the two lies has occurred. The
candidates can promise voters their cake - more education spending - and they
can eat it too because they will tax the robber baron gas drillers to pay for
it.
Setting
aside the fact more state dollars are being spent on public education than at
any time in the history of the commonwealth, let's focus on whether or not
companies drilling in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale reserve are paying their
fair share. One candidate claims on his website that we are giving
". . . away our state's valuable resources without generating revenue for
critical investments like schools . . . " His television ads point
out that gas drillers in Penn's Woods do not pay a severance tax as do companies operating in every other state in the union.
That is
a true, but misleading statement. Pennsylvania does not levy a severance
tax, which is a tax applied on gas as it leaves the well, but the commonwealth
does charge gas companies - as it does all other businesses - both a Corporate
Net Income Tax and a Capital Stock & Franchise Tax. We are the only
state in the nation that levies both of those taxes. That alone would
place Marcellus shale drillers on an equal footing with the 49 other states.
But, it
doesn't stop there. Act 13 of 2012 imposed an impact fee on natural gas
wells in Penn's Woods. It is called a fee because Republicans supporting
the measure did not want to be accused of raising taxes. A rose by any
other name, however, is still a rose. The dictionary defines the word tax
as "a sum of money demanded by a government for its support, or for
specific facilities or services." Thus, the Marcellus Shale impact fee is,
by definition, a tax.
The
impact tax is levied based upon the price of natural gas traded on the market
and on the age of the wells. Thus the amount of revenue generated each
year fluctuates depending on market performance and number of wells
drilled. According to the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy in Pittsburgh,
the impact tax generated $204.2 million in revenue in 2011 and $202.5 million
in revenue in 2012. Less was generated in 2012 because the market price
of the gas had decreased.
So, to
put this into perspective, an industry that supposedly is not paying its fair
share over the past two years paid every tax every other business in the state
paid plus an additional $406.2 million. What sort of outrage would there
be if, for example, we asked farmers to pay an impact tax? They use natural resources
- soil and water - to produce their product. Or, perhaps to make it fair
we should enact a "success tax" - in addition to Corporate Net and
Capital Stock & Franchise taxes - on any business in Pennsylvania that
expands rapidly and reaps higher profits?
The
current political debate focused on adding another layer of tax on Marcellus
Shale drillers implies, and in some cases outright states, that the gas
companies are taking a natural resources and we are left with no benefit.
But the Allegheny Institute's analysis of where dollars from the impact tax
have gone shows that a wide range of state agencies, county and local
governments have received revenue from the tax. These funds have gone to
repair and replace local bridges, improve water and sewer projects, clean up
acid mine drainage, pay for green space initiatives and watershed projects.
Money has been set aside in the Environmental Stewardship Fund to pay for any
future problems which may arise, and into community and economic
development. Counties - all 67 of them - have shared in over $21 million
in revenue.
As in
most political campaigns truth is the first casualty. Candidates can
certainly propose higher taxes, but they should at least not mislead voters.
Instead they should tell the whole story and not just those parts of it that
fit their campaign narrative.
Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO
of the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research and host of the weekly Lincoln Radio Journal. His
e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org.
Residents pan Pa. State Rep. Painter's tax reform scheme
Democratic Pa. State Rep. Mark Painter has introduced a complicated scheme that he refers to as property tax relief. Judging from the response from readers of The Pottstown Mercury, nobody is buying what Painter is selling. Here's a sampling of comments from the newspaper's Sound Off column:
What a disappointment to see state Rep. Mark Painter's answer to property tax relief. The only ones losing in his plan again are the senior homeowners. Instead of losing their homes outright, they can watch their home values erode out from under them. The tax burden stays the same. It will just take longer for the takeover and those benevolent corporations because their assistance is backed by real property.
BRRN
This is about Rep. Mark Painter's help for seniors to pay property taxes. That is the most ridiculous solution to the problem I have ever heard. Pay your taxes with a lien and then lose your home. We are losing our homes to liens now. We don’t need his bill to create an even bigger mess.
I read that Rep. Mark Painter is out to help the senior citizens by being a modern Robin Hood by taking from the poor to give to the rich. This is his plan for property tax relief? I say modify House Bill 76, increase the state tax from 6 to 7 percent, increase personal income tax to 4.37 percent and then lock all property taxes to 30 or 40 percent of what we are paying now. The key word is "lock in," cannot be removed. That's property relief.
AMERICAN CITIZEN
When state Rep. Mark Painter first got elected, I thought he was for property tax elimination. Now it sounds like he's in favor of reverse mortgage or let somebody else pay the taxes and eventually owe. I guess he’s given up now totally on property tax elimination. Why waste your time?
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Gallup Poll: Number of Uninsured In U.S. Has Risen Under Obama
Obamacare was never about providing health coverage to the uninsured. A new Gallup poll finds there are at least 3.6 million more uninsured since Obama took office.
In U.S., Uninsured Rate Lowest Since 2008
In U.S., Uninsured Rate Lowest Since 2008
PA Democrats score high in gun-control survey
If you believe in the 2nd Amendment, you definitely do not want to vote for Democrats Allyson Schwartz of Katie McGinty, who are both running for Pennsylvania governor. Both are gun control fanatics, who scored a "perfect" 100 from the liberal anti-gun group CeaseFirePA
Fellow Democrats Rob McCord and Tom Wolf, also seeking the Democratic Party nomination to run against Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, were not far behind in their support for gun control.
Report: Where the Candidates for Governor Stand on Gun Violence Prevention | CeaseFire PA
Fellow Democrats Rob McCord and Tom Wolf, also seeking the Democratic Party nomination to run against Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, were not far behind in their support for gun control.
Report: Where the Candidates for Governor Stand on Gun Violence Prevention | CeaseFire PA
Everyone Loves Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock Rockets to Number 1 in InterMedia Entertainment™ Q1 2014 DR Star Index™ Rankings (via PR Newswire)Sandra Bullock Rockets to NO. 1 in InterMedia Entertainment DR Star Index. (PRNewsFoto/InterMedia Entertainment) WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearly, Sandra Bullock is on top of the world following her critically acclaimed…
Pa. Revenue Department Extends Hours to Help Late-Season Tax Filers
Revenue Department Extends Hours to Help Late-Season Tax Filers (via PR Newswire)Extra Evening, Saturday Assistance Available as Deadline Nears HARRISBURG, Pa., April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania tax filers in need of late-season tax help will benefit from extended service hours offered by the Department of Revenue…
Legislation moving in Pa. Senate would prevent underage tanning
It's not going to be ready for this year's prom season, but a bill moving through the Pennsylvania Legislature would restrict tanning for anyone under 16 and would require parental consent for 17-year-olds.
Legislation moving in state Senate would prevent underage tanning - News - Citizens' Voice
Pennsylvania Records Lowest Number of Traffic Deaths Ever
Pennsylvania Records Lowest Number of Traffic Deaths Ever (via PR Newswire)2013 Number Lowest Since Recordkeeping Started in 1928 HARRISBURG, Pa., April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The number of highway deaths on Pennsylvania roads tumbled to a record low last year when 1,208 were recorded, the lowest number since recordkeeping…
Monday, April 07, 2014
'God's Not Dead' a surprise box-office smash
While "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" was setting box-office records over the weekend, a lesser-known film starring former "Hercules" star Kevin Sorbo, could end up being the most profitable film of 2014.
Sure the Disney/Marvel "Captain America" sequel took in $95 million in its opening weekend, but the film cost $170 million to make.
The film perched at No. 4 in this weekend's box-office list is "God's Not Dead," which earned another $7.7 million to bring its three-week total to $32.5 million. And how much did "God's Not Dead" cost to make? A paltry $2 million, which probably covered the catering bill for "Captain America."
"God's Not Dead" added nearly 600 new theaters over the weekend and continued to take in a healthy $4,414 per screen.
So while "Captain America" will need another couple of weeks just to earn back its production costs, the faith-based "God's Not Dead"is earning record profits for an independent film.
P.S. - Another faith-based movie, "Son of God" has also done well at the box-office, earning $58.5 million in six weeks of release.
Maybe the heathens in Hollywood will get the message that Christian entertainment is welcomed by the majority of Americans.
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