Monday, June 30, 2014

Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett signs 34th death warrant

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed his 33rd and 34th death warrants since taking office in 2011, but it's just shuffling around some paperwork. Nobody has been executed in Pennsylvania since 1990, with nearly 200 inmates currently on death row in Pennsylvania. Thanks to activist judges who continue to accept appeals from the inmates, most of the condemned prisoners will die of old age.

Corbett signs death warrant for man who murdered Upper St. Clair woman

State Baseball Champion Pope John Paul II High School Golden Panthers honored by PA House of Representatives

The Pope John Paul II Golden Panthers baseball team stopped in Harrisburg to visit state Rep. Mike Vereb on its way to winning the state championship in Centre County.  The team and Vereb had their picture taken inside the historic chamber of the state House of Representatives.

From Pa. State Rep. Mike Vereb's office:
The players and coaches of the Pope John Paul II Golden Panthers baseball team made history 10 days ago on the main campus of Penn State University by capturing the school’s first state championship since its doors opened in 2010.  The state House today in Harrisburg commemorated that accomplishment by adopting a state resolution introduced by Rep. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery). 
"We want these young men to know that their community and the Commonwealth are proud of their accomplishment," Vereb said.

The Golden Panthers defeated the Harriton Rams 4-2 in the state championship game on June 13 at Lubrano Park's Medlar Field in University Park.

The game was a rematch of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) District 1 title game held 15 days earlier.  Both schools are from Montgomery County.

"Montgomery County really showed this year that it is overflowing with high school baseball talent," Vereb said.

The state championship came during Coach John Duffy's first season with the team.  Throughout the season, the Golden Panthers found ways to squeeze out close victories by winning 15 games by two runs or less.

"These guys showed an ability to persevere through adversity and find ways to win," said Vereb. "On behalf of the state House of Pennsylvania and the people it represents, I congratulate Coach Duffy and the PIAA state champion Golden Panthers."

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Tom Wolf vs. Pa. Democratic Party could spell disaster in November

Tom Wolf is the Democratic nominee in the race for Pennsylvania governor, but Wolf doesn't seem to be getting along these days with the leaders of the state Democratic Party. That does not bode well for Wolf, who spent all of his money trying to win the Democratic nomination and will need the help of the party to challenge incumbent Republican Gov. Tom Corbett. But the party leaders have already shot down Wolf's attempt to hand-pick a new state party chairman.

Dem leaders air mixed opinions on party leadership | News | witf.org

Friday, June 20, 2014

Cash-strapped Democrat drops bid to unseat GOP state rep in 130th House Dist.

This guy never had a chance of winning, but now his name won't even be on the ballot. This is indicative of the problem Democrats are going to have in November at every level of government. Obama's incompetence and corruption has tainted the entire Democratic Party.
Russell Diesinger withdraws candidacy for state House | Reading Eagle - NEWS

George Will: Stopping a lawless president

Columnist George Will offers advice to a feckless Congress on how to stop Obama's rogue regime short of impeachment.
Stopping a lawless president - Commentary - Bowling Green Daily News

Soft support for Tom Wolf among Pa. Democratic Party bosses?

It appears the Democratic Party's nominee for Pa. governor doesn't carry much weight with the party leadership. Tom Wolf's hand-picked candidate for state party chairman, Katie McGinty, was forced to withdraw her candidacy when it became apparent the party leaders wanted someone else. That doesn't bode well for Wolf.

Democrats find solution to squabble over control of state committee

Edge of Oblivion: Tom Cruise's career

A string of box-office duds could mean Tom Cruise is no longer a draw at the box-office? Could Netflix be next for Tom?
Edge of Oblivion | The Weekly Standard

Pew: 54,200 newspaper, magazine jobs axed since 2003

"The people are the only censors of their governors: and even their errors will tend to keep these to the true principles of their institution. To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs thro’ the channel of the public papers, & to contrive that those papers should penetrate the whole mass of the people. The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers & be capable of reading them." -- Thomas Jefferson
Too bad most Americans today don't share Jefferson's views. While government continues to grow every year and dominate all aspects of our lives, there are fewer and fewer people serving as watchdogs against government.

Pew: 54,200 newspaper, magazine jobs axed since 2003 | WashingtonExaminer.com

Barack Obama says Michelle should be paid for her work as first lady

I guess the millions of taxpayer dollars spent on her luxurious vacations are not enough. Barack Obama thinks Michelle Obama should also get paid for all the work she does as first lady.
Obama jokes Michelle is a 'bad example' on equal pay | TheHill

Obama opens US borders, 60,000 invade US from Mexico

"A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation." ― Ronald Reagan 


Earlier this year, we learned that Obama released 68,000 illegals with criminal records from US prisons into the streets of our cities. Now, we have an estimated 60,000 illegals dumped on military bases and US cities once they're allowed to enter the country from the open border with Mexico. Is this all part of Obama's master plan to "fundamentally transform" this country? When will Obama supporters wake up? These people may end up raping or killing one of your relatives or at the very least, take away those government benefits you've been enjoying.

Audit: Pa. Legislature costs taxpayers $301M per year

In addition to having the second highest paid state lawmakers in the country, Pennsylvania taxpayers fork over $301 million a year to keep the nation's largest full-time legislature in business. Is it worth it?

$153M Legislative surplus up for grabs - News - Citizens' Voice

Pa. Legislature sits on $153M surplus as state faces budget shortfall

When politicians talk about a "surplus" what they really mean is that taxes are too high and the government is taking more of your money than it needs. A classic example is the Pennsylvania Legislature, which is sitting on a $153 million slush fund.
$153M Legislative surplus up for grabs - News - Citizens' Voice

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Obama polling lower than George W. Bush on competency

Millions of liberals are outside right now scraping those Obama bumper stickers off their cars. After all, do you really want your neighbors to know how much of an idiot you are?
Obama polling lower than George W. Bush on competency | WashingtonExaminer.com

'Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr.' coming to Reading, PA, June 27-28-29


Catch James Phyrillas as the Chesire Cat and Patrick Phyrillas as the Mad Hatter in the Reading Community Players production of "Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr." coming June 27-28-29 to the Hendel House, 746 Centre Ave., Reading, PA. For ticket information (and to print out a discount coupon), go to http://www.readingcommunityplayers.com/tickets/

Turnpike tolls, even E-ZPass, to increase 5 percent

Be sure to thank former Gov. Ed Rendell next time you travel the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A 2007 law Rendell signed into law forces the Pennsylvania Turnpike to raise tolls every year. 

Turnpike tolls, even E-ZPass, to increase 5 percent

Obama EPA Chief: Yes, We're Fighting a 'War on Coal'

You know you're paying twice as much for gas as you did when Obama took office, right? Electricity rates will skyrocket with every coal plant Obama's EPA shuts down.

EPA Chief: Yes, We're Fighting a 'War on Coal' | The Weekly Standard

Publishing Source: Hillary Book a 'Bomb'

Coming soon to a dollar store near you ...but I still wouldn't part with $1 for it ... even if I needed a door stopper.

Publishing Source: Hillary Book a 'Bomb' | The Weekly Standard

Obama White House to honor young illegal immigrants

How appropriate: A president who routinely breaks the law will honor 10 people who entered the U.S. illegally.
WH to honor young illegal immigrants | TheHill

Happy Father's Day

 This is the first Father's Day since my Dad passed away last August. A day doesn't go by when I don't think about him. Enjoy the time you have with your dad.

Insight into the Obama Regime ... courtesy of 'Game of Thrones'

 "I am surrounded by flatterers and fools. It can drive a man to madness ... Half of them don't dare tell me the truth, and the other half can't find it."

― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

IRS says it lost key Lois Lerner emails

Shads of the the 18-minute gap in the Watergate Tapes that was "accidentally" erased by Nixon's secretary.

The Obama Administration is a criminal enterprise that puts the mafia to shame. 

IRS says it lost key Lerner emails - Washington Times

Bill O'Reilly: Obama Makes A Deal with the Devil By Releasing Terrorists

Bill O'Reilly is fuming about Obama's swap of 5 Taliban chiefs for one American who may have deserted in Afghanistan:
Make no mistake, the Taliban poses a grave danger to Afghanistan, the region, and even the world. They will stop at nothing to impose their vision of an oppressive Islamic state. And now this evil organization has five of its best and brightest walking free, perhaps anticipating future battles against the infidels.

President Obama, as commander-in-chief, has an obligation to protect this country from harm, but freeing five notorious war criminals does just the opposite. This whole fiasco is a huge victory for the jihadists and will inspire even more violence in the world. 
 Bill O'Reilly Column: A Deal with the Devil

Gov. Corbett: With pension crisis, inaction not an option

By Tom Corbett
Guest columnist


Pennsylvania law might guarantee state employees a set pension when they retire, but mathematics has its own laws.

All the legal protections in the world mean nothing if a pension plan is insolvent. Retirees in Detroit just found this out. If our commonwealth is to avoid this hard lesson, we need to act with a political resolve that has been lacking too long.

Every dollar saved through pension reform is another dollar for our children's educations, or another dollar to help get someone off the waiting list for services they need, or another dollar to keep our citizens safe.

The facts are simple:

For nearly a decade beginning in 2001, the state significantly expanded pension benefits without covering the costs of this expansion, and then compounded the error by failing to pay what it should have into its two pension funds — the State Employee Retirement System and the Pennsylvania School Employee Retirement System — underfunding the systems by more than $5.9 billion.

The Great Recession of 2008 brought the political games with pensions to an abrupt halt. Global financial chaos in the past decade, coupled with the near collapse of the mortgage industry, set off a chain of events that produced close to zero gain for investments of all types — including pension funds, which rely heavily on investment income.

Pennsylvania, like many other states, had counted on a 7.5 percent return on investment. It never arrived. Instead, the burden went on the taxpayers to make up the difference and the pension hole deepened.

Right now, SERS and PSERS are a combined $50 billion short of what they need to cover current and future retirees, and the figure is climbing. By 2018, the unfunded liability for pensions will pass $65 billion. Every household in this state will owe $13,000 to cover that debt.

The financial world has noticed.

In the past year Moody's and Fitch, two of the major investment ratings firms, lowered the state's rating. The lower your credit rating, the higher the interest you pay on what you borrow.

So what happens next?

If we do nothing the short answer is, "pay more, get less."

In the case of PSERS, roughly half the pension cost is borne by school districts, meaning skyrocketing property taxes.

As more of the state budget goes to covering pension debt, money is crowded out for everything from classrooms to public safety. Potential job creators will take one look at this tax burden and turn away.

Pension debt could drag Pennsylvania into an economic death spiral.

We need to do two things:

First, we need to face economic reality.

We must address our spiraling pension costs at both the state level and in every school district across the commonwealth. This will mean hard choices, including how the state will pay for another $600 million in state funding to our current obligations to our employees and retirees. Doing nothing is no longer an option. It will only make the bad worse.

Second, we need to rethink how we do pensions in the years ahead.

The traditional pension structure must be replaced with 401(k) style defined contribution plans. We can no longer have the taxpayer foot the bill when investments don't live up to expectations. Nor should we rely upon old return assumptions in hope that we can grow our way out of the problem. We also need to recognize that people are living longer, which means added cost to taxpayers under the current pension systems.

State Rep. Mike Tobash has introduced a plan that would combine the traditional benefits of a guaranteed retirement for employees with a contribution plan that would limit taxpayer liability if the pension's investments underperform.

Risk to the taxpayer would be capped at $50,000 of a public employee's or school teacher's salary. Any retirement contribution for salary above $50,000 would go into an account that will be self-directed and fully portable.

The Tobash plan only affects new employees. It also ensures that existing benefits already being paid out to retirees will not be touched. They earned it and they will receive it

But the key to the Tobash plan is that it saves taxpayers, $11 billion over the cost of the current pension system.

Uncontrolled debt and pension cost threaten to undo the progress our state has made. The fundamental problem is not going to go away and the only question is whether we deal with pension doubt now, if it deals us a fiscal hammer blow later.

I am urging the General Assembly to help our state and local school districts by passing pension reform by the end of this session. I ask each of you to call your local legislator and do the same.

Republican Tom Corbett is governor of Pennsylvania.

Follow Tony Phyrillas on Twitter

I've posted more than 100,000 times to my 5,400 followers on Twitter. Find out what you've been missing by following me at https://twitter.com/TonyPhyrillas

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The Cantor defeat: Inside the storm

From an editorial in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
The stunning defeat of House Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor in Tuesday's Virginia primary election is being ascribed to not necessarily a single issue but a number of things that came together to create the perfect political storm.
Read the full editorial at the link below:

The Cantor defeat: Inside the storm

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Stunning political upset in Virginia: Eric Cantor ousted by Tea Party

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor knocked to the curb by Virginia voters. I can't say I'm sorry to see him go. He betrayed the conservative cause. It's time to replace House Speaker John Boehner!
Cantor out in Tea Party shocker | TheHill

Pollster: Report could help Corbett reelection bid in Pa.

More egg on Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane's face. The Democrat spent $180,000 to "investigate" if Gov. Tom Corbett had anything to do with the delay in bringing charges against Penn State's Jerry Sandusky. Kane's report vindicates Corbett. Turns out it was all a political witch-hunt on the part of Kane.
Pollster: Report could help Corbett's reelection bid - abc27 WHTM

Where have all the missing American workers gone?

After years of misleading articles about Obama's failed economic policies, The Associated Press finally asks "Where have all the missing American workers gone?" The U.S. workforce-participation rate was just 62.8 percent in May, the lowest in decades. Millions of Americans have given up looking for work.

Where have all the missing American workers gone? | WashingtonExaminer.com

Pa. Legislature remains second-highest paid in the nation

A part-time job that pays $84,012 with premium benefits and a lifetime pension? Only if you can get yourself elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature.

Pa. Legislature remains second-highest paid in the nation - abc27 WHTM

Pennsylvania employs 498 attorneys at $46 million

Pennsylvania employs 498 attorneys at $46 million, but taxpayers spent $32.7 million last year on outside lawyers, according to reporter Brad Bumsted.
Corbett's use of outside legal counsel tops $100 million

REP. JIM GERLACH: Enabling an emperor: Obama's contempt for laws

By Congressman Jim Gerlach
Guest columnist
 
President Obama’s decision to ignore a law requiring him to consult with Congress before releasing five senior Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for the return of American soldier Bowe Bergdahl is extremely disturbing, but hardly surprising.
 
Throughout his presidency, Mr. Obama has demonstrated a limitless contempt for our country’s system of checks and balances.
 
When our immigration laws clashed with his political agenda, the President ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to ignore the law and stop deporting some young people who came into the country illegally.
 
While 5 million American workers were struggling with the realization that they were losing the health insurance coverage that they liked and were promised they could keep, Mr. Obama was using his now famous pen to change the law to grant waivers to his politically-connected allies and a one-year delay of the mandate that corporations and other large employers provide insurance coverage to their workers.
 
In this White House, the political ends justify the means every time.
 
Trading five Taliban operatives for Sgt. Bergdahl again showed that President Obama simply can’t resist an opportunity to bypass Congress and ignore duly-enacted laws. And, in this case, a law that he enacted.
 
Nobody wants an American soldier to be held captive by radical terrorists.
 
However, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 supported by Democrats and Republicans in Congress and signed into law by the President last year requires the Secretary of Defense to give Congress at least 30 days notice of any plan to release terrorism suspects from Guantanamo Bay.
 
In addition, the law requires the Administration to determine whether the risk posed by the terrorism suspect will be substantially mitigated and that releasing the terror suspect is in the national security interests of the United States.
 
The intent of the law is clear. It’s simply bad policy to allow one person – whether Republican or Democrat -- to make a decision about setting free radical terrorists who have plotted to kill Americans and harm our allies.
 
Criticism of the unilateral decision by the President to release five Taliban commanders has been loud bipartisan.
 
“It’s very disappointing that there was not a level of trust to justify alerting us to that,” said Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein, who is chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “The White House is pretty unilateral about what they want to do when they want to do it.”
 
Constitutional law expert and George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley said in recent media interviews that there’s no question the Bergdahl-Taliban swap violated the law.
Turley also discussed the seriousness of the President’s refusal to accept the Constitutional limits on his power.
 
“People don't seem to understand that the separation of powers is not about the power of these branches, it's there to protect individual liberty, it's there to protect us from the concentration of power,” Turley said during a recent television interview. “That's what is occurring here. I've said it before; Barack Obama is really the president Richard Nixon always wanted to be. He's been allowed to act unilaterally in a way that we've fought for decades.”
 
Conceding the fight would be irresponsible.
 
At a minimum, Congress should exercise thorough oversight of the Bergdahl-Taliban exchange to determine why the law was not followed and examine how the release of these senior Taliban leaders leaves our troops and our citizens more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
 
All five of the Taliban commanders released by the President had close ties to al-Qaeda. It’s highly likely they’ll reunite with radical terror groups determined to carry out more attacks against U.S. troops and, possibly, American citizens.
 
As for finding a lasting solution for ensuring every President fulfils his Constitutional obligation to enforce all laws, the House passed in March the proposed Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments of the Law (ENFORCE the Law) Act.
 
Under the legislation, either the House or Senate would be able to pass a resolution by a simple majority authorizing lawsuit against the Executive Branch for failing to faithfully execute the law. This action would be heard by a three-judge panel in a federal District Court. Appeals from the three-judge panel ruling would be expeditiously heard by the United States Supreme Court.
 
If Senator Feinstein and other Democratic lawmakers are sincere about their frustration with the President sidestepping Congress before making a deal to release five Taliban commanders, then they should call on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to allow a vote on this legislation.
 
If we fail to act to restore the co-equal balance of power between Congress and the President, nobody should be surprised the next time President Obama -- or any president -- acts like an emperor.
 
Congressman Jim Gerlach is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania’s 6th District, which includes parts of Berks, Chester, Lebanon and Montgomery counties.

Is Hillary Clinton Using A Walker?

Remember all the coverage of Ronald Reagan's age when he ran for president. Same for John McCain. Why isn't anyone concerned about Hillary Clinton's advancing years?

Wall St. Journal Asks If Hillary Posed With A Walker | Truth Revolt

PHOTOS: 70th anniversary of D-Day June 6, 1944

Friday marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the turning point in the European theater during World War II. Click on the link below to check out this photo gallery of the historic event.

PHOTOS: 70th anniversary of D-Day June 6, 1944 - Pottstown Mercury Media Center

Second Pa. Labor Union Endorses Corbett for Governor

Interesting news from the Corbett for Governor campaign. A second Pennsylvania labor union has endorsed Republican Tom Corbett for re-election:
    HARRISBURG, PA – The Corbett-Cawley campaign today announced that Boilermakers Local 154 have endorsed Governor Tom Corbett for re-election.  They are the second major labor union to endorse Governor Corbett.  In endorsing Corbett, Boilermakers Local 154 Business Manager Raymond C. Ventrone touted Governor Corbett’s commitment to the energy industry in Pennsylvania.
    
    "Since taking office, Governor Tom Corbett has kept his promise to fight for Pennsylvania jobs, making our Commonwealth stronger and more prosperous for our members, their families and all Pennsylvanians," said Business Manager Raymond Ventrone. "We look forward to what the next four years of Governor Corbett’s leadership will hold for Pennsylvania’s future and are proud to stand with him as he seeks re-election this November."
    
    The Boilermakers have a strong construction presence in the energy sector, including the construction and maintenance of power plants, electric power generation plants (including thermal, nuclear, and hydroelectric), gas turbines, gas processing plants and refineries (including oil and chemical).

    The Laborers' District Council of Western Pennsylvania also endorsed Corbett in late May, shortly after Corbett officially received the Republican nomination for re-election.  In endorsing Corbett, Laborers' District Council of Western Pennsylvania President and Business Manager Philip Ameris stated Governor Corbett is "someone you can trust and I think he's moving Pennsylvania in the right direction. He's very pragmatic and he keeps his word.” On their website, Ameris says, "it's not about the Republican or Democratic Parties. It's about Union issues. We will support, and hold accountable, candidates that are interested in protecting the working class."

    For more information on the Corbett-Cawley campaign’s "More Jobs, Less Taxes" agenda, please visit www.tomcorbettforgovernor.com.
     

Premarital sex, stem cell research, euthanasia increase in 'moral acceptability'

Despite the non-stop promotion of abortion by the Democratic Party and its liberal media allies, only 42% of Americans say it is morally acceptable, according to a new Gallup poll. (Nearly 60% of Democrats are OK with abortion.)

Premarital sex, stem cell research, euthanasia increase in 'moral acceptability' | Human Events

GOP Chairman: Hillary Clinton disqualified for president

From The Hill: Reince Priebus laid out a broad critique of Clinton's entire political tenure, saying she has done nothing to justify her position as a viable presidential candidate.

"She gets an 'F' as secretary of State," he said. "Go to her Senate days, what's there? I don’t know."

Priebus: Clinton disqualified for president | TheHill