Good Afternoon, Everyone.
Pennsylvania's Only State Government Podcast (TM) returns this afternoon to sift through the still-smoldering remains of last week's electoral returns. And we're thinking the Big Thoughts: Was last week a referendum on the first year of the Obama administration? Why did Democrats stay home? And did the Pennsylvania GOP make inroads sufficient enough to guarantee even more rambling and incoherent e-mails from Republican State Committee?
Good Morning, Fellow Seekers.
We hope you like some rampant speculation to go with your Wheaties, because the talk is that this week will finally be THE WEEK that Attorney General Tom Corbett charges Republicans is running at a fever pitch.
This is all fueled, of course, by last week's twin resignations of House Republican counsel, and ex-House Republican Campaign Committee honcho, Brett Feese, of Lycoming County, and Al Bowman, a veteran House GOP aide, last seen hereabouts doing work for the House GOP Policy Committee.
Then, of course, there was also last week's story in the Post-Gazette postulating that Rep.John M. Perzel of Philadelphia, the former state House Speaker, might also soon face a grand jury presentment in the long-running Capitol soap opera that we've come to think of as "All My Bonusgates," or, alternately, as "Days of Our Bonusgates."
Whether or not this will actually happen, of course, is anyone's guess. But the Capitol is a palace of government, and what self-respecting palace isn't rife with a little intrigue?
The rest of today's news, which we hope is just as gossipy and grounded in outright speculation, starts after the the jump.
And To Think We Were Home Watching "Gossip Girl" On The DVR.
Instead, we could have been in Philly last night for a $1,000-a-head (or $1,500-a-couple) reception for Attorney General Tom Corbett's gubernatorial campaign.
Our thanks to the anonymous Capitol Ideas mole who sent us a copy of the invitation to the swank 'do, which ran from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Great Stair Balcony of the Philadelphia Art Museum.
As you might expect, the host committee reads likes like a Who's Who of the state's Republican elite. It includes GOP moneyman and RNC member Bob Asher and GOP State CommitteewomanRenee Amoore, both of Montgomery Country; Philly GOP Chieftain Vito Canuso; Corbett's campaign chair and longtime Ridge adviser, David Girard-diCarlo; developer Bruce Toll; political big-guy Manuel Stamatakis, onetime Philly mayoral candidate Sam Katz and Bucks County GOP Capo di tutti Capi, Harry W. Fawkes.
But just like a good episode of Law & Order, our favorite name on the list springs right from today's headlines.
More astute readers may recall that officials at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission recently acknowledged that they received subpoenas from Corbett's office in conjunction with an apparent grand jury probe of the agency. This comes on top of revelations that the PTC voluntarily called in the Feds to help with an internal investigation of some weirdness surrounding highway construction projects.
Thus, we couldn't help but suppress a bit of a giggle when we noted that none other than PA Turnpike Commission Vice Chairman Timothy J. Carson was also listed as a member of the host committee for the Corbett fund-raiser.
We have no idea whether Mr. Carson was actually in attendance last night, but we did briefly amuse ourselves trying to imagine what the cocktail banter between the two of them must have been like: It probably wasn't tooawkward ...
We'll be back later today with more news and updates. And don't forget to register for our lovingly maintained Twitter feed to keep up on the latest in state news.
House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin tells the P-G that Feese, who represented Lycoming County in the House, retired. He is believed to be one of several House Republicans who have been invited to testify before the Bonusgate Grand Jury.
Longtime House Republican staffer Al Bowmanalso put in his resignation today, the Patriot-News reports. Like Feese, Bowman reportedly also received an invitation to testify in the Bonsugate investigation, the P-N reports.
While in the House, Feese chaired the House Republican Campaign Committee. Bowman also worked on the House GOP's re-election efforts in-between his legislative duties.
Democratic Gubernatorial Canidate Tom Knox ...
... rolled out his plan to reform state government this afternoon. And in a respectable nod toward Web 2.0, he even spent some time taking real live questions from real live voters.
It was an interesting move by Knox, the gajillionaire businessman and onetime Philly mayoral candidate who dumped $12 million into his own campaign so he could finish second to Mayor Micahel Nutter in the Democratic primary. Though, this being the Web and all, he did have to face questions about the economic development potential of hemp products.
Good Morning, Fellow Seekers.
For obvious reasons, it's a pretty big day here at Capitol Ideas World HQ.
Our beloved New York Yankees took home their 27th World Series title last night, defeating the tenacious Philadelphia Phillies, 7-3, at home at the new Yankee Stadium.
We're still kind of buzzing over the victory, and we're hoping that, somewhere, Papa Capitol Ideas is smiling.
With that, let's jump right into today's political headlines.
It Looks Like ...
... the race for state Superior Courtmay be headed for a recount, the Post-Gazette reports this morning.
Four candidates seem to be within the margin triggering an automatic recount, the newspaper reports. They are: Democrats Anne Lazarus, Robert Colville and Kevin McCarthy, and Republican Temp Smith.
The Department of State posted updated vote tallies at 1:30 p.m. yesterday, with around 100 precincts statewide yet to be counted.
Those tallies showed Lazarus leading Colville for the fourth, open seat on the appellate bench, 714,531 to 713,019. Smith had 710,111 to McCarthy's 702,212.
The clear winners were Judge Judy Olson, Sallie Mundy and Judge Paula Ott, the P-G reported.
Gambling Talks Continued Yesterday ...
... yielding exactly nothing, our pals at Capitolwire report this morning.
The two sides still don't have an agreement on tax rates and licensing fees and with funding for state-related universities still in limbo, a protracted delay could get painful quick, participants said.
“If this drags out into the holiday season, I think it will become difficult quickly,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman, R-Centre, whose district includes Penn State University.
More astute readers may recall that Gov. Ed has said he won't sign a table games bill that does not include a 16 percent tax rate and a $15 million licensing fee. The House returns to session on Tuesday next. The Senate does not return until Nov. 16.
Selling It For The Folks Back Home. U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski met yesterday with some PA attorneys who made oral arguments in a U.S. Supreme Court bankruptcy case. Two of the lawyers, William Schwab, of Lehighton, and Zac Christman, of Stroudsburg, argued one side of the case, while Gino Andreuzzi, of Drums, argued the other.
This news comes via a press release from Kanjo's office, which fails to note which lawyer was on which side of the case. Thus, we automatically deduct style points from this craven piece of pandering.
In a statement, Kanjo patted the three lawyers on the head and tousled their hair:
"It is especially rewarding to see that some of our local attorneys have argued their sides so well that the case has moved to the Supreme Court in Washington. It was a pleasure to meet both sides and discuss their thoughts on arguing before our country’s highest court," he said.
Oh, and for the geography buffs in the crowd, the statement helpfully explains that the U.S. Supreme Court is "is located near the U.S. Capitol."
Y'know ... in case you were wondering.
Ellen Bard, RIP.
Former state lawmaker Ellen Bard, of Montgomery County, died Oct. 28, six months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her hometown Montgomery News reported yesterday.
Republican Bard, of Abington, represented the 152nd House District for five terms before retiring. She was 60 years old. Bard and her husband moved to San Francisco after her diagnosis in May to be closer to their only daughter, Allison Bard, 23, who is a program manager for Pacific Gas and Electric, the newspaper reported.
A memorial service has been set for Dec. 5, 10:30 a.m. at Abington Presbyterian Church, 1082 Old York Road, Abington
Full Disclosure: We covered Bard's career for Calkins Media from 1999-2001 and always found her to be straightforward and accessible.
She will be missed.
Washington Trend-Spotters ...
... at the Cook Political Report have adjusted Pennsylvania's status in the wake of Tuesday's elections. They've moved the state from "Leaning Democrat" to "Toss-Up."
Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Knox ...
... launches a new advertising campaign on government reform today. We just thought you might like to know.
EdWatch (TM): Gov. Ed's in Philly tonight for a 6:30 appearance at the Kimmel Center, where he'll participate in a panel discussion on Barack Obama's first year. We presume he will not be giving the president advice on how to present his next budget.
In The Blogosphere. GrassrootsPA has a ton of elections fall-out for you; 2 Political Junkies has some thoughts on NY-23; PAProgressive on the Democrats' post-election shellshock; Bernie O'Hare muses on the political fortunes of Charlie Dertinger; Now,Gort, don't be bitter. Those frown lines will stick.; Above Average Jane on a day of Women's Action for Healthcare Reform; Want some flu vaccine? Tough noogies, notes Suburban Guerrilla; PAWatercooler has a straightfoward admonition for striking SEPTA workers; Wonkette has your daily briefing; Andrew Sullivan has some sobering recession numbers; Hotline watched TV last night and it's this morning's Playbook.
On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning:
Anyone else besides us remember the LA cowpunk outfit Lone Justice?
Lead singer Maria McKee may have been the only woman to make gingham look ferocious while she bashed the bejeezus out of her guitar. From their debut LP, here's "Ways to be Wicked."
Thursday's Gratuitous Baseball Link.
Let us take a moment to savor these five words: Hideki Matsui, World Series MVP.
Go, go Godzilla, go!
That's it for now. We'll be back later with more news and updates. Don't forget to register for state news alerts on our Twitter page.
File This One Under ...
... Self-Fulfilling Prophecies: If you say that 2009 will be the dry run for the 2010 mid-terms often enough, you'll get exactly what you expected.
Republicans had a pretty good night nationwide and here in Pennsylvania last night, picking up control of the , not to mention key governorships in Virginia and New Jersey.
Republican state Superior Court Judge Joan Orie Melvin, of Pittsburgh, carried more than 50 counties on her way to a 53-47 percent win over Democrat -- and fellow Superior Court judge -- Jack Panella of Northampton County.
We sat down and took a look at the electoral map this morning, and there's some portents in there that should make Democrats very nervous indeed.
Despite a massive statewide voter registration edge, Republicans ultimately proved more motivated than Democrats last night. GOP voters turned out in droves in the allegedly blue Philadelphia suburbs.
Orie Melvin carried three of the four collar counties, picking up monster wins in Delaware County (56 percent) and Chester County (60 percent) and a clear majority in Bucks County (55 percent), unofficial tallies showed.
Panella eked out a win in Montgomery County, taking 50 percent of the vote. As you might expect, he cleaned up in Philadelphia, taking just about 79 percent of the vote. He also carried Allegheny County, Orie Melvin's wheelhouse, with a shade over 51 percent.
But when it came to his putative home turf, Panella didn't do as well. He handily won Northampton County, taking 59.2 percent of the vote, unofficial tallies showed.
But despite returning two Democrats -- county Exec Don Cunningham and Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski -- to power, Democrats in Lehigh County didn't bite on Panella. Orie Melvin narrowly carried the county, 50-49 percent.
We'll spare you the usual bromides about the swing-inclined Lehigh Valley being a bellwether for the rest of the state, but the numbers are certainly something to think about to that end.
The two candidate split the Northeast, with Panella winning in Lackawanna County and Orie Melvin in Luzerne.
Out west, there was a worrisome sign for Democrats: Reliably blue Beaver County went for Orie Melvin, 50-49 percent. The two candidates split the southwest, with Orie Melvin carrying Washington and Westmoreland counties, and Panella taking Greene and Fayette counties.
There were few surprises in the Republican-dominated T and northwest. In central Pennsylvania, it was Orie Melvin all the way. She took the five midstate counties, including Dauphin, which went blue for President Barack Obama last year.
The Big Question, at least for us, is what drove voters to the polls last night and what drove them away from Panella, who raised a positively gob-smackingly huge $1 million from the Philly trial bar. Was it the negative tone of the campaign? Was it party affiliation? Was it something else?
Forty-one percent of respondents to a massively unscientific Capitol Ideas poll cited party affiliation as their reason for voting in the Supreme Court race, while 23 percent cited their records. Interestingly, an equal number credited what they read in the press and on the Web for swaying their decisions.
The reason to care about all this, of course, is that the high court was evenly split at 3-3 until last night. And in 2011, lawmakers will sit down to redraw Pennsylvania's legislative and congressional maps.
Those maps are inevitably litigated. And, correctly or incorrectly, party bosses believe having one of their own on the high court will give them a leg up when the lawsuits finally land in the Supreme Court.
There were a few Democratic bright spots last night: the party of FDR, JFK and Bubba won key mayoral contests in York, Lancaster, Scranton, Harrisburg and Allentown. It also looks like the Dems picked one of four open Superior Court seats (if we're doing our math correctly).
But they were shut out of the two, open seats on Commonwealth Court.
We're sure state Democrats are going to be thinking long and hard about their chances in the 2010 mid-terms, where the party in power almost always loses seats in Congress (are you listening, Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak?).
There's also the so-called "Eight Year Rule" when it comes to the governorship. And if we're state House Democrats in marginal seats in, say, Chester and Delaware counties, we'd be getting a little nervous right now.
Republican Joan Orie Melvin ...
... has won a hard-fought race to become Pennsylvania's newest state Supreme Court justice. From the Associated Press:
"HARRISBURG, Pa.—Republican Joan Orie Melvin has been elected to Pennsylvania's highest court.
The 53-year-old Melvin beat 54-year-old Jack Panella in the general election Tuesday that will change the partisan balance of the seven-justice Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Both candidates are sitting judges on the Superior Court—Melvin in Pittsburgh and Panella in Bethlehem.
Melvin's victory restores a one-seat majority the GOP lost in 2007.
Melvin refused to accept the judicial pay raise that emerged from the failed 2005 legislative pay raise. She continues to return to the state Treasury the after-tax portion of her salary increases granted since then."
We'll Have ...
... some summary stuff here later tonight. In the meantime, you can get up-to-the-minute updates from our Twitter page. We'll be posting results there for the foreseeable.
With 15 Percent Of Statewide Precincts Reporting ...
... here's what the unofficial picture holds in the race for state Supreme Court:
In Lancaster Co., it's Panella over Orie Melvin, 54.3 percent to 45.7 percent, with 8.09 percent reporting.
In Blair Co., it's Orie Melvin over Panella, 63.7 percent to 36.3 percent, with nearly 26 reporting.
The jury is still out in heavily Republican York County. As of a few minutes ago, Panella was up in Northampton and Lehigh counties (his wheelhouse) and in Dauphin County. All returns are unofficial for those of you playing along at home.
The Early Returns Are Trickling In:
Democrat Jack Panella leads Republican Joan Orie Melvin 63.5 percent to 36.5 percent.
And in New Jersey, if you're wondering, NBC News says the fight between Republican Chris Christie and Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is too close to call.
This One's Taking Place Entirely ...
... entirely in the imagination of viewers of the ABC soap "One Life to Live," but the residents of Llanview, Pa., are being treated to a brutal mayoral contest between one Vicki Davidson and Dorian Cramer Lord.
"This race pits two progressive women against each other. Both have complicated histories with Davidson having suffered with multiple personalities and being the owner of one of the town's two newspapers and Lord having been the campaign manager for the previous mayor who's now in jail awaiting trial for running a drug ring in Llanview.
Same-sex marriage is a big issue in this race. While both candidates are in favor of it, Lord married her campaign manager in a mass symbolic same-sex marriage celebration this week and she promises to issue actual marriage licenses to the participants if she is elected. Long time watchers of Lord believe that she is heterosexual and her marriage is a campaign stunt."
Saving Us A Few Steps ...
... the folks at Pennsylvanians For Modern Courts have run the numbers and concluded that this year's Supreme Court contest between Republican Joan Orie Melvin and Democrat Jack Panella was a bank-buster.
Fueled by a $1 million infusion from the Philly trial bar, Panella raised a jaw-dropping $2.35 million. Orie Melvin raised a healthy $733,948.
Panella outstripped the previous record-holder, current Justice Seamus McCaffrey (a fellow Democrat) who raised $2.34 million in a four-way race for two seats in 2007.
The numbers for both Orie Melvin and Panella are likely to change, since they still have to file 30-day, post-election reports, the good folks at PMC remind us.
Good Morning, Fellow Seekers.
It's the first Tuesday in November in an odd-numbered year. And, if tradition holds, that means roughly 25 percent of Pennsylvania's registered voters will head to the polls today to vote for a host of municipal and county offices, local school boards and county and statewide appellate judgeships.
Here at Capitol Ideas World HQ, we make up our mind on these races the same way that we imagine most of the Pennsylvania populace does: by furiously perusing the voters' guide in our local newspaper. And then, moments before we enter the polls, we hastily pick some candidates, pray that they're qualified, cast our ballots and leave hoping that we haven't done too much long-term damage to the Republic.
This naturally leads us to the conclusion that there must be some better way to run a railroad -- particularly when it comes to choosing crucially important appellate judgeships. Being an accredited member of the Fourth Estate gives us a bit more insight into judicial candidates than most. But we still can't help but feel like we're holding our breath a bit when we enter the voting booth.
And if we feel this way, we have to imagine that many Pennsylvanians feel equally bewildered. And this, of course, leads us to wonder (particularly after the pugilistic state Supreme Court campaign we've just witnessed) whether electing judges is such a good idea.
We'll leave it to the reformers of the world to make the case -- or not -- for judicial selection. They have fancy JD degrees and know far more about this stuff than we do.
On the other hand, when you consider the fact that some judicial candidates couldn't even be bothered to answer a simple questionnaire sent to them by a local newspaper, thus doing a massive disservice to the voters who are being asked to make an informed decision when they step into the voting booth this day, the conclusion seems pretty cut-and-dried to us.
The rest of today's news starts, as it always does, after the jump.
Here's A Few Snacks To Get You Through ...
... until dinner. All are high in sugar. Guaranteed to give you a buzz until quitting time.
Faster Than You Can Say Federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act ...
... U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson says he still doesn't like the idea of tolling Interstate 80.
The 5th District Republicantells the Courier-Express of DuBois that the state law authorizing the tolls has "been a dice roll from the beginning.
"The governor knew this, the Legislature knew this, and the Turnpike Commission knew this. All were complacent, as they sat back and allowed the Turnpike to borrow and spend almost $2 billion since July 2007, without any guarantee of repayment," he said. Thompson tells the newspaper that he'll oppose the new application to turn I-80 into a pay-highway -- just like his predecessor U.S. Rep. John Peterson did. Act 44, the tolling law, expires next year and the state will come up $450 million a year short in transit funding without the tolls.
So what's Plan B, Mr. Thompson? Will you back a gas tax hike?
More On The Political Law Of Conservation Of Matter.
Former Rendell administration spokesman Chuck Ardo has signed on as press guy for the House Democratic Campaign Committee, state party officials said this afternoon. Ardo left the front office in August after seven years with Gov. Ed. He'd been chief spokesman since 2006.
Yes, We're Tacky. We Simply Don't Care.
In a recent Rasmussen poll, 80 percent of Americans admit that their countrymen pay way too much attention to sensational news stories. Additional proof? Nearly seven in 10 respondents said they kept close tabs on the "Balloon Boy" story.
We'd offer some trenchant analysis, but we're too busy scanning the Web for the latest news about the "Twilight" sequel. (ht/ Mediaite)
The Los Angeles Galaxy ...
... of Major League Soccer say midfielder David Beckham will return to Italian team AC Milan in an off-season loan expected to begin on Dec. 28 and end on May 16. He'll rejoin the Galaxy in July (post-World Cup?).
(h/t: Soccer Insider)
Good Afternoon, Everyone.
This week's edition of Pennsylvania's Only Statewide Political Podcast (TM) finds the loyal PAU crew battling through some technical gremlins to bring your recommended daily allowance of political gossip, sports anecdotes and grilling tips.
Here's what you'll find inside our inaugural installment for November 2009:
IF IT PLEASES THE COURT: Republicans and Democrats square off Tuesday in the fight for control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Is this a dry run for 2010? And what effect could it have on next year's redistricting?
MAYBE YOU SHOULD DRIVE: A state grand jury is investigating the Turnpike Commission. And the FBI's been called for an assist in an internal Turnpike probe. There may be no EZ-Pass this time.
THIS IS NOT AN EXIT: Speaking of the Turnpike, there's a renewed push to toll Interstate 80 in the northern tier. Here's a reminder that the debate over transportation funding remains one of the great unanswered questions of 2009.
DROPS OF KNOWLEDGE: It's A-Rod the Centaur, more fun with polls, a reminder that politics can be just like high school science class and Scott Detrow shares his adventures in cedar plank grilling.
You know the drill. Hit the download link below to get the high-fidelity audio goodness going:
Good Morning, Fellow Seekers.
The first Monday of November finds us in fine fettle, if a little sleepy from staying up too late to watch our beloved New York Yankees dispatch the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 on their own turf.
But you'll get no trash-talking from us. There's a reason the World Series lasts for seven games. And with Cliff Lee on the mound tonight, we're taking nothing for granted. If we do nothing else this autumn, we hope to dispel the wrong-headed notion amongst Phillies fans that Yankees supporters come saddled with a strong sense of entitlement.
With that out of the way, we're going to dive right into things. We've a 9 a.m. speaking engagement at the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association. So if you know any good one-liners about credit default-swaps, we'd appreciate it if you could send 'em our way.
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who once said he didn't think Pat Toomey could win a U.S. Senate race will host a Nov. 17 fund-raising lunch for ... Pat Toomey, our bloggy cousin, Pennsylvania Avenue reports.
Utah's senior United States senator is reportedly warming to the former Lehigh Valley congressman. And, while we're on the topic, we'd be much obliged if someone would remind us of the name of Utah's other senator.
Speaking of the Turnpike Commission, the state has resubmitted its application to turn Interstate 80 into a pay-highway, the AP reported over the weekend. This reminds us that transportation funding remains one of the great unaddressed issues of the year.
Tomorrow is Election Day in Pennsylvania. And, in case you haven't noticed, there's a fairly brutal contest for state Supreme Court going on out there. Republican Joan Orie Melvin of Pittsburgh faces Democrat Jack Panella of Northampton County in a race that's taken on a decidedly pugilistic tone.
This is only natural, we suppose, since the Orie family has a reputation for being tough and Panella used to represent heavyweight champion Larry Holmes in his days in private practice.
After trading some brutal jabs on the airwaves, we wouldn't be surprised if it were Mills Lane, and not the electorate, who finally decides this one.
Once again providing evidence for our Political Law of the Conservation of Matter*, Pennsylvania Wilds adviser and former state lawmaker Dan Surra of Elk County has a new title. Surra was named last week as Gov. Ed's primary adviser on sportsmen and will lead something called the Governor's Council on Fishing, Hunting and Conservation.
(*this theory posits that ex-lawmakers, like matter, can neither be created nor destroyed. They simply change form.)
EdWatch (TM):
This Monday morning finds Gov. Ed on the auld sod. At 2:30 p.m., he's going to participate in some sort of announcement or other at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. It involves Norfolk Southern, which is trains. But the Navy Yard builds boats. So we can only assume they're unveiling the latest in floating train technology. Or, perhaps, Training Boats?
In The Blogosphere: GrassrootsPA is all over the Supreme Court race, raising questions about Jack Panella's personal stand on abortion (which doesn't matter because he's just supposed to interpret the law, right?); Young Philly Politics has your handy-dandy voters' guide; Tony Phyrillas reminds us that the GOP is cutting off its nose to spite its face in NY-23; Bernie O'Hare wonders whether the GOP's time has come on the A-Town city council; Gort makes some judicial predictions in Luzerne County; Above Average Jane tunes into the Bucks County DA race; Suburban Guerrilla reminds us of why we don't read David Brooks; PAWatercooler on some hilarity in Montgomery County; Wonkette on the WaPo's "Next Great Pundit Contest"; Andrew Sullivan gets e-mail from someone who actually LIVES in NY-23; Daily Kos has your abbreviated pundit round-up; Red State appears satisfied with its scalp; Here's this morning's Playbook and DCist has our Picture(s) of the Day (TM).
OK. That's all we have for now. We'll be back a little later today with this week's installment of the "Politics as Usual" podcast. And remember, you can register for state news alerts on our lovingly maintained Twitter feed.
Gov.
Ed renewed his call this afternoon for state lawmakers to tie up one of the
remaining loose ends in this year's epic budget debate - the legalization of
table games at Pennsylvania's
slot-machine casinos.
In
a conference call with reporters, Rendell said lawmakers' failure to legalize
the games, which is expected to raise $200 million this year, was an
"intolerable situation."
Rendell
is holding up $700 million in state funding for Penn Stateand other state-related universities until lawmakers get a deal on the games.
Both
the House and Senate are out of session on an election season recess. The House
is not expected to reconvene until Nov. 9, while the Senate is slated to return
to the Capitol on Sept. 16.
Today, Rendell said he's "extremely disappointed with the pace of
progress" on finishing up table games legislation. And he said wants
lawmakers to work round-the-clock to get a bill to him by the end of the Nov. 9
session day.
Rendell
sent a letter to leaders of all four caucuses, urging them to return
to session.
Lawmakers
and the administration disagree on how much casino owners should be expected to
pay in up-front license fees and taxes. Rendell says he won't sign any bill
that doesn't include a minimum 16 percent on the games and a $15 million
license fee.
A
bill that passed the Republican-led Senate calls for a 14 percent tax (12
percent to the state and 2 percent for local governments) and a $10 million
license fee. The majority-Democrat House is seeking a $20 million license fee
and an 18 percent tax.
Lawmakers
and the administration are also trying to reach an agreement on a bill making
changes to the state's five-year-old gaming law.
Rendell
has said he won't sign a table games bill unless lawmakers also send him a
reform measure.
In
a statement, Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, and Speaker Keith McCall,
D-Carbon, said they were sympathetic to Rendell's concerns, but "this is a
complex piece of legislation that requires tremendous attention to detail to
make sure we're going to get it done right the first time."
In
a statement, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, put
the blame on the House.
"The
Senate has passed two comprehensive gaming reform bills, one of which was sent
to the House nearly four months ago," he said. The chamber has also
approved a measure "to authorize table games in Pennsylvania."
Rendell
called on party bosses to "put our differences aside and work together for
the good of our citizens."
And while we're thinking about it, here's Wilco with their classic, "Casino Queen."
And We're Also Buoyed ... ... by the Yankees' Game 2 win over the Phillies last night. So we figured we'd pass along this amusing little trifle.
For some time now, we've been getting e-mail from a group billing itself as "Americans for Limited Government."
As you might expect from the name, they tilt to the right and generally oppose anything and everything backed by the current White House. Fair cop to 'em. It's a democracy and anyone's allowed to oppose anything they want.
Well, this morning, as we fired up the trusty Capitol Ideas laptop, we were amused to find no fewer than five, cookie-cutter e-mails from ALG taking aim at Pennsylvania's Democratic congressional delegation, asking them where they stand on the so-called "public option" in the healthcare reform debate.
"ALG to Congressman Carney On Public Option: Where Do You Stand?" one such e-mail asked in its subject line. Four more e-mails directed at Reps. Tim Holden, Jason Altmire and Kathy Dahlkemper followed.
We got two copies of the e-mail aimed at Dahlkemper. We can only assume that the good folks at ALG are particularly interested in where she stands on the public option.
When we cracked open the e-mails themselves, we were more than a little amused to find the policy equivalent of those word games we used to play as a young blog.
Here's an example: October 29th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged Congressman Chris Carney to reject the latest $894 billion “public option” proposal unveiled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
“Congressman Carney is now faced with the ultimate moral dilemma,” said Wilson. “Does he represent the people of his district, who do not want their health care taken over by government, rationed, and watered-down, nor their taxes raised, the budget broken, and Medicare cut to pay for it? Or does he represent Nancy Pelosi, who does want all of those things?”
As you might have guessed, the phrasing of all five e-mails was identical, save for the names of each Democratic congressperson.
This is turn led us to wonder: If Americans for Limited Government is really in favor of limited government, wouldn't they show it by not sending us so much darn spam e-mail?
Otherwise, we have this kettle we'd like them to meet.
Inside Harrisburg - insight and perspective from The Morning Call's state house reporter John L. Micek.
