You may not be aware of this, but Pennsylvania licenses and regulates many types of professionals, including accountants, barbers, car dealers, chiropractors, dentists, doctors, funeral directors, optometrists, pharmacists and others.

When they violate the terms of their licenses or otherwise break the law or mistreat customers, the state can issue fines, suspend licenses or revoke licenses.

From a press release issued by the state:

The Pennsylvania Department of State took disciplinary actions against 94 licensed or commissioned professionals from February through March 2009.

A comprehensive list of sanctions imposed by the 27 boards and commissions under the department's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs is available at the Department of State's Web site, www.dos.state.pa.us

New and archived disciplinary actions can be accessed by clicking on "Professional Licensure" under the "Areas of Interest," then selecting "Disciplinary Actions" from the left-hand side of the Bureau of Professional and Occupation Affairs page.

Each entry includes the name of the respondent, the license number (if any), the respondent's last known business address registered with the bureau, the sanction imposed, a brief description of the basis for the disciplinary or corrective measure and the effective date.

Anyone who suspects unlicensed activity by an individual or facility, or who has been a victim of unethical treatment, can file a complaint online or by calling the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs at 1-800-822-2113.

Two prominent attorneys offer another reason the Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 -- also known as "card check" -- should be rejected by Congress: It's unconstitutional.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey argue that the card check legislation that denies workers the right to a secret ballot violates the First Amendment and probably the Fifth and 14th Amendment due process clauses too.

From their column:

There can be little doubt that the act of voting on important issues is a form of symbolic speech, residing at the very core of the interests protected by the Constitution. The secret ballot has not only been adopted in federal and state elections, it is recognized as a fundamental human right in a number of international instruments. This includes the U.N. Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the United States is a party, that requires secret

ballot voting as "guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors."Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.

From an article by Brian Bowling in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Benjamin Franklin once quipped that nothing is certain "except death and taxes," but even he couldn't know a tax on death would be just as certain in his home state.

Census Bureau figures released Monday show that about 2.5 percent of Pennsylvania's 2008 revenue came from "death and gift" taxes, the highest percentage of any state. Death taxes can take one of two forms — a tax on the estate of the deceased or a tax on the amounts inherited by survivors. Until 2003, Pennsylvania had both.

While the state has followed the federal government and a majority of states in phasing out the estate tax, Pennsylvania clings to its 183-year-old inheritance tax.

Most states have eliminated or drastically reduced the "death tax" but not Pennsylvania. Another glaring example of why Pennsylvania should be renamed Taxsylvania.

Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site.

Acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor & Industry Sandi Vito is back on the job after spending two weeks seeking treatment for an alcohol problem that was exposed after Vito was cited by police for public intoxication.

Gov. Ed Rendell welcomed Vito back with a vote of confidence.

"Sandi's personal difficulties are no reflection on her work performance," Rendell said in a statement. "In the past 14 months she has led the Department of Labor & Industry brilliantly. Since 2003 she has been an invaluable leader in reforming Pennsylvania's workforce development system to align it with the needs of business and industry."

Read Rendell's full statement at the link below:

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Welcomes Return of Acting Secretary Vito to Lead Labor & Industry

Gov. Ed Rendell has made another exception to the hiring freeze he imposed last fall, offering a $102,000-a-year state job to ex-state Rep. Mike Veon's lobbying partner, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Her name is Colleen Kopp and she is Rendell's new senior deputy secretary for legislative affairs.

Veon, the former No. 2 ranking Democrat in the state House, is right smack in the middle of two of the biggest corruption scandals in Pennsylvania political history.

He is facing charges involving the Bonusgate scheme in which millions of dollars were awarded to state workers for allegedly conducting political work on taxpayers' time. Veon has also been charged in a scheme involving misuse of state money to fund a nonprofit organization that received $10 million from the state.

Kopp has not been charged with any wrongdoing. She does, however, have a long association with Veon, including stints as executive director and chief of staff of Veon's legislative staff.

Reporters Brad Bumsted and Debra Erdley said Kopp is the third prominent Democrat hired by Rendell since the hiring freeze was imposed.

From their article:

Rendell hired Colleen Kopp last week, the third high-profile exception he has made to the freeze he implemented in September. He hired defeated Democratic Rep. Dan Surra of Clearfield County for $95,000 a year to oversee a nature-tourism project, and last week agreed to pay Ken Snyder of Philadelphia $100,000 to tout the federal stimulus package. Snyder, a public relations man who consulted for Rendell in 2003, represented a nonprofit pillaged by convicted former Sen. Vincent Fumo.

Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site.

Here's this week's State Capitol Roundup courtesy of state Rep. Bob Mensch, R-147:

Proposals to Increase Health Care Accessibility Road Blocked

Three Republican-sponsored proposals that would have helped the uninsured obtain quality and affordable health care services failed in the Democrat-controlled House. Reps. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks) and Scott Boyd (R-Lancaster), who chair the House Republican Policy Committee's Health Care Task Force, expressed frustration that commonsense solutions are being road blocked. The measures included proposals by Rep. Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) to offer grants to health care facilities for upgrading equipment that would reduce medical errors; Rep. Mark Mustio (R-Allegheny) to retool the state's AdultBasic Program by applying sliding income scales to cover more of the uninsured; and Rep. Tom Killion (R-Delaware/Chester) to offer an affordable, basic insurance policy.

Lawmakers Push for Legislative Oversight of Federal Stimulus Funds

House Republican lawmakers gathered this week to call for legislative oversight over the acceptance and distribution of more than $9 billion in federal stimulus funds. House Bill 993, sponsored by Rep. Curt Schroder (R-Chester), would require the Legislature to approve all highway and transportation projects using stimulus funds. Additionally, Schroder is authoring House Resolution 165 to require the House and Senate to approve or reject stimulus money slated for Pennsylvania. Other measures include House Bill 991 from Rep. Jim Christiana (R-Beaver) to create a stimulus oversight council and House Bill 992, authored by Reps. Tim Krieger (R-Westmoreland) and Mike Reese (R-Westmoreland), to require that state agencies show the Legislature how stimulus funds are intended to be spent before the money is distributed.

House Republicans Unveil 'Energize PA' Proposal to Tap Marcellus Shale

House Republicans have unveiled a comprehensive alternative to the job smothering "severance tax" on natural gas proposed by Gov. Ed Rendell. The "Energize PA" plan would open 390,000 acres of state forest land to drilling during the next three years, providing at least $260 million per year for state and local governments as well as conservation districts. Drilling companies would pay a minimum of $2,000 per acre under the plan, a percentage of which would be used to address the state's growing budget deficit. The plan also has the potential to create 7,300 new private-sector jobs in the state's emerging Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling industry, a stark contrast from the 53,000 jobs estimated to be lost if Rendell's plan is implemented. The Marcellus Shale formation has been estimated to contain enough recoverable natural gas to supply the entire country for at least two years.

Legislation to Require Ignition Interlocks for DUI Offenders Reintroduced

Legislation recently reintroduced by Rep. Paul Clymer (R-Bucks) to require ignition interlocks on vehicles of first-time DUI offenders was the subject of discussion in the House Transportation Committee this week. If passed, offenders would be required to operate their vehicles with the interlock device for a minimum of six months. Depending on the individual's blood alcohol content at the time of arrest, the period could climb to a maximum of one year. In 2007 alone, there were more than 53,000 drunk driving arrests on Pennsylvania's roads. The Pennsylvania State Police estimate that 535 deaths were caused by drunk drivers in that year. Current law in Pennsylvania requires ignition interlock systems for only second-offense DUI convictions.

Everyone knows the newspaper industry is struggling, but there seems to be a growing number of people who are enjoying watching the demise of some of the nation's great newspapers.

Randy Siegel, co-founder of the Newspaper Project, argues that many of the people who are sounding the death knell have ulterior motives.

From Siegel's column in The Providence Journal:

As newspaper companies fight for survival and try to rectify many of the mistakes they have made in the last decade, they don’t deserve a break from anyone — their readers, their advertisers, or their competitors. What they do deserve, however, is a little more objective coverage of their problems and more detailed disclosure about the possible motives of those "critics" and "analysts" who are hardly unbiased observers.

Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.

You can find out more about the Newspaper Project at www.newspaperproject.org

There's also an interesting column by Leonard Pitts Jr. that says politicians and government bureaucrats would love to see fewer newspapers because there would be no one left to hold them accountable.

From Pitts' column:

Too many of us fail to understand what that death would mean, believe newspapers provide no service they can't get elsewhere ... Local TV news specializes in crime, weather and sports. CNN has a national purview. Even the Internet primarily synthesizes reporting done in other media.

No, only the local paper performs the critical function of holding accountable the mayor, the governor, the local magnates and potentates for how they spend your money, run your institutions, validate or violate your trust. If newspapers go, no other entity will have the wherewithal to do that. Which means the next Blagojevich gets away with it.

Read "Don't expect sympathy cards from crooks, corrupt politicians," at The Miami Herald's Web site.

Tune in to "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" today at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM

"Talking Politics" can be heard every Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. You can call the station at 610-326-4000 with questions or comments.

If you can't pick up the station's signal, you can listen to the program on your computer. The show is simulcast at www.pottsmerc.com and www.1370wpaz.com

WTAE-TV4 in Pittsburgh has been doing some outstanding investigative reporting on the Pennsylvania Legislature, the most expensive in the country and arguably the most inefficient and corrupt state legislature in the U.S.

The latest investigation by reporter Jim Parsons exposes cases of lawmakers who benefit financially from ties to private interests, often leading to conflicts of interest.

A common example: Lawmakers leasing office space in buildings they own or buildings owned by political allies, all paid for by taxpayers.

From the Team 4 report:

Now, a Team 4 investigation finds many of our full-time legislators in Harrisburg get outside income from private interests -- and sometimes, those interests can conflict with the public's.

Remember, we pay our state lawmakers a minimum of almost $80,000 each to represent us full-time -- but our Team 4 investigation found a majority of lawmakers report income from at least one other source.

And in reading through this annual financial interest statement for each state lawmaker, we also discovered something else: More than one-third of state senators and a quarter of House members sit on legislative committees that oversee the industries from which those same lawmakers reported receiving income, owning stock or serving on a board of directors.

Critics say that's a conflict of interest. But there's no law against it.

You can read the transcript of the report online or watch the actually report by the Team 4 investigation online at the station's Web site, www.thepittsburghchannel.com

(H/T GrassrootsPA.com)

Pennsylvania is facing a $2.3 billion budget deficit for the fiscal year ending June 30.

Thousands of state workers could be furloughed in the next couple of months.

More than 41,000 Pennsylvania residents lost their jobs in February.

Nearly 1 million Pennsylvania residents are without health insurance.

Pennsylvania has the most "structurally deficient" bridges in the United States.

There's a strong possibility the state's slot parlors won't generate enough revenues to trigger any property tax relief this year.

With so many pressing issues, what is the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives up to these days?

What are the legislative priorities the most expensive state legislature in the country is working on? Here's a prime example:

House Bill 621 - An act selecting, designating and adopting the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) as the official reptile for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, passed out of the State Government Committee today. A full House vote is expected next week.

Glad to see House Speaker Keith McCall and Majority Leader Todd Eachus have their priorities in order. Keep up the good work, boys.

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner is reviewing the Pennsylvania Department of General Service's agreement to sell the State Office Building in Pittsburgh for $4.6 million, claiming the purchase price amounts to a "fire sale."

The Department of General Services announced Tuesday it was selling the 16-story structure to River Vue Associates LP of Canonsburg.

"I continue to believe this is the worst possible deal for the taxpayers of Pennsylvania," Wagner said in a statement. "It makes no sense for the commonwealth to sell this prized asset -- the signature building of state government in Western Pennsylvania -- for the lowest possible price during the most depressed real-estate market in decades."

Department of General Services Secretary James P. Creedon countered that selling the Pittsburgh State Office Building is in the best interest of taxpayers.

Creedon said he welcomes the audit from Wagner's office.

"We have discussed this decision and engaged in the process to sell the Pittsburgh State Office Building publicly for more than two years," Creedon said in a statement. "While the auditor general seemed to only become interested in this topic during the last month, he is welcome to review any and all of our material and we will fully cooperate with him in that review."

Creedon says the decision to sell the 50-year-old building was based on many factors, including "significant annual operating costs and the substantial costs necessary to rehabilitate the structure."

Engineering estimates show that nearly $65 million in state funds would be needed to thoroughly rehabilitate the building, Creedon said.

The state will save $14 million by selling the building and moving state employees into leased space in downtown Pittsburgh, Creedon said.

Wagner isn't buying it.

"The land alone is worth more than the sale price," Wagner said in a press release, adding that the state has agreed to purchase the City of Pittsburgh's Municipal Courts Building, which is one-fifth the size of the State Office Building and is situated in a less desirable location, under the Liberty Bridge and next to the Allegheny County Jail, for $9 million.

The State Office Building sale is a bad deal, Wagner argues, because "there would not be enough profits from the sale to offset moving expenses and pay for the first year of leases at multiple locations in downtown Pittsburgh, saddling taxpayers with an additional spending burden."

Read Wagner's press release at the link below:

Auditor General Jack Wagner Will Review State's Agreement to Sell Pittsburgh State Office Building

Read Creedon's response at the link below:

DGS Secretary Says Sale of Pittsburgh State Office Building Is in Best Interest of Taxpayers

Breaking news on the corruption front involving the Pennsylvania Legislature.

From an article by Brad Bumsted and Debra Erdley in today's edition of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Additional charges of theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest were filed against former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon today, accusing him of using a Beaver County nonprofit for his personal and political benefit, the state Attorney General's Office said.

Attorney General Tom Corbett is holding a news conference in Pittsburgh to announce the latest phase of his investigation of possible corruption in the Legislature.

Charges were filed against Veon, 52, formerly of Beaver Falls, and former district office staffer Annamarie Peretta-Rosepink, 46, for their use of the Beaver Initiative for Growth. Veon and former Sen. Gerald LaValle, D-Rochester, funded the nonprofit with more than $10 million in state grants over a decade.

Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site.

Guess who's looking for a bailout?

Postmaster General John Potter told Congress today the U.S. Postal Service will run out of money this year without help from the government.

The Postal Service lost $2.8 billion last year and expects a bigger loss this year, Potter said. The agency is projecting a $6 billion loss in 2010.

How the hell do you lose that much money when you're a government monopoly?

Potter is asking Congress for permission to cut Saturday mail delivery to save $3.5 billion, but it still doesn't get the Postal Service out of the red. Maybe Potter can hire some of the executives at AIG.

If you need any further proof that the government can't do its most basic jobs, look no further than the Postal Service.

So of course, Barack Obama wants the government to do more, including taking over the health system in this country.

Picture yourself waiting in line to see a doctor just like you wait in line to buy stamps.

Stop the madness.

U.S. Postal Service Details Economic Viability Strategy

More than 140,000 Census workers will begin canvassing across the United States on March 30 in an effort to verify 145 million addresses.

What can possibly go wrong?

Census Workers to Verify Addresses in the U.S.

The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace is pleased with Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to oppose the job-killing EFCA (aka Card Check) bill.

"CDW appreciates Sen. Specter's principled decision to protect worker privacy and secret ballot elections," said Brian Worth of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.

Without Specter's support, the Democrats don't have the 60 votes needed in the Senate to pass the bill.

Coalition for a Democratic Workplace Applauds Senator Specter for Opposing Anti-Worker Card Check Bill

One man's obscene gesture is another man's Constitutional right to free speech, according to a federal judge.

From The Associated Press:

A federal judge says a man who flipped his middle finger at a Pittsburgh police officer shouldn't have been cited for disorderly conduct.

David Hackbart, of Pittsburgh, made the gesture at another driver in April 2006, then made the gesture again when he heard someone yelling at him — realizing only later the second person was a police officer.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued on Hackbart's behalf saying the gesture is protected speech and U.S. District Judge David Cercone agreed in a 19-page decision filed Monday.

Still to be determined at an upcoming trial is whether city police were improperly trained. The ACLU claims city police have filed 188 citations for similar offenses in 2005, 2006 and 2007. A trial date is pending.

Why would anyone invite the most pro-abortion president in U.S. history to speak at a Catholic university?

Pro-Lifers Plans at Notre Dame: Keep Obama from Speaking

From the American Small Business League:

As America slides deeper and deeper into recession, 27 million small business owners want President Barack Obama to answer one question at his press conference Tuesday.

Why are you allowing Fortune 500 firms to participate in government economic stimulus contracting programs designated for small businesses?

Since 2003, over a dozen federal investigations have been released, which found billions of dollars in federal small business contracts have been diverted to Fortune 500 firms and thousands of other large businesses around the world.

A recent investigative story by the Washington Post found up to 38.5 percent of all federal small business contracts were actually going to Fortune 500 firms alone.

Read the full release at the link below:

Small Businesses Want President Obama to Answer One Question

If you missed the Barack Obama interview on "60 Minutes" the other night, you missed one of the most disturbing television events of all time.

Without a teleprompter to read from, Barack Obama fumbled his way through the segment with CBS News correspondent Steve Kroft, but also exhibited a disturbing laugh when Kroft asked about the sagging U.S. economy.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review called Obama's performance "shocking" and more proof that Obama, the media-created celebrity, doesn't have a clue about the presidency.

From the editorial:

The economy continues to struggle. Americans keep losing their jobs. Politicians keep insisting we can spend our way back to prosperity. The administration proposes stealth tax increases. Wealth redistribution is far outpacing wealth creation. And Barack Obama is nervously chortling, one minute striking an optimistic tone and the very next talking of a new depression.

Can you imagine a similar performance from Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression? Or John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Or Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War?

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Chairman Mitchell Rubin, the target of an FBI corruption investigation, gave himself an extended leave of absence on Saturday.

Gov. Ed Rendell handed Rubin a permanent leave on Monday, removing him from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission effective immediately.

Rubin has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but his name came up during the corruption trial of former sate Sen. Vince Fumo, who was found guilty last week of 137 charges.

Rubin, of Philadelphia, has served on the Commission since June 1998 and was elected chairman in 2003.

Read Rendell's letter to Rubin at the link below:

PA Governor Rendell's Office Releases Letter to Mitchell Rubin

Camp Hill citizen-activist Bill McIntyre has been perusing the newspaper headlines lately and is having some doubts about the people running Pennsylvania and the United States, too.

Here is his latest mailing to "Friends of Responsible Government" and members of the Executive, Legislative & Judicial Branches of PA Government:

Dear Friends,

"Obama's plan: $9.3 trillion in red?" appeared as the lead headline at the top front page in today's Harrisburg Patriot-News. Another headline read "Rendell sees stimulus money as state's 'lifeline'" and appeared at the bottom of the page.

Headlines are defined as the most important items of news in a newspaper or broadcast news media. A well composed headline will draw the readers and/or listeners attention to the article that follows. Some headlines across the state that have caught my attention since my last letter were:

"Auditor General Wagner to audit liquor control board contract"

"Governor hires $100K publicist to tout stimulus money"

"GUILTY! BUT IS IT THE END OF AN ERA?"

"Fumo found guilty on all 137 counts"

"Fumo corruption case expands; others could be investigated"

"Pennsylvania lawmakers have history of criminal prosecution"

"Losses top $28 billion for 2 state pensions"

"Legislators want 'equitable' budget cuts"

"E-mail may tie DeWeese to scandal"

"DeWeese, Dems play tug-of-war with case file"

"Rendell says LCB deal should be investigated"

"President of PHEAA's fundraising arm fired"

"Former PHEAA head wants severance package"

It just goes on and on!

Do you get the idea that our nation and state are in deep dodo? We have mortgaged our future and future generations. Yet, government continues to grow and to spend beyond our means to pay for it all. One headline that caught my eye was "Speaker's pen gift adds $4,000 to Pa. red ink" by Eric Heyl of the Tribune-Review.

Eric wrote - "As is customary for new speakers, McCall rewarded all 203 well-compensated House members with a gift from their leader. He bought them each an $18.95 desktop pen set and purchased seven spare sets – spending nearly $4,000. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Tuesday."

I would have been impressed with Speaker McCall's generous gesture had he paid for the pens himself. Eric's article continues – "McCall's annual salary is $122,245, but he's having the public pick up the tab for the pens. McCall essentially is attempting to expense an outrageous and unnecessary expenditure, one that his bosses – state taxpayers – shouldn't tolerate."

With a projected $2.3 billion deficit in this year's budget, every penny counts. Speaker McCall evidently didn't listen to his grandmother who might have told him, like my grandmother told me; if you watch your pennies the dollars will take care of themselves. With our projected budget shortfall, $4,000 is pennies, precious pennies!

A very concerned,
Bill McIntyre
About spending ourselves into bankruptcy

From Gov. Haley Barbour, who delivers the weekly Republican address:

"In this budget season we have choices. While states are controlling spending and balancing their budgets, the Obama budget spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much. It's not the right choice for America."

Read a transcript of the full address at the link below:

RNC: Governor Haley Barbour (R-MS) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

The bumbling start of the Obama Administration should come as no surprise considering Obama's age and minimal political inexperience, argues Alan Caruba in an excellent commentary titled, "Electing a Child to be President"

From Caruba's column:

His record as a one-term Illinois legislator is replete with "present" votes that revealed little about his political positions. He did not even wait to complete a full term as a U.S. Senator before almost immediately beginning to run for the highest office in the land.

In terms of political leadership, he is a child among grownups and a petulant one at that.

His first months in office have demonstrated an astonishing lack of judgment regarding those who he appointed to office, many of whom were revealed to be tax cheats and others who have since demonstrated a distinct lack of competence or preparation for positions of critical importance. Why, for example, would he appoint a longtime political operative like Leon Panetta to be the Director of the CIA?

Read the full post at Warning Signs

RNC Launches New Web Video: 'Mystery Solved'

Here's this week's State Capitol Roundup courtesy of state Rep. Bob Mensch (R-147)

Lawmakers Question Governor's Authority to Shift Program Funding

Reps. Sam Smith (R-Jefferson) and Mario Civera (R-Delaware) are questioning the governor's authority to unilaterally shift state funding to programs other than those for which it was originally intended. Citing the state constitution, state law and existing case law, the lawmakers say they stand prepared to work with the governor to address changing budget needs through the legislative process. Additionally, the lawmakers urged the governor to produce a new budget proposal that reflects the use of federal stimulus funds. House Republicans have repeatedly urged the governor to use funds from the federal stimulus package for capital investments and job creation for out-of-work Pennsylvanians. For details, visit PAHouseGOP.com and click on "State Budget News."

$100,000 Price Tag for Part-Time Public Relations Consultant Tough to Swallow

Ironically, the same day the governor's state worker furlough plan was released, it was revealed that the governor hired a $100,000 part-time consultant. Ken Snyder, a Philadelphia political strategist and media consultant was hired to publicize Rendell's plan for using the federal stimulus funds. Republican members questioned the new use of tax dollars when the state should be cutting back on spending. The administration continues to dole out lucrative contracts and deals to well-connected individuals. Earlier this year, numerous lawmakers expressed concern when Rendell hired a former member of the House Democratic leadership team to a newly created, $95,000-a-year position at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

GOP Lawmakers Question Gaming Control Board's Travel Expenses

Several House and Senate Republicans gathered this week to demand answers for extravagant travel arrangements for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) at taxpayers' expense. Rep. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) and Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) led the event, further criticizing the PGCB for seeking a funding increase at a time when state agencies have been asked to trim expenses. Despite an ongoing travel ban, officials from the PGCB made numerous international trips, namely to Italy where members stayed in luxury hotels, dining poolside at a cost of as much as $799 a day for food and accommodations. Other trips included visits to Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macao and a number of U.S. cities. In the coming weeks, Vereb and Orie both intend to introduce proposals to create a searchable database for all travel by state employees.

Legislation to Reduce Wasteful Spending and Return Tax Dollars Introduced

House Republican Whip Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) and Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) joined forces this week to introduce legislation that would eliminate spending on wasteful government programs and cut taxes for hard-working middle class families and small businesses. While the proposal would return money back to those who need it most and encourage business development, Gov. Ed Rendell characterized the plan to cut taxes as "ludicrous." House Republican Leader Sam Smith noted that if the governor labels tax cuts during a budget crunch as ludicrous, he should also label his own attempts to increase spending by more than $700 million as the same.

The Obama Administration is turning to ACORN, the radical group responsible for injecting voter fraud into the 2008 election, to help out with conducting the 2010 Census.

What can possibly go wrong?

Plenty, according to Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason, who issued the following statement:

"ACORN's actions last year certainly did little to earn the public's trust and I am sure that most Americans are concerned about this group's ability to deliver an accurate count," Gleason said. "News first broke that the President wanted to move the U.S. census into the White House, now he is enlisting the help of ACORN, a group that is widely believed to be consistently breaking the law. President Obama is trying to interject politics into the 2010 U.S. census, hoping to increase the reach of his Party throughout the country. It will be tough to trust ACORN's counts or any data they submit.

"With the economy in decline it is sad to see that the President is so concerned about the 2010 census. I also find it even more troubling that the Census Bureau wouldn't be willing to offer these jobs to the many hard-working men and women already looking for a job, rather than do political favors for groups that helped elect our current president."

Read more about the controversy, read "Obama blamed for ACORN's role in census" by Mike Wereschagin, in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Also check out this post at NetRightNation.com

Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason is wondering why Gov. Ed Rendell is violating his own hiring freeze for a $100,000-a-year consultant to publicize how Rendell plans to spend the $18 billion the governor expects to receive in stimulus dollars from the federal government.

"Gov. Rendell's decision to hire a consultant to spread the word about his spending initiatives is outrageous," Gleason said in a statement. "Gov. Rendell proves once again that the taxpayers never win. He is using Pennsylvanians' tax dollars to publicize the egregious spending he is doing. Even more troubling is the fact that he gave the contract to a former employee. At a time when ethics are being questioned in Harrisburg, the governor's actions will do little to assure weary Pennsylvanians. So much for a hiring freeze!"

More from Gleason's press release:

According to a report from the Associated Press, Gov. Rendell is paying a former employee, Ken Snyder, $100,000 to publicize the programs he funds with the billions of federal economic stimulus dollars the state expects to receive.

Gleason concluded, "Democrats at every level continue to fail our nation on the economy. In the midst of an economic crisis, our President has spent more time filling out his NCAA basketball bracket and appearing on late night television than he has dealing with the fact that his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner continues to make costly mistake after mistake. Here in the Keystone State, Governor Rendell is using the stimulus dollars to launch a media campaign to better his image in the media. I am not sure this is the 'change' people were looking for when they cast their ballots last November and I guarantee Rendell's publicist will do nothing to help our economy get back on track."

For more on the Pennsylvania Republican Party, visit its Web site, http://www.pagop.org/

From our friends at The Commonwealth Foundation, who are always looking out for the taxpayer:

Need some extra cash? There's plenty of time left to enter the Please, No More Taxes! video contest!

The first-prize video will earn $2,500, while second and third-prize winners will receive $1,000 and $500, respectively.

Entries will be judged based on how well they incorporate humor, creativity, persuasiveness, and accuracy.

Videos must be uploaded at http://www.youtube.com/group/nomoretaxes by 11:59 p.m. on April 5th. Winners will be announced on “Tax Day,” April 15th, 2009.

For complete contest rules and details on how to submit a video entry, visit PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org

Be sure to tune in to "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" today at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM

You can call the station at 610-326-4000 with questions or comments.

Among this week's topics:

Is the Obama Administration the most incompetent ever?

Is the Fumo conviction the tip of the iceberg in Pennsylvania corruption?

"Talking Politics" can be heard every Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM.

The one-hour show is simulcast at www.pottsmerc.com and www.1370wpaz.com

The No. 1 reason Democrats won the White House and Congress in 2008 was money. They had more of it, lots more than the Republican Party.

If the GOP is to retake Congress in 2010 and put a stop to the Obama follies, it's going to need a ton of cash.

New Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is off on the right foot. The RNC reports raising $5.1 million in February and is now debt free.

RNC Announces February Fundraising Numbers

State Rep. Curt Schroder (R-Chester County) reminds residents that all contractors doing more than $5,000 of home improvement work annually must be registered with the state, effective July 1.

From a release issued by Schroder:

In an effort to provide residents with better information when choosing a contractor, details of the contactors' registration will be placed on contracts, promotional materials and business cards so that consumers may use the information to reference a statewide database of complaints.

Every year, thousands of Pennsylvanians file consumer complaints about home improvement contractors who take money and fail to perform satisfactory construction or repairs. These complaints typically increase during the spring, when homeowners are more likely to hire contractors to perform various projects.

There are several things consumers should look out for to protect themselves from disreputable or fraudulent home improvement contractors.

Unsolicited, traveling contractors who come to a home and point out specific problems should be met with caution. If they arrive in an unmarked truck or van and refuse to provide proof of insurance or references it is safe to say they are not reputable contractors.

Frequently, these scams begin with a claim to have just finished a job, and then offer a great deal on leftover material. They also employ high-pressure sales tactics like limited-time offers.

When hiring a contractor, homeowners should obtain a written contract that includes a start and finish date and a three-day right-to-cancel notice. Penalty clauses for late completion have also proven helpful in ensuring timely projects. Individuals should never sign a blank contract or hire a contractor that does not have a business card or local phone number and address. Also, final payments should be withheld until work is finished and homeowners are completely satisfied.

More information on the registration program and the complaints database is expected to be available in the near future as the attorney general's office continues with the program's implementation. For more information on consumer protection, or to file a complaint with the attorney general's office, visit Schroder's Web site at www.CurtSchroder.com

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board today released a report to the General Assembly on the growing problem of underage and high-risk drinking in the state.

I never understood why Pennsylvania has a monopoly on alcohol sales in the state.

One the one hand, the state promotes alcohol consumption to increase revenues. On the other hand, the state spends money to help enforce anti-drinking laws and get help for people who have a drinking problem. Same goes for gambling (lottery, slot parlors).

Why does the government promote certain vices (gambling, drinking) but not others (drugs, prostitution)?

PLCB Issues Report on High-Risk, Underage Drinking Among Pennsylvania's Youth

Opposition has emerged to the far-left policies of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi.

Moderate Democrats in the U.S. Senate have formed a working group to oppose the liberal ideologues who are running the White House and House of Representatives.

Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana announced the coalition this morning on the Joe Scarborough program on MSNBC.

"We care for our country more than our party," Bayh said.

A formal press conference will make the group official with 15 Democrats forming a centrist coalition that will serve as a firewall to far-left agenda and screwball economic policies pushed by Obama and Pelosi.

The loyal opposition was supposed to come from Senate Republicans, but the defections of Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins ended any hope Republicans could put a stop to the Obama agenda.

This is welcome news in a country that has lurched toward socialism since Obama took office.

This is also a very shrewd political move by Bayh, who is positioning himself to challenge Obama in 2012. This country is teetering on the brink of economic collapse thanks to Obama's ill-advised economic policies and The Chosen One is looking more like a one-term failure a la Jimmy Carter.

Democrats won't make the same mistake by renominating a failed president. Look for Bayh to steer the party back from the left-wing abyss.

We've tried it Ed Rendell's way for six years and look where it's gotten us: Massive budget deficits, high taxes and a lower standard-of-living for most Pennsylvanians.

Rendell is offering more of the same for the coming fiscal year: Higher spending and higher taxes.

House Republicans have a better idea: Reduce state spending, eliminate waste and cut taxes for workers and business owners.

Eliminating spending on wasteful government programs and giving money back to hard-working middle-class families and small businesses need to be top priorities for the 2009-10 state budget, Republican Whip Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) and Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) said Monday at a Capitol press conference.

"We need to bring fiscal sanity back to Pennsylvania's state government," Turzai said. "The governor's proposed cuts were a good starting place, but don't go nearly far enough. We need to make significant changes to the Commonwealth's budget and reprioritize spending on the programs that benefit our citizens the most."

Monday's presentation focused on additional cuts under the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and rolling back the Personal Income Tax (PIT) to 2.99 percent from the current 3.07 percent level.

Turzai plans to roll out additional cost-saving measures over the next couple of weeks.

From a press release issued by Turzai and Quigley:

During his 2009-10 budget address, Gov. Ed Rendell proposed eliminating 24 DCED programs, saving $135.6 million. Turzai proposes eliminating another eight programs to save an additional $169.8 million. The programs eliminated under Turzai and Quigley's proposal are: the Opportunity Grant Program, Infrastructure Development, Community Conservation and Employment, Infrastructure and Facilities Improvements Grant, Economic Advancement, Community and Regional Development and World Trade PA. By eliminating these programs, the state can reduce more than $300 million from last year’s expenditures and return that money back to Pennsylvania’s middle-class families and small businesses.

"With the state of our economy, the best thing we can do to improve our situation is to get money back in the hands of the people," said Quigley. "Reducing the PIT and increasing the buying power of Pennsylvania's families will raise confidence and allow people to spend more, which will help to pull us out of this slump."

"Small businesses and middle-class families are hurt the most during tough economic times," Turzai added. "Reducing the PIT to 2.99 percent will help Pennsylvania's families and small businesses better survive this economic downturn. As is often said, we cannot tax ourselves into prosperity. Now is the time to reduce taxes, put tax dollars back in the pockets of hard-working tax payers and improve Pennsylvania’s economy."

For more information, visit Turzai's Web site at www.RepTurzai.com

After spending the past 24 years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, it's going to take time to get used to David Argall as a member of the Pennsylvania Senate.

Argall was sworn in today to a four-year term to replace Sen. James Rhoades, who was killed in a car crash last October. Rhoades' name remained on the November ballot and he won re-election posthumously.

Argall won a special election to represent the 29th Senatorial District, which includes all of of Schuylkill and parts of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton counties.

Argall rose to the No. 2 position in the House Republican Caucus.

He's now the most junior member of the Senate, but his arrival gives the Republicans a 30-20 majority in the 50-member chamber. Argall will be given some plum committee assignments.

His Senate bio has already been posted, but Argall must be posing for a new photograph since the site is missing one.

A special election for Argall's vacated House seat in the 124th District will be held on May 19, which is the same day as the primary election in Pennsylvania.

When Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell wants to get his way, he's never allowed a little thing like the state Constitution stand in his way.

With billions of federal dollars being funneled into the Pennsylvania and the state dealing with its own budget deficit, House Republican leaders are questioning Rendell's authority to shuffle state funds to programs other than those for which it was originally appropriated by the Legislature.

House Republican Leader Rep. Sam Smith and Rep. Mario Civera, the Republican Appropriations Committee Chairman, are wondering if Rendell has overstepped his Constitutional authority. The GOP leaders are also asking the governor to submit a new budget proposal that reflects the federal stimulus dollars coming to the state.

Smith and Civera sent a letter to Rendell on Monday listing their concerns. (I'm sure Rendell is perusing the letter as we speak.)

"Without judging the merits of the governor's emergency relief proposals,: the GOP leaders have serious questions about the governor's expansion of state programs without the Legislature's approval, according to a press release they issued along with the text of their letter to Rendell.

In the letter, Smith and Civera cite Shapp v. Sloane, 395 A.2d 595 (Pa. 1978), which reinforced the "doctrine of separation of powers functions." The GOP leaders also cited Article III, Section 24, of the Pennsylvania Constitution, as well as Act 117 of 1976, which reinforces their contention that "the General Assembly is responsible for enacting programmatic legislation and appropriating the necessary funds to implement the programs."

Read the full letter at the House Republican Caucus Web site.

There is no pot of gold at the end of the Obama rainbow, says the Republican National Committee, which predicts massive deficits, high inflation and tax increases if Obama's economic follies are followed.

RNC: No Pot O' Gold?

Cardinal George Urges Catholics to Tell Administration: Keep Conscience Protections for Health Care Workers

Very little of what Gov. Ed Rendell does or say gets past the editorial board of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The newspaper took exception to a comment Rendell made last week equating increased food stamp usage as an indirect economic stimulus.

From the editorial:

Where does one begin with such mental midgetry? Jake Haulk, president of the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, begins with a highly technical economics term -- "goofy."

Aside from urging taxpayer teat suckling among those perhaps not truly in need, aside from urging spendthriftiness and dependence over frugality and independence, it also requires the government "to spend money that it will first have to borrow," reminds Dr. Haulk, a Ph.D economist.

"If Rendell wants to help folks, he should be pressing for government spending reductions in Harrisburg and leading the charge for lower taxes at every level of government," Haulk says. "Letting people keep more of their own money allows them to create stimulus in ways they see fit."

Read the full editorial, "Preschool economics: 'Goofy' Eddie," at the newspaper's Web site.

The list of honorees includes 1 from Berks County, 4 from Chester County and 5 from Montgomery County.

Follow the link below for the full list:

Gov. Rendell Names 'Best 50 Women in Business'

The federal government is offering $1 billion for local police departments to hire new officers, but there is a catch. After three years, the local departments will have to pick up the costs.

U.S. Department of Justice Makes Available $1 Billion in Recovery Act Funds for COPS Program

Is it just me or do you get the sense the editors of Newsweek magazine get together with the Obama administration to plan each week's edition?

Look at the cover of the latest issue, hitting the streets Monday. It might as well say "Obama wants you to spend."

The cover story says Americans better start spending real soon or the entire economy, which consists primarily of consumer spending thanks to the inept trade and labor policies adopted by Congress, will collapse.

Anyway, the story that caught my attention isn't about consumer spending. It's the one on page 32 about Swiss bank accounts.

One single bank -- UBS -- holds the secret bank accounts of 46,000 Americans, worth an estimated $18 billion, according to Newsweek. (I wonder how many of the 46,000 voted for Obama?)

And that's just one bank in one country. Imagine how much wealth Americans are hiding in overseas accounts. The reason people put their money into foreign accounts is to avoid paying taxes. And with Barack Obama promising to raise taxes, more Americans are expected to move their money offshore.

From the article:

Lately, the Feds have tried to crack down on these rich Americans as tax evaders (generally, the depositors do not pay any taxes on the income from these accounts). The Swiss, not surprisingly, have been resisting. For more than three centuries, Swiss bank secrecy has offered safe haven to the wealthy, some of them unsavory types — Nazis, dictators such as Saddam Hussein and, allegedly, Islamic terrorists. At a time when the rich are coming under close and unsympathetic scrutiny, the details starting to come out about the way the Swiss banking game is played are eye-popping, if not infuriating. Judging from documents and testimony examined by NEWSWEEK, Swiss bankers, like spies, practice what is known in the espionage business as tradecraft — elaborate and often clever steps to evade detection.

You can read the full story, "Cracking the vault," at Newsweek's online edition.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty
Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty Guilty ...

That's what 137 guilty verdicts looks like. A jury has found former state Sen. Vince Fumo, a Philadelphia Democrat and longtime political ally of Gov. Ed Rendell, guilty of all 137 counts in his five-month-long corruption trial.

The verdicts may not mean much to the average Philadelphia resident, but should send shock waves down the spines of Harrisburg politicians.

Taxpayers are fed up with self-serving professional politicians. Pennsylvania residents have had it with corruption. Vince Fumo, at age 65 and with a bad heart, probably will spend the rest of his life behind bars. And he'll going to have plenty of company.

Don't be surprised if the 12 "Bonusgate" defendants start looking for a plea bargain in return for testifying against the bigger fish up the food chain.

In today's climate, you don't want to take your chances with jurors who are looking to punish the people who have lined their own pockets at taxpayers' expense.

A reminder from state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks:

This Monday at 12:00 noon, we will be holding our 10th Amendment – State of Independence - Rally. I want to remind you again of this event so that if you have not yet decided to join with us that you would consider doing so now. It's not too late. Sometimes, it's easy to think that such gatherings don't mean much. Let me assure you that this is not so. The greater the number of people who attend this event, the greater the message that will be sent.

PLEASE JOIN WITH US – AND BRING OTHERS WITH YOU

"The powers delegated by the Constitution to the Federal Government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State Governments are numerous and indefinite…" James Madison

Whereas I have no reliable estimate as to the number of citizens who will be with us, I have been very encouraged as we are hearing from people across the Commonwealth. Certainly, there is no better way to begin "drawing the line" than looking to our Constitution for direction and to the 10th Amendment in particular. So, please plan on coming and bringing others with you. We need to send a strong message to the Members of the General Assembly, the Governor, and to the media about this important nationwide concern.

WHAT: 10TH AMENDMENT – STATE OF INDEPENDENCE RALLY

WHERE: STATE CAPITOL ROTUNDA – HARRISBURG, PA

WHEN: MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009 AT 12:00 NOON

For more information, visit samrohrer.org

Scant coverage in the political blogosphere of the news that a top Rendell Administration official has been charged with public drunkenness. With one exception, there was no mention of Sandi Vito's legal troubles among left-wing bloggers in Pennsylvania.

Imagine the outrage if Ms. Vito was a Republican.

Vito, awaiting Senate confirmation as Pennsylvania's next Labor Secretary, was charged with public drunkenness after an incident at a Harrisburg hotel bar on Wednesday.

Vito, 43, issued a statement Thursday apologizing for the incident, which involved a dispute about whether Vito should take a cab home after she had been drinking at the hotel, according to the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

"I am deeply embarrassed and profoundly humiliated by my actions last night," Vito said. "My behavior was inexcusable. I did not have a car and was intent on walking to my nearby home. In retrospect, I understand that the authorities were merely considering my safety when they insisted I take a cab rather than walk."

The Associated Press reports today that Vito is entering an alcohol treatment program.

Vito was appointed by Rendell as Acting Secretary of the Department of Labor & Industry on Feb. 4, 2008. She is awaiting confirmation from the Republican-controlled Senate to run the Labor Department until the end of Rendell's term.

Before going to work at Labor & Industry, Vito served as chief of staff to State Sen. Christine Tartaglione, a Philadelphia Democrat. She previously held the post of political director for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

The state is spending $90,000 to education truckers and bus drivers on the state's confusing idling law.

DEP to Fund Anti-Idling Law Education

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy says 8 out of 10 fathers don't ever marry the teen mother of their child.

Hello Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin.

"Marriage and birth patterns among teens have changed over time, shifting from a general trend of marrying before pregnancy, to marrying as a result of pregnancy, to becoming pregnant and not marrying," said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "Even though many unmarried teen mothers have high expectations for eventually marrying the father of their child, few ever do."

Read more at the link below:

Teens, Relationships, and Marriage

The Constitutional Organization Of Liberty (COOL) is supporting a resolution currently being circulated in the Pennsylvania Legislature to reassert state sovereignty against an ever-expanding federal government.

The 10th Amendment Resolution has been introduced in the state House by state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, and will be introduced in the Senate by state Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Berks/Lebanon.

"The time has come for Pennsylvania to stand up to a federal establishment that is usurping state authority on an almost daily basis, often using our own tax dollars to blackmail us into doing what the federal government thinks we should do," Laurel Lynn Petolicchio, COOL Chairman for 2009, said in a statement. "It is time that the Keystone State took a leading role in protecting and preserving the rights of both the state and the citizens of the state," she said.

Rohrer and Folmer are hosting a rally in the state Capitol Rotunda Monday at noon to drum up support for their resolution.

From the COOL release:

"When our country was founded, our Fathers envisioned a form of government in which the federal government served as an agent of the states – not the states serving as an agent of the federal government," Folmer said. "Today, federal legislation and funding compel states to serve the federal government, a total reversal of the structure originally intended."

Rohrer said: "For too long, Congress and the president have been encroaching on policy areas that ought to be decided by the states. This rally is the equivalent of posting a 'no trespassing' sign."

Herb Braden, who serves as a board member on COOL as well as chairman of Lebanon County based Citizen's Caucus, said it was time to stop the usurpation of power by the federal government.

"Starting in the 1930's, with the New Deal, the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution has been incorrectly used by Congress as a tool to diminish the powers assigned to the States in the 10th Amendment," Braden said. "We citizens must prepare to use the ballot box to curtail or stop this arrogant usurpation of State powers."

According to Petolicchio, Pennsylvania is now among at least 20 states across the nation that have either introduced or issued resolutions reasserting their rights under the Tenth Amendment, and that the movement seems to be growing.

The Constitutional Organization Of Liberty is a non-partisan, conservative political action committee organized to re-educate the citizens of Pennsylvania about the U.S. Constitution and America's founding documents. In the past year, COOL has hosted multiple educational courses, including the Institute On The Constitution and A More Perfect Union.

For more information about COOL, visit the group's Web site: www.ReclaimLiberty.com

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released a new report, "Grading the States," assessing the nation's public mental health care system for adults.

The national average grade is a D.

Pennsylvania earned a "C" grade in the report, an improvement over the "D" the state earned in 2006.

Fourteen states improved their grades since NAMI's last report card three years ago. Twelve states fell backwards. Oklahoma showed the biggest improvement, rising from a D to a B. South Carolina fell the farthest, from a B to a D, according to NAMI.

The Alliance warns that state budget cuts are threatening mental health care overall.

"Mental health care in America is in crisis," said NAMI executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick. "Even states that have worked hard to build life-saving, recovery-oriented systems of care stand to see their progress wiped out."

"Ironically, state budget cuts occur during a time of economic crisis when mental heath services are needed even more urgently than before. It is a vicious cycle that can lead to ruin. States need to move forward, not retreat."

Check out how your state did on the report card at this link.

Congressman Lamar Smith Joins Accuracy in Media's Campaign to Demand Balance from The New York Times

Be sure to tune in to "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" today at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM

You can call the station at 610-326-4000 with questions or comments.

"Talking Politics" can be heard every Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM.

The one-hour show is simulcast at www.pottsmerc.com and www.1370wpaz.com

Two leading conservative state lawmakers are inviting all Pennsylvania residents to attend a rally Monday in Harrisburg to defend the state's sovereignty from continued encroachment from Washington.

Politicians in Washington, D.C., have been exerting undue influence on the states and it's time for them to stop, say Rep. Samuel E. Rohrer (R-128) and Sen. Mike Folmer (R-48), both of whom represents portions of Berks County.

The rally, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for noon Monday in the Capitol Rotunda. For more information or driving directions to the state Capitol, Rohrer's Web site at SamRohrer.com

"If you think the size and scope of the federal government has far exceeded our Founding Fathers' intentions, then we hope you come out Monday to support our cause," Rohrer said in a statement. "For too long, Congress and the president have been encroaching on policy areas that ought to be decided by the states. This rally is the equivalent of posting a 'no trespassing' sign."

Rohrer has introducing a resolution in the state House of Representatives to defend Pennsylvania's sovereignty under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Folmer will introduce a sister resolution with language identical to Rohrer's in the Senate.

"When our country was founded, our Fathers envisioned a form of government in which the federal government served as an agent of the states – not the states serving as an agent of the federal government," Folmer said in a release. "Today, federal legislation and funding compel states to serve the federal government, a total reversal of the structure originally intended. This rally seeks to remind federal officials of their constitutional limitations while affirming Pennsylvania’s 10th Amendment rights."

The lawmakers' resolutions are part of a larger national trend of state lawmakers who are reasserting the sovereignty of their independent states under the 10th Amendment.

At the rally, Rohrer and Folmer will be joined by lawmakers from other states who have introduced similar measures in their own state legislatures.

Find out more about the national effort at The Tenth Amendment Center Web site, http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/

The Libertarian Party is blasting Barack Obama for breaking more promises by holding a secret signing ceremony of the $400+ billion pork-spending bill approved by Congressional Democrats.

From a press released issued today by the Libertarian National Committee:

America's third largest party asked Wednesday why President Obama enacted the $490 billion FY09 omnibus spending and its over 8,500 earmarks behind closed doors, and despite campaign promises to end earmark abuse.

"President Obama's decision to hide from the media while signing this bill isn't just a violation of his promise of transparency, it's an attempt to avoid questions about breaking another promise to end earmark abuse," said Libertarian National Committee Communications Director Donny Ferguson.

"He promised to end earmarks. He promised transparency. He promised fiscal responsibility. He didn't mean a word of it. More and more Americans realize his crippling taxes and crushing debt are prescriptions for prolonged economic suffering. Now he has to hide behind closed doors to sign his pork-stuffed plan to explode wasteful spending," said Ferguson.

Libertarians support an economic renewal plan centered on tax and regulatory relief for employers, preserving the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts that blunted previous recessions and greatly simplifying the tax code for employers and taxpayers. Polls such as Rasmussen show voters prefer the Libertarian approach over the Republican and Democrat plans to increase government spending.

You can find more information on the Libertarian Party by visiting www.LP.org

The president of SEIU Local 668, the Pennsylvania Social Services Union, has a few choice words for Gov. Ed Rendell, who earlier this week gave state workers an ultimatum: Find ways to reduce costs or face furloughs and/or layoffs.

Kathy Jellison said in a statement that the governor is "negotiating though the press" and "not being honest with taxpayers."

Jellison said the union has "repeatedly given (Rendell) suggestions on ways to cut the budget, and he has ignored all of our ideas. Instead, he wants to focus on the most extreme option - laying off workers."

State workers are upset with Rendell because he has awarded more than $1 billion in outside contracts since he became governor in 2003. "Many of those contracts cover work that had been done by state employees," Jellison says.

"The first thing the governor can do to stop wasteful spending in the state budget," Jellison said, "is to cut out some of the private contracts he has given to outside companies to do work that our members can do better and at a lower cost."

While Rendell is threatening to implement a system of "rolling furloughs" to reduce personnel costs, the union wants the state to offer early retirement options to workers.

The ball is in Rendell's court.

Read Jellison's full statement at the link below:

SEIU Local 668 Says Governor's Threats Hurt Citizens of Pennsylvania

Barack Obama announced he will sign the $410 billion stop-gap budget bill approved by the Democratic Congress even though the bill contains billions in pork-barrel projects.

Obama acknowledge the earmarks, saying it was an "imperfect" bill, but he was forced to sign it to keep the government going.

He also confessed that he was breaking his own campaign promise to eliminate earmarks. Apparently, he had his fingers crossed when he made that promise.

Obama said "99 percent" of the bill is legitimate spending, so that's good enough for him as he lowers the standard for reform and ethical government even further.

In his defense, Obama said earmarks have been part of the Washington culture for decades, including the years Republicans controlled Congress. In other words, two wrongs do make a right, according to Obama.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele had this to say about the Democratic spending package, loaded with more than 8,500 pork projects:

"President Obama will break his pledge to go through every line of the budget if he signs this omnibus spending bill. Like the stimulus bill and budget, this spending bill contains too much taxing, spending, and borrowing. Left unchecked, the Democrats' spending spree will grow our national debt and ultimately result in more taxes. Hard-working Americans deserve better from its leaders than the Democrats' tax-and-spend agenda."

Obama did promise not to sign the next pork-laden budget bill Congress sends his way ... unless he changes his mind again. Welcome to the liberal world ... where principles don't matter, where 99 percent is good enough.

Rep. Joe Pitts is an original cosponsor of The Secret Ballot Protection Act (H.R. 1176), which would protect the rights of workers to have secret ballot elections when determining whether to form a union. It prevents unionization based solely on "card check," a process that requires only a simple majority of worker signatures on cards without any privacy in order to unionize a workplace. The Secret Ballot Protection Act also bars recognition of a union that was formed without a secret ballot election.

New Web Site Will Help Consumers Find Lowest Local Prices for Prescription Drugs

Do you get the feeling members of Congress don't know what they're voting on?

The Institute for Policy Innovation has joined the Sunlight Foundation in the "Read the Bill" initiative designed to educate the public on the importance of Congress posting all proposed legislation online "to ensure both elected officials and citizens have the chance to read and understand legislation 72 hours before it is debated."

From an Institute for Policy Innovation release:

"Forty-two and a half seconds per page -- that's how long members of Congress were given to read, understand, evaluate and consider all the implications for the largest spending bill in history - the so-called 'stimulus' package," said Bartlett Cleland, director of the IPI Center for Technology Freedom.

"Even worse, the public never had a chance to access the language of the bill before passage," said Cleland.

Unfortunately, the recent stimulus bill was not the first legislation to fly through Congress with hardly a review. Too much groundbreaking legislation has done the same over the years with little to no time for a responsible, thorough assessment.

"By definition this is information that we, the people, own -- not to mention that we also pay for the repercussions," said Cleland.

For more information on "Read the Bill," visit www.ReadTheBill.org

For more on the Institute for Public Innovation, follow the link below:

Institute for Policy Innovation: Let Us Read the Bill

This just in from the office of state Rep. Todd Rock, R-90:

House Republicans, Public School Lockout Victims to Reintroduce Strike-Free Education Act

What: With approximately 22 Pennsylvania public school districts at risk for an immediate teachers strike; and an additional 126 public school districts facing the possibility of a strike before the end of the year, State Representative Todd Rock (R-Franklin) will officially reintroduce his legislation to protect every Pennsylvania child's right to an uninterrupted Strike-Free public education.

Also offering support for the Strike-Free Education Act (House Bill 1369) will be State Representatives Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) and Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster); Simon Campbell, President of Stop Teacher Strikes, Inc.; Jill Basile, strike-impacted public school parent, Souderton Area School District; Rebecca Heller, School Board Director, Berwick Area School District; and Frank Scavo, School Board Director, Old Forge School District.

When: Wednesday, March 11
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Where: Capitol Media Center

LIVE WEBCAST: Log on to RepRock.com or RepMetcalfe.com beginning at 9:55 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

Warren Buffett, one of Barack Obama's top economic advisers, opposes the Card Check bill pushed by Big Labor and Congressional Democrats.

Also check out a new Web site launched by Citizens To Protect PA Jobs, http://protectpajobs.com/

With the state facing a projected $2.3 billion budget deficit in its General Fund budget, Gov. Ed Rendell is looking to save money by putting the squeeze on state workers.

The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports Rendell is giving the unions representing state workers until the end of March to come up with concessions or face furloughs or layoffs.

From a story by reporter Charles Thompson:

"We've agreed to give the unions a couple of more weeks to look at the options and get back to us," Rendell said during a Capitol press conference. "But by the end of March, if we don't have an agreement ... I'm going to have to act."

Rendell said again that he is leaning toward a system of "rolling furloughs," in which certain, nonessential aspects of state government would close for a day at a time, causing cuts in hours for thousands of state workers.

"If there's a way that I can do this and minimize the number of layoffs, I will take that way," Rendell said. "I think it's better for everyone to lose X percentage of their wages than for 2,000 people to be thrown onto unemployment."

Union leaders have vowed not to take wage concessions back to their rank-and-file, making the case that they have accepted wage freezes and sacrificed in other ways during past contract negotiations with Rendell.

Read the full story, "Rendell gives unions ultimatum," at the newspaper's Web site.

Be sure to read "Telling your stories is our privilege," by Nancy March, editor of The Mercury, at the newspaper's Web site.

The Employee Freedom Action Committee says the deceptively named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) backed by Big Labor will take away workers' rights to a secret ballot and drive more American companies overseas, costing hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Democrats support the bill because they are owned by Big Labor, but can the U.S. afford to lose more jobs?

It's time to force your member of Congress to stand up for you instead of special interests. Urge them to vote no on the EFCA.

Union Watchdog Group Criticizes Backers of the Employee Forced Choice Act

Americans for Tax Reform is upset with a move by the Obama Administration to eliminate tax deductions for donations to charitable organizations.

"America is built on a concept of 'civil society.' We don't expect government institutions to be the primary provider of care for those in need," Americans for Tax Reform says in a release. "We expect charities to do that. The Obama tax hike takes aim directly at charities, just at a time when America needs them the most."

Read more about Obama's plan to cripple charities while making Americans more dependent on government at the link below:

The Obama Trillion-Dollar Tax Hike and America's Charitable Sector

You can substituted "Pennsylvania" for "South Carolina" in this editorial cartoon by Robert Ariail, but it still doesn't make it any easier to comprehend the schizophrenic reaction of government to gambling. It's illegal ... unless the state gets its cut. The Pennsylvania Legislature is expected to consider a proposal by Gov. Ed Rendell to legalize video poker machines. Pa. officials estimate there are at least 17,000 illegal video poker machines in use right now.

Taking its cue from the Obama White House, the liberal media dutifully continues to bash Rush Limbaugh even though the orchestrated campaign to distract the nation from Obama's failed presidency has been exposed.

David Frum, who runs a Web site called NewMajority.com, writes Newsweek's latest cover story about the GOP and the sway Rush Limbaugh has over the party, concluding, "From a political point of view, Limbaugh is kryptonite, weakening the GOP nationally."

Tell us how you really feel, David.

"We are accepting the leadership of a man with an ego-driven agenda of his own, who looms largest when his causes fare worst," Frum says.

And when was David Frum appointed leader of the conservative movement?

Read more about the Newsweek cover story at the link below, but keep in mind that Newsweek is part of the official propaganda wing of the Obama Administration.

For more on Obama's manipulation of the press, check out "How Obama plays the pundits" at Politico.com

If you don't want to waste time on Frum's essay, Newsweek magazine did interview four actual GOP leaders (former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; Rep. Eric Cantor; Rep. Paul Ryan and Gov. Mark Sanford) about how to reinvent the party.

Their interviews are posted on Newsweek.com

NEWSWEEK Cover: Enough! A Conservative's Case Against Limbaugh

The Center for Education Reform has released "The Accountability Report: Charter Schools," showing that charter schools outperform public schools in most categories.

Despite massive opposition by the public education/teachers union lobbies, charter schools are celebrating their 18th anniversary this year.

"Accountability lies at the heart of the charter school concept," says Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform. "The singular focus on student achievement challenges all public schools to raise the bar. Knowing how charter schools are held accountable is a guidepost for all engaged in educating our nation's youth."

To obtain a copy of "The Accountability Report: Charter Schools," visit www.edreform.com/accountability

For information about charter schools in Pennsylvania, check out www.pachartercoalition.com

News item: The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is spending more than $173,000 to improve employee manners — making sure clerks say "hello," "thank you" and "come again" to customers.

I don't know about you, but I'd put up with rude sales clerk if we could purchase liquor cheaper.

Since the liquor store system is a monopoly in Pennsylvania and proceeds go into state coffers, I think we can safely point to this as another example of how government wastes our money.

From the Tribune-Review article:

Eric Epstein, a Harrisburg activist and founder of RockTheCapital.org, a voter education project, called the idea "a demented interpretation of happy hour."

"It's a sad state of affairs when you have to train people to be kind and courteous," he said.

Read more in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Republicans have an alternative to Obama's socialized medicine proposal:

From the weekly GOP radio address by Rep. Roy Blunt:

"Americans are worried about their access to quality, affordable health care and they are looking for responsible solutions. Republicans agree, and we are committed to developing new and innovative solutions to fix what's broken, while making sure that we keep what works.

"Republicans are committed to access, affordability, competition and a quality system that puts patients and doctors in the driver seat.

"Just imagine a health care system that looks like a government run operation most of us are all too familiar with -- the local DMV. Lines, paper work, taking a number. Or how about another government agency -- the IRS.

"I don't want our health care to resemble that system and you probably don't either. That's why real competition is the key -- it encourages innovation so that the health care treatments and services available to you are the ones that you need and you want. Republicans are committed to common-sense solutions that promote competition and innovation.

"Not surprisingly the government never gets the price right: overpaying for some services, underpaying for others. It's also a system that leads to unfair rationing of care.

"Part of that comes from the backward way the government looks at problems. Washington is the only place that tells you how much they care about something based on how much it costs, instead of how well it works.

"America has the best doctors, health care providers and hospitals in the world. Republicans will lead the effort to make health care work for Americans. We'll also lead the fight against any proposals that undermine your ability to get the treatment the doctor you choose recommends."

Here's this week's State Capitol Roundup courtesy of state Rep. Bob Mensch, R-147:

Lawmakers' Questions to Budget Secretary Left Unanswered

Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee were frustrated Wednesday by the lack of straight answers from Budget Secretary Mary Soderberg during the last of the committee's budget hearings. The lawmakers raised numerous concerns about the governor's $29 billion spending plan, the projected $5 billion budget deficit (this year and next) and the heavy reliance on federal stimulus money and other one-time revenue sources that, if used improperly, could result in bigger budget holes when the funds disappear. The effort to shed light on the future problems this budget proposal will cause for taxpayers were cut short when Democrat Appropriations Committee Chairman Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) ended the hearing and refused to allow some lawmakers to ask even one question.

Rendell Should Follow His Own Advice on Stimulus Spending

House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana/Armstrong) is urging the governor to reconsider his current plans to spend federal stimulus funds to avoid growing the state budget deficit and forcing a significant tax increase in two years, when the stimulus funds run out. At a press conference this week, Rendell warned school districts to spend the one-time influx of funds carefully because they will not exist two years from now. Republican lawmakers have been trying to get that same point across to Rendell since he unveiled a nearly $29 billion budget plan in February that actually increases spending despite an anticipated $2.3 billion deficit by the end of this fiscal year and a forecast for stagnant revenues in the next fiscal year. Increasing spending will only make the deficit worse, Smith said.

GOP Says Administration's Push for Graduation Exams Misguided

House Republicans remain adamantly opposed to the Rendell Administration's pursuit of new graduation competency exams, estimated to cost $45 million over the next couple years. Even though the Pennsylvania School Boards Association announced its support for a revised plan this week, GOP lawmakers insist that now is not the time to institute new programs, when the state faces a $2 billion-plus budget deficit. Lawmakers also would like to know how the tests will improve public education, but the administration has yet to give an honest, straightforward answer. Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York) and Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) will introduce legislation to prevent the tests from being implemented unless the Legislature expressly authorizes them.

Columnist Gil Spencer, writing in the Delaware County Daily Times, imagines a scenario where Gov. Ed Rendell attends the most recent Harrisburg meeting of Problem-Gamblers Anonymous.

From Spencer's column:

ED: I hardly gamble at all. I mean, I’ll bet the governor of another state the occasional cheesesteak if the Phillies or Eagles are in the playoffs, but I don’t even actually shell out for that. It’s in my office budget.

HOST: So you gamble with other people’s money, you mean, not your own.

ED: That’s just a P.R. thing.

HOST: Whatever you say, Ed. It’s your mike.

ED: Look, I’m here to let every one of you know that the state of Pennsylvania and my administration cares about your issue, ‘er addiction, umm, problem. And that’s why we’re offering $5,000 grants to groups like this one all over the state to make sure that problem gamblers, like yourselves, get the funds and information they need to help battle their addictions.

ADDICT 1: What about your addiction — the state’s addiction — to gambling revenues?

ED: I wouldn’t call it an addiction.

ADDICT 2: What would you prefer? Dependence?

ED: I would prefer “policy choice.”

A1: That’s a good one. Maybe that’s what I should call my losing my house thanks to my gambling losses — my “policy choice.”

ED: You don’t understand, the state makes money from gambling. We don’t lose. We can’t lose.

A2: Then how come the state is $2.3 billion in debt? If I owed $2.3 billion, somebody, somewhere would be calling me a loser. A big one.

Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.

If you didn't catch Thursday's "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas and Mike Pincus," you missed a lively discussion about the future of Sen. Arlen Specter.

Mike and I agree that Specter is finished in the Republican Party. If he runs for re-election in 2010 as a Republican, Specter will lose in the GOP primary, most likely to former Congressman Pat Toomey, who came close to knocking off Specter in 2004.

Mike gave two good reasons why Specter can't win, even though he's the incumbent and has a ton of money. First, Specter has lost all support in the Republican Party even from the pragmatic party officials who held their nose and supported Specter despite his tendency to vote with Democrats. Second, most of the "moderate" Republicans who supported Specter in the past left the party in 2008. They are now registered Democrats or independents and are unlikely to switch their party affiliation back to Republican so they can vote in the 2010 GOP primary. Specter's base is gone.

Specter's only option for retaining his Senate seat is to switch his party affiliation to Democrat. The question is, would the Democrats take him back? Pennsylvania is trending blue and the Democrats could win the Senate seat without Specter, so why take a GOP retread when the Dems could run a younger, more liberal candidate. If Specter can wheel-and-deal his way to the Democratic Party nomination, it sets up a November 2010 showdown between Toomey and Specter. And that's a toss-up.

But there's another scenario, one that Mike and I believe is more probable. Specter will not seek re-election in 2010. This would go a long way in explaining why he betrayed the Republican Party and supported Obama's trillion-dollar bailout plan.

Specter can bow out of the 2010 race by citing health reasons (not to mention that he'll be 80 by the time the election rolls around).

This clears the way for Pennsylvania's worst nightmare. Gov. Ed Rendell will probably succeed Specter in the U.S. Senate seat.

Rendell did say after his 2006 re-election to a second term as governor that it was his last political campaign, but Rendell has lied before.

And despite the damage Rendell has done to the state during his failed tenure as governor, he's still popular enough with Democrats (and the Specter RINOs) to easily win the Senate seat. Bob Casey Jr. and Ed Rendell reunited in the Senate. Oh, the horror.

The nation's unemployment rate stands at 8.1 percent, the highest since 1983. More than 650,000 jobs were slashed in February.

"There is no light at the end of the tunnel with these numbers," Nigel Gault, economist at IHS Global Insight, told The Associated Press. "Job losses were everywhere and there's no hope for a turnaround any time soon."

It's March and Obama can't blame George W. Bush anymore.

U.S. companies eliminated 655,000 jobs during Obama's first month in office in January and now slashed another 650,000 jobs in February.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has plunged to 6,500. Now we know what Obama meant by change -- change for the worse.

The recession is in its 15th month and there's no end in sight.

More than 12.5 million people are out of work. On top of that, the number of people forced to work part time for "economic reasons" rose 787,000 to 8.6 million, according to The Associated Press.

Obama, with Democratic control of Congress could have taken bold action to freeze government spending and slash taxes to jump-start the economy. Instead, he and Nancy Pelosi chose to increase government spending and proposed massive new taxes.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost 4.4 million jobs, more than half of which occurred in the past four months, according to The Associated Press.

Obama called the unemployment news "astounding," but urged the American people to give him time to let his economic revival plans take root. "All of this takes time and it will take patience," Obama said.

As many of us feared, the American people elected an amateur to lead the nation at this critical juncture. Obama is indifferent toward the plight of everyday Americans. He is clueless about the economy.

In short, we have another Jimmy Carter in the White House.

"If the Employee Free Choice Act is signed into law, recent studies show that it will have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy and most likely result in the loss of jobs in the commercial and industrial construction industry," said Jerry Gorski, 2009 ABC National Chairman and President of Gorski Engineering Inc., Collegeville, Pa. "This new Web site is an important tool in keeping the public informed and getting them involved in the political process so they can voice their opposition to this legislation."

ABC Launches Website to Educate Public on Card Check Legislation

Moderate Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana is among a growing number of Congressional Democrats who are voicing opposition to the massive spending plans proposed by President Obama and fellow Democrats.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Bayh says the $410 billion Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 is full of wasteful spending.

"The Senate should reject this bill," Bayh writes. "If we do not, President Barack Obama should veto it."

From Bayh's column:

"The bloated omnibus requires sacrifice from no one, least of all the government. It only exacerbates the problem and hastens the day of reckoning. Voters rightly demanded change in November's election, but this approach to spending represents business as usual in Washington, not the voters' mandate.

Now is the time to win back the confidence and trust of the American people. Congress should vote "no" on this omnibus and show working families across the country that we are as committed to living within our means as they are.

Bayh says Congress has to stop contributing to the nation's economic woes by continuing to overspend.

"The economic downturn requires new policies, not more of the same," Bayh writes. "Our nation's current fiscal imbalance is unprecedented, unsustainable and, if unaddressed, a major threat to our currency and our economic vitality. The national debt now exceeds $10 trillion. This is almost double what it was just eight years ago, and the debt is growing at a rate of about $1 million a minute."

Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.

Tune in today at 5 p.m. for "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" on WPAZ 1370 AM

Topics for this week's show include the continued disarray in Washington over the economy, growing dissension among Democrats over Obama's massive tax-and-spend agenda and Pennsylvania's deepening budget crisis under Gov. Ed Rendell.

You can call the station at 610-326-4000 with questions or comments.

"Talking Politics" can be heard every Thursday at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM.

The one-hour show is simulcast at www.pottsmerc.com and www.1370wpaz.com'

William Rusher, former publisher of the National Review and former vice chairman of the American Conservative Union, has written his final newspaper column.

After 36 years of writing a weekly column under the "Conservative Advocate" banner,
advancing age has caught up with Rusher, who is now 85.

Rusher uses his last column to share some thoughts about where conservatism has been and where it might be going.

Beginning in the 1960s, conservatism has certainly earned the right to call itself a "movement" — indeed, along with its great rival liberalism, one of the two major contenders for political leadership of the American society. Even many Democratic politicians insist today on describing themselves as "conservative," and the movement's influence is both vast and manifest.

Undoubtedly, the most important single factor in the growth of conservatism has been the realization, on the part of individual conservatives, that their views were shared by others, and constituted collectively a formidable national influence. There's a lot to be said for intellectual respectability, and conservatism today indisputably has it. Conservatives in the future will do well to remember this and deploy it in their support.

For the moment at least, the Republican Party is unquestionably the premier vehicle of the conservative movement. This is hugely important, for a political viewpoint needs an institutional vehicle just as much as a political party needs a viewpoint. Conservatism today is broadly comfortable in the Republican Party and would be extremely uneasy trying to adjust to life among the Democrats.

Thoughtful conservatives will realize that this fact makes it dangerous for them to engage in maneuvers that try to narrow the GOP's appeal to militant conservatives only. Conservatism should be the beating heart of the Republican Party, but the party must also reach out to incorporate people who are not necessarily ideologues but are sympathetic to conservative views in a general way.

For the future, conservatives can, I think, be confident that their viewpoint will be represented in the national debate. For conservatism is essentially an analysis of social problems from the standpoint of a particular understanding of human nature. As long as that understanding continues essentially unchanged, the ways of dealing with those problems will remain basically unchanged.

Read the full column at The Mercury Web site.

With the exception of a few left-wing bloggers who thought the Democrat in the race had a chance, Republican state Rep. David Argall easily won a special election Tuesday to fill the vacant 29th District Pennsylvania Senate seat.

The only surprise was the margin of victory. Argall trounced his Democratic opponent by a margin of nearly 2-1. "The numbers are much better than we had anticipated," Argall told The Pottsville Republican.

The seat was left vacant when incumbent Republican Sen. James Rhoades was killed in a car crash last October. Rhoades won re-election in November, forcing a special election to fill the seat.

Unofficial returns show Argall, who represents the 124th House District, with 62.4 percent of the vote to 37.6 percent for Democrat Stephen Lukach Jr., who is the current Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts.

Argall received 20,786 votes and Lukach finished with 12,551.

Argall is a 13-term state House member and former House Republican Whip. He gave up his leadership post to run for the Senate.

Another special election will be held to replace Argall, who also won re-election last November. That special election will most likely be held during the scheduled primary election on May 19, with party leaders choosing candidates for the ballot.

The 29th District includes parts of Schuylkill, Monroe, Carbon, Lehigh, Berks and Northampton counties.

Argall's victory gives Republicans a solid 30-20 majority in the Pennsylvania Senate.

For more on the special election, check out The Clarke Report, Schuylkill County's best political blog.

Change isn't always a good thing, argues The Wall Street Journal, as it assesses the Obama Administrations failed attempts to jump-start the economy.

"As 2009 opened, three weeks before Barack Obama took office, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 9034 on January 2, its highest level since the autumn panic," the newspaper writes. "Yesterday the Dow fell another 4.24% to 6763, for an overall decline of 25% in two months and to its lowest level since 1997. The dismaying message here is that President Obama's policies have become part of the economy's problem."

The current recession is in its 15th month with no signs of ending. If Barack Obama and the Democrats continue to have their way, the economic slump will continue to get worse, the newspaper says.

From an editorial about the Obama Administration's fumbling of the economy over the past five weeks:

The Democrats who now run Washington don't want to hear this, because they benefit from blaming all bad economic news on President Bush. And Mr. Obama has inherited an unusual recession deepened by credit problems, both of which will take time to climb out of. But it's also true that the economy has fallen far enough, and long enough, that much of the excess that led to recession is being worked off. Already 15 months old, the current recession will soon match the average length -- and average job loss -- of the last three postwar downturns. What goes down will come up -- unless destructive policies interfere with the sources of potential recovery.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

If you're wondering where your retirement account went or where your children's college fund went or why your job is no longer there, the answer can be found in a new report "Sold Out: How Wall Street and Washington Betrayed America."

As many people suspect, an unholy alliance exists between Wall Street and Washington to rob the American people blind.

"The financial sector invested more than $5 billion in political influence purchasing in Washington over the past decade, with as many as 3,000 lobbyists winning deregulatory decisions that led to the current financial collapse," according to a 231-page report issued today by Essential Information and the Consumer Education Foundation.

The report, "Sold Out: How Wall Street and Washington Betrayed America," shows that, from 1998-2008, the financial sector made $1.7 billion in political contributions and spent another $3.4 billion on lobbyists.

What did Wall Street get for its investment? A Congress (mostly Democrats) that looked the other way while a small group of greedy individuals plundered the American economy for their own benefit.

Follow the link below to read more from the report.

And kick yourself in the rear for re-electing the same clowns to Congress that got us into this financial situation.

$5 Billion in Political Contributions Bought Wall Street Freedom From Regulation, Report Finds

America's third largest political party wants President Obama to live up to his pledge to "end politics as usual in Washington" and veto a $410 billion spending bill that includes more than 8,500 pork projects.

The Libertarian Party says the earmarks in the bill total $7.7 billion and fly in the face of Obama's campaign promises.

From a release issued by the Libertarian Party:

"Republicans already broke their weeks-old promise to stand for fiscal responsibility by fighting to have their own wasteful earmarks included in the bill," said Libertarian National Committee Communications Director Donny Ferguson. "Will Obama keep his promise to end earmarks by vetoing this bill, or will this be the latest in a long strong of broken Obama promises?"

The White House has indicated Obama will sign the bill, despite his earlier promises to oppose earmarking.

"Republicans are banding together to grab taxpayer cash and Obama is ignoring his own pledge to stop the practice. With Republicans and Democrats working together to continue wasteful spending it's abundantly clear the Libertarian Party is the only party agreeing with the American people that earmarks must be abolished," said Ferguson.

Good luck with that. I'm afraid Libertarians were had by Obama just like a lot of Democrats and Republicans. And why the Libertarian Party so harsh on Congressional Republicans? Most of the pork spending was included by the Democrats.

State Sen. John C. Rafferty Jr., R-44th Dist., is introducing legislation that will further help local firefighters and EMTs.

From a release issued by Rafferty's office:

Each year $5 million is allocated from gaming revenue for local government grants to enforce gambling laws, but the money is not being fully used and currently $11.5 million is sitting in the account.

Sen. John C. Rafferty Jr. wants to change that and plans to introduce a bill that will amend the Pennsylvania Gaming Act, allowing for the transfer from the State Gaming Fund for Local Enforcement Grants for our volunteer firefighters and EMTs.

The legislation would transfer $1.5 million annually to the Pennsylvania State Police for enforcement and prevention of illegal video poker, Rafferty said.

All remaining unused money would be allocated to the Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Retention Program Fund, which will allow for the continuation of the income tax credit for fire and emergency services volunteers that was adopted last.

The information on the unused funds was discovered this week during Senate budget hearings in Harrisburg.

"It is unfortunate that this money is sitting in an account in Harrisburg, and could be utilized by the state police and our local fire and emergency service volunteers," said Rafferty, who heads the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

Barack Obama said today that Americans should ignore the tailspin on Wall Street as he pushes through with insane economic policies.

From The Associated Press:

"What I'm looking at is not the day-to-day gyrations of the stock market, but the long-term ability of the United States ... to regain its footing," Obama said after meeting in the Oval Office.

The president said he is "absolutely confident" that those things will happen. But Obama also said that it will take time for the mistakes of the past to work their way through the system and that the spectacular losses happening now are a "natural reaction" to those mistakes.

"We dug a very deep hole for ourselves," Obama said. "There were a lot of bad decisions that were made. We are cleaning up that mess. It's going to be sort of full of fits and starts, in terms of getting the mess cleaned up, but it's going to get cleaned up. And we are going to recover, and we are going to emerge more prosperous, more unified, and I think more protected from systemic risk."

I feel better, don't you?

The Dow has dropped 12 percent since Obama was sworn in as president. The Dow has dropped 52 percent since Democrats took control of Congress after the November 2006 election. How low can it go?

The far left keeps pointing to opinion polls showing Barack Obama is still popular with the American public, but the numbers that count (the Dow) begs to differ.

The stock market has plunged to its lowest levels in 12 years under the Obama Administration.

More spending and higher taxes are not the answer.

American wealth is disappearing daily as Obama continues to fumble the economy. Eventually, the popularity numbers will drop.

Obama Stimulus Spending Ignores Small Business as Dow Continues to Plunge

The American Life League has launched a campaign to oppose President Barack Obama's nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

"The American people will not stand for Sebelius' disturbing and radical record of promoting abortion on demand," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "Sebelius, governor of Kansas - the late-term abortion capital of the world - is a threat to the health and well-being of our country and her appointment must be stopped."

A.L.L. Launches 'Stop Sebelius' Campaign

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is encouraging anyone who thinks they may have a gambling problem to seek help during "Problem Gambling Awareness Week" from March 1-7.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ed Rendell continues to push for legalization of 17,000 video poker machines in Pennsylvania ... so we can create more problem gamblers.

Self-Exclusion Program Highlighted During 'Problem Gambling Awareness Week'

With four months to go in the current fiscal year, Pennsylvania has already spent $1.3 billion more than it has taken in.

The fiscal hole Gov. Ed Rendell and the Pennsylvania Legislature started digging last July keeps getting deeper.

Pennsylvania collected $1.5 billion in General Fund revenue in February, $196.8 million, or 11.6 percent, less than anticipated, according to the Department of Revenue.

Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $14.8 billion, which is $1.3 billion, or 7.9 percent, below estimate, says Acting Revenue Secretary Stephen H. Stetler.

The numbers are down across the board:

* Sales tax receipts totaled $561.2 million for February, $60.9 million below estimate. Year-to-date sales tax collections total $5.6 billion, which is $299.4 million, or 5.1 percent, less than anticipated.

* Personal income tax (PIT) revenue in February was $742.7 million, $40.8 million below estimate. This brings year-to-date PIT collections to $6.4 billion, which is $316.7 million, or 4.7 percent, below estimate.

* February corporation tax revenue of $62.9 million was $21 million below estimate. Year-to-date corporation tax collections total $1.5 billion, which is $173.9 million, or 10.2 percent, below estimate.

* Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $53 million in inheritance tax, $17.5 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $502.9 million, which is $64.4 million below estimate.

* Realty transfer tax was $12 million for February, $11.5 million below estimate, bringing the total to $212.9 million for the year, which is $66.3 million less than anticipated.

* Other General Fund tax revenue including cigarette, malt beverage and liquor taxes totaled $76.4 million for the month, $4.3 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $683.8 million, which is $25.2 million below estimate.

* Non-tax revenue totaled -- $5.8 million for the month, $40.8 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to -- $90.6 million, which is $327.1 million below estimate.

The Department of Revenue report is full of gloomy statistics:

* In addition to the General Fund collections, the Motor License Fund received $146.6 million for the month, $22.5 million below estimate. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund total $1.7 billion, which is $95 million, or 5.3 percent, below estimate.

* The Gaming Fund received $49.1 million in unrestricted revenues for February. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund total $379.2 million. Gaming Fund receipts include taxes, fees and interest. Of the total for the month, $48.9 million was collected in state taxes for property tax relief, bringing the year-to-date total to $377.6 million.

* Other gaming-related revenues collected for February included $5.7 million for the Local Share Assessment, for a net total of $43.5 million for the year; $7.2 million for the Economic Development and Tourism Fund, for a year-to-date total of $55.5 million; and $17.2 million for the Race Horse Development Fund, bringing the total for the year to $133.3 million.

The current fiscal year ends June 30 and Rendell has predicted the deficit will grow to $2.3 billion by then.

Tony Perkins, president of FRC Action, the legislative arm of Family Research Council, had this to say on Barack Obama picking Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be his pick to be the new Secretary of Health and Human Services:

"President Obama is now zero for two in attempting to pick qualified people to head up his Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and zero for four in defending proven methods that contribute to his stated goal of reducing abortions.

"In a little over a month President Obama has reinstated taxpayer funding of abortionists overseas, been complicit in both the increased taxpayer funding of abortionists in the United States and in the overturning of a long-standing policy that prevented taxpayer dollars from going toward international coercive abortion programs. This weekend the cause for life was struck a double blow by first the halting of conscience protections for health care professionals who might otherwise be forced to perform or assist in abortions and the naming of the extremely pro-abortion Gov. Sebelius to HHS.

Read Perkins' full statement at the link below:

FRC Action Questions President Obama's Choice of Gov. Sebelius for HHS