Times are tough but Pennsylvania residents are still finding a few bucks to buy lottery tickets. OK, it's more than a few bucks.

Pennsylvania just recorded its second best year for ticket sales in the Pennsylvania Lottery's 37-year history, Secretary of Revenue Stephen H. Stetler announced Friday.

Fiscal year 2008-09 Lottery sales totaled $3.088 billion, which was $1.1 million, or 0.04 percent, less than the previous year, according to Stetler.

"Despite tough economic times, the Pennsylvania Lottery had an extraordinary year and only narrowly missed exceeding last year's sales record," Stetler said in a press release. "Throughout the year, ticket sales were in line with last year and, in some months, slightly ahead. Instant games appear to be the games of choice for many players, as sales in that category set a new record."

Stetler won't go this far, but I give the credit to Gus, the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania. Every time I see Gus on a TV commercial, I have to run out to buy lottery tickets.

Read the full press release at the link below:

Pennsylvania Lottery Achieves Near-Record Annual Sales; Record Instant Game Sales

We've Figured Him Out

By Ben Stein

Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:

The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.

They ignored his anti-white writings in his books. They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.

They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student. They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.

The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.

Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth. Barack Obama is a super likeable super leftist, not a fan of this country, way, way too cozy with the terrorist leaders in the Middle East, way beyond naïveté, all the way into active destruction of our interests and our allies and our future.

The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill -- a great idea in theory -- was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way an effort to help all Americans.

Now, Americans are waking up to the truth that ObamaCare basically means that every time you are sick or injured, you will have a clerk from the Department of Motor Vehicles telling your doctor what he can and cannot do.

Read the full column at The American Spectator Web site.

Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16) has been awarded the "Defender of Economic Freedom" award from The Club for Growth, a leading free-market advocacy organization.

The award, presented by Club for Growth President Chris Chocola, honors members of Congress who have "a strong voting record on economic growth issues."

Pitts, a Republican, is one of only 13 members of Congress (and the only one from Pennsylvania) to receive a perfect score. (Does it surprise you that all 13 honorees are Republicans?)

"Receiving the 'Defender of Economic Freedom' award is a great honor," Pitts said in a statement. "The best way to get our economy growing again is to free business owners and investors from burdensome government regulations and taxes. More government intrusion into the marketplace is not going to create more jobs."

More from the Club for Growth:

The award is based on certain votes in 2008 that the Club for Growth tracks on its scorecard. The study also included a comprehensive examination of each lawmaker’s record on pro-growth policies and computed an Economic Growth Score on a scale of 0 to 100. A score of 100 indicates the highest support for pro-growth policies. Those lawmakers scoring 90 or higher receive the "Defender of Economic Freedom" award.

The rating examines legislative actions that reflect the Club for Growth's immediate pro-economic growth policy goals, including cutting and limiting government spending, lowering taxes, expanding free trade, regulatory reform, and deregulation.

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

House-Senate Conference Committee Meets on Budget

With the state budget impasse now entering its fifth week, a six-member conference committee has been charged with negotiating a budget agreement. The joint House and Senate committee is comprised of Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-Punxsutawney), House Democrat Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne), Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia), Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware), and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairmen Jake Corman (R-Centre) and Jay Costa (D-Allegheny). The committee met for two days this week. Select members of the committee will be meeting with the governor Friday to attempt to reach a compromise. House Republicans continue to emphasize the need to pass a fiscally responsible budget that is balanced, that recognizes the reality of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression by not increasing taxes, and that keeps government spending under control. If an agreement is not reached soon, the governor has stated that he will ask for the Senate's budget bill as soon as possible to authorize spending for government operations while vetoing all other line items. For the latest budget news, visit PAHouseGOP.com

Drilling in Marcellus Shale Carries Enormous Potential if Not Taxed

The governor's proposed tax on natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale would negatively impact the growing industry, according to a study released this week by Penn State University. Rep. Brian Ellis (R-Butler), chair of the House Oil and Gas Caucus, cited the study to state that the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation alone could generate $13.5 billion in economic activity in the next 11 years. Ellis also reinforced that Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to impose a production tax on natural gas would cause a 30 percent drop in drilling activity and an estimated $880 million loss between now and 2020. Members of the House Oil and Gas Caucus are opposed to the proposed tax at the wellhead on natural gas extracted from areas of the Marcellus Shale. For the latest legislative news, visit PAHouseGOP.com

So let me see if I get this straight. The "Cash for Clunkers" program is the only part of the $787 billion stimulus package that is working, so the Obama administration pulls the plug on it. Is that about right? Makes perfect sense.

House Minority Leader John Boehner made a good point today:

"There are a lot of questions about how the administration administered this program. If they can't handle something as simple as this, how would we handle health care?" the Ohio Republican told The Associated Press.

And this from Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., who has heard complaints from dealerships about how incompetent the government is on a fairly straightforward program.

"The federal government can't process a simple rebate. I've got dealers who have submitted the paperwork three times and have gotten three rejections," Hoekstra told the AP. "What is a dealer supposed to do?"

From a new analysis by The Heritage Foundation of the Obamacare bill making its way through Congress:

An estimated 4.1 million residents in Pennsylvania could lose their private, employer-based coverage if Congress passes a House health reform bill.

Of the estimated 7.6 million Pennsylvanians with private health insurance, 51 percent would transition out of private coverage. Plus, 59 percent of the state's population who get their private insurance from the workplace could have their existing coverage change or disappear under the House health bill.

Also, 32 percent of Pennsylvania's uninsured population would still lack coverage. Of the estimated 1.4 million people without health coverage, the legislation would only reduce the uninsured by 952,600, leaving 447,400 Pennsylvania residents without coverage.

Read more about the study at the link below:

Millions of Pennsylvanians Could Lose Private Insurance, Study Shows

Voters in the 24th state Senate District will go to the polls on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to pick a successor to state Sen. Rob Wonderling, who is leaving the Senate for a job in the private sector.

Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati, who is also Senate Pro Tempore, made the decision to hold a special election instead of waiting until the Nov. 3 General Election.

That means county officials in Montgomery, Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties will have to gear up for two elections within five weeks.

Scarnati's decision was criticized by Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes, a Gov. Ed Rendell appointee.

"At a time when the state is facing a $3.2 billion budget deficit and the legislature is considering dramatic budget cuts, I am greatly concerned that a costly special election was scheduled just five weeks prior to the Nov. 3 general election," Cortes said.

The Department of State estimates the cost of the special election to range from $250,000 to $375,000, all of which will be underwritten by Pennsylvania taxpayers, Cortes said.

If Mensch wins the Senate seat, then another special election will be called to fill Mensch's House seat, Cortes points out.

Wonderling resigned his Senate seat on July 28 to take the job as president of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

The Republican candidate to succeed Wonderling state Rep. Bob Mensch, who currently represents the 147th District.

There are no announced Democratic candidates.

Congressional Quarterly has released an analysis of the 2010 midterm Congressional elections, listing 100 competitive districts across the country, including eight toss-ups in Pennsylvania.

From the CQ analysis:

With 257 of the 435 U.S. House seats, Democrats are strongly favored to retain their majority in the 2010 elections -- though history points to party losses in the first midterm election of President Obama.

Most of the 435 congressional districts have such well-entrenched incumbents that the 2010 House races there will be landslides. But CQ Politics has preliminarily identified 100 districts, 59 of which are held by Democrats, where the contests should be highly or mildly competitive. Of these, CQ Politics rates three districts, all now held by Republicans, as leaning toward takeover by the challenging party: Louisiana 2nd Dist., Pennsylvania 6th Dist. and Illinois 10th Dist.

The Pennsylvania districts that CQ Politics lists as competitive are the 6th (held by Republican Jim Gerlach, who is not seeking re-election); the 12th (held by Democrat John Murtha); the 7th (held by Democrat Joe Sestak, who probably will not seek re-election); the 3rd (held by freshman Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper); the 4th (held by Democrat Jason Altmire); the 10th (held by Democrat Chris Carney; the 11th (held by Democrat Paul Kanjorski); and the 15th (held by Republican Charlie Dent).

While CQ Politics lists Dahlkemper, Altmire, Carney, Kanjorski and Murtha in the "favored to win" re-election column, it still sees the races as competitive. Same for Dent, who is "favored to win" in the 15th.

Pennsylvania's other 11 Congressional districts are listed in the "safe Democratic" or "safe Republican" columns.

Here's my take on the CQ analysis. The 6th District will go to the Democrats, but the 7th District should return to Republican control. Republicans have a good chance of unseating Dahlkemper, Carney, Kanjorski and Murtha. I don't see Altmire or Dent losing their seats.

The key to a Republican comeback in 2010 is how badly Barack Obama continues to stumble. If the economy is still in shambles, if U.S. foreign policy is still in disarray, if Obama continues to march the country toward socialism, expect huge GOP gains in Congress.

The 2010 Congressional elections will be a referendum on Obama. If "change" doesn't come real fast, look for voters to toss out career politicians like Murtha and Kanjorski to send a message to Obama.

To review other House races, visit CQ Politics online for an interactive map.

Investigative reporter/columnist Christopher Freind will be the guest this week on "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" Thursday at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM

Freind authors hard-hitting investigative reports and writes a commentary column for The Philadelphia Bulletin branded "Freindly Fire". He tackles issues with a fire and passion not often found, and exposes cowards, frauds and hypocrites in politics, business, sports, entertainment and yes - the media.

Listeners can call in with questions or comments during the live broadcast at 610-326-4000.

You can also listen to the program online by going to www.1370WPAZ.com and clicking on the "live audio" button at the top of the page or you can listen to it at The Mercury Web site at www.pottsmerc.com

In Case You Missed It: The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus: A Bipartisan Plan on Health Care? Try Two

Surprisingly, Pennsylvania scores in the Top 10 in transparency.

Report: Most States Failing to Use the Web Effectively to Inform Taxpayers About Stimulus Spending

InternetSafety.com offers timely tips to help protect your children online.

How to Keep Kids Out of Cyber-Trouble: Top Tips for 6 Problem Areas

Why is Barack Obama expending so much energy on a health care reform bill that will not lower the cost of health care for the average American family?

It's clear most Americans have figured out that Obamacare is the latest big-government plan to move the nation toward socialism.

From Rasmussen Reports:

Americans are fairly evenly divided on the health care reform proposals working their way through Congress, but most remain convinced that the plans will raise costs and hurt the quality of the care they receive.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% are in favor of the reform effort proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats while 49% are opposed. Those figures include 25% who Strongly Favor the plans and 41% who are Strongly Opposed.

The specifics of what will be in a health care reform plan remains hotly debated in Congress at the moment. When a final proposal emerges, it is possible that support could move significantly in either direction.

Currently, 76% of Democrats favor the proposal and 76% of Republicans are opposed. Among the unaffiliated, 35% are in favor and 60% are opposed. Notably, just 16% of unaffiliateds Strongly Favor the legislative effort while 47% Strongly Oppose it.

It's time to pull the plug on Obamacare. We've seen the damage Obama and his minions have done to the economy. Do you want to entrust your family's health to Obama?

Read more from the poll at Rasmussen Reports.

Things have deteriorated so much in Washington since Democrats took control of Congress that the Democratic doormats who populate the halls of Congress don't even have to pretend they know what they're doing. They simply do what Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi tell them.

Via CNS News, check out the video above of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) in his own words:

"I love these members, they get up and say, 'Read the bill,'" said Conyers. "What good is reading the bill if it's a thousand pages and you don't have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?" (CNS News, 7/27/09)

From the Republican Study Committee:

A better question might be, why not take the time to read and understand the bill so the American people can know what's in it before their health care gets taken over by the government? If it takes a senior member of Congress two lawyers to figure out the Democrat health care bill, how are middle class families expected to fare in their search for quality care?

Americans have a lot of questions about the Democrats' plans for health care, but it doesn't sound like they'll be getting any answers from Chairman Conyers.

I have two questions about Obamacare.

If this proposal is so much better than what we have now (80% of Americans have health insurance), why won't Barack Obama and his family, as well as members of Congress and their families, be covered under Obamacare?

If the goal is to cover all Americans and provide them with better health care, why can't we have the same plan that politicians get?

Second, why the rush? Why the artificial deadline of Congress' August recess?

If this is an improvement over the current system, why hide so much of it and push it through Congress before anyone has had a chance to read the 1,000-plus pages of the bill?

We rushed into a bank bailout plan that has failed. We rushed into a bailout of the auto industry that resulted in two of the three major U.S. car companies going bankrupt. We rushed into a "stimulus" package that has failed. We rushed into an energy bill (cap-and-trade) that does nothing to address our energy needs but imposes a huge tax burden on everyone who uses electricity.

So why are we rushing to adopt a "reform" of the health care system without adequate debate?

From a column by in today's New York Post by Michael D. Tanner, a Cato Institute senior fellow and co-author of "Healthy Competition: What's Holding Back Health Care and How to Free It" --

Health care represents one-sixth of the US economy, and some of the most important, personal and private decisions in people's lives. Reform will affect everything from jobs to what treatments your doctor can prescribe. It will cost well over $1 trillion over the next 10 years, more beyond that, and impose enormous costs on the economy and higher taxes on millions of Americans. If we get health-care reform wrong, it won't be easy to go back and fix it.

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

If you think it's tough now dealing with insurance companies and hospitals, wait until the federal government takes over the health care system.

The detailed flow chart above shows the complex health care reform proposal by Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats.

The chart identifies at least 31 new federal programs, agencies, commissions and mandates that accompany the unprecedented government takeover of health care in America.

"Why should any patient be forced to give control of their health care over to this Faustian pit of Washington bureaucracy?" asked Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX), the lead House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee.

"This government takeover has only one guaranteed result: to tell Americans what doctors you can see, what treatments you deserve and what medicines you can have."

These new levels of government bureaucracy, agencies, organization and programs will all be put directly between the patient and their health care.

This is why Obama and Nancy Pelosi are trying to rush the 1,018-page bill through Congress before anyone has a chance to read it or property debate it. Don't let them railroad your family's health care. Stop Obamcare now.

Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. announced today he will not seek the Republican nod for the soon-to-be-vacated 24th District state Senate seat held by Republican Rob Wonderling.

Castor was one of three Montgomery County politicians competing for a chance to fill Wonderling's unexpired term in a special election this fall.

Castor's surprise announcement leaves state Rep. Bob Mensch, R-147th, as the likely choice to run on the GOP ballot.

The other potential GOP challenger, former state Rep. Jay Moyer, announced late Monday he's dropping out. Moyer endorsed Mensch and said he wants to concentrate on another run for the 70th House District seat that he lost in 2008.

Castor said he received plenty of encouragement from residents of Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton and Montgomery counties about a 24th Senate District run, but he decided to finish his term as a commissioner in Montgomery County, which is facing a fiscal crisis under the leadership of Democrat Joe Hoeffel and GOP turncoat Jim Matthews.

"If I were to run in the Special Election I would vacate my seat as a commissioner at a critical point in the budget process, leaving my colleagues to adopt a budget with no third commissioner in place or with a new commissioner who had little or no time to study the budget before being asked to act on it," Castor said in a written statement. "I do not believe that is fair to the citizens of Montgomery County to create such a situation and at this time I believe the best way I can serve the citizens is to remain a commissioner and a vocal critic of the policies that have led us to this point while offering my own suggestions on a better way to govern Montgomery County."

Castor was the top vote getter in the 2007 election to fill three Montgomery County commissioner seats. Hoeffel finished second and Matthews came in third thanks to a last-minute push by Castor to get Matthews re-elected at the request of party leadership.

Instead of joining Castor to form a GOP majority on the board, Matthews made a deal with Hoeffel to form a power-sharing arrangement, where Hoeffel supported Matthews as commissioners' chairman in return for obtaining unprecedented control of county government by a minority commissioner.

Hoeffel has hired all sorts of Democratic Party cronies to high-paying county jobs in the past 18 months.

"For 18 months, I have warned that the spending policies pursued by the county commissioners would lead to an unavoidable budget crisis," Castor said in a written statement. "Last year my colleagues used $16 million of our savings and failed to fund $7 million in pension obligations to our county employees in order to balance the budget. They do not have that option this year. The Finance Department projects a $50 million plus budget shortfall for 2010 while reminding us that the pension obligation will come due at the end of this year -- an obligation my fellow commissioners failed to budget for and now do not have the funds to meet. I cited this failure as one of my principle reasons for voting against the 2009 county budget.

Castor is the lone voice of fiscal reason on the commissioners' board and said he will work to inform Montgomery County taxpayers about the irresponsible spending by the Hoeffel-Matthews regime.

"This year we face a mounting deficit that my fellow commissioners will attempt to blame on the economy, Harrisburg, Washington, and just about anyone and anything else they can," Castor said. "But the fault lies in their reckless pursuit of cronyism, patronage and borrow and spend governance using tax dollars to fuel their appetite. This year may be the most critical budget deliberations in the history of Montgomery County. I believe I have an obligation to see this budget process to completion and that is what I intend to do."

The 24th District Senate seat will become vacant on Aug. 1 when Wonderling steps down to take a new job as president of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

Republicans should be able to hold Wonderling's seat in a special election this fall and again in 2010 when a full four-year term is up for grabs.

Democrats have had trouble finding a candidate. The leading contender, state Rep. Bob Freeman, D-136th Dist., bowed out last week after a poll showed Freeman losing to both Castor and Mensch.

Calls to the Elder Abuse Hotline, 1-800-490-8505, can be made anonymously.

Department of Aging Urges Citizens to Report Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults

Gov. Ed Rendell released a rambling statement today about the state's budget impasse, blaming the Republican-controlled state Senate for blocking his efforts to raise the state income tax by 16 percent.

Contrast Rendell's rant with the most recent survey of voters and you'll see that Rendell is not dealing with reality.

GOV. RENDELL: "GOP Senators are isolated in their position. The people of Pennsylvania are fed up with their government right now, and I'm fed up that the majority party in the state Senate shows so little regard for getting the job done."

REALITY:Gov. Ed Rendell's job approval rating has shrunk to its lowest level ever, 39 percent, and voters see him as most responsible for the state's budget mess, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. Also, 63 percent of voters reject Rendell's call to raise the state income tax temporarily to balance the budget, the Quinnipiac poll says.

More from the Quinnipiac poll:

Only 28 percent of voters approve Rendell's handling of the state budget and only 33 percent approve of his handling of the economy.

"Voters clearly don't want their taxes raised to solve the budget mess," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Given a choice between raising taxes to maintain the level of services, or cutting spending and leaving taxes the same, 55 percent favor spending cuts and 35 percent say raise taxes."

To read more of Rendell's nonsensical statement, follow the link below.

Governor Rendell Says to Senate Republicans: 'Get Real'

Despite a $3.2 billion budget deficit, Gov. Ed Rendell says Pennsylvania needs to spend more on public education. But new U.S. Census Bureau statistics show Pennsylvania is already among the leaders in per-pupil spending among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Pennsylvania spent $23.8 billion on public education in the 2006-07 school year, the most recent figures available, according to the Census Bureau.

Public schools in Pennsylvania spent $11,098 per pupil in 2007, compared to the national average of $9,666, according to the Census Bureau.

Pennsylvania ranked 13th in the nation in per-pupil spending, behind 11 other states and the District of Columbia.

From the new report, Public Education Finances: 2007:

On average, each state spent $9,666 per pupil in 2007, a 5.8 percent increase over 2006. Of total public school financing, state governments contributed 47.6 percent, followed by local sources, which contributed 44.1 percent, and federal sources, which made up the remaining 8.3 percent.

"Public school systems have to balance income and expenses, just like other publicly run entities," said Lisa Blumerman, chief of the Governments Division at the Census Bureau. "This survey shows us the unique blend that each school system applies to utilize the financial resources it has available."

In total, public school systems received $556.9 billion in funding from federal, state and local sources in 2007, a 6.9 percent increase from 2006. Total expenditures were $559.9 billion, a 6.3 percent increase.

You can download a PDF version of the report from the Census Bureau Web site.

An abbreviated State Capitol Roundup from Rep. Bob Mensch (R-147):

State Budget Bill Heading to House-Senate Conference Committee

In the midst of the longest state budget stalemate in nearly 20 years, the state budget bill is on its way to a House-Senate conference committee. Three members from the House and three from the Senate will make up the committee, which will cooperatively work to negotiate the $2 billion difference between the House and Senate versions of the plan. Republicans are optimistic that no personal income tax increase will be included in the final budget, citing the lack of public and legislative support from all four caucuses to institute it. House Republicans remain committed to supporting a balanced budget plan that will prioritize funding for the core functions of government, not raise taxes, and force government to live within its means. This is the seventh consecutive year that Pennsylvania has not had a budget in place by July 1, the official start of the new fiscal year. For the latest budget news, visit PAHouseGOP.com

What goes up must come down, but how quickly the might Obama has fallen.

From Rasmussen Reports:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 30% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -8.

Just 25% believe that the economic stimulus package has helped the economy.

The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve.

Overall, 49% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. Today marks the first time his overall approval rating has ever fallen below 50% among Likely Voters nationwide. Fifty-one percent (51%) disapprove.

Eighty-three percent (83%) of Democrats continue to approve of the President’s performance while 80% of Republicans disapprove. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 37% offer a positive assessment. The President earns approval from 51% of women and 47% of men.

Read more about Obama's job approval at Rasmussen Reports.

Ted Deeds of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America:

"Every once in a while politicians on the extreme far left of the political spectrum let something slip that shows how out of step they are with not only the American people but the rest of their party. The President's assault on police by playing the race card is one such example."

Read the full statement below:

Law Enforcement Alliance Takes on President Obama for Unseemly Assault on Police

They rushed through a TARP bailout for banks that is full of fraud, waste and mismanagement.

They rushed through a $787 billion "stimulus" bill that is full of pork spending and has failed to create any jobs.

They rushed through an energy bill that is really a huge energy tax in disguise.

Now Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats want to rush through a $1.5 trillion government-run health care overhaul.

Haven't we learned anything from the mistakes of the past six months?

Paul Howard, director of the Center for Medical Progress at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and Tarren Bragdon, chief executive officer of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, want to know why the rush to turn health care over to the government.

From their column in Investor's Business Daily:

Rather than fix the system's underlying problems (the tax treatment of health insurance and perverse payment systems in the Medicare and Medicaid programs), Democrats stand poised to heap more taxes, fees and regulations on private businesses and insurers. The only hope for fiscal sanity is the public's growing unease with Congress' profligate spending.

The Congressional Budget Office scored the original Kennedy-Dodd bill (from the Senate health committee) costing $1.5 trillion over 10 years, with similar tallies for other bills in the House and Senate.

The oddity is that White House experts suggest that as much as 30% of all health care spending — about $700 billion annually — in the U.S. is wasted every year, more than enough to pay for health coverage expansions and still have plenty left to pay down the deficit.

So where's the savings in Democrats' legislation?

Read the full column, "How To Stop This Rush To Failure And Fix What Really Needs Fixing," at the newspaper's Web site.

The Institute for Health Freedom wants Americans to know what's included in the Obamacare bill making its way through Congress:

* Eliminates Existing Private Insurance Coverage (i.e., Eliminates Your Choice of Insurance that Is Not "Acceptable" to the Federal Government, But Is Just Fine With You and Your Family)

* Includes the AMA-Backed/Insurance Industry-Backed Mandate for Individuals to Purchase Health Insurance

* Denies Coverage for Unlicensed Alternative Providers

* Paves the Way for Use of Machine-Readable Health-Plan ID Cards for Everyone

* Establishes a "Real Time" Data System (to Determine Financial Responsibility and Eligibility for Health Care)

* Promotes Child Home Visits

* Moves 83.4 million people from private to public insurance

* Includes a Single-Payer Health-Care Amendment

* Requires Everyone to Buy a Health Plan Essentially Written by the Federal HHS Secretary

Read more at the link below:

Mandate for Health Insurance: Inconvenient Truths About How It Will Affect You and Your Family

Government-paid abortions is a major part of the health care reform Barack Obama is pushing. Explain to me again how that will help reduce the cost of health care for the average American?

Has anyone in Congress read the 1,018-page Obamacare bill?

Obama Puts Politics Before Principle in Abortion Coverage, Says Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice President

The national commander of the nation's largest veterans service organization says military and veterans health care should not be part of any national health care bill.

Reacting Barack Obama's urgent call for immediate Congressional approval of a government-run health care system, American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein issued the following statement:

"While The American Legion appreciates the complexity of the health care reform challenge facing the President and Congress, on behalf of our nation's 26 million veterans and the nearly 2 million personnel now on active duty in more than 130 countries, we urge Congress to ensure that veterans' and military health care not be part of any national health care bill. They should be exempt in the legislation."

Rehbein added, "Our nation must maintain its long standing tradition that veterans' and military health care systems will remain independent and focused on our most deserving citizens.

"The American Legion has a proud tradition of securing and preserving the earned benefits of America's veterans," continued Rehbein. "Ensuring timely access to quality health care for today's military and veterans is of paramount concern. These are the citizens who have borne our battles in previous wars as they still are in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have earned our care the hard way. We, as a nation, have an obligation to ensure that their health care is not compromised," he concluded.
With a current membership of 2.6 million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and the mentoring of youth. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

For more information about the American Legion visit its Web site, www.legion.org

Why the rush?

America's third largest party urges Congress to take its time deliberating the proposed government takeover of the nation's health care system amid pressure from the Obama White House to quickly adopt the troubled proposal with minimal debate and most members of Congress not having read the bill.

From a release issued by the Libertarian Party:

Libertarians oppose the plan, which deepens the federal budget deficit and leads to the rationing of basic health care.

"As confidence in President Obama's plans for a federal government takeover of medicine plunges, the White House is pressuring legislators to rush to judgment while the plan can still be salvaged," said William Redpath, Libertarian National Committee Chairman. "We urge Congress to deliberate this massive government takeover carefully, take their time to allow Americans to read the full bill and then vote down this legislative disaster."

A poll conducted independently by the Gallup organization, not for any party or group, and released today shows disapproval of the Obama plan tops approval among adults by a 50 percent to 44 percent margin. Among political independents, the gap grows. Fifty-five percent of independents disapprove of Obama’s plan. Only 40 percent approve.

"The more we find out about the Democrat plan, whether it's the language on page 16 outlawing private insurance or Section 440 empowering government to visit your home and monitor your parenting, the more obvious it becomes why President Obama wants as little transparency as possible. As we saw during the rush to the Iraq war, nothing good can happen when the president demands Congress give him what he wants immediately and without debate," said Redpath.

The Libertarian Party is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party by visiting http://www.LP.org.

Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. will be the guest on "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas and Mike Pincus" at 5 p.m. Thursday on WPAZ 1370 AM

Castor will discuss the county's fiscal problems under the leadership of Jim Matthews/Joe Hoeffel and his interest in running for the state Senate.

Listeners can call in with questions or comments during the live broadcast at 610-326-4000.

You can also listen to the program online by going to www.1370WPAZ.com and clicking on the "live audio" button at the top of the page or you can listen to it at The Mercury Web site at www.pottsmerc.com

Barack Obama will use a prime-time televised news conference tonight to salvage his government-run health care plan. Good luck with that.

From Rasmussen Reports:

The health care reform legislation working its way through Congress has lost support over the past month. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of U.S. voters are at least somewhat in favor of the reform effort while 53% are at least somewhat opposed.

Today's 44% level of support is down from 46% two weeks ago, and 50% in late June.

Opposition has grown from 45% in late June to 49% two weeks ago and 53% today. As in earlier surveys, those with strong opinions are more likely to oppose the plan rather than support it. The current numbers: 24% strongly favor and 37% strongly oppose.

The tide has turned. The more Americans learn about Obamacare, the less they like it. That's why Obama and Pelosi are trying to ram the bill through Congress before the August break. Like the stimulus bill and the cap-and-trade energy tax, the fewer membes of Congress who read the bill, the better chance it has of passing.

Read more numbers from the Rasmussen poll at Rasmussen Reports.

The honeymoon is officially over. On the six-month anniversary of start of Barack Obama presidency, a new Associated Press-GfK Poll finds a majority of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Asked if they would say the country is heading in the "right direction" or in the "wrong direction," 54% of Americans say the nation is headed in the "wrong direction." That's up from 46% in June.

I love the headline on AP's story on their own poll: "Great hopes for Obama fade to reality"

The reality is that Obama has made more mistakes in six months than presidents make over eight years. On the economy, social issues and foreign policy, Obama has made one disastrous decision after another.

And despite having the mainstream media run interference for him, the American people have finally figured out that Obama is all style and no substance.

From the Associated Press story by Nancy Benac and Trevor Tompson:

In Obama's case, the problems he's confronting domestically and internationally are legion, and his ability to blame them on his predecessor is fading. Challenges still abound in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unemployment, at 7.6 percent in January, hit 9.5 percent in June and is expected to keep rising well into next year. Almost 4 percent of homeowners with mortgages are in foreclosure, and an additional 8 percent are at least a month behind on payments — the highest levels since the Great Depression.
The president is deep into the debate over how to overhaul the nation's health care system, and people are nervous about how their own insurance could be affected. Obama's critics are accusing him of conducting a risky "rand experiment" that will hurt the economy and could force millions to drop their current coverage.

And it's not just Obama who is slipping in the polls.

The job approval of the Democratically-controlled Congress — already historic low levels — continues to slide, dropping 6 percentage points to 32 percent, according to the poll.

Read the full poll results at the AP-GfK Poll Web site

Highlights from the latest Quinnipiac University poll:

* Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell's job approval rating has shrunk to its lowest level ever, 39 - 53 percent negative, and voters see him as most responsible for the state's budget mess.

* Voters also reject 63 - 33 percent the governor's call to raise the state income tax temporarily to balance the budget.

* State Attorney General Tom Corbett has the best name recognition among Republican contenders in the 2010 Governor's race, while there is no clear leader in the Democratic field.

* Rendell is most to blame for the budget stalemate, 30 percent of voters say, while 17 percent blame the Republicans in the Legislature; 11 percent blame the Democrats and 28 percent blame everyone equally.

* Pennsylvania voters disapprove 57 - 27 percent of the job the State Legislature is doing, close to the all time worst score of 60 - 26 percent October 5, 2005.

Read the full survey results at the Quinnipiac University Web site.

Let Freedom Ring, a free-market advocacy group headed by former Chester County Commissioner Colin Hanna, has set up a Web site where members of Congress can sign a pledge to read health care reform legislation before voting on it.

This is a big deal considering nobody in Congress who voted for the failed "stimulus" bill bothered to read it before voting to support it.

So far, just 72 members of Congress have signed the Responsible Healthcare Reform Pledge, but more are being added daily.

From Pennsylvania, four Republicans -- Reps. Charlie Dent, Jim Gerlach, Joe Pitts and Todd Platts -- have signed.

Are you surprised that not a single Democrat from Pennsylvania has signed the pledge? Why should they? They rubber-stamped everything Barack Obama sends down the pike. Talk about the blind leading the blind.

For more information, check out www.pledgetoread.com

From a disturbing report by Eamon Javers in Politico about Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats leading the U.S. to economic suicide:

A series of bailouts, bank rescues and other economic lifelines could end up costing the federal government as much as $23 trillion, the U.S. government’s watchdog over the effort says – a staggering amount that is nearly double the nation’s entire economic output for a year.

If the feds end up spending that amount, it could be more than the federal government has spent on any single effort in American history.

For the government to be on the hook for the total amount, worst-case scenarios would have to come to pass in a variety of federal programs, which is unlikely, says Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the government’s financial bailout programs, in testimony prepared for delivery to the House oversight committee Tuesday.

The Treasury Department says less than $2 trillion has been spent so far.

Read the full story at POLITICO and call your representatives in Congress and tell them they will be out of a job in 2010 if they continue to follow Obama over a cliff.

CQPolitics is reporting that Democrat Doug Pike has kicked in $510,000 of his own money to finance his run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 6th District.

From a story by reporter Greg Giroux:

Pike, who is vying to succeed Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach, a 2010 candidate for governor, gave his campaign $510,000 in this year's second quarter, or about 77 percent of his total receipts of $664,000. That was the most money raised in the reporting period by a non-incumbent 2010 candidate for the House.

When Pike, a former editorial writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, announced his candidacy in early April, Democratic officials said that he would be willing to part with $1 million of his own money on the race.

Although this is his first run for political office, Pike is a son of former New York Rep. Otis G. Pike (1961-79), a Florida retiree who, according to Giroux, gave $1,000 to his son's campaign.

Pike is the first, and so far, the only announced Democratic candidate, but that won't last much longer. An opportunity to run for an open Congressional seat doesn't come around too often.

The only announced GOP candidate for the 6th Congressional District is Chester County state Rep. Curt Schroder, but the field is expected to increase as we get closer to 2010.

Read the full story, "Personal Money Spikes Pike's Fundraising," at CQPolitics

For more about the Pike, visit his official campaign Web site, www.pikeforcongress.com

Remember all the media hype about Obama bringing out tons of voters to cast ballots in the historic election of 2008? It didn't happen.

The share of eligible voters who actually went to the polls in November 2008 declined from November 2004, according to new U.S. Census figures.

A total of 63.6 percent of eligible voters, or 131.1 million people, cast ballots in the contest between Barack Obama and John McCain last November. The voter turnout in 2004 for the George W. Bush-John F. Kerry showdown was 63.8 percent.

While the total number of votes cast was higher by 5 million, the turnout was down, especially among older white Americans, according to the Census Bureau.

This is a case where people voted with their feet and none of the above resulted in Barack Obama as president. How's that "hope and change" working out for you now?

"The 2008 presidential election saw a significant increase in voter turnout among young people, blacks and Hispanics," said Thom File, a voting analyst with the Census Bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. "But as turnout among some other demographic groups either decreased or remained unchanged, the overall 2008 voter turnout rate was not statistically different from 2004."

Read more from the new report, Voting and Registration in the Election of 2008, at the link below:

Voter Turnout Increases by 5 Million in 2008 Presidential Election, U.S. Census Bureau Reports

This is directed at Barack Obama and his merry band of socialists in Congress.

A new Rasmussen poll finds that 61% of voters nationwide say that cost -- not universal coverage -- is the biggest health care problem facing the nation today.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% believe the lack of universal health insurance coverage is a bigger problem.

More from Rasmussen Reports:

Only 10% believe the quality of care is the top concern, and two percent (2%) point to the inconvenience factor of dealing with the current medical system.

Given a choice between health care reform and a tax hike or no health care reform and no tax hike, 47% would prefer to avoid the tax hike and do without reform. Forty-one percent (41%) take the opposite view.

The opposition is stronger when asked about a choice between health care reform that would require changing existing health insurance coverage or no health care reform and no change from current coverage. In that case, voters oppose reform by a 54% to 32% margin.

It's time for every American to contact their members of Congress and tell them to put a stop to Obamacare. This is a case where the "cure" is far worse than the disease.

For more poll results, visit Rasmussen Reports.

As many suspected, liberal Judge Sonia Sotomayor does not believe the Second Amendment protects a citizen's right to own firearms.

From a press release issued by the Libertarian Party:

America's third largest party reiterated its opposition to the Supreme Court nomination of federal judge Sonia Sotomayor after the nominee refused to give a firm answer on whether individuals have the right of self-defense.

"Is there a constitutional right to self-defense?" Sotomayor asked when questioned by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) whether or not the Constitution guaranteed him the right of self-defense. "I can't think of one. I could be wrong."

"Whether you agree with her position or not, Judge Sotomayor has had no problem stating that things not directly found in the Constitution are 'settled law.' That's why it's troubling that when confronted with a constitutionally-enshrined principle she disagrees with, the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of one’s rights, things are suddenly muddled and up for debate," said Donny Ferguson, Libertarian National Committee Communications Director.

"The Libertarian Party is the only party that never compromises in its defense of our Second Amendment-guaranteed rights. That's why we have opposed Judge Sotomayor's nomination from the moment we reviewed her troubling anti-gun record. Judge Sotomayor's answers Wednesday further show she believes the law should flow from her own personal biases and not the literal wording of the Constitution," said Ferguson.

Judge Sotomayor is the latest in a long line of hardline anti-gun activists nominated by President Obama to government positions where they would have the power to infringe on gun rights. Libertarians also opposed the nominations of anti-gun Attorney General Eric Holder and anti-gun State Department legal adviser Harold Koh.

"The Libertarian Party will hold accountable at the ballot box any senator who votes to confirm Judge Sotomayor. America's nearly 90 million gun owners come from all walks of life and political beliefs – and they decide their vote on this issue. Libertarians look forward to speaking with them about the LP's fundamental belief in gun rights, and their senator's voting record on it," said Ferguson.

As if Pennsylvania residents needed another reason not to re-elect Arlen Specter.

Despite her clear lack of a basic understanding of the U.S. Constitution, Sonia Sotomayor will be the first 'wise Latina' confirmed for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, a Democrat, issued the following statement today on the nomination of Sotomayor to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States:

"Judge Sonia Sotomayor brought to the Judiciary Committee hearings an outstanding record academically, as a prosecutor and as a commercial lawyer plus 17 distinguished years as a federal judge. At the hearings she displayed intellect, restraint and judicial demeanor. As the third woman and the first Hispanic, she will add needed diversity to the Supreme Court."

"I intend to vote for her and urge my colleagues to do the same."

A recent survey revealed that more than 70 percent of drivers eat while driving and 83 percent drink beverages even though both practices could lead to accidents.

Insurance.com has published a list of the 10 worst foods to eat while driving:

1) Coffee. Even with a travel lid, hot coffee can find its way out of the opening when you hit a bump.
2) Hot soup. Many people drink it like coffee and run the same risks.
3) Tacos. Any food that can disassemble itself will leave your car looking like a salad bar.
4) Chili dogs. Huge potential for drips and slops down the front of clothing.
5) Hamburgers. From the grease to the toppings, it could end up on your hands and the steering wheel.
6) Ribs and wings. What's more distracting than licking your fingers?
7) Fried chicken. More greasy hands. You've got to wipe them off while you're driving.
8) Jelly donuts. It's not possible to eat one without watching the center ooze out.
9) Soda. Carbonation. Fizz in the nose. Lids that leak. Disaster.
10) Chocolate. Try to clean melted chocolate off the steering wheel without swerving.

10 Most Dangerous Foods to Eat While Driving from Insurance.com

Millions of workers in 30 states, including Pennsylvania, will see more in their paychecks soon ... if they still have jobs. U.S. companies have slashed at least 500,000 jobs a week since Obama became president.

Federal minimum wage will increase to $7.25 on July 24

The Pennsylvania Commission for Women has released its 2009 Status of Pennsylvania Women Report.

The findings?

Over the past four years, Pennsylvania women have made great strides in statistical measures of health, education and economic status, but continue to earn less than Pennsylvania men on average, find work in lower-paying jobs, and remain largely absent from the state political scene, according to the report.

"This one-of-a-kind report provides a non-partisan, in-depth look at what the women of this commonwealth face, including all of the good news and all of the bad," said Commission for Women Executive Director Leslie Stiles. "We are pleased at how far women have come in terms of achievements and goals, but this report clearly details how much farther we have to go."

The report can be downloaded from the commission's Web site at www.pcw.state.pa.us, or a hardcopy can be requested by calling the Pennsylvania Commission for Women at 717-787-8128.

Another Chester County Republican officeholder is interested in running for Jim Gerlach's Congressional seat.

A day after state Rep. Curt Schroder, R-155, announced he is a candidate for the seat now held by Gerlach, Chester County Recorder of Deeds Ryan Costello said Wednesday he is exploring a run for Congress.

Gerlach announced Tuesday he will no seek a fifth term so he can pursue the GOP nomination for Pennsylvania governor in 2010.

Costello, an attorney in Phoenixville, was elected Chester County Recorder of Deeds in 2007. He is also the former chairman of the East Vincent Township Board of Supervisors.

"I have a serious interest in the 6th District Congressional seat, and in the coming weeks I'm going to continue to talk to the taxpayers and community and party leaders who I know are equally concerned about the excessive spending in Washington and the ramifications for future generations," Costello said in a prepared statement. "We need to create jobs and promote economic development in the Tri-County region by eliminating regressive business taxes and reducing health care costs for employers so they can begin to grow and prosper again. As Recorder I see first-hand the impact of regional real estate trends on families and seniors and the only way to stimulate the housing market is to stimulate the job market."

Costello used the announcement that he is thinking about running for Gerlach's U.S. House seat, to take a few shots at the big-government atmosphere in Washington, D.C.

"I think the stimulus bill was too much money, spread over too long a period of time, and has been ineffective in lowering unemployment and getting the economy moving again because a majority of the dollars didn't go to a failing transportation and infrastructure system and small businesses who are struggling to keep the lights on," Costello said. "I don't think expansion of government welfare programs is the correct response to our current problems."

More from a press release issued by Costello:

An attorney with the O'Donnell, Weiss & Mattei, P.C., law firm, practicing in their real estate and business departments, Costello also emphasized he has familiarity with the 6th Congressional District.

Born in Phoenixville, and a graduate of Owen J. Roberts high school, Ursinus College, and Villanova law school, Costello remarked, "I am familiar and know the Chester, Montgomery and Berks county region well. My experience as an attorney advocating for economic development projects, and understanding how to get projects done, is a positive attribute to a congressional candidacy in these times. And my elective office experience as a countywide Republican elected official is one I am proud of."

"I know this district well, and having volunteered on each of Congressman Gerlach's campaigns, I know what it will take to keep this a Republican district. I have the energy to run an aggressive campaign, and the experience and intelligence to be a strong, thoughtful candidate with common sense ideas that reflect this diverse district."

First Joe Biden, then Barack Obama and now Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke are fessing up they don't know what they're doing when it comes to the U.S. economy.

The Federal Reserve predicted today that unemployment will top 10 percent, despite earlier assurances from Obama that it would not go higher than 8 percent if his stimulus package was approved.

With more than 15 million Americans out of work and an additional 500,000 losing their jobs every week, there's no end in sight for the Obama recession.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Mort Zuckerman, chairman and editor in chief of U.S. News & World Report, says the unemployment picture is much worse than the government is letting on.

From his column:

Job losses may last well into 2010 to hit an unemployment peak close to 11%. That unemployment rate may be sustained for an extended period.

Can we find comfort in the fact that employment has long been considered a lagging indicator? It is conventionally seen as having limited predictive power since employment reflects decisions taken earlier in the business cycle. But today is different. Unemployment has doubled to 9.5% from 4.8% in only 16 months, a rate so fast it may influence future economic behavior and outlook.

How could this happen when Washington has thrown trillions of dollars into the pot, including the famous $787 billion in stimulus spending that was supposed to yield $1.50 in growth for every dollar spent? For a start, too much of the money went to transfer payments such as Medicaid, jobless benefits and the like that do nothing for jobs and growth. The spending that creates new jobs is new spending, particularly on infrastructure. It amounts to less than 10% of the stimulus package today.

Read the full column, "The Economy Is Even Worse Than You Think," at the newspaper's Web site.

You can listen to me on the radio and watch me on TV on Thursday.

I'll be making another appearance "Journalists Roundtable" on the Pennsylvania Cable Network Thursday at 8 p.m. (The program repeats Sunday at 5 and 11 p.m.)

PCN is Comcast Channel 98 in Berks County; Service Electric Cable Channel 23 in Berks and Lehigh counties; and Comcast Channel 186 in the Pottstown area. Consult your local cable guide for the PCN channel in your area.

You can also hear me on the radio on "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas and Mike Pincus" Thursday at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM

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

The most significant bill on the list is House Bill 89, which amends the Crimes Code to expand the offense of sexual abuse of children to include intentionally viewing child pornography.

See the complete list at the link below:

Governor Rendell Signs 7 Bills

Just hours after U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach announced he will not seek re-election to Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional seat, a fellow Chester County politician announced plans to run for Gerlach's seat.

State Rep. Curt Schroder, R-155th Dist., is seeking the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District, which includes portions of Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties and a sliver of Lehigh County.

"I have decided to enter this race to ensure that the values that built our country remain for our children, that we encourage the policies of entrepreneurism, limited government and to preserve the economic future of our nation," Schroder said in a written statement.

Schroder added, "America's greatness comes from free enterprise and hard working families, not government bailouts and bureaucracy. I will bring my passion for public service and Pennsylvania values to Washington to better our community and nation."

Gerlach, who is giving up a shot for a fifth term in Congress to run for Pennsylvania governor in 2010, first won the 6th District seat in 2002 but has had a difficult time holding the seat against well-financed Democratic opposition.

Gerlach typically loses the Montgomery County portion of the district, but does well in the more conservative areas of Chester and Berks counties.

Schroder, a fiscal and social conservative, will probably employ the same strategy if he wins the GOP nomination. He's already taken shots of the growing deficits of the Obama administration.

"This binge of bailouts and borrowing will come to an end if I have anything to say about it!" Schroder said.

Here's some background information about Schroder released by his campaign:

A lifelong resident of Chester County, Schroder grew up in the Downingtown area and now lives in East Brandywine with his wife, Deanna, and two children, Mark and Kristen.

After graduating from Downingtown High School in 1979, Curt attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Summers were spent working in the steamy environs of the Davey Paper Company where he earned money for the next year of college. After graduating from IUP in 1983, Curt went to Widener School of Law’s evening division in Wilmington Delaware at night while working for the Philadelphia law firm German, Gallagher and Murtagh during the day. Schroder practiced law with German, Gallagher after graduating law school and passing the bar exam.

First elected to the state House in 1994, Schroder has been an effective advocate for legislative issues and a champion for our communities in Harrisburg. During his time in the legislature, Curt has been a leader in many issues including health care and government reform. Schroder lead efforts to reform medical malpractice and preserve our health care system. Schroder also spearheaded efforts to reform the PA General Assembly and preserve the secret ballot rights of workers.

Schroder believes strongly in community service and serves in a number of community organizations. He serves on the Boards of Brandywine Hospital and Brandywine YMCA. He previously served on the Chester County Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board and as a member of the East Brandywine Township Planning Commission.

Schroder has received numerous honors for his work in the House and here at home. He was presented with Leadership Awards from both the Hospital and Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) and the Delaware Valley Health Care Council, the 2004 Friend of Family Medicine Award from the Academy of Family Physicians, and Legislator of the Year from the Pennsylvania Orthopedic Society.

Schroder received the first Matthew J. Ryan Legislator of the Year Award in 2004 from the Chester County Chamber Foundation. He was named Legislator of the Year by the TriCounty Chamber of Commerce in 2002 and again in 2006. Schroder was honored as the Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 1998 by the Downingtown Chamber of Commerce for his work in revitalizing the Borough. In 2007, Curt was named the first recipient of the Sen. Robert. J. Thompson Public Service Award by the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce and was also presented with the Citizenship Award from the Pennsylvania VFW for his commitment to fostering patriotism. More recently Curt Schroder received recognition from the Upper Uwchlan and West Vincent Township Police Departments for his work on the Route 100 Safety Corridor Project.

No word yet on a "Schroder for Congress" Web site, but you can learn more about his tenure in the state House of Representatives at www.curtschroder.com. You can also follow Schroder on Facebook.

I like Jim Gerlach. He's been my Congressman for the past 7 years. I voted for him in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. He's done a good job. I've met him on several occasions. He's smart and affable. He knows the issues and has done a good job taking care of his constituents. I'd vote for him for just about any political office.

Having said that, I believe Gerlach is making a huge mistake giving up his 6th District Congressional seat to run for Pennsylvania governor in 2010. It's not that he wouldn't make a good governor. He'd be a big improvement over Ed Rendell, the current tax-and-spend liberal occupying the governor's mansion. The problem with Gerlach's decision is that he has no chance of winning. He'll never make it past the GOP primary next spring.

Tom Corbett will be the Republican nominee for governor in 2010. Corbett has proven himself in two statewide runs for Attorney General. Gerlach is not known outside SE Pennsylvania and can't raise the kind of cash Corbett can to make a successful run for statewide office.

Gerlach may be testing the waters in 2010 for a future statewide run for governor or Senate, but in the meantime, he's is going to give up a Republican seat in Congress to a Democrat.

That's the part that bothers me about Gerlach's decision. The 6th Congressional District (parts of Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties) has been trending Democratic in recent years and only Gerlach, a fiscal conservative with moderate social views, can hold the seat.

Without Gerlach on the ballot, Democrats will have the edge in winning the 6th Congressional seat in 2010 ... and Republicans may never get it back.

Here is the press release issued today announcing Congressman Jim Gerlach's decicion to run for Pennsylvania governor:

Gerlach Pledges to Create Jobs, Cut Government Spending & Waste and Make Pennsylvania the Leader in America's Energy Independent Future

Exton, PA - Jim Gerlach, a western Pennsylvania native and four-term United States Congressman from Chester County, will run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania next spring. Gerlach is the only Republican to formally declare his candidacy for Governor.

"The economic challenges Pennsylvania faces over the coming years demand proven, fiscally conservative leadership, and a successful record of dealing with a wide-range of tough issues. From cutting state spending, income taxes and welfare rolls, I have been on the front lines for years fighting for smaller government and greater efficiency in Harrisburg and Washington. Our next Governor must employ those values and put them to work in Harrisburg, and make Pennsylvania a competitive place to do business so we can create jobs and put families back to work. It's that simple," said Gerlach.

"The debate in Harrisburg of raising state income taxes by 16 percent, creating a new tax on one of the most promising energy industries in Pennsylvania, and increasing spending in one of the worst budgets in a generation show the need for new leadership. I cannot sit back and Pennsylvania taxpayers cannot afford to allow the proponents of larger, unsustainable government to prevail. One of my top priorities will be to enact results-based budgeting with performance benchmarks on state spending. This will insure that taxpayers aren't funding failing government programs year after year without seeing any return on the investment of their hard-earned dollars. My campaign will focus on restoring fiscal sanity to Harrisburg, increasing accountability and cutting waste, creating jobs and making Pennsylvania the leader in America's energy independent future," Gerlach continued.

"It has been a privilege and an honor to serve the residents of the 6th Congressional District for more than six years. But I believe the best place for me to improve the lives of Pennsylvania's taxpayers, families and seniors is as Governor. It is not a decision I made lightly. However, it became clear after careful deliberation with my wife Karen, our six kids, friends, constituents, party leaders and grassroots folks across the state who want to re-energize our state Republican Party, give voters a choice next spring and create a bright economic future for the next generation of Pennsylvanians."

To date, Congressman Gerlach has secured over $1 million in financial commitments for his gubernatorial run on top of the $200,000 in exploratory funding raised since February. In addition, 100% of his federal campaign funds are transferable to his statewide gubernatorial campaign committee. A formal statewide announcement tour and kick-off fundraising events are being planned for the near future.

"I did not want to wait any longer to make this announcement. I know our team will need plenty of time to formalize our support and organize the campaign's infrastructure. In addition, I know full well how competitive a 2010 open seat congressional race will become, and I owe it to our Party's candidates to ensure they have enough time to raise the money and support to be successful," added Gerlach.

Gerlach is in Washington, D.C. as debate begins on Democrat plans to put government bureaucrats in charge of the nation's healthcare system. Back in February, Gerlach voted against the bloated federal stimulus package and was the first in Pennsylvania to call on Governor Ed Rendell to establish a stimulus oversight commission to protect and monitor billions of dollars in federal aid from waste, abuse and mismanagement.

For more on Gerlach, visit his campaign Web site, http://www.gerlachforpa.com/

Lowman S. Henry offers an interesting analysis of Gov. Ed Rendell's mental status as the state's budget impasse enters Day 14 and Rendell is unable to drum up support for a massive tax hike to dig his way out of a fiscal hole.

From Henry's latest post at Lincoln Blog:

The governor is clearly becoming unglued. He is acting like a junkie who can't get his next fix. Which is exactly what he is: a spending junkie. The governor is used to the legislature rolling over and funding his insatiable appetite for spending.

But this year is different. This year, Republicans - and not a few Democrats - are refusing to cave into the governor's demands for new taxes in the midst of an economic recession.

As a result, Rendell is becoming hysterical.

Obviously 4,000 state employees are not going to be laid off. And, if that many could be laid off the question that pops up is: were they even needed in the first place?

Read the full post at Lincoln Blog.

Tom Knox is a Democrat running for Pennsylvania governor in 2010. Although he was not successful in his bid to become mayor of Philadelphia last year, Knox may have latched on to an issue that could jump-start his gubernatorial campaign.

Knox wants to prevent the scheduled lifting of caps on electricity rates that could send utility bills skyrocketing for Pennsylvania homeowners and businesses.

From an e-mail the Knox for Governor campaign sent out:

Pennsylvania is about to raise your utility bill 65%. It's true. Even though we are in the middle of a recession, Pennsylvania is about to deregulate its electric utilities. And, every expert agrees this will increase consumers' electrical rates by 65%.

I don't know about you, but I'm not going to just sit by and watch struggling middle class families be squeezed even further by higher utility rates. So, if you are as upset as I am, you must act right now.

Please sign the petition and tell Pennsylvania's state legislature not to raise your utility rates: www.StopThePARipOff.com

Knox goes on to say that in every state where deregulation has been tried, it has failed.

From his e-mail: If you don't want your utility rates to go up 75%, then I need you to join with me and tell the Pennsylvania state legislature to stop this utility rate hike. What you do right now really matters. You have the power to stop this rate hike, put an end to deregulation and protect Pennsylvania's families, but it will only happen if we all join together and demand it.

We must act now - sign the petition today: www.StopThePARipOff.com

Stopping this rate hike, which would be the equivalent to the "biggest tax increase in Pennsylvania history," is just common sense, good government, Knox says.

Pennsylvania already has some of the highest electricity costs in the nation, Knox says. "Deregulation would be disastrous."

I know this guy is a Democrat, but I can't argue with his desire to protect Pennsylvania's beleaguered taxpayers, who have suffered enormously under Ed Rendell.

Q: How can you tell if Gov. Ed Rendell is lying? A: His lips are moving.

Rendell has spend a lot of your tax dollars riding around the state on a bus to lie to constituents about Senate Bill 850, which reduces state spending and eliminates the need for a tax increase.

The Commonwealth Foundation has caught Rendell ... repeatedly ... lying about the impact of SB 850 on public education.

Read more at POLICY BLOG

There's a big debate in Pennsylvania over Gov. Ed Rendell's call for a "temporary" 16 percent increase in the state's personal income tax, which is paid by workers and businesses. Rendell says the increase would only last three years and would raise $4.5 billion, enough to cover the $3.25 billion deficit Rendell ran up this year with some spare change to spend on bigger state government.

The problem with Rendell's "temporary" tax hike is very few people are interested in paying it. Senate and House Republicans in the state Legislature have vowed to fight Rendell on the "temporary" tax hike.

I have an alternative. How about a "voluntary" tax hike?

Since Rendell claims that people want to pay more, here's the opportunity to prove it.

Under my plan, the state will raise taxes only for those who want to give more of their income to Harrisburg. We probably won't be able to collect $4.5 billion, but it's a start.

I'm taking names of Pennsylvania residents who would like to pay more taxes:

1) Ed Rendell
2) Joe Hoeffel
3) Keith McCall
4) Dwight Evans
5)

From the Republican Party of Pennsylvania:

PA GOP: REPUBLICANS DEFEAT DEMOCRAT TAX INCREASE

HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason was elated after hearing the news that hardworking Pennsylvanian s will not have to suffer the burden of Gov. Ed Rendell's plan for a major increase in the personal income tax.

"I am pleased to see that concrete and positive steps are being taken to reach a fiscally responsible solution to our current budget crisis that does not raise taxes on hardworking Pennsylvanians," Gleason said. "This is a major victory for the taxpayers of our Commonwealth and I am proud of our Republican leaders in the state Senate and House for flatly rejecting the Governor and the Democrat Party's attempt to impose a major tax increase."

Over the last few weeks, Democrats in Harrisburg have proven just how out-of-touch they are with hardworking Pennsylvanians. Democrats everywhere used scare tactics and the Governor traveled the state on the taxpayer dime trying to convince hardworking Pennsylvanians that his 16% tax increase was necessary and that an additional $500 a year wasn't really that much money. Perhaps the most out-of-touch comment came from Rep. Phyllis Mundy of Luzerne County who, in the midst of stressing the need for the Governor's major tax increase, was quoted in The Patriot News as saying, "The people just don't get it."

Gleason added, "Sorry Rep. Mundy, the people do get it! They can't afford another tax increase and they are glad it failed. They also believe that the state government should work to control their spending, just as other Pennsylvania families have been forced to do during these tough economic times.

"Our Party is founded on the principles of lower taxes and fiscal responsibility, and the budget plan being supported by our Republican leaders adheres to those beliefs. This is a big win for our Party and we are ecstatic that we were able to defeat such a major tax increase that would have cut the budgets of hardworking Pennsylvania families."

As of Friday, 11 state Senators and 73 state Representatives have made the affirmation to oppose new taxes on Pennsylvania families and businesses, according to the Commonwealth Foundation, but it takes 26 Senators or 102 Representatives to stop a tax increase.

Taxpayers must keep the pressure on the Legislature to oppose any of Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed tax increases.

Find out if your area lawmakers have signed the No Tax pledge here.

You can also sign an online petition opposing new taxes at http://pleasenomoretaxes.org/

A day after effectively killing Gov. Ed Rendell's call to raise the state income tax by 16 percent, Pennsylvania House Republicans have enveiled a balanced General Fund budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year that calls for no tax increases.

House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-66) and Republican Appropriations Chairman Mario Civera (R-164) announced the House Republican Caucus' $27.27 billion, no-tax-increase budget proposal at a Harrisburg press conference.

From a press release issued by Smith's office:

"Pennsylvanians expect a balanced budget, and they can't afford more taxes. House Republicans are offering a plan which meets those expectations," Smith said. "House Democrats have gone from one extreme to the other, yet, despite the budget deadline having passed more than a week ago, they still haven’t brought a budget bill to the floor.

"As consequences mount without a budget, Republicans think the Democrats' approach is irresponsible."

The Republican's fiscally responsible alternative increases funding for public education and continues funding for state parks, hospitals and universities.

"Today, we're presenting a $27.27 billion budget with no tax increases that ensures each school district gets increased funding. It continues necessary government services and avoids the thousands of layoffs projected by the governor and House Democrats. The Republican priority has always been protecting public safety, human services and educating our kids ... our budget proposal accomplishes it."

To balance the budget in the face of declining revenues and a $3.2 billion deficit, House Republicans are proposing a tax amnesty program to collect an estimated $1.5 billion in back taxes, as well as leasing of state-owned lands for natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region.

"We have brought to the people of Pennsylvania a balanced and fiscally responsible spending plan that does not raise a single tax. The governor and House Democrats said it could not be done, and we are here today to show them it can," Civera said.

"This plan does what every family in the Commonwealth has to do every day – it budgets what we can afford. It protects the state's priorities like education and public safety, and it ensures we are prepared for what may lie ahead.

"I admit it does not come without some pain. There were a lot of tough decisions made in this budget. But we took leadership and did what needed to be done."

Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Berks/Lehigh), Republican vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in response to news that the state Personal Income Tax (PIT) is no longer the focus of budget negotiations in Harrisburg:

"The voices of the taxpayers and legislators from both parties opposing this PIT increase are finally being heard. Developments today indicate that budget negotiators are backing off their insistence that the 16 percent PIT increase be the crux of negotiations.

"Republicans have been fighting for weeks to remove this $1.5 billion a year tax increase from the negotiating table and we are seeing some wiggle room because House Democrats are not finding the votes within their own caucus in support of this.

"We are also seeing some Republican ideas being incorporated into discussions that would enable passage of a budget that does not include the massive increase. Republican resistance to the tax increase has paid off - we have remained unified, and House Democrats are not seeing broad support for this PIT increase among their rank and file. Republicans have remained steadfast and forced the hand of the governor and Democrats to consider alternatives. The PIT should not be the lynchpin of resolving the state's budget crisis.

"Taxpayers deserve some credit too. Their calls to member offices, editorial letters and their comments in e-mails have put the pressure on all House and Senate members to consider alternatives to resolving the impasse. This collective effort has called into question the wisdom of insisting that a PIT increase is the only solution.

"We still have a tough situation to resolve - the state collected $3.25 billion less than it expected to during the last fiscal year - and we still need to fill that budget gap and gaps foreseen in subsequent years, but there are a number of ideas out there that can help to do this without this onerous $4.5 billion tax increase over a three-year period on wage earners and small businesses that pay the Personal Income Tax.

"People are realizing that if they are forced to live on less, government should take notice and cut costs without increasing the financial burden on taxpayers."

Anyone familiar with the Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel (formerly a Sheraton) knows it's not exactly a "hotel resort" but then again it's up to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to decide if the owners qualify for the state's remaining Category 3 slots license.

Gaming Control Board Receives One New Application for a Category 3 Resort Slots License

He never had support from Republicans and now independent voters are waking up to the realization that "hope and change" won't put food on the table as the Obama recession continues.

From a story posted on POLITICO about Obama's declining job approval numbers:

In a potentially alarming trend for the White House, independent voters are deserting President Barack Obama nationally and especially in key swing states, recent polls suggest.

Obama's job approval rating hit a — still healthy — low of 56 percent in the Gallup Poll on Wednesday. And pollsters are debating whether Obama's expansive and expensive policy proposals or the ground-level realities of a still-faltering economy are driving the falling numbers.

But a source of the shift appears to be independent voters, who seem to be responding to Republican complaints of excessive spending and government control.

"This is a huge sea change that is playing itself out in American politics," said Democratic pollster Doug Schoen. "Independents who had become effectively operational Democrats in 2006 and 2008 are now up for grabs and are trending Republican.

"They're saying, 'Costing too much, no results, see the downside, not sure of the upside,'" he said.

Read the full story, "Independents begin to edge away from President Obama" at POLITICO

The latest Rasmussen Reports numbers corroborate Obama's declining popularity.

From a dead-on Karl Rove column in The Wall Street Journal:

In February, President Barack Obama signed a $787 billion stimulus bill while making lavish promises about the results. He pledged that "a new wave of innovation, activity and construction will be unleashed all across America." He also said the stimulus would "save or create up to four million jobs." Vice President Joe Biden said the massive federal spending plan would "drop-kick" the economy out of the recession.

But the unemployment rate today is 9.5% -- nearly 20% higher than the Obama White House said it would be with the stimulus in place. Keith Hennessey, who worked at the Bush White House on economic policy, has noted that unemployment is now higher than the administration said it would be if nothing was done to revive the economy. There are 2.6 million fewer Americans working than Mr. Obama promised.

The economy takes unexpected turns on every president. But what is striking about this president is how quickly he turns away from his promises. He rushed the stimulus through Congress saying we couldn't afford to wait. Now his administration is waiting to spend the money. Of the $279 billion allocated to federal agencies, only $56 billion has been paid out.

Rove asks why anyone in their right mind would trust Obama's promises on health care reform based on his six months of broken promises on every other issue.

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

Tax Hike Not the Answer to Pennsylvania's Spending Crisis

By Rep. Curt Schroder
R-Chester County

Gov. Ed Rendell has announced plans to raise the Personal Income Tax of Pennsylvania taxpayers by 16 percent, or a half percentage point increase as his answer to the state’s $3.2 billion budget shortfall.

The Rendell administration is spending a lot of time selling the idea that we have a revenue crisis in this state and more money is needed. We don't have a revenue crisis in Pennsylvania. We have a spending crisis and it's time we acknowledge it and begin dealing with it responsibly.

The state Senate recently passed a budget bill that was widely criticized for the depth of cuts it proposed. While the Senate bill was far from a perfect solution, it did reflect the economic realities facing lawmakers and Pennsylvania citizens.

Now is the time to scale back state government, to cut non-essential services and discretionary grant programs, and hold the line on spending. Yet, the governor's original budget proposed $700 million in new state spending even in the face of a massive deficit, at a time when people are losing their jobs and losing their homes to foreclosure. Now he proposes to take even more out of their paychecks. This is not a responsible or acceptable solution.

Last year, before passage of the 2008-09 budget, we were warned by Senate budget analysts that the proposed spending plan would result in a $1 billion deficit this year. They warned that revenue estimates were too high and unrealistic, and one-time revenue sources were being used. I rejected that budget, as did 31 of my House colleagues.

The taxpayers of this commonwealth need to know what is at stake. In order to maintain the level of state spending the governor is proposing, a broad-based tax increase like the one he has proposed would be necessary. Our current economic crisis could have been avoided if Pennsylvania's spending increases had stayed within the rate of inflation during the Rendell years. Under Rendell, the state budget has increased nearly 40 percent -- double the rate of inflation. Had we held spending to a modest 3 percent in each of the past six years, our spending would be in line with the revenues coming in today. Our budget would be balanced, important programs would be retained and there would be no danger of a tax increase.

Instead we are in a budget crisis. We are left with no easy choices, but the choices are clear. We must live within our means or prepare for a major tax increase. I will not vote for a tax increase, and I challenge those members of the General Assembly who are critical of efforts to budget responsibly to come clean with taxpayers and let them know which taxes they will raise in order to pass a budget that increases spending to the levels proposed by the governor.

Rep. Curt Schroder is a Republican who represents the 155th House District in Chester County. For more information, visit his Web site, www.curtschroder.com

A Central Pennsylvania television station recently calculated that the Pennsylvania Legislature is burning through $50,000 a day in taxpayer money every day it convenes since the June 30 fiscal year deadline.

And what is the most expensive state legislature in the country doing with its time (other than debating the budget, of course)?

From an editorial in today's edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Legislative 'priorities'

Pennsylvanians can take comfort in knowing that while their elected representatives couldn't cobble together a cohesive state budget by deadline, they nevertheless were dutifully at work attending to pressing public matters.

Among some lawmakers' priorities: a resolution on the Borough of Dushore's 150th anniversary and legislation on county park police training requirements.

Then there's that crucial legislation from Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, which bans the forced implantation of computer chips in humans. What a relief!

Maybe this crew should draft legislation banning the replacement of state representatives with cyborgs. With regard to some, it's difficult to differentiate the human beings -- those capable of intelligent problem-solving -- from what appear to be preprogrammed robots at work on the assembly line at the Susquehanna Sausage Factory.

Now, it doesn't require an awful lot of intelligence, artificial or otherwise, to figure out that a growing multibillion-dollar state deficit, looming for months, would demand considerably more focus in state budgeting this year. And yet, once again, the clock ran out without a fiscal accord in hand.

Thus began the backroom dealing, with Gov. Ed Rendell's 16 percent income-tax hike in the balance. And, ultimately, the adoption of a state budget that will be handed to the public as a done deal.

This, sadly, is what passes in Pennsylvania as "representative government."

"It is extremely important that a Supreme Court justice understand and appreciate the origin and meaning of the Second Amendment, a constitutional guarantee permanently enshrined in the Bill of Rights," said a letter from the group, which was hand-delivered to every member of the U.S. Senate. "Judge Sotomayor's record on the Second Amendment causes us grave concern about her treatment of this enumerated Constitutional right."

Gun Rights Leaders Join in Opposition to Sotomayor Confirmation

The Obama energy tax passed the House by a 219-212 margin, but it can be stopped in the Senate. If you don't want to pay nearly $2 trillion in new taxes on electricity and other forms of energy to give more money to Al Gore and his global warming cabal, contact your U.S. senator and tell him to vote NO on "cap and trade."

The Pennsylvania Cable Network will dedicate Wednesday evening's programming to the state budget impasse.

Beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, PCN will air a block of special "On the Issues" programs featuring key lawmakers involved in the budget process.

Following these one-on-one interviews, Lieutenant Governor Joe Scarnati and Governor Ed Rendell will take viewers' calls during two separate LIVE PCN Call-In Program specials set to air starting at 6 p.m.

Each hour-long Call-In program will give viewers an opportunity to talk directly to the featured guest by dialing toll-free at 1-877-PA6-5001.

The schedule, including replay times, for this special PA budget programming block is as follows:

Wednesday, July 8:

5:00 p.m. – On the Issues: Rep. Mario Civera (R) – House Minority Appropriations Chair
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

5:15 p.m. – On the Issues: Rep. Dwight Evans (D) House Majority Appropriations Chair
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.

5:30 p.m. – On the Issues: Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R) – Senate Majority Floor Leader
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

5:15 p.m. – On the Issues: Sen. Jay Costa (D) Senate Minority Appropriations Chair
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 8:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.

6:00 p.m. (LIVE) – PCN Call-In program: Sen. Joe Scarnati, Lieutenant Governor/PA Senate Pro Tempore
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 9:00 p.m; Thursday, July 9 at 12:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

7:00 p.m. (LIVE) – PCN Call-In program: Governor Ed Rendell
Replays – Wednesday, July 8 at 10:00 p.m; Thursday, July 9 at 1:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

For updated information about special budget programming and other programming information, visit the daily schedule at pcntv.com

We now know where $1.8 billion in disposable income went during the past fiscal year in Pennsylvania.

Sales at Pennsylvania's state-operated Wine & Spirits stores reached a record $1.84 billion in fiscal year 2008-09, generating more than $494.5 million in sales tax, liquor tax and profits for the commonwealth's General Fund, Patrick "P.J." Stapleton III, chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said today.

From a press release:

"We are fortunate that sales at our Wine & Spirits stores continue to rise, even as the economy slows," said Stapleton. "Our success is all the more important to Pennsylvania taxpayers when you consider the $494.5 million in taxes and profits the Liquor Control Board transferred to the General Fund to help pay for essential services, such as public safety, education, transportation and health care."

Wait a minute. Is Stapleton encouraging Pennsylvanians to drink more alcohol in order to get the state out of its current fiscal crisis? Sure sounds like it.

More from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board:

For the fiscal year ended June 30, the agency collected $265.9 million in liquor taxes and $103.6 million in sales taxes and transferred $125 million of store profits to the state Treasury. The total of $494.5 million transferred to the General Fund is the largest amount in agency history.

"In 2009-10, Pennsylvanians will continue to see significant changes in the way our stores operate, and the Liquor Control Board will remain fully committed to fulfilling this mission," Stapleton said. "We will keep changing for the better to benefit all Pennsylvanians."

From the Whispers column in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN? Specter's new Democrat colleagues certainly are being generous to his re-election campaign.

House Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Patrick Leahy of Vermont each have donated $10,000 to Specter, as has Democrat-turned-independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

Pitching in $5,000 each were Sens. Max Baucus of Montana, Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan wrote a $4,000 check and Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico each ponied up $2,000.

The Hill, a Washington, D.C.-based newspaper, speculated that the generous donations might be an attempt to make up for the considerable sum Specter lost by defecting from the GOP.

He has refunded more than $100,000 to irate contributors who assumed they were giving their money to a Republican -- right up until the moment Specter turned turncoat.

Given Specter's atrocious polling numbers, we're thinking a less reckless way for his fellow senators to have spent their money would have been to toss it from the top of the Washington Monument.

Read the rest of the column at the newspaper's Web site.

As if Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats havent' done enough damage to the U.S. economy, a new report warns that another recession could hit in late 2010.

This assumes the U.S. recovers from the current recession, which has dragged on for 18 months and has been prolonged over the past six months by Obama's ill-advised economic policies.

From a story by Kent Hoover in the Philadelphia Business Journal:

The end of the recession is "literally just around the corner," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's chief economist said, but there is a 15 percent to 20 percent chance of another economic downturn by late 2010.

Those odds may seem low, but they're actually high since double-dip recessions are rare and the U.S. economy grows 95 percent of the time, said the chamber's Marty Regalia.

He predicted that the current economic downturn will end around September but that the unemployment rate will remain high through the first half of next year. Investment won't snap back as quickly as it usually does after a recession, Regalia said.

Inflation, however, looms as a potential problem because of the federal government's huge budget deficits and the massive amount of dollars pumped into the economy by the Federal Reserve, he said. If this stimulus is not unwound once the economy begins to recover, higher interest rates could choke off improvement in the housing market and business investment, he said.

"The economy has got to be running on its own by the middle of next year," Regalia said.

Almost every major inflationary period in U.S. history was preceded by heavy debt levels, he noted.

On the bright side, a "double-dip" recession in 2010 will most like result in a backlash against Democrats in the midterm Congressional elections. The end of a Democratic majority in Congress would put a stop to Obama's socialist agenda for the remaining two years of his term.

Read the full story, "Economist: U.S. may see double-dip recession by late 2010," at the Philadelphia Business Journal's Web site.

Four years ago today, the Pennsylvania Legislature voted itself, the governor and state judges a middle-of-the-night pay raise.

The Legislature has taken hundred of votes since that fateful day, but this is the only one we're still talking about.

The pay raise led to the modern reform movement and launched a thousand bloggers, including this one.

I agree with the assessment below by Lowman S. Henry and I actually said the same thing on my radio show on July 2 when state Rep. Tom Quigley called in to discuss the latest talk in Harrisburg about a potential tax hike to get Gov. Ed Rendell out of the deficit hole he created.

One-third of the Legislature in place during the 2005 pay raise vote is gone, driven into early retirement or tossed from office by voters.

In retrospect, the amount of the pay raise is insignificant compared to the $4.5 billion income tax hike Gov. Ed Rendell is pushing this year.

I told Rep. Quigley to tell his newer colleagues (the ones who replaced the payjackers over the past two election cycles) that if they vote "yes" for any broad-based tax increase, they will be voting to end their political careers.

If the Legislature votes to increase any major tax in 2009, whether it's the income tax or a sales tax, we'll be talking about the vote four years from now.

How's that trillion-dollar "stimulus" package Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress and Barack Obama signed in February working out for you?

If you're one of the nearly 3 million Americans who have lost their job since Obama took office, not so well.

Now Obama is talking about a second "stimulus" plan, one that would even more to the national debt, with no guarantee it would create a significant number of jobs.

A new Rasmussen poll says 60% of U.S. voters now oppose the passage of a second economic stimulus plan this year, a five-point increase in opposition since the issue was first raised in March.

Just 27% of voters favor a new stimulus plan, unchanged from the earlier findings. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

More from Rasmussen Reports:

Eighty-one percent (81%) of Republicans and two-thirds of voters not affiliated with either major political party (66%) are against passage of a second stimulus plan. Democrats are much more evenly divided, but a plurality of those in Barack Obama’s party (45%) like the idea.

Similarly, a sizable majority of conservatives (82%) oppose a second plan, but a plurality of liberals (45%) favor it.

The Washington Times is the latest newspaper to criticize Barack Obama's failed "stimulus" package, calling it "a stimulus for the rich" in a new editorial.

From the editorial:

President Obama billed the stimulus package as a national effort, one that would involve spending "in communities across America." But the money is not being doled out proportionally across the country. The most funds are not even being distributed to the areas with the greatest economic problems.

It is not surprising that political calculations play a major role when the government hands out money. But it is shocking that Mr. Obama and the Democrats are sending stimulus funds to those places that need help the least.

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

From a recent editorial in Investor's Business Daily:

At this point in a normal downturn lasting 11 months, the economy should be booming — with big jumps in GDP and 300,000 new jobs each month coming mostly from the private sector.

But 18 months into this downturn, we're still losing jobs — with 2.7 million gone in the private sector just since January, when the Democrats took full control of the government.

Shrinking GDP has crushed investment. First quarter gross private domestic investment — a proxy for business investment — plunged 20%, or nearly $450 billion, annually. The outlook is grim.

Worse, the June jobs data mark a milestone of sorts: Our unemployment rate equals that of the no-growth Eurozone nations.

Why is this job decline happening? The private sector — the real engine of economic and job growth — won't hire because it's scared of what it sees coming out of Washington.

On the horizon, as far as the eye can see, are higher taxes, uncontrolled spending and layers upon layers of new regulations.

Who would hire new workers faced with that?

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

Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16) has endorsed Pat Toomey for the United States Senate and released the following statement:

"Pat Toomey is the right candidate. No one else comes close.

"I worked with Pat in Congress for six years. He is one of the smartest people I've ever known. He's also one of the most caring and passionate people I've served with. A lot of politicians have lost credibility in recent years. Pat Toomey isn't one of them. Pat has good ideas that he actually believes in, and he will work hard to make people's lives better.

"Pat Toomey is a bona fide fiscal conservative at a time when Washington desperately needs more of them. Pat knows where jobs and prosperity come from, and he knows they don’t come from Washington.

"Pat has strong convictions, but they are convictions with bipartisan appeal. Pat proved during his three terms in Congress that he has the ability to inspire Democrats and Republicans alike.

"Pat Toomey is going to win this race. He is principled, thoughtful, caring, and qualified."

For more on Toomey's bid for a U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania, visit his campaign Web site, www.toomeyforsenate.com

Balancing the state budget is not rocket science. You simply spend less money than you take in. Pennsylvania families and businesses have to live within their means every day. Why can't Ed Rendell?

"Contrary to the Governor's rhetoric, there are a plethora of reforms and spending cuts that can balance the budget without firing our police, evicting our elderly, or dumbing down our kids," says POLICY BLOG, which offers 10 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Tax Hikes.

Some of the suggestions:

1) Eliminate corporate welfare. The Governor's latest General Fund budget contains over $410 million in corporate welfare.

2) Eliminate, privatize, or implement user fees for "private goods" - such as museums, parks, and the arts. The Governor's budget spends almost $500 million to maintain non-core functions of state government.

3) Control self-service government programs expenses like legislative leadership accounts used to fund illegal bonuses. A number of state programs and expenditures work to benefit of government official and the detriment of citizens. Rendell's revised General Fund budget about $200 million on self-benefiting expenses.

Are you listening, Ed Rendell?

A message from William Warren:

The Fourth of July is a day that is usually a time when families get together for sunshine hot dogs, fun, and fireworks. Every American regardless of race, sex, income, and political party celebrates the day that the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, spurring the start of the American Revolution.

Like many other national holidays, the meaning can often be lost in the festivities. And so it is up to each of us to, in the words of Jefferson, "Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."

The American system of government, with the Founding Father's emphasis on "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," has inspired almost every country in the world to rise up and take control of their own destiny. Constitutional Republics have spread throughout Europe, and just this year fellow freedom fighters as far away as Iran and as near to us as Honduras are standing up for their own independence much like our Founding Fathers did more than two centuries ago.

This is America's lasting legacy. Before 1776, only two Constitutional Republics even attempted to bring any form of freedom and liberty to mankind: The Greek and Roman Empires. But the people of these great nations became apathetic, not realizing, as John F. Kennedy wisely warned, "Complacency is the jailer of freedom."

So, while the Fourth of July has become a day of festivities (celebrating if nothing else, a day by the pool or at the beach), what Americans really are observing is the fact that a relative handful of courageous citizens lit a flame of liberty and installed a form of government that has governed over unprecedented prosperity and individual liberty. And even today, "the glow from that fire can truly light the world."

We're more than half way there. As I mentioned before, the magic number is 128, which would constitute a majority in the House (102) and Senate (26) against the Rendell income tax hike.

As of today, 81 lawmakers have signed the "No Tax" pledge sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation. To check if your state senator or representative is on the list, click here.

The important numbers are in the House, where Democrats hold a 104-99 majority. Assuming all 99 Republicans vote against the Rendell tax hike, at least three Democrats must stand with taxpayers.

If your state representative is not on the list, call or e-mail him or her to find out why they want to raise your taxes.

The list is growing. Some 77 members of the Pennsylvania Legislature have signed a "No Tax" pledge sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation. That's up from 57 who were on the list yesterday. Review the full list here.

The magic number to defeat Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to raise the state income tax by $4.5 billion is 128. If 102 House members and 26 Senate members agree not to raise taxes, Pennsylvania families and businesses will be spared.

So far, 30 Republican members of the Senate are on record as opposing a tax increase. But the real battle is in the House, where Democrats hold a 104-99 majority. At least three Democrats have to vote against Rendell's tax hike, but more than the minimum should stand with Pennsylvania taxpayers.

If your state House member is not on the list, contact them today and find out why they want to raise your taxes. There's a complete list of lawmakers posted at http://pleasenomoretaxes.org, where you can also sign an online petition opposing a tax increase.

U.S. unemployment reached 9.5 percent in June, a 26-year high, according to the Labor Department, and Barack Obama is "deeply concerned."

He should be. He promised unemployment would top at 8 percent and start to decline if Congress agreed to his massive spending proposals. Just another in a string of broken promise by Obama.

Employers slashed 467,000 jobs in June, obviously not getting the memo from Obama and his sycophants in the media that things are turning around.

From The Associated Press:

Many economists predict the jobless rate will hit 10 percent this year, and keep rising into next year, before falling back.

All told, 14.7 million people were unemployed in June.

If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the unemployment rate would have been 16.5 percent in June, the highest on records dating to 1994.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 6.5 million jobs.

Some 3 million jobs have been lost since Obama took office.

The $1 trillion "stimulus" bill he signed in February to put Americans back to work has been a total failure.

His nationalization of banks, insurance companies and auto manufacturers has done little to restore faith in the U.S. economy.

His $1.9 trillion energy tax (cap and trade) will kill tens of thousands more U.S. jobs.

And then you have Obamacare, the government-run health system that will add trillions of dollars in debt.

Pennsylvania finished with a $3.25 billion budget deficit for the 2008-09 fiscal year ending June 30, according to the Department of Revenue, which released estimated final tax revenue numbers today.

The state collected $2.3 billion in General Fund revenue in June, $415.3 million, or 15.5 percent, less than anticipated, according to Secretary of Revenue Stephen H. Stetler

Fiscal year 2008-09 General Fund collections totaled $25.5 billion, which is $3.25 billion, or 11.3 percent, below estimate, Stetler said.

Tax revenues, which were in the red for all 12 months of the past fiscal year, were down significantly in almost every category in June.

From a Pennsylvania Department of Revenue release:

Sales tax receipts totaled $675.6 million for June, which was $67.6 million below estimate. Sales tax collections for the fiscal year totaled $8.1 billion, which is $595.3 million, or 6.8 percent, less than anticipated.

Personal income tax (PIT) revenue in June was $818.4 million, which was $207.1 million below estimate. This brought fiscal year PIT collections to $10.2 billion, which is $1.3 billion, or 11.2 percent, below estimate.

June corporation tax revenue of $411.6 million was $82.2 million below estimate. Fiscal year corporation tax collections totaled $4.8 billion, which is $613.9 million, or 11.3 percent, below estimate.

Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $67.7 million in inheritance tax, $10.6 million below estimate, bringing the fiscal year total to $772.2 million, which is $105 million below estimate.

Realty transfer tax was $27.1 million for June, bringing the total to $294.5 million for the fiscal year, which is $117 million less than anticipated.

Other General Fund revenue including cigarette, malt beverage and liquor taxes totaled $101.3 million for the month, $5 million below estimate, bringing the fiscal year total to $1.1 billion, which is $26.2 million below estimate.

Non-tax revenue totaled $155.9 million for the month, $30.9 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $235.2 million, which is $506.4 million below estimate.

In addition to the General Fund collections, the Motor License Fund received $161.7 million for the month, $38.6 million below estimate. Fiscal year collections for the fund totaled $2.6 billion, which is $175.8 million, or 6.4 percent, below estimate.

A total of 57 members of the Pennsylvania Legislature have signed The Commonwealth Foundation's "No Tax Pledge," promising to "balance the budget, protect public safety and human services, and educate our children without raising taxes."

There are 253 members in the Pennsylvania Legislature.

If your state Senator or state Representative is not on the list, you need to contact them immediately to find out why they are not standing up for Pennsylvania taxpayers.

View the full list in PDF format here.

You can also sign an online petition opposing new state taxes at the foundation's Please, No More Taxes! Web site.

U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey is reaching across the aisle to extend a pat on the back to four Democratic members of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation for their recent vote against the cap and trade bill.

The climate change tax bill passed the House by a 219-212 margin, with 44 Democrats voting against it.

Toomey commended Democratic Reps. Jason Altmire (PA-04); Chris Carney (PA-10); Tim Holden (PA-17); and Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03) for "joining the bipartisan opposition to the cap-and-trade bill that promises to raise taxes and destroy American jobs."

More from a Toomey press release:

"Along with 40 other Democrats, these Pennsylvania Democrats had the courage to stand up to one-party rule in Washington," Toomey said. "They understand that protecting the environment is an important goal, but they are not willing to sacrifice American prosperity and hardworking taxpayers in the process. It is a shame Rep. Joe Sestak (PA-07) couldn't muster up the same courage. Instead, he voted to support Nancy Pelosi's extreme agenda. The question is, will Senator Specter choose the same path?"

"Only a couple of weeks ago, Senator Specter argued in support of maintaining balance in Washington in order to protect the country from extremism," said Toomey Communications Director Nachama Soloveichik. "He told The Hill newspaper that 'The United States desperately needs a two-party system.' But now that he has joined the Democratic Party, he seems intent on marching in lockstep with his new party in order to avoid a Democratic primary, even if it means throwing hardworking Americans under the bus. Senator Specter has the chance to prove he is serious about bringing balance to Washington — will he have the courage to do it?"

For more on Toomey's bid for a U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania, visit his campaign Web site, www.toomeyforsenate.com