Independent reviews of Obama's claims of job created by the stimulus bill show that the government is making up numbers. As Rep. Joe Wilson so aptly said it, "You lie!"

From Watchdog.org:

Just how big is the stimulus package? Well for one, it has doubled the size of the House of Representatives, according to recovery.gov, which says that funds were distributed to 440 congressional districts that do not exist.

According to data retrieved from recovery.gov, nearly $6.4 billion was used to “create or save” just under 30,000 jobs in these phantom congressional districts–almost $225,000 per job. The Web site operates on an $84 million budget and is tasked with monitoring the distribution of the $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress–which, for the record, counts 435 members–in early 2009.

It's clear you can't trust anything coming from the Obama Ministry of Propaganda or the state-run media that should be reporting on the most corrupt and deceptive administration ever.

$6.4 Billion Stimulus Goes to Phantom Districts

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Attention Democrats who supported the Pelosi Health Care Bill that guts Medicare to pay for expanded coverage to younger people: Seniors have long memories and they tend to vote in every election.

The 60 Plus Association is targeting 15 Democrats, including two from Pennsylvania.

New $1.5 Million Campaign Targeting 15 'YES' Votes on House Health Care Reform

A new AP-GfK Poll released today shows Obama’s job approval number at 54% — down 20 points since January.

The same poll finds 56 percent of people say the country is heading in the wrong direction.

Only 46 percent approve of Obama’s handling of the economy. And only 33 percent approve of how Congress is doing under Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

For complete poll results, click here.

From a terrific column by Kerry Jackson on the House Democrats move to socialize medicine in the United States:

Passage of the 1,990-page bill is a national disgrace. Agitators say it's a shame that the government in the world's wealthiest country doesn't provide health care for all. But the real blemish on this nation is a political party pushing the U.S. ever closer to being a nation of dependents.

Congress has no constitutional authority, no moral standing to force a federal health care system on a people whose nation-founding forefathers promised them they'd be free of government coercion — not even if a wide majority was demanding it.

Investors.com - Lawmakers Are Elected To Serve, Not To Dehumanize And Demean

I applaud the efforts of the group Deficit Free to push for a Balanced Budget Amendment, but with Obama and Congressional Democrats spending money faster than the government can print it, it may be a lost cause.

The only way to stop the bankruptcy of the United States is to vote out every Congressional Democrat in 2010.

As U.S. Federal Debt Breaks $12 Trillion, Group Launches Drive for Balanced Budget Amendment

In case you're wondering which Pennsylvania members of Congress supported the Pelosi Health Care Bill, which will raise taxes and put your family's current health care coverage at risk, see the list below.

If you see any of the names on a ballot next May or November, vote for the other person:

Robert Brady (D-PA-1)
Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2)
Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA-3)
Joe Sestak (D-PA-7)
Patrick Murphy (D-PA-8)
Christopher Carney (D-PA-10)
John Murtha (D-PA-12)
Paul Kanjorski (D-PA-11)
Allyson Schwartz (D-PA-13)
Mike Doyle (D-PA-14)

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson condemned the House of Representatives for voting to approve "$2.1 trillion takeover of the nation's entire health care sector in spite of overwhelming public opposition to the measure."

Americans for Limited Government estimates the legislation will cost $2.1 trillion over 10 years once fully implemented, and "will drive millions Americans off of private, employer-based health care, on to substandard, below-average government-run care, and open the door for a single payer system," said Wilson.

ALG issued the following press release after the 220-215 House vote:

"This Congress is rotten to its core," said Wilson, adding, "Members no longer represent their constituents, they serve the Washington political elite. They have succumbed to the insider deals, handouts, and kickbacks Nancy Pelosi needed to secure the votes for the federal government to claim an iron grip of one-sixth of the nation's economy."

Citing the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate of H.R. 3962, Wilson said, "This bill will raise taxes by more than $780 billion and cut Medicare by more than $450 billion. In the process, they are enraging political independents and seniors, both critical voting blocs for whom dozens of vulnerable members in the majority must answer to."

"Members that voted for this abomination have signed a political suicide pact for which they will be held accountable," Wilson declared. "They have gone against the express will of their constituents who opposed this legislation."

The bill would force millions of uninsured Americans to obtain insurance or else pay a fine, includes employer mandates, and creates a national, government-run "public option." Americans for Limited Government estimates more than 45 million Americans would ultimately be required to enroll in government care at an average cost of $4,700 per individual to taxpayers.

"As health care costs skyrocket because of the elimination of the private sector health options contained in this bill, so too will the costs owed by taxpayers, resulting in hundreds of billions of deficit-spending," said Wilson. "Because insurance under the plan is mandatory, the more private insurers that are driven out of business by diminishing insurance pools, the more Americans who will be forced onto government-run and subsidized care."

"This bill will ration care away from seniors, water down and reduce the quality of everyone's care, increase health premiums, put bureaucrats between doctors and patients, break the public treasury, and leave taxpayers with a bill that cannot possibly be paid back," Wilson added.

According to Rasmussen Reports, 54 percent of voters oppose the "public option" proposed, which only 42 percent support. In addition, James Carville's Democracy Corps polls found a full 54 percent of seniors oppose the nationalized health care plan. According to the poll conducted in June, 41 percent of seniors strongly oppose the Obama plan and only 14 percent strongly favor it.

"To pass this monstrosity on the heels of Tuesday's overwhelming election results against her party, Nancy Pelosi has clearly lost her mind and needs to check her meds. She doesn't care if vulnerable members in her caucus are wiped out in 2010 or not," Wilson said.

"Democrats are throwing away seniors as a political constituency," Wilson added, stating in conclusion, "They are enraging independents, who see their children and children's children being burdened with an unsustainable debt that will rise to $20 trillion in 2020 and top the Gross Domestic Product in 2011. And taking over health care against the express wishes of tens of millions of Americans who like their private health options and want to keep them."

From House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH):

The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) House Republican staff, which earlier this year created a chart mapping the bureaucratic complexity of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's original health care proposal (H.R. 3200), has combined similar analysis by the House Republican Conference with the earlier chart. The analysis details new additions to the health care bureaucracy contained in the new version of the Speaker's bill (H.R. 3962) that were not previously listed. Let's just say the Speaker's vision for government-run health care hasn't gotten any simpler.

"This is the blueprint for a taxpayer-funded mega-bureaucracy," Boehner said "The new chart is an astonishing and unsettling glimpse of the future that awaits American health care, should H.R. 3962 be passed by the House and signed into law."

The chart, completed at the direction of Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), the committee's ranking House Republican Member, shows that the Pelosi plan has grown even more complex in the months since it was originally unveiled by congressional Democrats.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops vehemently opposes any health care reform bill that includes taxpayer funding of abortion.

Bishops Urge Passage of Stupak-Ellsworth Anti-Abortion Amendment for Health Reform Bill

Six of the seven Republican candidates for Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas won Tuesday.

The only Democrat elected to the bench was Lois Murphy. If the name sounds familiar, Murphy ran twice against U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District, which includes Montgomery County.

Murphy lost both times, but she and the Democratic Party spend more than $6 million on those campaigns. For that kind of money, Murphy bought herself name recognition and a job in the Montgomery County Courthouse. Not exactly the halls of Congress, but it's a living.

Common Pleas Court judges earn $161,850 a year and serve 10-year terms, after which they can seek retention until a mandatory retirement age of 70. The current salary for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $168,000 per year, with annual COLA increases.

While Murphy is relatively young, she's stuck in a courtroom for the next 10 years, effectively ending her future in politics.

Talk about bad timing. Murphy committed to running for a county judge seat before Congressman Gerlach announced he would not seek another term. Murphy could have won the 6th Congressional District seat next year.

The Montgomery County Republican Committee couldn't resist taking a shot at Murphy in this statement released Thursday:

We fielded a very talented team of experienced public servants in the Court of Common Pleas race. In the campaign, we talked about the candidates, their backgrounds and their commitment to Montgomery County.

Tuesday, it was the voters turn. They spoke loudly and clearly. They rejected partisan cries and today, we are celebrating the election of 6 members of our Judicial Team to the Court of Common Pleas.

Carolyn Tornette Carluccio, Garrett D. Page, Wendy Demchick-Alloy, Kelly Wall, Gary S. Silow and Patricia Coonahan captured 10-year terms on the bench.

This victory was the result of a complete team effort. We had a terrific ticket that worked very hard. We had tremendous support from our Committee and hundreds of volunteers. We had a sound strategy and executed it well.

"Tuesday night was a hell of a night for Republicans in Montgomery County," MCRC Chairman Robert Kerns said. "Congratulations to our entire team."

Were it not for a Democratic candidate benefiting from spending $6 million in two unsuccessful Congressional campaigns, it may have been a clean sweep for the Republican ticket.

Republicans also did very well in local races across the county, with significant victories in North Wales, Lansdale, Hatfield and Abington, to name a few.

Thank you to our volunteers, supporters, candidates, and committee people. We couldn't have done it without you. And we can't do it again in the future without you.

Fast-Growing Coalition Opposing Cap-and-Trade Goes National

Commenting on Tuesday's repudiation of the Obama presidency, Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Pat Toomey said the election results show voters oppose the extreme big-government policies of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

From Toomey's statement:

"Last night, election results around the country and in Pennsylvania demonstrate that the tide is turning against big-government, big-spending policies. In Pennsylvania, six out of seven Republican judicial candidates were victorious in their statewide bids.

Congratulations to all of our great Republican candidates who won yesterday in Pennsylvania That tells us there is real energy in our state party, which will only continue to grow into next year."

Toomey said he was pleased with the results from neighboring New Jersey, where Republican Chris Christie upset the Obama-backed candidate, liberal Gov. Jon Corzine, and also applauded the outcome in Virginia, where the GOP candidate won the governor's race by a large margin.

“For nearly a year, the one-party monopoly in Washington has been pushing extreme policies on the American people, including government-run health care, unprecedented spending increases, and record deficit and debt levels," Toomey said. "Yesterday, voters made their voices heard. It's time we stopped the parade of bailouts, government takeovers, and record-breaking spending, and replaced it with commonsense reforms that do not bankrupt our country.”

For more about Toomey, visit his campaign Web site at www.toomeyforsenate.com

Republican Joan Orie Melvin won a hotly-contested seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Tuesday, giving Republicans a 4-3 majority on the court.

Melvin defeated Democrat Jack Panella in the most expensive judicial race in Pennsylvania's history. Panella raised more than $2.5 million, largely from trial lawyers and organized labor, according to The Associated Press.

With 98 percent of the state's precincts reporting, Melvin had 910,270 votes or 53 percent to Democrat Jack Panella's 806,157 votes or 47 percent, the wire service reported.

Panella was widely criticized for running a negative campaign, resorting to personal attacks on Melvin.

Melvin's victory, which restores a one-seat majority that the GOP lost in 2007, continued a good night for Republicans, who have won the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey.

Four Republican candidates for four open Pennsylvania Superior Court seats and two Republican candidates for two open Commonwealth Court seats were also leading their respective races at midnight, although final results were not in yet.

The Republican comeback is here!

In a stunning upset, Republican Chris Christie defeated Democrat Barack Obama ... I mean Jon Corzine ... to win the New Jersey governor's race Tuesday.

Despite spending $23 million dollars and having Barack Obama campaign for him three times, Corzine, the free-spending liberal and Obama doormat, was tossed out by New Jersey voters in a a clear repudiation of the Obama agenda.

Christie's victory in heavily Democratic New Jersey should send shock waves through the Democratic Party establishment. Earlier in the evening, Republican Bob McDonnell won the Virginia governor's race in another litmus test of Obama's failed presidency.

Look for Democrats in Congress to bail out of Obama's big government, big deficit socialist agenda overnight.

Obama himself told New Jersey voters that the Christie-Corzine election was a referendum on his 10 months as president.

Corzine ran a nasty campaign of personal attacks, including making fun of Christie's weight.

The 300-pound Christie told supporters at a victory rally Tuesday night "we are going to pick Trenton up and turn it upside down."

With 75 percent of precincts reporting by 10:30 p.m., Christie had 50 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Corzine. Independent Chris Daggett had about 5 percent of the vote.

(Update: With 97 percent of precincts reporting at midnight, Christie had 49 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Corzine. Daggett finished with 5 percent.)

One year after the election of Barack Obama, voters could send a strong message they don't like the direction the country is headed by sweeping Republicans into office in the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey and the special election in New York for a House seat.

Democrats fear triple blow on Election Day | csmonitor.com

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Another major Pennsylvania newspaper is backing Joan Orie Melvin for Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Tuesday's General Election.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

What we do care about is legal acumen, temperament and moxie. And on all three counts, Judge Orie Melvin of Marshall, a Republican and a state Superior Court judge since 1997, is the best choice for the state's highest court.

Read the full endorsement at the link below:

For Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Elect Joan Orie Melvin - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

P.S. -- Joan Orie Melvin has already been endorsed by The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Harrisburg Patriot-News.

Six months ago today, Arlen Specter left the Republican Party because polling data showed that he could not win against Pat Toomey. Today, the polls show Pennsylvanians of all political stripes are rejecting his rampant political opportunism and complete lack of principle.

This morning Team Toomey released the video above to commemorate Sen. Specter's six month anniversary as a Democrat.

A good column by Brad Bumsted of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about how so-called conservative western Pennsylvania Democrats in the state House let down their constituents by supporting the deficit budget pushed by Gov. Ed Rendell and legislative leaders.

Instead of sticking with House Republicans to oppose the 2009-10 budget and higher taxes, the "Blue Dogs" turned into lap dogs, Bumsted writes.

From Bumsted's column:

On the final tax vote, only two Blue Dogs -- Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, and Rep. John Pallone, D-New Kensington -- barked. They were the only Democrats to vote against it.

Most of the Blue Dog Democrats showed in the end they were team players.

They could have rocked the Capitol on Aug. 3 but chose to take an obvious victory.

From their perspective, getting their leaders to declare that the income tax was dead was significant and it truly ended that debate.

It was a pivotal day in the historic budget battle. Some Democrats might think about it again next year when Republicans are campaigning against them, citing their votes for the "$1 billion state tax increase."

Read the full column at the link below:

Blue Dogs de-barked - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

ATR Launches Massive TV Ad Campaign Urging Sen. Nelson to Keep Tax Pledge

News Item: 23 states report higher unemployment in September.

The Obama Recession continues ... and the state-run media is working overtime attempting to cover up the failing presidency of Barack Obama.

While the president and his loyal minions are wasting their time attacking FOX News for daring to criticize Obama's mounting failures, millions of Americans are losing their jobs while millions more have given up looking for work.

From The Associated Press:

Forty-three states reported job losses in September, while only seven gained jobs, the Labor Department said Wednesday.

Wednesday's report underscores the uneven nature of the recovery. The unemployment rate dropped in some Midwestern states as the manufacturing sector improved. But Florida and Nevada, two of the states hit hardest by the housing slump, reported record-high jobless rates.

Some of the states that lost jobs still saw their unemployment rates improve, as discouraged workers gave up looking for work. People who are out of work but no longer looking for jobs aren't counted as officially unemployed.

That trend was evident nationwide in September, as nearly 600,000 people dropped out of the work force, the department reported earlier this month.

The U.S. jobless rate rose to 9.8 percent in September, a 26-year high, from 9.7 percent. Some economists estimate it would have topped 10 percent if there had been no change in the labor force.

Pennsylvania employers shed another 10,300 jobs in September, according to new employment figures released today by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

The Rendell Administration is attempting to put the best possible spin on the continuing bad news by pointing out that Pennsylvania's 8.8% unemployment rate "remained below the United States' unemployment rate, which rose one-tenth of a point to 9.8 percent."

Doesn't that make you feel better, especially if your unemployment benefits are about to run out?

The bottom line is that Ed Rendell, Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats have done a terrible job dealing with economic issues, resulting in record unemployment.

From the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry:

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force -- the number of people working or looking for work -- rose by 9,000 in September to 6,368,000.

Employment was unchanged in September, while resident unemployment rose by 9,000.

The Pennsylvania labor force was down 55,000 from September 2008.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point to 8.8 percent in September.

The state rate remained below the United States' unemployment rate, which rose one-tenth of a point to 9.8 percent.

Pennsylvania's rate was up 3.2 percentage points from September 2008, while the U.S. rate was up 3.6 percentage points in the 12-month period.

Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs count dropped by 10,300 jobs in September.

The majority of the job losses were among service providing industries, however, the Professional and Business Services sector added 2,700 jobs.

Pennsylvania job count was down 198,100, or 3.4 percent, since September 2008. Nationally, jobs were down 4.2 percent over the same time period.

State Legislators Call on States to Defund ACORN

While Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats prepare to enact the largest tax in U.S. history on American consumers at the behest of global warning alarmists, there is growing evidence that the Earth has been cooling for the past 30 years. That's right. Cooling. Not warming, as Al Gore would have you believe.

From a new editorial in Investor's Business Daily:

Al Gore wasn't there to throw out the first snowball, er, baseball, so he might not have noticed that Saturday's playoff game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies was snowed out — in early October. The field should have been snow-free just as the North Pole was to be ice-free this year.

It seems that ice at both poles hasn't been paying attention to the computer models. The National Snow and Ice Data Center released its summary of summer sea-ice conditions in the Arctic last week and reported a substantial expansion of "second-year ice" — ice thick enough to have persisted through two summers of seasonal melting.

According to the NSIDC, second-year ice this summer made up 32% of the total ice cover on the Arctic Ocean, compared with 21% in 2007 and 9% in 2008. Clearly, Arctic sea ice is not following the consensus touted by Gore and the warm-mongers.

This news coincides with a finding published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters last month by Marco Tedesco, a research scientist at the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology. He reported that ice melt on Antarctica was the lowest in three decades during the ice-melt season.

Each year, millions of square miles of sea ice melt and refreeze. The amount varies from season to season. Despite pictures taken in summer of floating polar bears, data reported by the University of Illinois' Arctic Climate Research Center at the beginning of this year showed global sea ice levels the same as they were in 1979, when satellite observations began.

So why are Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi pushing for a cap-and-trade bill that will impose higher energy taxes on American families? You might want to ask your representatives in Congress that very same question.

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

State Rep. Curt Schroder (R-155th Dist.) voted against the long-awaited state budget that passed by a 107-93 vote in the House on Thursday.

Schroder offered the following statement on his vote:

"I could not vote for this bill. Like last year's budget, it contained inflated revenue projections and relied too heavily on stimulus funding and one-time revenues. By passing this legislation, the House is making the same mistake it made a year ago that resulted in a $3.5 billion revenue shortfall.

"This budget drains the state's Rainy Day Fund and the Health Care Providers Retention Fund. Without these critical reserve accounts we will be unable to cushion an expected revenue shortfall next year. It also, for the first time, dips into the principal reserves in the tobacco settlement fund. With revenues already $140 million below projections for the year, I believe we will face another deficit next June.

"The House Republicans had proposed a budget that is slightly leaner, balanced, did not raise taxes, funded essential state programs and services, and ensured that the state would live within its means, but it was not considered by the Democrat leadership in the House. Instead, we were forced to consider a budget bill that raises taxes by more than $1 billion during a recession.

"On the bright side, we prevented an increase in the Personal Income Tax, sales tax, taxes on small games of chance and the arts, among others."

The measure goes back to the Senate for concurrence on House amendments to the bill.

The Democratic majority in Congress continues to reject calls to actually read bills before voting on them.

From Robert Romano of the NetRight Nation Blog:

If a growing number of House members that signed a discharge petition for H. Res. 554 have their way, every single bill in Congress will be held for least 72 business hours Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) prior to passage for a mandatory review by each house.

The discharge petition initiated by Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR2) has obtained 182 signatures, including the bill's sponsor, Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA3). Walden did so on the same day the Senate Finance Committee explicitly voted against allowing 72 hours to review ObamaCare once it was finally written.

Only 7 of Pennsylvania's 19 House members have signed the petition: Reps. Charlie Dent, Bill Shuster, Glenn Thompson, Todd Platts, Joe Pitts, Jim Gerlach and Tim Murphy. All 7 are Republicans.

What about your member of Congress? What are they hiding? Why do they want to rush through votes before anyone has a chance to read the bill?

For a complete list of the members of Congress who signed the petition, click here.

The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania doesn't have a voice in the Pennsylvania Legislature, but party officials want to say loud and clear they disapprove of the way Democrats and Republicans are handling the state's finances.

From a statement issued by Doug Leard, head of media relations for the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania on behalf of party Chairman Michael Robertson:

Last year, Pennsylvania general fund tax revenues fell below $25,000,000,000. Our representatives in Harrisburg ignored the revenue shortage and spent over $28,000,000,000. Instead of facing reality for the upcoming year and joining taxpayers in tightening their fiscal belts, our representatives have proposed a general fund 2010 budget of $27,950,000,000.

To make matters worse, while most "budget" references are to the general fund portion of the budget, state government's total operating budget exceeds $61,000,000,000.

Where will the money come from? Increased taxes for one. The most recent budget plan retroactively increases the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax (CSFT) – the tax which Governor Rendell had said was the most harmful to the Pennsylvania economy In addition, we would be charged a sales tax for admission to performing arts programs (such as music concerts and theaters) and other cultural venues (such as museums, parks and zoos). Smokers will also pay an additional tax for cigarettes.

But, these taxes will not be enough to meet Harrisburg's hunger for spending. So, Governor Rendell and legislators appear to be counting on federal bailout dollars and may exhaust Pennsylvania's Rainy Day Fund to delay facing economic reality until next year.

Media Relations Chair, Doug Leard, stated "Harrisburg's approach to belt tightening is like the man who comes home from work and tell his wife 'Times are tough at work – no bonus this year and 10% pay cuts across the board. Boy, it’s hot today. Let's put in a pool.'"

Based on recent budget proposals, The Commonwealth Foundation, an independent, non-profit research and educational institute, projects a budget deficit of $846,000,000 next year that will grow to $14,400,000,000 in 2012 as federal stimulus money disappears and pension obligations for Pennsylvania's School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) and the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) come due.

The Libertarian Party denounces both the Republicans and Democrats along with their bankrupt vision of spending, taxing and regulating Pennsylvania into even deeper hardship. If voters want to escape from this budgetary death spiral, the only option is Libertarian Party candidates for the General Assembly. After all, the status quo has proven yet again to be no choice at all.

For more information about the Libertarian Party, visit www.LP.org or www.LPPA.org

This is what happens when Pennsylvania legislators stay up past their bed time.

In a late-night vote Friday, House Democrats pushed through a Tax Reform Code bill that increases taxes on Pennsylvanians by nearly $2 billion.

The measure passed by a 103-98 margin, with all House Republicans except Dennis O'Brien voting "No." Two western Pennsylvania Democrats -- John Pallone and Joseph Petrarca -- also voted "No."

House Republicans were quick to criticize their tax-happy colleagues who supported House Bill 1531. From state Rep. Tom Quigley, R-146:

"Raising taxes during a recession is a disaster waiting to happen, and this bill would raise an additional $1 billion in taxes. Taxes strangle growth and will only keep the Commonwealth from a full economic recovery. These taxes are the antithesis of what is needed to create jobs, increase personal income for our hard-working families and boost consumer confidence.

"This bill is another blow for education, the supposed budget priority of our governor. Not only was all funding for education vetoed from Senate Bill 850 in August, but now the Democrats are trying to reduce funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC). This tax credit allows businesses to contribute to educational programs, including non-public schools, that are not provided for in our state budget. Non-public students are already going without textbooks because of this administration, and now they are going to have to make due with even less.

"The House Republicans have put forth a responsible and balanced budget proposal, in House Bill 1943, that would not negatively impact our economy, as this bill certainly will. I am hopeful that when this bill fails in the Senate, the fiscally sound House Republican plan will finally be considered."

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement in response to a press release sent out by Democrat members of the state House of Representatives touting their letter to Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation that called for an investigation into the activities of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN:

"Democrats in the state House have taken hypocrisy to a new and dangerous level," Gleason said. "Just weeks after voting to support state funding for ACORN, Democrat state Reps. Tony DeLuca, Dom Costa and Bryan Barbin are now publicly calling on Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation to investigate this corrupt organization. This letter was no doubt a measure taken to calm down their constituents, who are upset that their elected officials voted to support a group that has clearly been misusing precious taxpayer resources.

"In these troubled economic times, when everyone is working to stretch our dollars as far as we can, the public deserves to know that the Democrat Party is willing to knowingly send our tax dollars to this corrupt organization. The recent videos depicting ACORN counseling people involved in criminal activities is deplorable. It is mind-boggling to me that, even with mounting video evidence piling up against this corrupt organization, every Democrat member of the state House still voted to send precious taxpayer dollars to fund the activities of this corrupt organization."

"ACORN has been exposed as a corrupt organization that should not be receiving federal or state funds under any circumstances."

This is scary stuff. If the policies of Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are not stopped, we will see the collapse of the United States.

From the National Inflation Association:

It took 25 years for our national debt to double from $257 billion in 1950 to over $533 billion in 1975. Most recently, our national debt has more than doubled from $5.8 trillion in 2001 to its current level of $11.8 trillion in just eight years. Our national debt is now growing three times faster that it did decades ago, which means we should expect a very minimum of three times faster inflation.

Inflation Could Spell End of U.S. Financial System

Democrats are pulling out all the stops to push for government-run health care. A Democratic senator thinks government regulation and taxing of Internet gambling could help pay for part of the massive cost of Obamacare.

An amendment offered by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) would dedicate Internet gambling tax revenue generated through implementation of the currently pending Internet Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2267) to increase low-income subsidies provided through the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, according to a group called the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.

I wonder if Obamacare will cover addiction to Internet gambling?

A PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis shows that collecting taxes on regulated Internet gambling would allow the U.S. to capture up to $62.7 billion over the next decade, says the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.

"We applaud Senator Wyden's proposal to collect and put to good use tens of billions in Internet gambling revenue that would otherwise be lost in the underground marketplace," said Michael Waxman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. "The Senate Finance Committee should approve the resolution, finally putting to an end a failed prohibition on Internet gambling that leaves Americans unprotected and unlicensed offshore operators as the only beneficiary in a thriving marketplace."

The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2267), introduced in May by House Committee on Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA), would establish a framework to permit licensed gambling operators to accept wagers from individuals in the U.S., says the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.

Is this the same Barney Frank who presided over the financial collapse of the past year? And just one more question: If Obamcare will cost at least $1 trillion, how is $62 billion going to cover the cost? I'm sure Barack Obama and Barney Frank have it all figured out.

Senator Proposes Use of Internet Gambling Revenue to Help Fund Health Care Reform

Pennsylvania lost another 8,800 jobs in August, according to new numbers released today by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

State officials tried to put the best possible spin on the bad news by pointing out that Pennsylvania's 8.6% unemployment rate "remained below the United States' unemployment rate, which rose three-tenths of a point to 9.7 percent in August."

Doesn't that make you feel better?

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was up 3.1 percentage points from August 2008, compared to an increase of 3.5 percentage points since August 2008 for the nation.

Since August 2008, Pennsylvania has shed 191,500 jobs!

Just a reminder that the governor of Pennsylvania is Ed Rendell, a Democrat, who has increased spending by $8 billion since 2003. Much of that spending went for various economic revitalization projects that Rendell claimed would bring more jobs to the state.

And in case you forgot, the Democrats also control both houses of Congress and the White House. If you're one of the 15 million Americans out of work, be sure to thank a Democrat in Harrisburg or Washington, D.C.

For a detailed breakdown of the employment numbers, follow the link below:

Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: August 2009

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has released its fifth annual report on the most corrupt members of Congress.

CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress provides a detailed analysis of the unethical and sometimes illegal activities of 15 congressmen and women who have most egregiously betrayed the public's trust.

"With the economy in a free-fall, unemployment rates at record highs and health care solutions still nowhere in sight, members should be spending their time looking for answers to the nation's problems, not finding new ways to enrich themselves." said Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW. "The members of Congress profiled in CREW'sMost Corrupt report have betrayed those who voted them into office. This report holds them accountable for their bad choices."

CREW also has launched the report's tandem Web site, www.CREWsMostCorrupt.org, which offers short summaries of each member's transgressions as well as the full-length profiles and all accompanying exhibits.

The 15 most corrupt members of Congress (listed alphabetically) are:

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA)
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV)
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

From a CREW press release:

New to this year's list are Sens. Roland Burris and John Ensign, and Reps. Nathan Deal, Jesse Jackson Jr. and Pete Visclosky.

After a two-year absence, Rep. Maxine Waters has reappeared in the study for unethical activities unrelated to the conduct that landed her on the list in the past. A detailed list of those who have previously graced the report can be found on the Web site.

Of this year's list of 15, at least 12 are under investigation: Reps. Ken Calvert, Jerry Lewis, Alan Mollohan, John Murtha, Pete Visclosky and Don Young are under Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations, while Sens. Roland Burris and John Ensign and Reps. Charles Rangel and Laura Richardson are under congressional ethics committee investigations. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is under investigation by both the DOJ and the Office of Congressional Ethics and Rep. Vern Buchanan is being investigated by the Federal Election Commission.

Visit CREWsMostCorrupt.org or click here to read the full report.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

The House of Representatives released the text of the resolution of disapproval at the outburst ("You lie!") by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., during President Barack Obama's speech:

Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson; and whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House:

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009.

I like the part about discrediting of the House as if the American public can have a lower opinion of Congress than they already do.

Update: The final tally late Tuesday was 240-179, mostly along party lines: 233 Democrats and seven Republicans voting for the resolution, and 167 Republicans and 12 Democrats opposing the measure. Five Democrats voted "present."

Despite the spin from the Obama media about the U.S. has "turned the corner" on the current recession, there are ominous signs that the failed Obama economic policies of the past nine months could set the stage for even worse times ahead.

"The dollar is weakening, gold is hitting new highs and some foreign officials now want an alternative to the U.S. currency," writes Investor's Business Daily. "If you're looking for a market verdict on U.S. economic policy, look no further."

From the editorial:

As Heritage Foundation economist Brian Riedl notes, Washington is set to spend $30,958 per household this year — taking $17,576 in taxes and borrowing the rest from our kids.

If this were a temporary thing, it might not be so bad. But we're boosting federal spending from the 18%-to-22%-of-GDP range that has prevailed since World War II to 26% this year. And if Congress and the White House get their way, spending will stay at least that high forever — in effect, a 30% rise in real spending and taxes.

Investors worry about surging U.S. government debt, conservatively expected to grow by nearly $10 trillion over the next decade. Since every dollar the government spends comes from the private sector, that won't leave much for private investment here.

And this doesn't even count our exploding entitlements problem. We owe $51 trillion to Social Security and Medicare over the next 50 years or so — about $205,000 per person alive today.

By our foolish fiscal choices, we're in effect opting for stagnation and inflation over growth and prosperity. New regulations and government control of the auto, banking and financial services industries will lower corporate profits. So will higher taxes on individuals to pay for it all.

Read the full editorial, "Repeating History," at the newspaper's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Left unchecked, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid plan to run up higher deficits over the next 10 years than all American presidents and Congress have incurred in the last 230 years.

From DefeatTheDebt.com:

Think America is "Unsinkable?"

Every year, the government spends hundreds of billions of dollars it doesn't have, and we sink deeper and deeper into debt. We cannot afford to go down with this ship.

The national debt will grow by more than $9 trillion, according to an August 2009 report by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

How much is $9 trillion, or even $1 trillion? Confronted with enormous numbers like millions, billions and trillions, it's helpful to use comparisons with other contexts. For example, one million seconds will pass in just 12 days. One billion seconds is almost 32 years. And one trillion seconds? That’s 31,688 years. One trillion dollars is a lot of money, and over the next decade the US federal government will borrow that sum nine times over — more than $9 trillion.

In the next 10 years, the federal government will borrow trillions of dollars for spending it cannot afford. But the American people will eventually have to pay the price for this irresponsible borrowing.

Debt Disaster: It's closer than you think.

For more information, go to DefeatTheDebt.com

The federal deficit for the current fiscal year is four times higher than it was under George W. Bush. And keep in mind that Democrats have controlled Congress since 2007 and have approved record spending and record debt since then.

Under Barack Obama, the national debt will reach astronomical and unsustainable levels as the U.S. heads toward bankruptcy and national suicide.

A non-partisan group called Defeat the Debt has launched a public service campaign to inform Americans how serious the debt problem is. Here is the first of three articles on the subject:

How Much is a Trillion Dollars?

The national debt is larger than ever before, and experts predict it will only continue to expand.

The national debt will grow by more than $9 trillion, according to an August 2009 report by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

In July of 2009, the Congressional Budget Office and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation released their analysis of America's Affordable Health Choices Act. They estimated the bill would add an additional net deficit of $1.042 trillion over the next decade. In January of 2008, Social Security's unfunded liabilities were estimated at $6.6 trillion, and Medicare unfunded liabilities totaled more than $36.3 trillion, according to the GAO's Fiscal Year 2008 Financial Report of the United States Government. In addition to our current national debt of more than $11.6 trillion, our future obligations to Social Security and Medicare total $43 trillion.

How much is $9 trillion, or even $1 trillion? Confronted with enormous numbers like millions, billions and trillions, it's helpful to use comparisons with other contexts. For example, one million seconds will pass in just 12 days. One billion seconds is almost 32 years. And one trillion seconds? That's 31,688 years. One trillion dollars is a lot of money, and over the next decade the US federal government will borrow that sum nine times over — more than $9 trillion.

In the next 10 years, the federal government will borrow trillions of dollars for spending it cannot afford. But the American people will eventually have to pay the price for this irresponsible borrowing.

Debt Disaster: It's closer than you think

For more information, go to DefeatTheDebt.com

They're supposed to represent the people, but members of Congress have very little in common with the rest of us. One of the biggest gaps between constituents and their elected representatives appears to be income.

While Americans struggle to make ends meet in the current 22-month-old recession, Congress resembles an exclusive country club, where millionaires hang out.

The Hill, a newspaper that covers Congress, has published a new list of the 50 wealthiest members of Congress.

No. 1 on The Hill's Rich List is Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic Party nominee for president, with a worth of at least $167.8 million (thanks primarily to his marriage to Theresa Heinz.)

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), placed second and third, with "hundreds of millions of dollars in assets," according to the newspaper.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made the Top 50, with a net worth of $12.5 million. Also on the list is Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is worth $9.6 million. (Nobody from Pennsylvania made the Top 50).

From The Hill:

Most lawmakers, like other Americans, have seen stark declines in their Wall Street portfolios, but their latest financial disclosures do not suggest they are hard-up despite the recession. The average member of Congress is worth at least $2.9 million, according to their reports, although several have also reported debts that exceed their assets.

The list is a bipartisan one. Of the 50 lawmakers on the The Hill's Rich List, 26 are Democrats and 24 are Republicans. For comparison, there are 256 Democrats in the House and 178 Republicans; in the Senate there are 59 Democrats and 40 Republicans.

The Hill based its analysis on annual financial disclosure forms that lawmakers are required to complete and file with the House clerk or Senate secretary. The disclosures are for lawmakers’ assets and liabilities as at the end of 2008. The reports are not models of transparency so the dollar numbers in the list are best guesses rather than precise figures.

Read the full story and review the list of the 50 richest members of Congress at The Hill Web site.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has released tax collection numbers for the month of August, the second month of the new fiscal year (although the state still doesn't have a budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year).

Without an approved budget and with last year's budget ending up $3.25 billion in the red, the state remains on shaky financial ground.

Pennsylvania collected $1.6 billion in General Fund revenue in August, which was $19.9 million, or 1.2 percent, less than anticipated, according to Revenue Secretary Stephen H. Stetler. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $3.3 billion, which is $22 million, or 0.7 percent, below estimate, Stetler said.

The state collected 5 percent less in July 2009 ($1.65 billion) than it did in July 2008 ($1.75 billion) when Gov. Ed Rendell's $28.3 billion red ink budget kicked in.

Collections from the two biggest sources of revenue, the sales tax and the personal income tax, were both down in August, as they were in July.

Translation for Gov. Ed Spendell and the dimwitted Democrats in the House who are holding up the budget in order to raise taxes: Pennsylvanians don't have jobs so they can't pay income taxes and they have nothing left after paying off their bills so they can't buy anything to increase sales tax revenues.

From a Revenue Department Press Release:

Sales tax receipts totaled $662.7 million for August, $13.4 million below estimate. Year-to-date sales tax collections total $1.4 billion, which is $13.4 million, or 1 percent, less than anticipated.

Personal income tax (PIT) revenue in August was $683.5 million, $28.3 million below estimate. This brings year-to-date PIT collections to $1.3 billion, which is $28.4 million, or 2.1 percent, below estimate.

August corporation tax revenue of $50.2 million was $3.9 million above estimate. Year-to-date corporation tax collections total $137.9 million, which is $2.1 million, or 1.6 percent, above estimate.

Other General Fund revenue figures for the month included $59.2 million in inheritance tax, $2.6 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $122.5 million, which is $2.7 million below estimate.

Realty transfer tax was $29.1 million for August, $2.2 million below estimate, bringing the total to $58.7 million for the year, which is $2.2 million less than anticipated.

Other General Fund tax revenue, including cigarette, malt beverage and liquor taxes totaled $91.5 million for the month, $8.5 million above estimate and bringing the year-to-date total to $174 million, which is $8.4 million above estimate.

Follow the link below to read the rest of the revenue report:

Revenue Department Releases August Collections

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Just 37% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, according to a new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center. Congress has been controlled by the Democrats for the past three years.

The job approval number has dropped 12 points since April, the last time Pew surveyed Americans about Congress.

The 37% figure is the lowest favorable percentage in more than two decades of Pew surveys.

Although Americans are clearly disenchanted with the Democrats, they aren't exactly thrilled with Republicans.

From an Associated Press story on the Pew results:

Forty-five percent of respondents said they would vote for a Democratic candidate in their district or lean Democratic, while 44 percent said they would vote or lean Republican.

Four years ago the numbers favored Democrats 52 percent to 40 percent, as the party went on to gain control of Congress.

The survey found that favorable ratings for the GOP remain low at 40 percent.

Most of the shift in voting intentions occurred among political independents, who backed Democrats by a wide margin previously but now say they would back Republicans in their districts by 43 to 38 percent.

For more poll results, go to the Pew Research Center Web site.

Has it been 200 days since Barack Obama signed the centerpiece of his economic recovery plan, the $787 billion "stimulus" package passed the Democratic Congress?

How's that stimulus working out for you? No so well if you are one of the 2.2 million Americans who have lost a job since Obama signed the stimulus.

The Republican National Committee has compiled a 61-page recap of the Obama rhetoric and reality surrounding that stimulus plan.

From the report, CLAIMS VS. REALITY: Obama's Failed Economic Experiment:

It is appropriate on the 200th day of the stimulus to look back at exactly what the stimulus has accomplished. The answer is very little. What it has done, however, is give the American people a $787 billion bill they cannot afford. In this report, you will find 200 claims that President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, senior Administration officials and Congressional Democrats have made about the stimulus. None of these claims match reality.

When the stimulus passed, President Obama and Congressional Democrats promised the stimulus would be a targeted, timely and transparent effort to create jobs immediately. This compilation of 200 claims shows that promise has not been kept. Job losses continue, stimulus spending has been slow, and as even the Vice President has said, ― "we know some of this money is going to be wasted."

The Obama Administration and Pelosi-Reid Congressional Democrats have boldly declared that the stimulus is working and they have ― "rescued the economy," but facts are stubborn things. Unemployment is still high and the deficit is out of control. These are not reasons to declare victory.

I know the Kool Aid drinkers on the left will say that we have to give Obama more time, but 200 days is a long time to go down the wrong path. Eventually, we'll never find our way back unless we change direction.

Unemployment is rising, consumer confidence is lagging and the national debt is growing at astronomical rates under Obama. Are you better off today than you were six months ago?

From RNC Chairman Michael Steele:

"In the end, the stimulus is another failed experiment by the President that Americans cannot afford. Instead of creating jobs, millions are unemployed and billions have been added to our deficit. 200 days of this stimulus are 200 days too long."

You can download the full 61-page report in PDF format here.

Job approval numbers for members of Congress have plummeted since the Democrats took control after the 2006 election. Now a majority of Americans say we should flush all of Congress away and start over.

From Rasmussen Reports:

If they could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, just 25% of voters nationwide would keep the current batch of legislators.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% would vote to replace the entire Congress and start all over again. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure how they would vote.

Overall, these numbers are little changed since last October. When Congress was passing the unpopular $700-billion bailout plan in the heat of a presidential campaign and a seeming financial industry meltdown, 59% wanted to throw them all out. At that time, just 17% wanted to keep them.

There has been a bit of a partisan shift since last fall. With Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress, it's not surprising to find that the number of Democrats who would vote to keep the entire Congress has grown from 25% last fall to 43% today. In fact, a modest plurality of Democrats would now vote to keep the legislators. Last fall, a plurality of Democrats were ready to throw them all out.

Read more poll results at Rasmussen Reports

Today's number is 71,500.

That's the minimum number of Pennsylvania jobs that would be lost if the Waxman-Markey bill, better known as Cap-and-Trade, is passed by the Senate. The House already approved the bill and President Obama said he would sign it if passes both chambers of Congress.

The 71,500 estimate comes from the National Association of Manufacturers, which commissioned a study to look at the impact of the Waxman-Markey bill in each state. The job loss number could go as high as 97,500 in Pennsylvania.

More from the study:

Higher energy prices would have ripple impacts on prices throughout the economy and would impose a financial cost on households. Pennsylvania would see disposable household income reduced by $148 to $285 per year by 2020 and $926 to $1,507 by 2030.

The study concluded that bill would cots 2.4 million jobs across the United States.

To review the complete study, visit the National Association of Manufacturers Web site, http://www.nam.org/

Today's number is 81.

That's the number of U.S. banks that have failed since Barack Obama became president, according to the Federal Insurance Deposit Corp.

By comparison, just 26 banks failed in all of 2008 when Republican George W. Bush was president. In 2007, just 3 U.S. banks failed.

Industry analysts predict that another 150 to 200 banks will fail. Keep that in mind next time the Obama media tells you the recession is over.

Six months of failure under the Democratic leadership of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid has convinced 7 in 10 Americans that big government liberalism is not the way to go, according to a new poll.

From the latest Rasmussen Reports:

Seventy percent (70%) of likely voters now favor a government that offers fewer services and imposes lower taxes over one that provides more services with higher taxes, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

That’s up five points over the past month and is the highest level measured in nearly three years.

Just 19% would prefer a government that provides more services in exchange for higher taxes, down five points from July and the lowest level in over two years. This marks the first time the percentage of voters who prefer this type of government has fallen below 20%.

Most Republicans (88%) and voters not affiliated with either major party (78%) like a government with lower taxes and fewer services, and 48% of Democrats agree. However, one-in-three Democrats (34%) prefer more government services and higher taxes.

Read more at Rasmussen Reports

House Republican Leader Sam Smith is warning that Gov. Ed Rendell is working on another sneaky tax increase as the state's budget crisis enters its ninth week.

Smith issued the following statement regarding the Sales and Use Tax expansion proposal being offered by the governor as a means to fund his bloated state spending proposal.

For 55 days, Pennsylvania has not had a full operating budget in place, and the latest official budget proposal put forth by the Democrats increases state spending to $29.1 billion, far more than is supported by anticipated state revenues and federal stimulus dollars.

"One way or another, the governor wants your money. In this climate, more taxes can be devastating for Pennsylvania families and employers.

"Last week, Democrats were looking to tax legal services and limit access to the courts.

"Now, we learn 'everything is on the table,' and they have a list of items, including many other 'services' they are looking to tax for more revenues – including each and every ATM transaction.

"Newspapers and magazines; movie, sports and theater tickets; museums, historic sites and the zoo will all have the state Sales and Use Tax added to their costs just to increase state spending. Research and development, advertising, and administrative services will be taxed under the governor’s plan. In order to pay for big government services, Democrats are even looking to tax Unemployment Compensation Claims, mass transit, textbooks, flags and dry cleaning.

"In order to spend, they are looking to tax. More taxes on Pennsylvanians and Pennsylvania employers are wrong and cause harm. Republicans have a better idea.

"House Republicans have introduced the $27.5 billion, no-tax-increase 2009-10 Republican Compromise Budget, House Bill 1943, which includes a $150 million increase for basic education as well as an increase for services to non-public schools; money for hospitals and health care programs that were eliminated from the governor’s proposal; and necessary dollars for human service programs.

"The House Republican proposal is a complete budget that funds the needs and priorities of Pennsylvania. Reflecting the state of the global economy, some may have to do with less, but none will have to do without.

"By using reason and setting realistic priorities, a no-tax-increase budget is indeed possible."

Party pooper.

Gov. Ed Rendell issued the following statement after Senate Democrats refused Wednesday to join their Republican colleagues to override Rendell's veto of funding for education and social services.

"The Senate Democratic caucus did the right and courageous thing today: they put the next generation before the next election, and they demonstrated a strong and long standing commitment to passing a real and responsible budget for the citizens of this state.

"The failed attempt to override my veto of SB 850 further demonstrates the extreme and politically motivated nature of the position held by the Republican leaders. Once again, I call on them to cancel their vacations, their fun and their fundraisers. Return to Harrisburg. Immediately begin non-stop negotiations. Convene the conference committee. Get real. Lead, negotiate and compromise until a final comprehensive budget is in place for the commonwealth."

Now I'm really confused. I thought Rendell and the Democrats were looking out for the little people. But it was Rendell and the Democrats who refused to fund education and the social services.

Sounds like Rendell and the doormat Democrats are the ones playing politics.

Governor Rendell Applauds Senate Democrats for Standing Up for Pennsylvanians

Senate Republican Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi and State Rep. Mario Civera, R-164, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, met with the editorial board of the Delaware County Daily Times to discuss the state's seven-week-old budget stalemate. The two Republican leaders placed the blame for the budget mess on the shoulders of Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.

As long as Rendell insists on raising taxes and increasing state spending, don't look for the Republicans to budge.

This comment from Pileggi doesn't sound like a budget deal will come any time soon:

"The governor is still actively going around the state saying we need to increase the personal income tax by $1.5 billion and we need to increase our spending in the state by close to a billion dollars over last year. This isn't maintaining services. This is massive new taxation and massive increases in spending at a time when we're going through the worst recession in Pennsylvania since the Great Depression ... The problem, and the reason we're so far apart, is that the governor hasn't changed his objective even though the bottom has fallen out of the economy."

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

The Democrats have a real problem on their hands. Angry old people are turning out in large numbers to oppose Obamacare. These are the same people who tend to show up on Election Day.

From a story by Victoria McGrane and Chris Frates in POLITICO:

The senior citizen problem could pose a serious problem for the 2010 election cycle.

Older Americans turn out in much higher numbers than other age groups during midterm elections. In 2006, the 55-and-older age group still had the highest voting rate of any age group, at 63 percent, even though younger voters turned out in record numbers for a midterm, according to census data. Half of all votes cast in the 2006 midterms were from voters age 50 or older, according to AARP. And one out of four were AARP members.

But voting statistics tell only part of the story. Look at the faces at these chaotic congressional town hall events across the country. They are the faces of older Americans who paid into Medicare most of their working lives and are now enjoying the health care benefits they believe they’ve earned for their senior years.

They exhibit a vocal distrust of the government taking a larger role in health care — despite the fact that the very popular Medicare program is run by the government.

Read more about "The Democrats' senior problem" in POLITICO

A guest column by Robert Romano, senior editor at Americans for Limited Government.

The Rise of the Obama Police State — An Early Demonstration?

By Robert Romano

"We don't want interacting," said the police officer, to the shock of the conservative activist holding the camera. She was in Baton Rouge, LA, filming a demonstration by ACORN in favor of Barack Obama's proposed government-run health care. And what she had just witnessed, as the officer led the offending man away who had dared speak to the activist, was nothing short of the disruption of free speech, of the press, and of the right to assemble — by the police.

As reported by the Examiner, "Things took a surprising and dangerous turn when a police officer, clearly sympathetic to the ACORN rally, attempts to shut down the opposition. At one point, during a very civil discussion between an opponent and a supporter of the president's plan, the police officer returned and actually told the individuals opposing the president's plan they were not allowed to speak. The man in blue shirt, a supporter of the president's plan, later returns and attempts to defend the free speech rights of the counter protesters."

For all intents and purposes, she was reporting on the demonstration. And yet, every time she attempted to converse with opponents of ObamaCare, the police intervened. Not exactly what one would call the protection of unalienable rights. It looks more like a police state — in its infancy.

On Wikipedia, a police state is described, "The inhabitants of a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views, which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement." Exactly what was seen in Baton Rouge.

In this case, nobody was arrested. But it is troubling, to say the least, that the police were apparently ordered to disrupt any interaction between supporters and opponents of ObamaCare, even ones that were perfectly willing to debate.

"We disagree. We can have a civil conversation and talk while we walk. We disagree. It's fine," said one ObamaCare supporter, who too was disgusted by the police action.

Really, the ones who had obviously expressed a desire to avoid even civil discourse of their views were the ACORN demonstrators. Of course, there is no such thing as freedom from speech, or debate. But if one does not like what is being said, they can simply move to the other side of the street.

But since they were protesting, wasn't the point to defend their views? When they put themselves out there, as members of a self-described public interest organization, they actually are public figures — a part of the national political debate. That makes the views expressed by the organization subject to public scrutiny by press or citizen journalists alike.

Instead, in Omerica, apparently there is the stunning emergence of a political elite. They are beyond reproach and criticism. And the police will see to that, as can be seen in this appalling display.

Robert Romano is the ALG Senior News Editor. For more, visit GetLiberty.org

America's third largest party has called on Barack Obama and the Democratic Party to end what appears to be "a budding campaign of union violence targeted at citizens who differ with the White House" over Obamacare.

The Libertarian Party opposes not only the White House's plans for government-run medicine, but the use of violence to achieve political or social goals, says Donny Ferguson, Libertarian National Committee Communications Director.

From a press release issued by the Libertarian Party condemning the Gestapo-tactics orchestrated by the White House to silence critics of Obamacare:

"The Libertarian Party is founded on one principle. We do not support the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals," said Donny Ferguson, Libertarian National Committee Communications Director. "Democrats seem to think differently. When the Obama administration ordered Democrats to 'punch back twice as hard' against citizens who question them, Democrats responded. This Chicago-trained White House has brought Chicago-style union violence to small towns across America."

A Tampa Bay Tribune story and a video posted to the Drudge Report both report physical assaults on dissenting citizens by union organizers brought to meetings by Democrats. In Tampa, union organizers blocked citizens who differed with the White House from entering a public town hall with Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL,) and allegedly scuffled with some of them. A video posted to YouTube appears to show union organizers physically attacking citizens who disagreed with the White House.

"The White House told Democrat leaders Thursday (Aug. 6) to 'punch back twice as hard' when citizens express disapproval. That kind of irresponsible rhetoric is never proper when discussing popular dissent. The also made it clear they will bend Senate rules and force through government-run health care whether or not America supports it. That is a frightening departure from the traditional American practice of governing though popular will," said Ferguson.

"If bringing in union thugs is an attempt by Democrats to scare citizens into not questioning them, it won't work. Union violence may be how communities are organized in Chicago, but the American people won’t stand for people who think violence is the proper response to the fact they no longer have majority support."

"Americans still believe in the consent of the governed. Libertarians urge Democrats to listen to the American people, call off their union enforcers and drop their wildly unpopular scheme of government-run medicine," said Ferguson.

For more information on this issue, visit Libertarian Party Web site at http://www.LP.org

From Rasmussen Reports:

Fifty-four percent (54%) of U.S. voters say tax cuts for the middle class are more important than new spending for health care reform, even as President Obama's top economic advisers signal that tax hikes may be necessary.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, taken Monday and Tuesday nights, finds that 34% disagree and say new spending for health care reform is more important. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.

It is important to note that this question asked about new government spending for health care reform rather than about the overall concept of health care reform itself.

The partisan and ideological divide on the question is sizable. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Democrats say new spending for health care reform is the priority. But 80% of Republicans and 62% of voters not affiliated with either party favor tax cuts for the middle class.

Seventy percent (70%) of liberals say new spending is more important, while 76% of conservatives prefer tax cuts.

Recent polling shows that 48% of voters now rate the U.S. health care system as good or excellent. That figure has increased significantly since the Congressional debate on health care began.

Read more at Rasmussen Reports

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?"

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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/

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."

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

Hyperinflation Nation Surpasses 25,000 Views in 36 Hours

State Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, made the following comments at a PACT with PA Press Conference in Harrisburg regarding the move by Gov. Rendell and House Democrats to raise taxes for Pennsylvania families and business owners:

Can we really afford to raise taxes? What will be the impact on our taxpayers – our small businesses- our struggling economy – on jobs? If taxes are raised, can the honestly be called "temporary?"

These are all great questions and they must be openly discussed, not twisted and spun to try and convince the public that what they know to be poison is really medicine.

Well if we look at history, this legislature hasn't done so well in regard to this principle. In 1991 we were faced with a $1 billion deficit—but instead of cutting back on spending, taxes were raised $3 billion - $ 1 Billion in needed revenue, $2 Billion to “buy” the votes. That $2Billion/yr has resulted in taxpayers losing over $35 Billion dollars. You see raising taxes is VERY expensive.

In fact, this legislature has resorted to raising taxes in every previous recession (1983, 1991, and 2003). Today, we're facing a $3 billion+ deficit from just this current year with the need to address in this budget an equivalent of around $7Billion. Does anyone think we can afford to raise taxes without absolutely destroying our economy and breaking the backs of our taxpayers? So history doesn't look to good. Now is the time to learn from history, consider the negative impact of the previous tax increases and live within available revenues.

Fact 1: Tax Freedom Day, or the day where Americans stop working to pay taxes and start working for themselves, fell on April 13th. Pennsylvanians work a full 103 days, or three and a half months, to pay federal, state and income taxes. During 2009, you and I will pay more in taxes than we spend on food, clothing, and housing combined.

Fact 2: Pennsylvanians in particular shoulder a heavy burden: with the 11th high state and local tax burden in the country, Pennsylvanians pay on average $13,000 PER PERSON (not wage-earner) in taxes. In 2008-2009, our Pennsylvania state and local governments spent $10,000 for every man, woman, and child.

Fact 3: Raising the PIT as the Governor wants to do will destroy jobs: According to the PA State Tax Analysis Modeling Program, or PA-STAMP, a 1% increase in personal income tax would result in a net loss of 47,633 jobs next year.