Daily Kos: Taking the PA House; where we stand

Daily Kos: Taking the PA House; where we stand: "Taking the PA House; where we stand
by ortcutt
Tue May 02, 2006 at 04:37:30 PM PDT

The Republicans have controlled the Pennsylvania Legislature for about as long as I can remember. This control has had serious implications not only for Pennsylvanians but for all Americans, since Pennsylvania's Republican Legislature has controlled the redistricting process decade after decade. Democrats are within striking distance of taking the Pennsylvania House and we've only got three elections left (2006, 2008, and 2010) if we are going to have a say in the 2010 redistricting.

Part of the problem with these Pennsylvania House races is that there is very little information on the races. There are 203 Pennsylvania House members (a ludicrously high number). Each member represents a little over 60,000 people. It's difficult for such small races to get any attention."

Right on.

I've been working less on the blog and more on the wiki, Platform.For-Pgh.org, so as to fix this problem of little attention to state rep and state senate candidates. It is a big problem. And, a big solution is hard to unfold. But, with some technology, and a few others helping -- hey running mates -- this can be another tool for the reformers.

Peek at this. http://69.36.175.17/wiki/index.php/Special:Recentchanges

WEBCommentary - Political winds of change blow strong in Pennsylvania

WEBCommentary(tm) - Political winds of change blow strong in Pennsylvania: "Incumbent Pennsylvania legislators who did not face challengers in the May 16 primary shouldn't feel too confident that they've survived the voter backlash.

Only 61 of the 228 legislators whose terms expire in 2006 faced opponents in the primary. But 18 of the incumbents were already sent packing by the voters, primarily by disgruntled conservative Republicans, in a political upheaval not seen in Pennsylvania for two decades.

The bloodbath included the top two Republican leaders of the Pennsylvania Senate, President Pro Tempore Robert Jubilerer and Majority Leader Chip Brightbill, who collectively spent $2.5 million to defend their seats against unknown and under-funded challengers. Jubilerer and Brightbill weren't just defeated at the polls, they were slapped around by voters.

Photos of Brightbill and Jubilirer posing with Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell were widely circulated by conservatives. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Those photos may have cost Brightbill and Jubilerer thousands of votes.

Any friend of liberal Ed Rendell is no friend of the Republican Party. That's the message Republican primary voters sent to Brightbill and Jubilerer, widely regarded as RINOs (Republican In Name Only.) The two veteran politicians were the most visible leaders of the pay raise debacle, in which legislators voted themselves pay hikes of up to 54 percent in the middle of the night without any debate.

Now comes a reality check for other incumbents. Almost all of the 40 incumbents who won on May 16 will face challengers in the Nov. 7 general election. And there's another 50 to 60 candidates waiting for a chance to take on incumbents in a year when voters want blood.

That includes independent, Libertarian, Green Party and Constitution Party members. There's even a Socialist Party member planning to run against a Republican incumbent in mostly-GOP Chester County. Don't look now, but Democracy is breaking out all over Pennsylvania.

How willing are voters to vote for somebody other than the incumbent?

Consider this. James Babb, a Libertarian who plans to challenge Rep. Carole Rubley in the 157th House District reports that he collected all of the signatures he needed for his nominating petition in one day � Tuesday, May 16.

Pennsylvania election law requires third-party and independent candidates to collect 466 signatures from district voters to qualify for the ballot in the 157th District, according to the Babb campaign."

State GOP chairwoman Eileen Melvin resigns : The Morning Call Online

Another one bites the dust.

State GOP chairwoman Eileen Melvin resigns : The Morning Call Online: "State GOP chairwoman Eileen Melvin resigns

She gives no reason, but observers point to party turmoil.

The primary week purge that brought down two of the state's most powerful Republicans has claimed another victim.

On Friday, state Republican Chairwoman Eileen Melvin announced that she will not stand for re-election when Pennsylvania's GOP foot soldiers gather for their quarterly meeting in Harrisburg next month.

What does this have to do with Swann's run?

Two hot areas...

http://www.greaterphilachamber.com/currentissues_state.asp#9

PA Lobbyist Update - Chief Justice of the PA Supreme Court Ralph Cappy recently responded to PA Speaker John Perzel's request indicating that he is unable to create an advisory group to assist with development of legislation regulating lobbyists because it would compromise the unbiased consideration in potential litigation. He suggested that legislative leaders consider input from retired judges such as Russ Nigro. Perzel issued a statement outlining his plans to work with House and Senate members and the Governor's office to enact lobbying reform measures that lead to more openness and true transparency in government.

And a song, http://www.pacleansweep.com/payraise.mp3
. That will need to go onto my next CD.

More notes about music to come shortly.

Boycott Bud - a new BLOG pops it lid, cheers!

Some in the blog world might be gathering at Finnigan's Wake tonight for the blog fest. We'll see what beverage they choose.

Boycott Bud: "Word was handed down from St. Louis today that Rolling Rock beer will no longer be brewed in Old Latrobe, but instead in Newark, New Jersey.

Newark, New Jersey!

Clearly, this is the end of Rolling Rock as we know it. It may be in a green bottle, but it ain't Rolling Rock if it comes from Newark! If you love our region and its beer, strike back at Anheuser-Busch by never again purchasing or drinking one of its beers. Let us strive to never again look down a bar and see one of our fellow Western Pennsylvanians swilling any of the following evil brews:

All Budweiser brands
All Busch brands
All Michelob brands
All Natural brands
O'Doul's NA
Bacardi Silver
Bare Knuckle Stout
Tilt
Tequiza
Hurricane malt liquors
King Cobra malt liquor
Red Hook ESB
Hefeweizen
Harbin

And, yes, sadly...Rolling Rock. Show me a mountain spring in Newark!

Leave your name, hometown, and comment below to show Anheuser-Busch that we won't stand for them killing our beer!"

Cheers.

Witch -- err, WHICH Hunt gains speed

I've said all along that this is a "which hunt." Which one do you want to peg first? Which one next? I feel that they all are guilty of fumbling their duties in respect to the needs and wants of the citizens and taxpayers. They all are guilty of driving our city into the gutter.

Solicitor refers Carlisle inquiry to DA Pittsburgh Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle spent approximately $400,000 in city money on 26 consultants since 2002, and some of that spending warrants referral to Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala and the state Ethics Commission.

That's the result of a two-week inquiry by City Solicitor Susan Malie, requested by Council President Luke Ravenstahl, and revealed today.

Council President Luke Ravenstahl said he will propose reforms to council spending procedures Tuesday.

Forbidden City's doors are about to open... ever so slowly.

Fast Ed on KBN: "She clocked everybody."

Much like an ancient spanking, if you know what I mean.
Clocker....

Gov. Rendell said Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll's runaway victory over three opponents in the Democratic primary for that office proved an absence of anti-incumbency sentiment in that race.

"Look at Catherine Baker Knoll," Rendell said at a stop in Bethlehem, Pa., yesterday. "She clocked everybody."

Valerie wasn't about a 'fresh face' either. She is way younger, but has been around the block from row office, to row office protection spokesperson, to city council with some failed budgets and school board member with huge divides among students.

Furthermore, voters in PA have a way of thinking one way when it comes to selecting individuals to serve on legislative bodies and another way when it comes to picking executives. Often, and this is my theory, the voters go to one way in one category and the other way in the other choice. For example, when Rendell was elected, same too were more Republicans put into the state house and senate.

So, if this holds true again, if Rendell gets elected with KBN -- and they 'clock' both challenging camps, then, I expect that a number of other Democrats will fall too.

That's balance.
Got Balance?

The Editor's Blog: Unplugged

Great advice. "They should have logged on and listened." Great advice. Did I say that twice?

The Editor's Blog: Unplugged It's in no way surprising that ousted lawmakers would beat a drumbeat of excuses for their defeats, anything other than a disconnect with ordinary people on issues that matter. But, still, I'm disappointed with Dennis Leh for not giving credit where credit is due.

Challenger Billy Reed didn't beat me, Leh said. 'The papers did. We deserved some of it, but the papers just crucified us.'

We'll put the Jesus analogies aside and not take anything away from the mainstream press. But what about the impact of the Internet, which wasn't in everyone's homes the last time the legislature tried a late-night pay grab? It was the bloggers -- unlimited by the finite space of the print media -- that kept the pay-raise issue rock 'n' rolling for nearly a year. Not to mention the hundreds and hundreds of taxpayers who expressed their outrage on this blog alone, vowing payback.

Leh and the gang should have logged on and listened.

Put this rocket into your date book, May 20th at 10 pm.

I can't say much else, except, visit this site:

Down and Derby Party.

Roller skating goes on in the lobby areas of the sports stadiums, daily, in central Chengdu in southwest China. Could you imagine the Steelers setting up a skate rink for ongoing operations day-in-day-out in The Great Hall in Heinz Field. Yeah, right!

In other news, speaking of skating, I got another call the other day from a possible investor who wants to Re-OPEN the now closed (still) Neville Ice Rink on the South Side behind UPMC's South Side Hospital. The rink was shut and never re-opened, due to a lack of political will from Mayor Murphy.

New York park goers to get free Internet Wi-Fi - Yahoo! News

Put wi-fi in parks.

New York park goers to get free Internet Wi-Fi - Yahoo! News New York's Central Park and a number of other public spaces will become public Internet hubs starting this summer when the city's parks begin offering free wireless net access, the city government said.

'We expect Central Park to be launched in July, and the rest of the parks in the late summer,' the Department of Parks and Recreation said. Among those green spaces going on-line for public Wi-Fi access will be Washington Square, Union Square, Brooklyn's Prospect Park and Flushing Meadows.

I suggested this for Pittsburgh. Our city's politicians should be more concerned with putting in wi-fi in parks and public spaces, not for downtown street corners.

City Council could have easily insisted that wi-fi come to all the swim pools and rec centers as it is being installed downtown. They didn't, sadly.

And it isn't just me. Another wrote on the WPLUG list: "Wish we could get this in Pittsburgh city parks! We have far less square feet of park space to cover than Central Park in NYC so costs should be significantly lower."

500 votes were needed, and a sum of 358 were scored

Vote totals from Allegheny County's 2006 primary among ONLY Ds and Rs with write in totals displayed.

SENATOR IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 42ND DISTRICT Vote for NOT MORE THAN 1 (WITH 248 OF 248 DISTRICTS COUNTED) WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 358 100.00 Total . . . . . . . . . 358

The 42nd PA Senate district is open this year and the Republicans didn't put anyone into the race. Meanwhile, the Dems have only one candidate. I'm hopeful I'll run in the race in November as an Independent.

Yesterday there was a possibility that a candidate could have done a 'write in' on the open seat in the Republican primary and won -- if more than 500 votes were recorded. Well, only 358 write-ins were scored. That isn't enough to gain entry onto the November ballot for a PA Senate race.

We won't know who those votes were cast for for a while, I think. Some are sure to be Donnald Duck and Goofy. Others might be for more legit candidates.

I didn't mount any efforts to secure that write-in position myself, but I should have done so, if I was willing to burn a lot of extra cycles in those areas.

I'm happy that the slot will be empty. This sets up a 1-on-1 race for November between a Democrat and an Independent, (me).

(See comments for more insights.)

One Year Ago.... I was on the ballot for PA Senate. Lasting public anger boils more boldly.

PennLive.com: NewsFlash - Voter backlash continues in Pa. over legislative pay raise In a demonstration of lasting public anger over a legislative pay raise, Pennsylvania voters ended the political careers of two veteran state Senate Republican leaders and at least 12 House members in a major shake-up of the General Assembly.

Trojan Horse -- Big Pink Pig -- on a trek to the scrap-heap of life, with some help from our friends...

Big pink pig.... Roll it on out-a-here!

I'm crossing my fingers. Let's hope some of those piggie paygrabbers get dislodged and move to the private sector tonight!

Dave Winer and Dan Gillmor on the future on news | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

Who do you trust? Getting set to go "On Air" with Pitt undergrads with the Pitt Radio Station.

Dave Winer and Dan Gillmor on the future on news | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com Dan talked about how reputation, voting, ranking–combining community driven attributes along with who we know and people we trust–can help filter the signal from the noise. Agreed, and it's one of the areas where a lot of innovation is needed. Whether you are a professional journalist or blogger, you have to earn trust, and there are elements (links, subscribers, ratings, etc.) that can be used to determinine reputation, as in my diagram below.

(see the link to see the diagram)

Russ hits the TV airwaves tonight as the election results roll in -- if the machines work.

PA Primary

AP Wire | 05/16/2006 | Pa. primary to set stage for hot Senate race, test voter anger Most of the challengers on the ballot were recruited by PACleanSweep, a group organized at the peak of the pay-raise furor with the goal of bringing about major turnover in the Legislature.

Clean sweep em.

Boat US Foundation: Online Boating Course

BoatUS Foundation: Online Boating Course General Boating Course: Test your nautical knowledge with our 60 question (50 general boating and 10 state-specific), General Boating Course. This test covers a broad range of topics that are appropriate for powerboaters and sailors. You will receive a certificate upon successful completion of this 60 question, NASBLA approved course.

Where might one find this type of boat? (see comments)

2 Political Junkies: I endorse...ME!

Voting advice from a blogger that makes sense.

2 Political Junkies: I endorse...ME!: "I endorse...ME!"

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CATHERINE BAKER KNOLL HOSTS ELECTION NIGHT PARTY - 5/12/2006

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CATHERINE BAKER KNOLL HOSTS ELECTION NIGHT PARTY - 5/12/2006 PITTSBURGH – Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll today announced that Allegheny County Democratic candidates, poll workers and supporters can await election results at a party she will host at Finnegan’s Wake on the city’s historic North Side after the polls close Tuesday night.

Fitting place for an election night party, if you know what I mean.