Above Average Jane

Saturday, March 11, 2006

weekly legislative update

Standard caveats apply (resolutions not generally included, list of sponsors deleted if it was too long - three lines in the originally formatting).

Our accountants friends at PICPA have updated their legislative page, and have a lot to say about property tax reform.

Other weekly updates are available for this week:

PA House Democrats
PA House GOP daily updates
PA Senate Democrats
PA Senate Republicans

Special Session

Monday HB03 conference committee report presented, HB 14, HB15, HB16, HB17 laid on the table and removed; HB39 the house does not concur with the senate; representatives appointed.
Tuesday no action
Wednesday no action
Thursday no action
Friday no action

Regular Session

These bills passed either the house or senate this week.

House

HB 248 Prior Printer's No. 274. Printer's No. 3637. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for unattended children in motor vehicles, for legislative review of State highway transfers and for allocation of proceeds from taxes for highway maintenance and construction.

HB 1631 By Representatives BOYD, DeWEESE, SURRA, PICKETT, HERSHEY, BAKER, PHILLIPS, SEMMEL, ARMSTRONG, GEIST, CALTAGIRONE, McILHATTAN, FABRIZIO, CLYMER, KILLION, DENLINGER, STABACK, J. EVANS, THOMAS and HARPER. Printer's No. 2016. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for vehicles exempt from registration.

HB 1928 Prior Printer's Nos. 2637, 2882. Printer's No. 3638. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for permits for movement of a mobile home or a modular housing unit and modular housing undercarriage.

HB 2017 An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for exemptions from jury duty.

HB 2133 By Representative FAIRCHILD. Prior Printer's No. 2937. Printer's No. 3636. An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for special registration plates, for identification card, for unattended children in motor vehicles, for periods for requiring lighted lamps, for authority to use flashing or revolving blue lights and for restrictions on highway and bridge use.

HB 20206 An Act designating a bridge in Coudersport Borough, Potter County, as the Specialist Mike Franklin Memorial Bridge.

HB 2210 An Act designating a portion of State Route 422 in Berks County as the Sergeant William V. Fernandez Highway.

SB 987 By Senator CORMAN. Printer's No. 1297. An Act authorizing and directing the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey to Centre County Industrial Development Corporation, certain lands situate in Benner Township, Centre County.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

A Note from Team Joe

The campaign manager for Joe Hoeffel's lt. gov. campaign has sent an email to supporters and volunteers. With his permission, I am excerpting part of it here.

First of all, I want to personally thank everyone who circulated petitions for Joe and started to contribute money to his campaign. Unfortunately as many of you have read in the news by now, Governor Rendell has changed his mind about Joe entering the race. Certainly we wish he had conveyed that message to Joe three weeks ago, but in the world of politics, sometimes things change very fast.

Later in the email he says:

You all would have been proud to see Joe’s graceful and genuine demeanor in the face of yesterday’s disappointment. He was appreciative and positive with every supporter and reporter he spoke with, and refused to speak negatively of the situation.

For those out there thinking there was some quid-pro-quo to get Joe out of the race, please be assured there was not. I have first-hand knowledge that no “deal” was cut between Joe and Gov. Rendell, and want to assure all our supporters that Joe has more integrity than that and genuinely just wanted to run for public office. Gov. Rendell, while we disagree with his change of mind, has enough ethical sense not to make that overture.

I thought the email was well-written and sincere.

Hoeffel also sent out an email, thanking his supporters, volunteers and contributors. Having heard Hoeffel speak and having talked with him personally, I found his words believable and from the heart. The exact words are not included because I did not want to intrude in what is no doubt a difficult time by asking if I could post part or all of it.

One Last Snippy Comment

One last snark, and then I'll let it go.

Gov. Rendell asks Bryan Lentz, a candidate who is raising money and energizing grassroots supporters, to step aside in the 7th congressional district.

Gov. Rendell asks Joe Hoeffel, a candidate who has years of public service and a reputation for integrity and good character, to step aside in the lt. gov. race.

But in all his years as governor and all his years as mayor of Philly, Ed Rendell couldn't find State Rep. Bill Rieger's phone number to call him and ask him to, oh, I don't know, do his job or retire or something?

If, as has been said, and probably correctly so, that I am cynical about politics, things like this are a big reason why.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Payday Lending Update

A Smoke-Filled Room has a good recap of recent developments in payday lending regulations.

His Bruised and Aching Hand

As you probably know by now, Joe Hoeffel is no longer running for lt. gov. His old pal Ed Rendell apparently requested that he withdraw from the race. Colin at the Garnet Donkey and Albert have both said what I would have wanted to say. I couldn't figure out how to word it properly so just read their postings.

Valerie McDonald Roberts, still in the race (note to Val: if Ed calls, don't answer the phone), issued a very classy press release. Read it in it's entirety here. This is the last paragraph (italics mine):

I commend Joe for his years of public service and thank him for his commitment to the people of Pennsylvania. I look forward to his continuing participation in public service and as an elected official within the state. I hope that we can continue to partner together in bringing compassion and common sense to the voters of Pennsylvania. I also wish to commend his supporters for their activism and we hope that they stay involved because we need everyone's voice to bring the reform and change Pennsylvania needs at this crucial time.

For me the italicized part is very important because if I had carried around a petition for Joe and found out a day later that my work had gone for naught I'd be pretty darn ticked. It's reason #45 why I don't carry around petitions. The political powerbrokers generally consider people who carry around petitions to be expendable cannon fodder. Not that I have strong feelings about it, mind you.

Since I had a hard time finding the right words to describe the situation I looked through some anthologies for something that did. I found a poem, "Bill and Joe" by Oliver Wendell Holmes, about two men at various points in their lifelong friendship. One stanza stood out and I thought of Joe Hoeffel.

The weary idol takes his stand,
Holds out his bruised and aching hand,
While gaping thousands come and go, --
How vain in seems, this empty show!
Till all at once his pulses thrill; --
'Tis poor old Joe's "God bless you, Bill!"

I think Joe Hoeffel has been poorly treated by his old friend Ed today.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Three in Twelve

State Senator Stewart Greenleaf, 12th district, faces double trouble. He will have a primary challenge from Kathy Mendla. Jeff Albert, chairman of the Upper Dublin Democratic Committee, attorney and noted ethics expert, is the Democratic candidate.

For more such fascinating data, check out the 60+ page file of unofficial primary candidates. Print a copy for reference as a score card. (via politicspa)

Mr. Featherman Floats

Republican senatorial candidate John Featherman has handed in his petitions and is slated to appear on the primary ballot. According to this article from the Ledger Enquirer Santorum has agreed to at least one primary debate. While Sen. Santorum might not sit up nights worrying about losing the primary, this will provide the campaign with an extra complexity that he would surely rather do without, and provide Republican voters with a choice they would not otherwise have. Featherman was interviewed on this blog here.

Hoeffel Lt Gov Website Up and Running

PoliticsPA is reporting that Joe Hoeffel has launched his lt. gov. campaign website. Check out http://hoeffel06.com/.

Dan Fee Re-Ups with Rendell

Capitol Ideas is reporting that Dan Fee, who worked on Ed Rendell's 2002 gubernatorial campaign, will sign up for round 2.

Monday, March 06, 2006

News Round Up

Sorry not to have a longer posting today but a lot of things are happening. Instead of me re-capping everything, I would invite people to take a look at www.politicspa.com. A few of the things you will find: Alan Sandals and Catherine Baker Knoll have rounded up all the signatures they need to officially run for senate and lt. gov. respectively. Joe Hoeffel has planned a series of announcements to formally kick off his lt. gov. bid.

You will also find numbers and press releases on this past weekend's Bucks Co. Democratic endorsements. In addition, Raj Bhakta will be taking on the political juggernaut known as Allyson Schwartz.

Koufax Voting Open

Voting on the Koufax Awards is now open. There are a number of good PA blogs represented in a number of categories. I, of course, would draw your attention to the State and Local Blogs category. The state is especially well-represented there. I do have one (ahem)or two favorites there. Please take a moment to vote.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Missing Monday

As part of the Philly area bloggers Missing Monday campaign, a missing person case is highlighted on the first Monday of each month.

VERNETHA VICTORIA ALSTON is considered an endangered runaway. She was last seen in Philadelphia on January 9, 2006. She is 15. More details here.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

More Bucks Co Endorsements

The Next Direction has posted a longer list of candidates endorsed at today's Bucks Co Democrats meeting on Philly Future. Endorsed candidates mentioned on this blog are Joe Hoeffel (lt. gov.) and Paul Lang (6th PA State Senate district).

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Patrick Murphy has been endorsed by the Bucks County Democrats for the 8th congressional district.

A Note for Lawyers (and Other Legal Professionals)

Friday was a train day and as I waited in the station a group of people came over to wait for the same train. Given the close quarters it was impossible not to overhear their conversation. They had all been working on a legal case and some of the details they provided made it sound a lot like a case I have been reading about in the papers. The conversation also strayed into previous cases and one person made a statement to the effect that he had done something illegal in the previous case. Within the context of the conversation it was clear he was being sarcastic and referring to accusations made against him. One of those "oh, yeah, I did that..." comments made to say just the exact opposite. Nonetheless, it probably wasn't a smart thing to do. Nor is discussing the details of an ongoing case in a public setting.

Local law firms may want to provide continuing education on privacy and confidentiality concerns.

Albert Runs for Committeeman

If any readers live in Philadelphia, Ward 5, Division 8, Albert of dragonballyee is collecting signatures to run for committeeman in your ward. Check out this post for details. Go, Albert!

Friday, March 03, 2006

The Power of Nuance

Tomorrow the Bucks County Democrats meet to decide whether or not to make an endorsement in the 8th congressional race. As you might imagine, things are getting tense.

Yesterday I reported on an editorial in the Intelligencer criticizing Andy Warren for criticizing Patrick Murphy. One item in particular was Warren's comment that Murphy running in the 8th district was opportunistic because he had not lived there long. This is also referenced in an article on the phillyburbs website, dated yesterday. Here are three excerpts from that article (Scheid, Brian, "Candidate counters residency criticism," March 2, 2006 8:49 AM) :

In 2004 a profile on Murphy appeared in Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper that covers Congress.

later

At the time Murphy was an Army captain who had just returned to Pennsylvania from a tour in Iraq and was recruiting veterans to vote for Sen. John Kerry for president, an effort the profile delves into.

later

In the article, Murphy also claims Democratic Party officials had approached him to run for Congress in either Pennsylvania's 8th District, which is made up mostly of Bucks, or the 13th District, which is made up of Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

In the article, Murphy never says he's definitely running for Congress, but he also says that party officials wanted him to run in one of those districts depending on how Democratic candidates did there in 2004 races. In the 8th, Republican Mike Fitzpatrick won, while in the 13th, Democrat Allyson Schwartz won.

This is what Warren has to say in a press release on his website:

Your editorial chastised me for calling Mr. Murphy an “opportunist.” The exchange happened when it was revealed by a reporter that on Election Day 2004, Mr. Murphy told “Roll Call Magazine” he would decide where to move based on the election outcomes in the 8th and the 13th Congressional Districts. I was asked if this could be described as ‘opportunistic.’” I answered—and would still answer—“YES.”

Look closely at the wording in the newspaper article: party officials approached him to run in either district. It doesn't say what he felt about it. I have tried to track down the original Roll Call article but archives are available only to subscribers and I don't have access. All I have to go on is what I can currently find and that indicates solely that he was approached. If either candidate has excerpts from the Roll Call article that would clear this up, I would be delighted to see them.

Also included in Warren's press release is this paragraph:

Contrary to your Editorial, Mr. Murphy has NEVER lived in this district until last year: he lived in the 3rd District in Northeast Philadelphia as a child and moved away long before the neighborhood became part of the 8th Congressional District. I never said Mr. Murphy wasn’t registered because of his military deployment. What is true is he was registered “No Party” for 12 years in Lebanon County from 1992-2004, with a less than 25% voting record, and admits to voting for George W. Bush in 2000. To claim to be a life-long Democrat is at best “opportunistic”. This “life-long Democrat” has been registered Democratic in the 8th Congressional District exactly one year.

Warren clearly states that the area Murphy lived in is now indeed part of the 8th district -- it simply wasn't at the time. Splitting hairs. In regard to the registration in Lebanon County from 1992-2004, Murphy says on his website that he was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia and started Bucks County Community College in 1991. Assuming he took four years to graduate (from King's College in Wilkes-Barre), that would be 1995. He went to law school in Harrisburg. That's at least another three years. At one point, he was a legislative aide for Democratic Representative Thomas Tangretti, perhaps while a law student. There aren't dates associated with many of his accomplishments so it is difficult to track exactly where he was when. I know from my own research that he was at West Point for about 4 years before going to Iraq, say 1999 to 2003. In between he worked for the district attorney in Philadelphia. Many people in college or the military keep their address of record at a parent's or other relative's house to make sure their mail is received and cared for. College students move frequently and if the military sends you new orders you can't get away with saying your old roommate tossed it. In some of his West Point columns (reviewed in-depth here) he discussed the importance of the address of record. He also wrote more than one column on the military regulations regarding political activity by military personnel. These were very specific. There was nothing in them about party registration but, as an instructor at a military college, he may have wanted to avoid the appearance of favoritism or of politicing among his students. I don't know.

The nuances of language can be very prejudicial in situations like this. I do know that Warren's words are inflammatory. He also glosses over his own admission that if he had been selected for office two years ago to fill in for either Jim Greenwood or Mike Fitzpatrick he would still be a Republican. And that means a lot more to me than where Patrick Murphy kept his shaving kit and his books while he was in college.

weekly legislative update

In the Pennsylvania state legislature this week no bills were introduced, shuffled, or voted on. Ditto for the special session on property tax.

However, some of our regular weekly updates are available, with assorted other news.

PICPA

House GOP

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Alberto Mora's Philly Years

You may remember reading about Alberto Mora, who resigned as head of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and worked to overturn the administration's acceptance of torture for detainees. You may not know that he attended Swarthmore, graduating with honors in 1974. (Mayer, Jane, "The Memo," The New Yorker Feb. 27, pp. 32- 41).

More on PA-08

Two more tidbits on PA-08:

Liberal Doomsayer reprints an editorial from the Intelligencer, suggesting that one candidate not criticize another candidate for not being in the district while serving in the military.

Patrick Murphy has a long list of endorsements.

One odd thing today -- Andy Warren's website was drastically upgraded today but was back to the previous version tonight -- testing out a revision maybe?

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Update on the 152nd State House

There has been a lot going on in the 152nd house race lately. This district includes part of Montgomery County and Northeast Philly.

Ross Schriftman, one of three Democrats running, has been busy. He has suggested mandatory continuing education for legislators, specifically in Pennsylvania and U.S. constitutional law. I don't know if that would fly or not but it certainly couldn't hurt. In light of recent revelations on GOP gubernatorial hopeful Lynn Swann's spotty voting record, Schriftman has said he has voted in every election since he became a registered voter in 1971. He also said that he was the first person under the age of 21 to register to vote in Montgomery County when the law was changed to allow 18 to 21 year olds to participate in elections.

John S. Weinrich Sr. and Michael Paston are also running for the Democratic spot on the ticket. Weinrich failed to get the GOP's backing against Cornell two years ago and changed his party affiliation to Democratic. Michael Paston also switched parties from Republican to Democrat.

Tom Murt, who is challenging incumbent Sue Cornell, did not get the party endorsement but is continuing on in the primary elections. He has been holding a series of forums in the district. One was held Feb. 19th at the Fulmor Heights Homeowner Association. The next will be in the Huntingdon Valley Library Community Room on Thursday, March 9th at 7:00. Cornell was invited but did not attend the meeting on the 19th and is invited to the forum on the 9th also.

Murt has announced his passionate support of Senate Bills #71, #354, and #355, all of which concern bullying and violence in schools.

After receiving the endorsement of the local Republican party Cornell and county party chairman Ken Davis both said they hoped other Republicans would drop out of the race for the good of the party. However, when Cornell was running for office in Hatboro in 2003 she did not seek the party's endorsement and ran against endorsed Republican candidates. Do people think we don't notice things like this?

Sources (other than imbedded links):

Anastasi, John, "Incumbents defeated in Hatboro," Intelligencer May 21, 2003

"News," Intelligencer January 19, 2006

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Shapiro Updates

This evening I have two bits of information updating previous posts, both concerning legislation introduced by Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-153).

The State House's latest podcast concerns two bills relating to children. The first is on the proposed Katie Elise Lambert Commission to study of causes of accidental death among children. Shapiro is a prime sponsor of this bill and is interviewed in the podcast. Rep. Allyson Schwartz has introduced similar legislation on the federal level. My previous post on this subject is here.

The second Shapiro update is on HB 1706 which would allow create an articulation system among the states 14 community colleges and state-owned and state-related universities, allowing students to transfer credits from one school to another. Shapiro testified before the House Appropriation committee in support of the bill earlier this month. I wrote on this bill and the general topic here earlier, and on why this is of particular interest to me here earlier.

Anne Dicker for State Rep!

Starting this blog brought me into contact, at least virtually, with the Philadelphia blogosphere and progressive Philadelphia politics. I was quick to learn that it is impossible to do so without tripping over Anne Dicker (or, at least her name) on a regular basis. She seems to have been involved with many of the major organizations and worked for many of the candidates. She sets up meetings, drives people around, gets things going, you name it. These are not prima donna tasks but the activities of someone willing to do what is needed. I've never met her but I've been very impressed with what I have read about her and what other people have said about her.

Yesterday I was very pleased to read that she has decided to run for office, the 175th house district (part of Philadelphia County, including the neighborhoods of Queen Village, Society Hill, Old City, Northern Liberties, and Fishtown). This will be an open seat.

Good luck, Anne!!

Monday, February 27, 2006

Polling: Reader Beware

Polls and polling are an important part of politics, and one I don't know much about. To remedy this situation, and so I can write on the topic without flaunting my ignorance, I've been reading the 6th edition of Polling and the Public: What Every Citizen Should Know by Herbert Asher. Take a look at this passage from p. 53:

For example, in surveys in which the wife and husband were interviewed independently, their responses did not agree perfectly about such factual items as the number of children they had. Perhaps errors were made in transcribing their responses. Or perhaps the question was ambiguous. One spouse might have responded in terms of children living at home; the other in terms of the total number. Or one on spouse might have included children from a previous marriage, and the other might not have.

Something to make you think next time you read poll numbers.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

A Note on Andy Warren

I've written several times, positively, about Patrick Murphy, who would like to be the Democratic candidate for the 8th Congressional district (Bucks Co, part of Northeast Philadelphia, and a tiny bit of Montgomery County). I've written not so positively about Fred Viskovich, another potential Democratic candidate. That leaves only Andy Warren, the third Democratic hopeful. After reviewing the public record, here are a few of my observations. Sources are listed at the end of this post.

The History

Warren was a high school social studies teacher for 15 years. He was elected, as a Republican, to four terms as Bucks County commissioner, serving from 1979 to 1995, when he resigned to become regional supervisor at PennDOT. A full biography is available on his website.

The Opportunism

Andy Warren has wanted to be in office for a number of years. Warren once dreamed of being governor (6/16/03). In 1995, when he resigned as Bucks County commissioner, he said he eventually intended to run for office in the county again, and specifically mentioned the 8th congressional district, then held by Republican Jim Greenwood, or state office (4/17/95). In 2003 he mentioned again the possibility of running for office:

"I don't want to retire," he says. "If I retired from here [PennDOT], I would want to run for office," Are there options for this polemical figure who views elected office as the highest calling? "In Bucks County, the opportunity has not presented itself," he said. (6/16/03)

In 2004, when Greenwood suddenly withdrew from the race, Warren expressed interest in being picked by Republican leaders as Greenwood's successor, although county commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick and state senator Joe Conti were considered the frontrunners (7/22/04). Fitzpatrick was selected and ran against Democrat Ginny Schrader, winning the seat. Bucks County Republican party officials then had to select a replacement for Fitzpatrick on the county board of commissioners.

"Warren, 61, of Middletown Township gave his reason for wanting to rejoin the county board [of commissioners]: "I always believed that it was the most effective elective office that one could hold" (12/09/2004)

On his website he says something similar: “a County Commissioner is one of the few positions where one experiences the entire spectrum of human life issues.” So much for wanting to run for Congress. However, he was not as quick to round up support as some of the others interested.

"[Warren] agrees that Komelasky, Scarborough and Cawley are the front-runners at this point, in large part because they've already been contacting members of the executive committee about their interest in Fitzpatrick's seat. But he said he isn't worried that he and other potential nominees will be blocked out of the process. "They have declared, they are out running, if you will, he said. "I am technically still on the sidelines -- you can't be upset with people who are in the race." (11/29/04)

His lack of initiative wasn't the only problem. As Republican county chair Harry Fawkes said in an interview with the editorial board of the Bucks County Courier Times, Warren had been involved in some "very negative" meetings. "Once we pick him," he asserted, "we've got to get him elected." (12/13/04). The job went to Jim Cawley.

On June 2, 2005, newspapers reported that Warren was switching parties and becoming a Democrat. Fawkes said Warren "mentioned" the county party's snub of him, when the executive committee failed to nominate him for the commissioner's seat Fitzpatrick vacated to run for Congress. (6/02/05) As for his future amibitions, Warren said he did not swtich parties for the express purpose of running for any office. (6/02/05) He also did not rule out the possibility. Nor did Democratic county chair, John Cordisco who said Warren definitely would be considered for a high-level candidacy. (6/02/05) In August, though, Cordisco said of the 8th district race, "I don't know whether (Warren) will be the candidate; that's not been decided" (8/24/05). Warren admitted he's still be a Republican if he'd returned to county office, and said he would try have"'tried to change the direction' of the party from within" (9/24/05).

To be fair, Warren also mentioned that he felt out of step with Republican policies. "When one finds that his philosophy is so out of step with the organization, you either sit silently by, hypocritically, or you do something about it, he said. "It was time to move on. So I did." (6/02/05). He made similar statements in at least two other newspaper articles (2/14/06 and 7/21/05). Even so, he has said if he'd been selected for office he would still be a Republican, which is a pretty clear indication that policy matters were not his primary concern.

Seven weeks later he said people were approaching him about running for office.

"Some people have expressed interest in me as a possible candidate," Warren said. "I wouldn't say no." The Middletown resident said he hasn't been approached by the Democratic leadership, including Gov. Ed Rendell, about the possibility of running for Congress." (7/21/05).

Although he had indicated he would stay at his job at PennDOT until January, he suddenly resigned in September to campaign full-time (9/24/05).

I found two of his statements to be indicative of his current campaign. In September he said, "When I was a county commissioner, I always said I was a county commissioner that happened to be a Republican," he said. "I will be a congressman ... who happens to be registered as a Democrat." (9/24/05). Although it may have just been a slip of the tongue, I found it interesting that he happened to be a Republican, but happens to be registered as a Democrat. Those two aren't necessarily equal signs of commitment to the party and it's ideals. He has also said that he might stay in race even if Bucks County's Democratic Party endorses someone else. (2/14/06).

Since 1995 Mr. Warren has been talking about running for Congress, unless, of course, there was the possibility that he might regain his seat on the county commissioners board, and then it is the most effective elective position he could hold. He was a Republican until he disagreed with their policies, which happened to coincide with his not being selected for either office. Now he's registered as a Democrat, although he won't necessarily abide by the county party's wishes. It seems that Mr. Warren is determined to return to office, any office, and representing any party. That has to give you pause. I can understand the desire to be in the public eye and have an effect on policy, but there are many ways of doing that which do not require running for office. He was influencing regional transportation policy at PennDOT and there are similar organizations and a lot of community groups that would no doubt have welcomed Warren's participation. I am always wary of people who want to be in office, any office, any party, any time.

The Presumption

I have noticed that people who have been in office or have held office for a number of years sometimes begin to think they are coated with teflon and universally loved. Warren seems to have succombed to this syndrome. Someone in his position usually has to have a strong ego, but he can get carried away.

"Between the two of us [Warren and Schrader], I think everbody in Bucks County has voted for one of us at one time or another," Warren said (2/17/06)

"I believe I'm one of the two or three most recognizable names in Bucks County, so I have that," he said (9/24/05)

"I could be selling flowers out on the street and I would be the most visible flower seller," Warren said. (6/16/03)

He thinks he is one of the two or three most recognizable names in the county? Pick ten county residents at random and ask them who he is. Most people have a hard time telling you who their senators are, let alone county commissioners or PennDOT employees. His ego shows through in other places, too. For example, on his website biography he notes that he was voted "Most Outstanding Senior Boy" in high school. Generally speaking people stop including high school accomplishments, unless it involves something truly extraordinary (this wouldn't count) as soon as they get into college.

The Rough Edges

We can all appreciate that a congressional representative needs to have a strong personality and the ability to push for his beliefs and the best interests of the district. But they also have to have the ability to work with people, and not to unduly aggravate the rest of the House. Warren doesn't always choose his words carefully. Telling voters they are uncivilized or anarchists doesn't seem to be the best way to go about getting into office.

"It's more difficult to build [roads] in Bucks because if Newtown says it's Wednesday, Lower Makefield says, "No, it's not. It's the day before Thursday," said Warren. "And you can substitute any two municipalities in Bucks for Newtown and Lower Makefield." .... "You don't have that in places like Lackawanna county," Warren said. (2/127/05)

It's nice that he thinks so highly of the people he has and hopes again to represent. However, they come off better than his prospective Montgomery County constituents:

"PennDOT district Andy Warren says cooperative communities are far more likely to get road projects approved. The difference between Bucks County and Montgomery County is the difference between civilization and anarchy." Later in the same article "Bucks County is innately more civilized than Montgomery County -- it's that simple," said Warren after last week's so-called 'historic' conference that brought together five Bucks townships to start a dialogue for the first time over what to do with traffic, namely trucks. As an afterthought, the Bucks resident and former county commissioner urged a reporter to add to his quote, 'he said with a chuckle."" later in same article "So is Warren implying that Woodhaven Road residents -- who have sought to shut down the proejct -- are engaged in anarchy? "That impression has often crossed my mind," he said" (4/30/04)

That will like very nice on campaign brochures mailed to the Montco section of the district, but, then it's such a small part that perhaps they can be overlooked.

"A group called Residents for Regional Traffic Solutions has taken credit for getting the detour put in place. They claimed that the detour reoute was safer because it directed trucks to wider roads intended for heavy, non-residential use. [Warren] added that if other residents were upset about not being consulted, they should have been as proactive as Tonge's group. The supervisors obviously disagreed with their actions and PennDOT's. At that point Warren apologized." (8/28/2003)

While a PennDOT supervisor might get away with telling residents that if they aren't organized their opinions don't count, elected officials are probably asking for trouble saying the same things. It does certainly imply that those with the money and time to put a group together are going to get preferential treatment. I'm not saying this isn't true, just that voicing it might not work to your advantage in an election.

"This is just lunacy," Warren retorted in 1998 to a Buckingham supervisor's charge that PennDOT was purposely slowing completion of a Wycombe bridge. "If (Henry) Rowan tells me it's Friday, I'll look at a calendar." (6/16/03)

That attitude will really help form the relationships necessary to get things done in Congress.

"When the 202 issue was discussed in Solebury, he told residents there they could choke on their own congestion -- at a meeting of 150 people," Buckingham Supervisor Henry Rowan said. "Obviously, that didn't go over very well," (6/16/03).

Can't imagine why people didn't care for that comment. Another one of those comments often made in private but usually not said in public.

"Warren, a feisty official, said he thinks he could have been reelected to a fifth term as commissioner this year but he decided to take the job with PennDOT because of the opportunity to join the Ridge administration, and the money. With two sons in college, one of them in graduate school, teh $76,400 salary that comes with the PennDOT job will come in handy. he earned about $50,100 as commissioner. Warren said he also has plans to marry Shelley Gardner, a former county employee, this summer. Warren's relationship with Gardner became a political flap when he voted to increase her pay. Gardner eventually resigned from the county." (4/17/95)

"Recently [county Democrats] have returned the GOP fire, directing most of it at Warren, who opinion polls have shown generates a high negative response among county voters." (10/30/1987)

So, if I understand his comments over time, Bucks County residents are more civilized than those in Montgomery County. That should go over well with the section of Montgomery County gerrymandered into the district to siphon Democratic voters out of the 13th district. But Bucks County residents aren't all that nifty either, as they can't agree among themselves. Citizens who can muster their resources the fastest are going to get his ear, and the rest can go hang, or perhaps "choke on their own congestion." That's a great quote for the campaign brochure. He finds it appropriate to pubicly denigrate the other elected officials he has to work with, and thinks its okay to give his girlfriend a raise. Some people might think it best to recuse themselves from that sort of decision. Unfortunately the marriage did not last and Warren is currently married to his third wife.

The Campaign Talk

Warren currently has at least three campaign co-chairs. Originally he started with Milt Berkes, and Lucille Trench (2/14/06). Recently he added Ginny Schrader. Readers may remember Schrader ran against Jim Greenwood and, when he dropped out of the race, Mike Fitzpatrick two years ago for the 8th Congressional district. She initially entered that race this year, but dropped out in September. Later she announced her intention to run for the 10th Senate district. A month later she dropped out of that race, for "personal reasons." Now she has become the co-chairwoman of Andy Warren's campaign. "He's a good Democrat with good Democratic principles. When I say's he's a good Democrat, I think that will go a long way [with voters]" (2/17/06). I admire her confidence, although I'm not sure I share it.

Schrader herself was once a Republican but changed parties. In 2004, Tom Ligenfelter lost the Democratic primary to her. Ligenfelter ran as a Democrat after running for office several times as a Republican. He changed his party registration in 2003 "saying Republicans were cutting interested candidates out of the running." "Ligenfelter said party labels are largely immaterial -- they're important only because you need to be a Republican or Democrat to win public office," he says. "[Schrader] said Ligenfelter, in comparison, changed his registration for the wrong reason. When you change parties, you should be changing because you believe in the principles of the party you're changing to ... not because you want to run for office," she said (4/16/2004).

And yet, it would seem that this was, without question, and by his own admission, a factor in Warren's change of parties as well. While one cannot expect absolute consistency from campaigns, some semblance of it always adds an extra layer or credibility.

Summation

Warren intends to run for the 8th congressional district, regardless of party endorsement, as a Democrat, a party he has been a member of for all of 8 months. I would, quite honestly, hope that the party does not endorse him. Warren has said that being county commissioner is the most effective office so perhaps he would like to run for that office, for whatever party he wishes, against whatever other candidates seem to be running, next time it is up for election. He is quite sure he would have been reelected had he stayed in office so surely he would see no problems in running for it again.

I took note of an editorial he wrote in January (1/19/06), supporting our troops in Iraq. I'm pulling this phrase out of a sentence on the proposed veterans cemetery in Bucks County: "Every living soldier represents the best and bravest of our country......" In this I would agree with him wholeheartedly, and would recommend this soldier in particular.

Sources

Callaway, Brian, "GOP: He'll quit today," Bucks County Courier Times 7/22/2004 p. A1.

Callaway, Brian, "Two Democrats bucking the odds in the 8th," Intelligencer 41/6/2004 p. B3.

Callaway, Brian, "Warren quits post to run," Intelligencer 9/24/05 p. B1.

Callaway, Brian, "Warren shoring up support from Democrats, GOP," Bucks County Courier Times 2/14/06, p. A2.

Callaway, Brian, "Zeroing in on Fitzpatrick's successor," Intelligencer 11/29/05, p. B1.

Fernandez, Bob, "A new job today for ex-official in Bucks, Andy Warrent will help oversee the state road system," Philadelphia Inquirer 4/17/1995 p. N1.

Hawkes, Alison, "'Civilized' approach pays off for Bucks," Bucks County Courier Times 4/30/2004, p. A1

Hawkes, Alison, "Warren's rocky road," Intelligencer 6/16/2003, p. A1.

Klein, Julia M. "GOP mirrors Democrats in courting swing vote," Philadelphia Inquirer 10/30/1987 p. B6

Larson, Sarah and Brian Callaway, "Former commissioner switches parties," Intelligencer 6/02/2005, p. A1.

Martinez, Rick, "Building highways not in Bucks' nature," Intelligencer 2/27/2005, p. A1.

Patel, Ushma, "PennDOT truck detour signs expect to stay until Swamp Road reopens," Bucks County Courier Times 8/28/2003, p. C8.

Scheid, Brian, "Schrader quits, endorses Warren," Bucks County Courier Times 2/17/06 p.A1.

Scheid, Brian, "Warren considers run for Fitzpatrick's seat," Bucks County Courier Times 7/21/05, p. C1.

"Shallow thinking," [editorial] Intelligencer 12/13/2004 p. A6.

Turner, Dave and Christine Schiavo, "GOP candidates vie for seat -- county party leaders will nominate three among 11 seeking to replace a county commissioner," Philadelphia Inquirer 12/09/2004 p. B5.

Warren, Andy, "Unconscionable disgrace: soldiers left unprotected," [editorial] Bucks County Courier Times 1/19/2006 p. A10.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Paul Lang Update

eRobin, in her guise as Philly Burbs blogger, has a nice post on Paul Lang, state senate candidate, and referenced a Philly Burbs story on him.

weekly legislative update

On Friday the state senate shuffled 10 bills off to committees. Other than that no bills were introduced, moved, or voted on.

However, there are some weekly updates for those who wish to keep up.

PICPA

GOP Senate

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Marriage Amendment

I'm late on the "marriage amendment" issue. BenP at Young Philly Politics weighed in, as has ACM at A Smoke-Filled Room. Ben had sent me the link to an article in the Beaver County Times, and I've hung on to it. I just wanted to think through what I was going to post.

For some time my stance on domestic partnerships has been that I don't like them. Now, hold off on the pitchforks and torches. Let me explain. I think any two people who want to get should married should be able to, regardless of gender, provided both are of legal age and have the capacity to consent. For the twenty-some years that I have been married to Mr. J, the marriages of our gay and lesbian friends and acquantainces have never struck me as a threat to my own.

Two people can love each other for 50 years, have children, live together, take care of each other in sickness and health, until one of them dies, but unless they sign that piece of paper they are not married. You can haul two perfect strangers into the courthouse, have them sign, and they are. We may think love and marriage go together, and they should, but are two different things. Marriage is a legal matter. Cut and dried, stripped to its essence, it is a cold legal document. One minute you are responsible only for yourself, the next you get to decide whether or not to pull the plug on someone and are liable for their debts. You may be eligible for your spouse's health benefits. You are the presumed heir of their property (and their bills). You can collect your spouse's social security benefits. We can put all kinds of religious and romantic draperies on it, but that is what marriage actually is. And it should be available to people who wish to marry someone of the same gender, equally with those of differing genders.

The "One Family's Money" column in March's Money magazine was on two women who live together as a married couple, sharing most of the traits of most married couples. Take note of this paragraph

"Because however committed they may be as a couple, Mercer and Smoot-Mercer by law have no more rights or responsibilities to each other's health and financial well-being than passers-by in the street. They can't transfer property to each other, as married people can, without paying gift tax on amounts over $12,000 (in 2006). One can't collect the other's Social Security benefits. And unless they have drafted ironclad legal documents, if one of them becomes ill, the other will not be allowed to make medical and financial decisions on her behalf." (p. 118).

The article goes over the kind of paperwork people who aren't or can't get married need to pull together to cover all their bases. If you don't have money or access to the right professionals, I think you are out of luck.

If there are people who cannot legally marry but want the protections of marriage then domestic partnerships are necessary. What I dislike about domestic partnerships is their use by people who can legally marry and would not suffer unduly from doing so (loss of pension, for instance), but simply chose not to. That's just a personal opinion.

However, reading through the problems getting rid of domestic partnerships can cause I've changed my mind. I still think those who want to marry, regardless of gender, should be able to, but am willing to concede that those who can but choose not to marry, need a legal category.

Here was the kicker for me:

Beaver County Times: Ohio marriage law created legal quagmire

[In Ohio,] Magistrates in some cases are also refusing protection from abuse requests for assault victims "living as a spouse" because it conflicts with the marriage act.

And the text of the proposed PA "marriage amendment" is equally sweeping (H.B. 2381 / S.B. 1084): "Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this Commonwealth, and neither the Commonwealth nor any of its political subdivisions shall create or recognize a legal status identical or substantially equivalent to that of marriage for unmarried individuals."

I've known women who have taken out protection orders. They don't need any more problems.

Linkin' Lois

There is a series of Lois Murphy links today. She has released a statement on the security of US ports.

We also have a triumverate of links regarding her ethics plan. She has released a statement on it, the full plan is available on her website, and the Inky had a nice article on it.

Around the Blogs

Russ Shade, candidate for the 183rd house district is interviewed by LVDem.

Capitol Ideas was especially entertaining today. Worth the read just for John Perzel's denials that he has ever been influenced by lobbyists.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Young Democrats Meeting

As mentioned earlier, the Young Democrats of America met in Philadelphia this past weekend. Here is a recap from their web page:

YDA had a crazy delicious time in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, PA during our Winter Conference Feb. 17-19, 2006. We had some of our best speakers to date and trainings that armed our members with skills needed to get our peers to the polls, to build up our chapters and to get more Democrats elected. New information and updates were given about our Chapter Revolution program and Alliance peer-to-peer campaigns.

We also elected new leadership for the College Caucus and High School Caucus. We look forward to seeing great things from all of the energetic student leaders of these two new caucuses.

Thank you Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Young Democrats for hosting a great conference!

Speakers included:
Governor Ed Rendell
Bob Casey
Lois Murphy
Bob Brady
Joe Hoeffel
Patrick Murphy
Leecia Roberta Eve
Blondell Reynolds-Brown
Fran Fattah
Juan Ramos
Joanne Tosti-Vasey
And many more...

A full list of the events held is at the Pennsylvania Young Democrats site.

News Round Up

From all around:

Rep. Mark Cohen has been recognized for three energy-related bills he has introduced:

On Monday, the environmental group Apollo Alliance released a report,
"New Energy for States," that outlines the best state-based clean energy
solutions. In the report, the group identified Cohen's recent
introduction of three bills to promote the use of plug-in hybrid
gas-electric vehicles and applauded him, saying that Cohen is "providing
a model the nation should follow."

details here

A Smoke-Filled Room gives a synopsis of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's efforts to rein in campaign spending.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Progressive Policy Program for States

The Progressive Legislation Action Network has formally and officially launched the Progressive States web site. It will focus on monitoring and encouraging progressive laws and programs at the state level. In an article in In These Times, the rational is given as follows:

Most progressives fail to realize that state governments collectively have as much—and in some cases, more—power over the issues they care about as the federal government. State and local revenues are about equal to federal tax revenue, and in an era of “flexibility” and “waivers,” federal money is increasingly handed over to the states with few strings attached. In explaining conservatives’ focus on state legislation, ALEC’s Medicaid specialist James Frogue observed, “Innovations and reforms in Medicaid will come from the states. They will not come from D.C.”

(Note: ALEC is the American Legislative Exchance Council, the existing and very active GOP version.)

PLAN has a lengthy report outlining the reason they formed, what the conversatives are doing along these same lines, and what they propose to do in response. The executive summary is here, and there is a link to the full report if you want to read through that.

This is an interesting idea and one that I hope takes off. You will be hearing more about it here, I'm sure.

Will Bunch on Santorum

I'm sure by the time you see this blog entry you will have already read Will Bunch's article in the American Prospect on Rick Santorum, his mortgage, and the odd expenses paid by his leadership pack. But, if you haven't, be sure to take the time to do so. Bunch is a reporter and blogger for the Daily News.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Another Senate Race Update

According to a press release:

Alan Sandals spoke at the Hunting and Fishing Expo about the need to "preserve the rights of lawful gun owners at the same time that we protect children from gun violence in our cities." While he was initially met with skepticism by the rural hunting community, Mr. Sandals made the case that the safety of urban children should be a top concern. Mr. Sandals regularly visits minority Churches in Philadelphia to support community efforts such as Mayor John Street's "Operation Safer Streets."

Bloggers affiliated with Chuck Pennacchio's campaign are having an online petition drive. I'm not sure I grasp the concept but a lot of people are enthusiastic about it.

Joe's Got Mo'

From politicspa:

Joe Hoeffel who has announced that he is circulating petitions to run for lt. gov. has recieved his first endorsement, from John Morganelli, Northampton County District Attorney.

The Montgomery County Democratic Executive Committee has recommend a Hoeffel endorsement at the county convention next month. Cumberland and Lancast County Democrats voted for an open primary. Delware County Democrats have postponed their lt. gov. endorements until April.

Like every other candidate in the state, Joe is looking for people to get petition signatures. It you are carrying around one petition, it won't be any extra effort to carry around another one. (see his website for details)

Sunday, February 19, 2006

2 Rosses, Not One Rachel

I have two new state house campaign web sites to report on this week. Take careful notes are they are easy to confuse.

Ross Schriftman who wants to be the Democratic candidate in House district 152 against either incumbent Sue Cornell or Republican primary challenger Tom Murt. Schriftman's web site? www.rossfor152.org/

Russ Shade has declared his candidacy for house district 183 against Republican incumbent Julie Harhart. His web site? www.russforpa183.com

To date, I am unaware of any Rachels running for office in the state this year. If you know of any, or of any Phoebes or Joeys (not Joe, we have those, but Joeys) we can have our own version of "Friends."

[Note: I originally misread Russ Shade's name as Ross and thus the title of this post. I've corrected it now and apologize to Mr. Shade for the mistake. This is what happens when you blog past your bedtime.]

weekly legislative update

Friday, February 17, 2006

Hoeffel Definite (Sort of) for Lt. Gov.

According to today's Inky, Joe Hoeffel has definite plans to run for lt. gov.

Receiving no objection from Gov. Rendell, former U.S. Rep. Joseph Hoeffel said yesterday he would move ahead with his planned campaign for lieutenant governor.

I've made my regard for Hoeffel clear in previous posts. This will be an interesting race to watch.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

A Chain of Links

Some interesting posts around on the net the past few days.

Check out LVDem's interview with Justin Behrens (sometimes called Justin Valera Behrens), candidate for congress in PA-15. State Rep Josh Shapiro (D-153) is interviewed / featured in PennEnvironment's Winter Report, focusing on Growing Greener II.

Philadelphians Against Santorum (www.phillyagainstsantorum.org) is designed to highlight the effects of Santorum's legislation on the city.

There are a number of interesting postings out there on the Mike Fitzpatrick / Patrick Murphy PA-06 congressional race. Check out this blog by eRobin from Phillyburbs, this mydd posting, and this press release from the Murphy campaign. (There may be more on this later).

Spotlight on: The Garnet Donkeys

Over 200 Young Democrats from across the nation will gather in Philadelphia on Presidents' Weekend for the Young Democrats of America (YDA) Winter National Conference, February 17-19, 2006. (press release here)

Young Democrats of America is the official youth outreach arm of the Democratic National Committee and the largest Democratic youth political organization. Four times a year, young democrats from around the country come together to meet their counterparts in other states, organize strategic partnerships, get trained in critical skills and plan for the year ahead.

In honor of this event, I'd like to highlight one of the local organizations. The Garnet Donkeys of Swarthmore College. I've been watching their blog for awhile and have been impressed with it for a number of reasons.

One is that the postings are thoughtful and well-written. There isn't a lot of "in your face" rhetoric or name calling or vulgar language. These are pieces actually worth reading.

Even though most of the students at Swarthmore are from outside the region, they are very involved with local races. They've had some excellent postings on the PA-07 race and it sounds like they are involved with the other local democratic organizations.

The blog is actually kept up – there are regular posts written by a variety of students. As with all group blogs some people write more than others but they do have a diversity of voices, respectful even in disagreement.

The entire website speaks of civility. There is a very clear statement on the home page that speaks to the acceptance of varying opinions: "I've never attended a Swat Dems meeting where we all uniformly agreed on something."

Their list of accomplishments over the last few years is very impressive.

I like the logo!

Hats off to the Garnet Donkeys generally, and the leadership in particular for setting the tone.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Petitions

It's petition time. You may see candidates or volunteers at train stations or going door to door or at events. Take pity on them and, if you can, sign. It doesn't commit you to voting for that person or even necessarily supporting them; its just saying they can be on the ballot. Sign petitions only for candidates in the party you are registered with and sign only one per race.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Online Resource Guide

Taking a break from politics tonight. In honor of the sentiments of the day, I'm highlighting a community building publication available free on the web (pdf file).

Discovering Community Power: A Guide to Mobilizing Local Assets and Your Organization's Capacity, by John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, with Sarah Dobrowolski and Deborah Puntenney.

It is a 34 page workbook designed to help organizations realize what their connections and strengths are. If you are new to community work it might prove very useful in mapping out what your assets are. Experienced community builders and elected officials may want to have a copy on hand to use with new organizations or to develop community groups where needed.

Tomorrow we will return to our previously scheduled political snark.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Bad Valentines Poetry

With all the snow and attendant chaos I imagine a few Valentine's dinners and outings will be postponed or canceled. Although this is one of the harsher examples, take note of your options:

If your honey's gone and left you
just before V-Day
Hock the sparklies, take the money
send it Patrick Murphy's way.

If you prefer to send your money to a statewide race consider this guy or this guy. GOP? there's this guy.

As incentive, if any of these campaigns send me any indication that they received any contributions as a result of this post, or if any readers leaves a comment or email to that effect, I promise there will be no more bad poetry this calendar year, except for election days. I can't let an election day go by without bad poetry.

So, it's a deal, yes?

Another Phone Survey

Tonight I got another of those survey phone calls. This one dealt with education. The questions covered how I viewed education in the state and in my local area. Also a lot of questions on No Child Left Behind, Act 72, and what I thought should be educational priorities (athletics, performing arts, academics, etc.) Most questions had a 1-5 scale, some had A-F grades (for the schools -- how clever). They also asked was radio, tv, and newspaper media I listened to, watched or read, as well as whether or not I was involved in the pta/pto for my kids' school and if I voted in the last municipal and school board elections (yessiree Bob to both).

The man asking the questions was a velvet-voiced smoothie so he was able to weasle a little more personal info out of me than I usually give. However, when I turned the tables and asked who the survey was for he said they weren't given that information. The firm was ICT, American Market Research Corp. It will be interesting to see where this data ends up.

Reading Patrick Murphy

Patrick Murphy is running for Congress in PA-08, which includes Bucks County, part of Northeast Philadelphia, and an oddly shaped drop of Montgomery County. When he was a professor at West Point, Murphy wrote a column, called Murphy's Law, for the school paper. By nosing around I found 38 of these columns, from 2000 through 2003. I'm sure there are some that I missed and there are earlier columns that I could not find. But 38 is a good number. Each is between two and three pages long, for a total of about 80 pages or so. You can tell a lot about someone from their writing. Only the most skilled of speech or ghost writers can keep their personality from showing through.

For instance, I have lived in the Delaware Valley for about 15 years now and have managed to avoid learning anything about Philadelphia sports besides which teams play which game (Eagles = football, Flyers = hockey, etc.) Patrick Murphy lives and breathes his Phillies, his Eagles, his Flyers, and so on. He can't put pen to paper without mentioning them, if only in passing. Let there be no doubt that wherever he was stationed his heart and attention were never from from his hometown. I think of the 38 columns I looked at, he mentioned Philadelpia sports in all but something like three of them. He knew the teams, the players, their rankings, their wins and losses. Should you ever meet him and are stuck for a conversation topic, ask about sports.

He likes quotes. There are usually one or two on his web site. He had at least one quote on all but a few of his columns. The sources are wide-ranging, too. He either keeps a copy of Bartlett's Quotations on his desk or he is very widely read.

Initially I wondered if other professors at the college wrote columns and his was one of many, but I didn't see any evidence of that. When Murphy was deployed to Bosnia a few other people stepped in but no one took over temporarily. This leads me to believe that he simply wanted to do it and the powers that be found it to be a good way of distributing information to the readership at large. In other words, he likes communicating and can keep up with a writing schedule. It isn't always fun writing a column (or a blog) on a regular basis and it takes self-discipline, especially over a period of years. If this was in addition to his regular duties, as I imagine it to have been, it shows a strength of character. The columns show a continuity of voice and the tenor of that voice changed when other people wrote while he was away. To me, this is an indication that he wrote all of the columns that appeared under his name. A few times, when dealing with a very specific topic an expert in that area was listed as co-author, but the words themselves were still his.

Murphy writes well. Many of his columns dealt with mundane matters, insurance, taxation, estate plans, identity theft, ethics and rules of gift giving, parking, snow removal, and so on. These topics are important, but not exactly enthralling. These are the kinds of matters that Congress deals with and to be a good congressman you have to really take an interest in such stuff. Murphy presents them in an understandable fashion and always provides phone numbers and/or web sites for follow-up. He says just enough to get the point across but doesn't weigh everyone down with details. I think this would be an important characteristic in someone who has to communicate the happenings of Congress to his constituents and vice versa. He also discusses historical events, encourages charity work, community service and even organ donation! He writes about the heritage of West Point. The breadth of subjects is the sign of an inquisitive mind and a broad education.

There are certain things he said in a few of his columns that I really liked and that resonated with me as a voter. One was his mentions those who worked and served in less than glamorous occupations. Here are two that stood out:

"Often, when looking at the cadets past and present, it's easy to overlook the people behind the scenes who help make this nation's treasure a reality. From civilians who cut the cadet's hair or make their meals, to the 'non-grad' soldiers who patch their wounds and guard their gates -- these are people who also make this institution so legendary." (March 15, 2002)

"It is a team effort here -- with soldiers, cafeteria workers, janitors. teachers, mentors, civilians, fellow cadets, parents and siblings sharing their life with cadets -- and make this a premier leadership institution." (May 30, 2003)

This shows respect for those who may not have a lot of political pull or money to toss around and is another characteristic I would look for in an elected representative.

It is difficult to talk about patriotism without sounding corny, even if your heart is in it. Simply mouthing the words without any meaning behind them has always seemed somewhat blasphemous to me. Murphy writes of patriotism often, in a sincere fashion, and not with the stereotypic military rhetoric that I would have expected. Here are a few examples of this:

"Our nation was attacked because it is a beacon of liberty. Our Constitution and our leadership will not let justice and freedom be compromised." (September 14, 2001)

"More than 270 million Americans who love peace, justice and equality for all is a beautiful thing and something to be truly thankful for. Hopefully we'll continue to come together and learn to put some of our pre-September 11 issues into their proper persepctives. Murphy's Law tips its cap to this great nation and to all the ideals it stands for." (November 21, 2001)

As I read through these columns I was impressed with the breadth of topics he wrote about, his devotion to the Philadelphia area, the sincerity of his writing and the humor he used to explain difficult topics. I was especially impressed with his writings on ethics. For example,

"Because our fellow citizens place a special trust in the military service and federal employment, we are held to a high standard of professional behavior. (December 7, 2001)."

I wish that more of our elected officials felt this way!

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Senate Race Briefs

Two brief notes from the contenders for the Democratic senate nomination:

Alan Sandals was interviewed in the City Paper.

Chuck Pennacchio wants your view on his radio spots. Listen and vote.

(Note: I originally wrote that Pennacchio's ads were tv. My thanks to a reader who caught the error and let me know.)

weather report

I trekked out for a paper this morning (only to see the blue plastic delivery bag peeking through the snow on the driveway as I came home). My street was plowed sometime during the night but still has about a foot of snow on it. There was little traffic on the main road (about 9 a.m.), but I didn't see any cars slide or get stuck. The plow hasn't been by again (it's now 11:20 a.m.). The snow on the sidewalks is roughly a foot and a half high (measured against my knee and then a yardstick when I got home). Church was cancelled and I doubt ours was the only one.

It isn't good sledding snow -- the kids just sink. But a sidewalk that has been cleared provides a pretty slick surface and they went down that a few times. The youngest little Jane can't get around well -- not tall enough yet to get through the deep spots without getting stuck. The kids look like little butterballs in snowsuits and boots and coats, etc.

This morning when I went out there was still a stinging snow coming down but it seems to have stopped now. Other than forced ventures out for tag team parenting / sled & snow supervision, I plan on staying indoors today. It's cold and wet and very deep.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

More on Patrick Murphy

In article from The Hill (as in Capitol Hill) on the number of Iraqi vets running for office as Democrats, we find this sentence:

A Democratic campaign aide in Washington, asked which veterans showed the most promise, listed two: Tammy Duckworth, in Ill.-6, and Patrick Murphy, in Pa.-8.

There was also a note about this on phillyburbs.com

weekly legislative update

As I mentioned in the previous posting, the governor called a special legislative session to look into property tax reform. Information from that session is included here as well. Standard caveats apply (resolutions not generally included, list of sponsors deleted if it was too long - three lines in the originally formatting).

Our accountants friends at PICPA have updated their legislative page, and have a lot to say about property tax reform.

Other weekly updates are available for this week:

PA House Democrats
PA House GOP daily updates
PA Senate Democrats
PA Senate Republicans

Special Session

This bill passed the house on Monday:

HB 39 Prior Printer's Nos. 41, 62. Printer's No. 91.An Act providing for taxation by school districts, for the State funds formula, for tax relief in first class cities, for school district choice and voter participation and for other school district options; making an appropriation; prohibiting prior authorized taxation; providing for installment payment of taxes; restricting the power of certain school districts to levy, assess and collect taxes; and making related repeals.

These bills were introduced, or referred to a committee, not voted on. The descriptions tended to be pretty much the same, with only a few variations.

Monday The Senate referred SB04 and SB36 to the Legislation committee
Tuesday no action
Wednesday HB39 referred to Rules, HB42 laid on the table and removed from the table
Thursday no action
Friday no action

Regular Session

Resolutions

Here are some of the resolutions that caught my eye.

Serial No. 160 By Senators GREENLEAF, COSTA, LEMMOND, ORIE, EARLL, RAFFERTY, O'PAKE, FERLO, ERICKSON, ARMSTRONG, WONDERLING, WASHINGTON, BOSCOLA and STACK. Printer's No. 1112. A Concurrent Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a bipartisan task force with an advisory committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the current status of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services within the panoply of methods of conflict resolution available in this Commonwealth, to identify relevant best practices in the delivery of ADR services locally and nationally and how to improve conflict resolution in this Commonwealth by incorporating these best practices, to develop a plan for educating the citizens of this Commonwealth about conflict resolution in general and the use of ADR services in particular, as well as ensuring access to all needed ADR services, utilizing best practices and to propose legislation as may be required to implement the proposed plan and advance the use of innovative conflict resolution methods Statewide in the civil courts and in schools, businesses, government, criminal and juvenile justice systems and other community settings.

HR 562 A Resolution establishing and directing a select committee to examine matters relating to influenza vaccine supplies and the Commonwealth's preparedness for an influenza outbreak.

HR 583 Printer's No. 3517. A Resolution calling on the Department of Public Welfare to address legitimate grievances of Pennsylvania's pharmacies and to explore options which preserve the ability of pharmacies, especially independent, family-owned pharmacies, to continue providing quality pharmaceutical services to department clients.

Bills

Please take note of HB1260 -- polka and square dancing. This could impact the future of Philadelphia as the new borough of NYC. I'm not sure those two things are really popular in the Big Apple. However, I do-si-do-ed a number of times during my wild and crazy undergraduate years and can tell it is good exercise and helps with coordination. Maybe not as much as a good tango, but you can involve a larger social circle in square dancing. Gingham and denim are optional.

Please also note HB 2337, to include economic and personal financial literacy programs in schools. Given that this is Financial Literacy Month in PA, and that our state legislature has rammed legalized gambling down our throats whether we want it or not (guess where I fall on this question), and that the county as a whole now has a negative savings rate, I think this is a grand idea.

House

HB 1902 Prior Printer's Nos. 2603, 2950. Printer's No. 3513. An Act amending the act of July 28, 1988 (P.L.556, No.101), known as the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, further providing for sunset for recycling fee and for performance grants for municipal recycling programs.

HB 671 Prior Printer's No. 764. Printer's No. 3531. An Act amending the act of June 30, 1981 (P.L.128, No.43), known as the Agricultural Area Security Law, further providing for purchase of agricultural conservation easements.

HB1260 Prior Printer's No. 1486. Printer's No. 3533. An Act designating polka music as the official folk music of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and designating the American square dance as the official folk dance of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

HB 1637 By Representatives KENNEY, J. TAYLOR, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, CRAHALLA, CREIGHTON, DENLINGER, JAMES, KOTIK, PYLE, STABACK, THOMAS, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD, MUSTIO, M. KELLER, BEYER, FAIRCHILD and LEH. Prior Printer's No. 2022. Printer's No. 3530. An Act amending the act of August 24, 1963 (P.L.1175, No.497), known as the Mechanics' Lien Law of 1963, further providing for definitions, for waiver of liens, for effect of waiver of liens, for rescission of contracts between contractors and subcontractors and for priority of liens.

HB 2337 Prior Printer's Nos. 3343, 3416. Printer's No. 3532. An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, providing for development of economic education and personal financial literacy programs.

SB 929 By Senators ROBBINS, M. WHITE, BOSCOLA, ERICKSON, WOZNIAK, LEMMOND, PILEGGI, COSTA, RAFFERTY, D. WHITE, KITCHEN, WASHINGTON, FONTANA and MUSTO. Printer's No. 1218. An Act prohibiting the advertising and conducting of certain live musical performances or productions; providing for enforcement; and imposing a penalty.

Senate

HB 1114 Prior Printer's No. 1321. Printer's No. 1946. An Act amending the act of December 19, 1996 (P.L.1478, No.190), entitled "An act relating to the recycling and reuse of waste tires; providing for the proper disposal of waste tires and the cleanup of stockpiled tires; authorizing investment tax credits for utilizing waste tires; providing remediation grants for the cleanup of tire piles and for
pollution prevention programs for small business and households; establishing the Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Program and management standards for small business hazardous waste; providing for a household hazardous waste program and for grant programs; making appropriations; and making repeals," further providing for the definition of "waste tire"; defining "recycled tire product" and "waste tire recycling facility"; and further providing for the disposal of whole waste tires, for Environmental Quality Board regulations, for waste tire registry and for remediation liens.

HB 1455 By Representative WILT. Printer's No. 1753. An Act designating the intersection of State Route 18 and State Route 58 in Greenville, Mercer County, as the Joseph J. Lininger Intersection.

SB 303 By Senators PILEGGI, PUNT, GREENLEAF, ERICKSON, THOMPSON, RHOADES, WOZNIAK, TOMLINSON, KITCHEN, WONDERLING, TARTAGLIONE, LOGAN, KASUNIC, MUSTO, WAUGH, LEMMOND, RAFFERTY and STOUT. Prior Printer's No. 315. Printer's No. 1356. An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for fees for constables.

HB 599 Prior Printer's Nos. 672, 2341, 2395. Printer's No. 3528. An Act amending the act of July 31, 2003 (P.L.73, No.17), known as the Volunteer Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Act, further providing for award of grants and for expiration of authority; and making an appropriation.

HB1401 Printer's No. 1691. An Act designating a bridge on State Route 150 crossing the Beech Creek in Clinton and Centre Counties, Pennsylvania, as the Beech Creek Veterans Memorial Bridge.

HB 1525 Prior Printer's Nos. 1858, 2398. Printer's No. 2743. An Act amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, further providing for limiting the number of retail licenses to be issued in each county.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Lentz to Run for State House

Bryan Lentz has decided to withdraw his candidacy to be the Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional district, currently held by Republican Curt Weldon. Instead he will run for the state house seat currently held by Tom Gannon.

According to the Times Leader:

Bryan Lentz said that after conversations with Delaware County Democratic Party officials and Gov. Ed Rendell, he decided it was in the best interest of the party to step aside. He said he will run for the state House instead.

Later in the same article:

"I met with Joe Sestak and I met with my close supporters and we assessed that the best way to bring change to Washington and to Harrisburg was to move forward on a unified front," Lentz said.

Sestak, who served in Afghanistan, praised Lentz as a good soldier and candidate. The two are scheduled to appear together at a news conference Friday afternoon in Media.

(via politicspa)

This one hurts.

Source: Hefling, Kimberly, "Iraq War Veteran Drops Out of U.S. House Race," Times Leader, Feb. 9, 2006

GOP Ticket Set

Rep. Mike Turzai has announced that he is dropping out of the lt. gov. race, clearing the way for Jim Matthews. This means the GOP gobernatorial ticket is set. Lynn Swann for Governor, Jim Matthews for the second spot. (details, via politicspa)

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Are You Ready for Your Close-Up?

This came in over the transom this week:

Lewisburg – The Pennsylvania Election Project is seeking volunteer “field correspondents” to help produce online video coverage of the Commonwealth’s 2006 elections.

“We are asking Pennsylvanians to get out their digital camcorders and make video of the political process in their communities this year,” said Peter Wiley, organizer of the Election Project.

“We’ll take the submitted video and make it available online for everyone in the state to see. The result, we hope, will be a unique online document that will tell the story of Pennsylvania’s democracy in action through the eyes of its citizens over the course of the year,” said Wiley.

Anyone interested in contributing video to the Election Project should visit the project Web site at www.paelection2006.com for information on how to make a submission.

It sounds like an interesting project but sets off alarm bells for someone like me, who ducks cameras at every opportunity. I've been at two political events this month and at each I've had to find some tall person to quietly step behind when the guy with the public access channel camera starts panning the room. But some people like to be on film so, hey, if you have a camera, give it some thought. Just take a hint if there are people in the room who suddenly hold a sign up in front of their face or have to stoop down and tie a shoe every time the red light goes on, and point the thing somewhere else.

Endorsements for Lentz

February 8, 2006 Over 40 former prosecutors and retired police officers
announced their support today of Bryan Lentz, the frontrunner for the
Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania’s seventh congressional district.
Lentz, an Iraq war veteran who virtually matched incumbent U.S. Rep. Curt
Weldon dollar-for-dollar in fundraising last quarter, served from 1993 to
1999 as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. (via press release on politicspa)

Special Election Set

The special election to fill the remaining term of State Sen. Robert Thompson, who died recently, will be May 16th. This is the same day the primary election. (via today's Inquirer, p. B3)

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Two Unrelated Things

For anyone who has been disconnected from any sort of news media, Bill Scranton has withdrawn his bid to be the Republican gubneratorial candidate and thus leaves the way clear for Lynn Swann. (press release via politicspa). The GOP seems to hope that Scranton's announcement will heal any cleavage within the party.

And speaking of cleavage, the current (Feb/March 2006)issue of Pink magazine has an article entitled "Cleavage Crisis," (p. 80-83)that quotes Bucks County image consultant Georgia Donovan, on her views of appropriate business attire.

These two things have nothing to do with each other, besides crossing my desk on the same day, and it has been a very long day.

News Round Up

Just a few bits of news:

Patrick Murphy has been getting some good press, both domesticly and internationally.

I've been following the state house race in the 152nd district. So far Republican challenger Tom Murt is taking on incumbent Republican Sue Cornell. Democrat Ross Schriftman, who ran against Cornell two years ago, has announced that he is tossing his hat in the ring again. (press release on politicspa).

In shopper news, we find this item from today's Inky (p. C1): Boscov's will buy ten stores from Federated Department Stores, Inc., including four Strawbridges stores in the Philly area. The four are at: Deptford Mall, Montgomery Mall, Oxford Valley Mall, and Willow Grove Park Mall.

Conference Tips

Yesterday's Inquirer had a front page story on state legislators' cumulative $130,000 bill to attend the National Conference of State Legislators. Some of the legislators mentioned in the story didn't bill the state for their travel, but some did. Topping the list was Marc Cohen who piggybacked the conference with another conference just before the NCSL conference (on labor) and another right after (for state government reporters). Cohen's airfare was $898.00 and his nightly hotel bill was $231.00. For legislators who did not want to bill for specific items the state provided a $204 per diem for food and lodging.

I think it is a good idea for our legislators to meet with their counterparts from other states and a $204 per diem sounds reasonable to me. The conference topic strikes home for me right now because for years I was a regular at my professional association's annual conference. While Rep. Cohen pointed out this his conference work ate into his weekends, the one I attended was always held over a weekend to avoid cutting into the work week. Just a different view, I guess. I've missed the conference for the past few years and probably a one or two more in the future due to family and financial concerns. However, my years of conference hopping did teach me a few cost-saving tips that I'm happy to pass on to our elected officials.

Find a buddy -- many people I know professionally have one or more conference buddies they share a hotel room with a split costs. It's a good way to catch up with what people in other states are doing. We also keep foodstuffs in the room to cut down on restaurant costs. Someone brings or picks up Ritz crackers and apples, someone else brings or picks up bagels or muffins. It's not as tasty as a pricey meal but if you eat in for breakfast you can afford to go out for a nice lunch or dinner with your buds. I knew one guy who would pack his favorite breakfast cereal by putting it in a baggie and tucking it into a shoe in his suitcase so it wouldn't get crushed.

Take the red eye -- for long flights try flying at night. You can usually get a little sleep and you don't waste valuable daylight hours traveling. An $898 airline ticket sounds a little expensive to me. Maybe the state should investgate priceline?

NCSL is a good organization and I like the idea of our folks going but I wish they would cut a few corners.

As an aside, John Micek has an interesting anecdote about running into a state legislator out in Seattle.

Source: Cattabiani, Mario E. and Angela Couloumbis, "trip west cost Pa. taxpayers $130,000," Philadelphia Inquirer February 6, 2006, p. A1

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Missing Monday

I have updated the missing person case on the sidebar. It was one year ago this month that Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone disappeared. Their cell phones and credit cards have not been used. Their car has not been seen. They seem to have vanished into thin air. Please click the links and read the details of their case. If you have any information, please contact the authorities listed.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Monday, March 06, 2006

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Friday, March 03, 2006

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Monday, February 27, 2006

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Friday, February 24, 2006

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Monday, February 20, 2006

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Friday, February 17, 2006

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Monday, February 13, 2006

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Sunday, February 05, 2006

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