HARRISBURG — The first trial from a legislative corruption investigation pursued by Attorney General Tom Corbett is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Dauphin County Court, in a case accusing a former legislator of holding a ghost job while a state House candidate.
Archive for November, 2009
Analysis: Pennsylvania ghost job trial may set tone for cases
Monday, November 30th, 2009PoliticsPA Reports: Former Pike supporter endorses Trivedi
Monday, November 30th, 2009The campaign for Democratic congressional candidate Manan Trivedi unveiled on Monday 16 endorsements from local Democrats, a list that included one Berks County official who had previously supported Trivedi’s inter-party opponent, Doug Pike.
Fred Sheeler, Berks County Recorder of Deeds, withdrew his endorsement of Pike in September after Trivedi, an Iraq war physician, entered the race. Sheeler said at the time the emergence of Trivedi, who is a family friend, forced him to reconsider his earlier endorsement of Pike, a former Philadelphia Inquirer editorial writer, because the race’s political landscape had changed. But he had not publicly switched his endorsement until Monday.
Politics as Usual Podcast: Week of 11/30
Monday, November 30th, 2009Because things are kind of sleepy and slow today, we’re taking a leisurely cruise to the 2010 races for U.S. Senate and the governor’s office. We’ll also drive-by the ongoing debate over table games, and we’ll make a pit-stop at the first of the Bonusgate trials.
PoliticsPA’s Weekly Primer: 11/30 Edition
Monday, November 30th, 2009In this week’s Weekly Primer, Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta remains undecided on a congressional run, an actual “Bonusgate” trial begins, and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl can still sleep soundly.
Table games: Legislators’ delay costs state money (Patriot-News Opinion)
Monday, November 30th, 2009The push to legalize table games in Pennsylvania was all about revenues.
In a cash-strapped budget year when few legislators wanted to raise taxes, the state needed other funding sources. Not surprisingly, expanding gambling became a lot more appealing.
But it wasn’t a “sure bet.”
Why? Because 153 days after the budget deadline, the state still has not [...]
Inquirer Ed. Board warns of ghost employees
Monday, November 30th, 2009The next time a state lawmaker claims to be safeguarding your tax dollars, remember Sue Cornell and Sam Stokes.
Another state ‘reformer’ has seen enough, won’t seek re-election
Monday, November 30th, 2009State Rep. Barbara McIlvaine Smith, a West Chester Democrat who’s halfway through her second two-year House term, has decided not to seek re-election next year and will leave the Legislature when her current term expires in late 2010.
With carpenters’ help, Nutter poised to build a reelection bid
Monday, November 30th, 2009As Mayor Nutter quickly approaches the midpoint of his mayoral term, the 2011 primary election is just around the corner. Eighteen months away, to be exact, and that means it is time for Nutter’s fund-raising operation to kick into gear.
“We support the mayor. We think he is doing a great job in a tough economy,” [...]
Students will get their say on tax on tuition
Monday, November 30th, 2009The Community College of Allegheny County student said last week that she’ll be among the students packing Pittsburgh Council Chamber for a 10 a.m. hearing on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s proposed tuition tax.
John Baer: But could Ed pass THIS lie-detector test?
Monday, November 30th, 2009I CAN’T SHAKE the image of Gov. Ed strapped to a polygraph machine. It’s his fault, really. He brought it up by recently telling the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, “I think I could pass a lie detector,” on the question of whether campaign contributions influence his decisions.



By Commonwealth Foundation - Dan Onorato's Natural Gas Tax
[...] Candidate Dan Onorato held a press conference yesterday announcing he supports a tax on natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania ...
By PoliticsPA’s Morning Buzz: 9/2 Edition | Politics PA
[...] PoliticsPA: DSCC releases new ad attacking Pat Toomey for his ties to Wall Street and his plans for social ...
By Wyoming Valley Moderate
Interesting that Barletta was given an award by Rendell for fiscal responsibilty and that he was voted best mayor in ...
By Christine Brothers
A candidate who is profife has my vote. Secondly, as a teacher, I will consider a candiate who will ...