Metcalfe Calls Rendell Out on Latest Taxpayer-Funded Abuse of Power
 
HARRISBURG—State Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) addressed the Rendell administration’s latest abuse of power at a rally held today on the Pennsylvania terror bulletins. The Institute of Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR) was awarded a no-bid contract to provide and ultimately spy on Pennsylvania citizens. Rendell’s political career is chronicled in abuse after abuse, and includes:
 
·       In March 2004, Rendell said of rumors of his limo speeding throughout the state that he was “not aware of any instance of my executive detail being cited for driving at unlawfully high rates of speed,” and then later stated, “Did I know we were going over the speed limit? Sure.”
·       In 2008, regarding the new “drink tax” in Allegheny County, Rendell agreed that his practice of selective enforcement could be portrayed as “you look the other way.”
·       During his term as Mayor of Philadelphia, Rendell admits how deeply embedded race is in politics, and speaking of black politicians and white politicians he said “I could just take a machine gun and shoot ‘em all.”
·       As Philadelphia Mayor, Rendell grabbed a reporter by the neck and later stated in a letter, “I realize it’s never appropriate to touch a reporter…I was just trying to slow her down.”
·       On Aug. 12, 2009, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that during an interview, the governor suggested, referencing the movie Goldfinger, that assassinating legislators might be a good idea because of the stalled conference committee budget negotiations.
 
“Rendell’s track record makes it no surprise that he would abuse his power and the power of his office to award a taxpayer-funded, no-bid contract to the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response, an Israeli-connected organization with ties to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, to spy on Americans,” said Metcalfe.  “Not only did Rendell abuse the power given to him when elected governor, but he wasted taxpayer resources, and most importantly, put Pennsylvanians at greater risk when the focus of these bulletins was on law-abiding, Constitutional activities instead of on real foreign and domestic threats.”
 
From ITRR’s own web description their “Israeli and American experts provide counter-terrorism training, seminars and security specialization in dealing with threats such as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), suicide bombers, and other forms of international terror striking both the public and private sector.”
 
ITRR’s “Actionable Intelligence Bulletins,” sent to the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security, identified a surplus of non-violent protests and events next to foreign and domestic terrorist threats, including Metcalfe’s own 5th Annual Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally and 2nd Annual Pennsylvania State Capitol Taxpayers’ Protest. Both of these events were listed as “moderate” threats, defined as when “available intelligence and recent events indicate that hostile elements have the capability to take action against the target and that such action is within the adversary’s current intent. It is assessed that an attack or action is likely to be a priority and might well be mounted.”
 
“These bulletins are a violation of our Constitutional rights to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government with our grievances,” said Metcalfe.  “As a legislator I was doing my job and providing an opportunity to Pennsylvania citizens to exercise their voices.”
 
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