We give you the full scoop on what went down at PA Society, including Kane’s 2016 feelers and a conflict that led to Fitzgerald kicking Wagner out of a party. Plus, last week’s Ups & Downs. Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz.
Kane Hints at Senate Bid With Major Fundraising Hire: Kathleen Kane took a major step toward a 2016 Senate campaign this week when she hired prominent Democratic fundraiser Aubrey Montgomery.
Fitzgerald Kicks Wagner Out of Reception and More PA Society News: Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald showed County Controller Chelsa Wagner the door on Friday. Plus other PA Society news.
More Dispatches from PA Society: The 115th Pennsylvania Society weekend is in the books. Here is the rundown of rumors, rumblings and news from Midtown Manhattan.
12/13 Ups & Downs: See who’s heading into Pa. Society weekend with a head of steam, and who’d like a do-over.
Lt. Gov: Critz Announces 54 Endorsements: Fmr. Rep. Mark Critz, a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, unveiled 54 state endorsements today.
Cook Upgrades Meehan Re-election to “Solid Republican”: The national elections handicapper changed the rating of PA-7 from Likely to Solid Republican.
Smith, Teplitz to Take Reins of SDCC: Sen. Daylin Leach, who lead the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee through its most successful election cycle in decades, will hand over the reins to two of the men he helped elect in 2012.
Lt. Gov: Koplinski Unveils Twenty New Endorsements: Koplinski’s campaign makes a big splash with an additional twenty endorsements for his campaign for Lieutenant Governor.
Senate 2016: Kane “Is Pretty Serious About This”: PoliticsPA confirmed with a source close to the AG that she is seriously considering a run at Senator Toomey’s seat.
Entire PA Delegation Votes For Murray-Ryan: Every member of the House from Pa., Democrats and Republicans, voted for the 2014 budget deal.
Statewide
Capitolwire: The latest on the CHIP kids and their possible Medicaid move
StateImpactPA: Company drops plans to remove water tanks from Franklin Forks homes
StateImpactPA: Bucks Republican lawmaker wants severance tax on shale gas drilling
State House Sound Bites: At PA Society, Dems scramble for superlatives
State House Sound Bites: Corbett to Dems at PA Society: “Go for it”
State House Sound Bites: A bounty on their heads
WITF: Bill would make some teachers eligible for tax credits
PA Independent: Air Force reservist contends military service cost him a job
PA Independent: Privacy worries linger after tweaks to wearable-camera legislation
PA Independent: Three weeks before deadline, future still cloudy for kids in CHIP
AP: Blue Angels booked for Westmoreland County Air Show
AP: Police in western PA hang onto historic gun
Philadelphia
Inquirer: Corbett dishes out some bad medicine
Inquirer: Buzz at Pennsylvania Society gathering is about A.G. Kane
Commonwealth Confidential: PA Society 2013: A coming out year for gay pols
Heard in the Hall: Shuffling among Nutter appointments
PhillyClout: City’s temporary tax collecting chief is out
CapitolInq: Toomey: ‘no’ on budget deal
CapitolInq: Fattah: Penn, Temple to join three others in neuroscience collective
WHYY Newsworks: Working the crowds at the Pennsylvania Society
WHYY Newsworks: Pa.’s Schwartz keeping ties to centrist think tank
WHYY Newsworks: Bucks lawmaker proposes taxing Pa. drillers on shale gas sales
WHYY Newsworks: Gallup: Polls show Dems have the edge in favorability ratings
PhillyNow: Former Rep. Patrick Murphy getting MSNBC show
KYW Newsradio: PA Gov race gets unofficial kickoff
SEPA
Bucks Local News: Outgoing Langhorne Mayor Blaydon feted by borough council, the community for 31 years of public service
Bucks Local News: Bucks County to pay higher healthcare premiums in 2014
Bucks Local News: Farry crime labs bill poised for Senate vote, counties would recover fees, save taxpayer dollars
Daily Locals News: Harry Lewis seeks GOP nod in new 74th district
Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette: Pennsylvania politicians go schmoozing in Big Apple
Post-Gazette: Allegheny County’s Park gas offer includes $3.5 million bonus
Early Returns: Fitz ousts Chelsa
Early Returns: Obama remarks to Peduto, others
WTAE: Gov race gets start at Pa. Society gathering in NY
WTAE: Paper: Drilling under Pa. park could reap millions
WPXI: Pa. bill would require drug testing for school job
Southwest
Times Online: Casey reflects on how Sandy Hook ‘transformed’ his mind about gun control
Observer-Reporter: Hearings set on oil and gas regulations
Altoona Mirror: City agrees to Bon Secours taxing deal
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: State releases pension funds to municipalities
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Bill would exempt firefighters, emergency responders from health care mandate
NEPA
The Times Leader: Affordable Care Act: A gift or a lump of coal?
The Times Leader: What it’s like to use healthcare.gov
Times-Tribune: Scranton to get only a $120K increase in state liquid fuels funds next year
Times-Tribune: Scranton mayor vetoes council’s revisions to his budget
Times-Tribune: New transportation law poised to dump millions into municipalities for local roads
Citizen’s Voice: Peering into county’s crystal ball
Citizen’s Voice: Tax increase acts as needed cure for county
Citizen’s Voice: Election year budget will be tricky for some
Standard Speaker: City’s 2014 budget hinges on taxes, fees
South Central
Lancaster Intelligencer/Era: President’s ‘hour of code’ initiative may inspire future computer programmers here
Lancaster Intelligencer/Era: Toomey, unlike Pitts and Meehan, opposes budget deal, citing higher spending caps
Lehigh Valley
Morning Call: Passenger traffic falling at LVIA
Morning Call: Muller taps Bethlem’s Reichard as fiscal officer in Lehigh County
Reading Eagle: Berks County senior citizens feel disrespected
Reading Eagle: Hearing set this week for former Penn State officials
Reading Eagle: One-mill tax hike approved for Shillington
North by Northwest
Sun-Gazette: 8 county superintendents receive nearly $1 million to run districts
Sun-Gazette: Salary increases tied to performance reviews
Sun-Gazette: Exiting superintendents to receive reimbursements
Daily Times: Prayers for Newtown: Old Main vigil marks anniversary of shooting
Daily Times: Local Red Cross director Virginia Brown retiring after colorful career
Opinions
The Times Leader: Bipartisanship compromise is good regardless of reasons
Daily Times: Pa.’s power brokers should keep money in state
Courier Times: Fix for flawed funding formula
Times-Tribune: Stop coddling gas drillers; pass fair tax
Post-Gazette: Strange medicine: UPMC goes political on a member of the House
Tribune Review: Secret winners? A losing proposition
Blogs
Commonwealth Foundation: “Healthy PA:” What’s It All Mean?
Keystone Politics: Ban Everything Except Hand-Painted Billboards
Keystone Politics: If Your Downtown Has Cool Stuff, People Will Pay for Parking
Keystone Politics: Republican Lawmaker Supports 4.9% Severance Tax. Time for Dems to Raise the Bar
Keystone Politics: Rob “Off Message” Teplitz Will Lead PA Senate Dems to Victory in 2014
Keystone Politics: Broad Street Only Has Crazy Traffic Because Philadelphia City Government Wants It To
Keystone Politics: The 8 PA Senate Democrats Who Voted Against Climate Denier Chris Abruzzo for DEP
Above Average Jane: Rasmussen Poll Call on Saturday
Liberty City Press: Will Property Tax Abatement Be Scrapped?
Liberty City Press: Firefighters Dial Up Online Invective
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4 Responses
UPMC has a new $50 million jet. Good news, Rep. Jimmy Christiana, when the UPMC alpha dog Bullys chase you out of Public Service for asking a few difficult questions in the public interest, you have all the makings to be a steward on Jeff and Scotty’s jet plane. Here’s a question for the Corbett Integrity Czars: How many times has COS Gromis-Baker flown on Jeff Romoff’s and Scotty Baker’s new jet? http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2013/10/25/New-jet-to-fly-UPMC-corporate-flag.html
Here’s further confirmation that the Corbett political team is going to use Corbettcare/Obamacare to run a nasty racist campaign that the PAGOP turns into an infamous devisive Fall epic. So let’s face it Corbettcare is not HealthCare policy. The plan was always. DOA (maybe like Corbett’s re-election chances). It is another cheap political trick of Acting Governor John Brabender. http://www.keystonepolitics.com/2013/12/pagov-tom-corbett-reelection-campa
ign-will-referendum-tom-corbett-obamacare/
It is clear that Corbettcare is a campaign tactic not serious health care policy. It will allow Tom Corbett and his wonderful campaign team to run ads featuring Teaparty Tom Corbett, Our Evil Black President and whomever the Dems nominate all together in one of the PAGOP’s exquisitely done, racist mailers. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-pennsylvania-20131213,0,51848.story
Pennsylvania isn’t serious about expanding Medicaid. How do we know?
Though it is a self-evident and fundamental truth to every public school teacher, it nevertheless needs pronouncing that education exists downstream of culture. Where the culture is reasonably healthy, we find reasonably healthy schools. Communities blighted with crime, high rates of single parenthood and severe unemployment almost predictably give rise to our most troubled schools.
The same may be said at the level of family, where student success time and again follows from supportive, stable and academically focused homes.
In the vacuum of educational theory, it makes sense to elevate standards and gauge teacher competency according to measurable student progress. But actual schools contend with variables beyond their control, yet integral to achievement. We risk demoralizing an institution by measuring it in the absence of such consequential factors.
Regardless, the reformers are on the march. No problem for me. My AP kids show up for class prepared and attentive. Their parents wouldn’t have it any other way.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2013/12/15/High-risk-school-reform/stories/201312150138#ixzz2neCcUhz
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2013/12/15/High-risk-school-reform/stories/201312150138