Casey urges unemployment extension, the Democrats in PA-8 shy away from the DCCC and Toomey gives the weekly GOP address. Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz.
Toomey Delivers Weekly Republican Address: The PA Senator uses his wife’s struggles with the health care website to criticize Obamacare.
PA-8: Democrats Remain Silent on ACA: FactCheck.Org accused Democrats in PA-8 of overreaching in an email that outlines the impact of repealing the Affordable Care Act, but both candidates declined comment on the law.
Casey Calls For Unemployment Extension: Senator Bob Casey held a press conference in Philadelphia to urge Congress to extend unemployment benefits
Legislative Election Updates:
HD-158: This Chester County seat opened up when Republican incumbent Chris Ross announced that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection. Democrat Susan Rzucidlo announced her candidacy shortly thereafter. Cuyler Walker just announced his candidacy on the Republican side. Cuyler is currently an elected Township Supervisor in East Marlborough Township, where he has served as Chairman for the last 8 years. Walker served in the administration of Governor Dick Thornburgh in Harrisburg and in the United States Department of Justice in Washington, DC during the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
Statewide
New York Times: A grand weekend out for Pennsylvanians
StateImpactPA: Allegheny County could get $73M in park gas drilling deal
StateImpactPA: Feds forecast natural gas will dethrone king coal as source of electric power
AP: ACLU accuses PA of stalling in same-sex marriage case
AP: PA Supreme Court throws out parts of Megan’s Law
AP: Corbett announces new prescription drug drop off boxes
AP: Letter details allegations against PA pension fund manager
WITF: Harrisburg’s mayor-elect discusses White House meeting
WITF: Gettysburg expects to lose public transit system Dec. 30th
PA Independent: Philadelphia school district threatens charters
Capitolwire: Can Jay Costa pull a Manderino?
Philadelphia
PhillyClout: Blondell readies push for school advertising bill
PhillyClout: Baer polls Pa. Society
WHYY Newsworks: Gubernatorial candidates go a-courting at Pennsylvania Society gathering
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. thinking inside the box on prescription drug disposal
PhillyNow: Bill would create ‘Buffer Zone’ so women can access abortion services around protestors
PhillyNow: 86,900 to lose unemployment benefits in PA?
KYW Newsradio: Pa. lawmakers press for Obamacare exemption for Vol. Fire Departments
KYW Newsradio: In Philadelphia, a call for restoration of extended federal jobless benefits
KYW Newsradio: Nutter vows to sign a bill aimed at getting vacant properties into hands of new owners
SEPA
Daily Times: Swarthmore man ‘carries’ every day
Pottstown Mercury: 4 Pa. lawmakers to announce natural gas drilling tax proposal
Pittsburgh
Tribune Review: Future of produce Terminal, Strip District development remains uncertain
Tribune-Review: Mayor-elect Peduto delays action on early retirement plan
Tribune Review: Longtime Pittsburgh political operative dies unexpectedly at 63
Post-Gazette: Proposal requires drillers to inform Allegheny County about their progress
Early Returns: Chelsa Wagner to Rich Fitzgerald: “Grow up”
Urban Media Today: Allegheny County Council Speculating New Move to Improve Air Quality in the Region
Southwest
Beaver County Times: Group wants to slap fracking industry with severance tax
Altoona Mirror: Meloy honored for long service
Altoona Mirror: Altoona town hall meeting focuses on Act 47 progress
NEPA
The Times Leader: Wilkes-Barre may fund camera system next year
Times-Tribune: Scranton mayor’s budget stands; council does not override
Times-Tribune: Congress close to ‘dairy cliff;’ milk could jump to $8 a gallon
Standard Speaker: Act 47’s drink tax option on way out
Wayne Independent: Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation elects new members
Wayne Independent: Rural hospitals adapt under Affordable Care Act
South Central
Harrisburg Patriot News: Harrisburg parking revenue up 60 percent next year?
Harrisburg Patriot News: Lower Dauphin tax increase should stay below state index
Harrisburg Patriot News: Federal Affordable Care Act could sink volunteer fire companies, representative says
Harrisburg Patriot News: Midstate school officials say they follow security measures outlined in school safety report
Lancaster Intelligencer/Era: Affordable Care Act mandate worries Lancaster County volunteer fire companies
Lehigh Valley
Morning Call: Bethlehem taps first woman to be fire chief
Morning Call: Small-business ‘incubator’ coming to downtown Allentown
Morning Call: Musical chairs: Election gamesmanship leads to open seat on Whitehall board
Express-Times: Retirement won’t keep ‘workhorse’ Judge Leonard Zito off the Northampton County bench
Express-Times: 10 civil complaints against Norton Oil to be heard this week in Warren County
Express-Times: Coast Guard wants barges to ship fracking wastewater
North by Northwest
Sun-Gazette: Budgets gain approval
Sun-Gazette: School directors: superintendents need to be paid to attract ‘quality’
Daily Times: State College school board appears to favor higher referendum total
Daily Times: Geisinger expansion nearly complete
Daily Times: On Centre: Around Bellefonte: Courtesy parking program encourages local holiday parking
Opinion
PA Independent: Pennsylvania Senate bill is poison pill for online learning
Pottstown Mercury: Pa. taxpayers pay for dubious mailings from politicians
Post-Gazette: Raise the wage: A higher minimum would pump up the economy
Tribune-Review: Regulatory hide & seek: End the game playing
Blogs
Keystone Politics: Ticket-Splitting, Not Gerrymandering, Cost PA Dems a Majority in the US House Delegation
Keystone Politics: PA House Republicans Want to Give You a Snot Burger for Christmas
Keystone Politics: #PAGov: Tom Corbett Reelection Campaign Will be a Referendum on Tom Corbett, Not Obamacare
Keystone Politics: #PAGov: Why Won’t Allyson Schwartz Just Drop Third Way?
Keystone Politics: Keystone Politics PA Society After-Party at B-Side in December 2014
Above Average Jane: City May Have Record Low Homicides
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Time For a County-Wide Police Force?
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Muller to Replace Iannelli on Airport Board
Jewish Exponent: Pols turn out for Federation’s shindig
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5 Responses
Dear Noble Basile: I know the routes of the UPMC plane. In the winter the $50 million dollar vehicle goes to Florida’s Gulf Gold Coast in Naples so Jeff Romoff can escape the Western PA riff-raff and the those Western Pennnsylvanians that are not WORLD CLASS. In the summer, it is the shuttle to Italy, as UPMC explores new global options and as rumors have it Jeff can spend some quality time at his Italian villa. I know UPMC has no employees and I can’t believe that anyone would want to know Jeff Romoff’s or Scotty Baker’s Compensation packages? HOW VULGAR? So here is what my crystal ball sees as the future for Rep. Jimmy Chistiana: steward on the UPMC plane, Jeff’s Yacht latrine cleaner on the Florida yacht and olive tree pruner at the Tuscan villa. JImmy: Shouldn’t every non-employee of a Pittsburgh non-profit have a $50 million jet plane? Jeff Romoff, Scotty Baker and COS GROMIS Baker: Now that the Corbett family and the UPMC Romoff families have merged, don’t be swishy with Jimmy Chrisitiana. Just hire some WORLD CLASS Brooklyn wise guys to work Jimmy over in a back alley in Harrisburg. Rep. Jimmy Christiana is not WORLD CLASS.
On PA House 158th: For more see “2 say they’ll run for 158th District seat” in today’s Daily Local News, http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20131217/2-say-theyll-run-for-158th-district-seat/. You could have said more about Susan Rzucidlo, who has run in the 158th twice before and has made a name for herself fighting for the rights of those with disabilities.
A good idea.
http://www.keystonepolitics.com/2013/12/pagov-tom-corbett-reelection-campaign-will-referendum-tom-corbett-obamacare/
“That’s because UPMC, like thousands of other private plane owners and lessors in Pittsburgh and across the country, has elected to keep its flight records obscured from public view, meaning the jet’s whereabouts can’t be tracked in real time via typical Internet channels.”
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2013/10/25/New-jet-to-fly-UPMC-corporate-flag.html#ixzz2nkgmX5KR
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