Monthly Archives: April 2009

Specter Defection is Toomey’s Dream Come True

Posted on April 30, 2009 by | 2 Comments |

Tuesday afternoon, Pat Toomey received the kind of news political candidates only dream of. U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, his longtime nemesis and main foe in a 2010 Republican Senate primary, had just become a Democrat, catapulting Toomey into de facto … More after the jump →

Posted in Elections, National Politics

What Role Did Rendell Play in Specter’s Defection??

Posted on April 28, 2009 by | 1 Comment |

From Eleanor Clift: …Funny, yes, and seriously Machiavellian, claims one GOP source, who attributes Specter’s surprise defection to a Biden-Rendell bank shot. Vice President Joe Biden is from Scranton, Pa., and Ed Rendell is governor of Pennsylvania, ties that put … More after the jump →

Posted in Elections, National Politics

Feds Say Fumo Owes $4 Million

Posted on April 28, 2009 by | Comments Off |

Federal prosecutors yesterday tried to debunk disgraced former state Sen. Vince Fumo’s argument that he should not have to forfeit $4 million to the government. The feds’ court filing said that the defense was dead-wrong in its assertion that the … More after the jump →

Posted in Judiciary, Philadelphia and suburbs

Mayors Say Cities Are Facing a Pension Crisis

Posted on April 28, 2009 by | Comments Off |

Pennsylvania’s cities and towns face a pension crisis as dire as the one facing state government and they need help from the Legislature, a trio of urban mayors said Monday. ”We need to reform and we need to do so … More after the jump →

Posted in Lehigh Valley

Bonusgate: Recipients Gave to Political Campaigns

Posted on April 27, 2009 by | Comments Off |

When Bill DeWeese was House Democratic leader in 2002, he gave his Harrisburg aides $1,000 or $2,000 bonuses. Six of the recipients contributed identical or nearly identical amounts to Mr. DeWeese’s re-election and the House Democratic Campaign Committee that year … More after the jump →

Posted in Campaign Finance and the Influence Game

Bill Soon Due to PA Taxpayers for Public Pensions

Posted on April 27, 2009 by | Comments Off |

Pennsylvania’s day of reckoning over its multibillion-dollar pension promises to government employees and teachers has been pushed back for the better part of the past decade. But long-expected increases in costs are scheduled to kick in three years from now, … More after the jump →

Posted in Budget/Taxes/Spending, State Government

Some County Judges Heard Cases Involving Donors

Posted on April 27, 2009 by | Comments Off |

In Northampton County, all four judges elected in the past 10 years — Beltrami, Edward Smith, Emil Giordano and Paula Roscioli — have presided over at least one donor’s case, court records and campaign reports show. In Lehigh County, Maria … More after the jump →

Posted in Judiciary, Lehigh Valley

Nutter’s “Plan B” Calls for Painful Cuts

Posted on April 24, 2009 by | Comments Off |

To some, it’s apocalyptic. It’s Plan B – the backup, the safety net, the just-in-case proposal that Mayor Nutter is pushing in the likelihood that his Plan A for fixing Philadelphia’s fiscal troubles gets shot down. But Plan B calls … More after the jump →

Posted in Philadelphia and suburbs

GOP Criticizes Rendell’s Tuition Relief Proposal

Posted on April 24, 2009 by | 1 Comment |

Gov. Ed Rendell’s administration received a cool reception from Republicans yesterday when he took the first step toward legalizing video poker in bars as a way to raise up to $550 million for college students in the state. “We have … More after the jump →

Posted in Casinos, State Government

Fumo Lawyers Call for Judge to Reject Guilty Verdict

Posted on April 23, 2009 by | Comments Off |

Grasping at straws… Vince Fumo’s lawyers are asking a federal judge to acquit the disgraced former state senator or give him a new trial. Fumo was convicted by a federal jury on March 16 of 137 counts of conspiracy, fraud, … More after the jump →

Posted in Corruption, Judiciary, Philadelphia and suburbs