Monthly Archives: December 2012

Pat Toomey Flashback: “My Idea of Gun Control Is a Steady Aim”

Posted on December 20, 2012 by | 5 Comments |

Ha ha ha: “My idea of gun control is a steady aim,” [Toomey] said. Thanks to Maria at 2 Political Junkies for saving this classic from the linkrot scourge at the York Dispatch

Posted in Health

Liberals Need to Have Bob Casey’s Back on Changed Gun Safety Stance

Posted on December 20, 2012 by | Comments Off |

Changing your mind about an issue is difficult, and publicly changing your mind is even more difficult for a politician. It opens you up to charges from opponents that you’re an untrustworthy flip-flopper. In PA, changing your mind in favor of gun safety is surely … More after the jump →

Posted in Elections, Health, National Politics

*Clerical Error* Totally Why Corbett Failed to Disclose Fracker-Funded Vacation

Posted on December 20, 2012 by | 2 Comments |

Hoo boy! I do not envy Kevin Harley ever today: Marie Cusick has the bombshell: In July 2011, Governor Corbett took a vacation to Rhode Island that was paid for by a central Pennsylvania businessman with ties to the natural … More after the jump →

Posted in Campaign Finance and the Influence Game, Corruption, Elections

What Price Ideology?

Posted on December 20, 2012 by | 2 Comments |

Hospital networks obviously are a huge player in the PA economy, and also employ a lot of people. The Medicaid expansion would unquestionably be a good deal for the state’s large health care providers, and the rejection of federal money … More after the jump →

Posted in Budget/Taxes/Spending, Health

Michael Lamb Should Drop Out of the #PGHMayor Race

Posted on December 19, 2012 by | 1 Comment |

Ok, he’s not really in yet, but Michael Lamb is hiring staff so I can only assume an announcement is imminent. Nothing against Mr. Lamb personally, but the Post-Gazette editors are exactly right about this: That’s a formidable potential field, but … More after the jump →

Posted in Elections

Hail Isaiah Thompson! AxisPhilly Delivers the Assessment Explainer You Need

Posted on December 19, 2012 by | Comments Off |

I was getting ready to complain about the poor explanation quality in the items on the property reassessment news out of Philly today, when Isaiah Thompson went and wrote precisely the explainer people needed to see. You can’t just throw … More after the jump →

Posted in Budget/Taxes/Spending, Land Use

Larry Farnese Takes the Lead on Gun Safety in PA Senate

Posted on December 19, 2012 by | Comments Off |

Samantha Melamed says Larry Farnese has come up with a decent gun safety bill that I suspect most voters could probably get behind. Ordinarily a bill like this would have no chance of passing in Harrisburg, but the voters are going to want something … More after the jump →

Posted in Health

The Keystone Politics Top 10 Albums of the Year

Posted on December 19, 2012 by | 2 Comments |

Trolling one’s own blog is a basic human right, so I’m going to have to interrupt the political blogging with my 10 favorite albums of the year. 2012 was a pretty excellent year for music I like, and it was … More after the jump →

Posted in Miscellany

The Unaccountable Judicial Branch

Posted on December 19, 2012 by | Comments Off |

Joan Orie Melvin’s argument that she can’t be prosecuted because separation of powers is obviously hilarious, but it’s not as hilarious as it should be. PA’s got some real weird laws protecting judicial branch employees from accountability to the political branch, which is … More after the jump →

Posted in Judiciary, State Government

The Affordable Housing Coalition We Need

Posted on December 19, 2012 by | Comments Off |

One thing I wish more people understood is that affordable housing politics is not a fight between “greedy developers” and renters.  Properly understood, the political economy looks like this: developers + renters + construction workers on Team Build More Housing, and incumbent landowners on Team … More after the jump →

Posted in Land Use, The Economy