A couple in Lansdale, PA was busted after going on an 18 month house-egging spree. That's got to be a record, congratulations to my beloved Commonwealth of Pennsylvania! I live in Easton, PA and I have a friend who lives in Lansdale, PA, about an hour south of here. I know the area and the surrounding area. There's really not much to do there, but this couple has taken to ending their boredom with the area and found a unique activity to share in together. I know there has to be some Kodak moments of their activities. Like I said, I know that area, I can guarantee it. Let's just hope they supported their local farmers and economy (of which there are plenty down there) by buying local eggs. I often would joke about the area to my buddy about how mind numbingly bored I'd get there...and Easton isn't exactly NYC. The next conversation I have with him will be quite interesting for sure. Personally, I hope they make these two clean up every single house in the Landsdale area over the last 18 months, it's only right. No mention, by the way, of how old they are. I'd love to think they were 18 or 19, but knowing the area, they could have been in their 50s.
-Caomhin
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts
31 July 2008
12 February 2008
Ed Rendell Believes Pennsylvanians Are Racists
Have I ever mentioned how much I can't stand Ed Rendell? As I'm sure you are all keenly aware of by now, Rendell has been a big time Hillary backer and is now realizing that Hillary is no longer "inevitable" to gain the Democratic nod to appear in the General Election in November. So Ed Rendell decides that it is best to illustrate why he is endorsing her by accusing Pennsylvanians of being racist. Here's some highlights:
“You’ve got conservative whites here, and I think
there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an
African-American candidate,” Rendell told the editorial board of the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in Tuesday’s paper.
Next, Rendell takes a swipe at Lynn Swann, who Rendell viciously lied about during the last gubernatorial races in one of the most negative campaigns I can remember. Swann was an excellent candidate who was running as an outsider, ready to step in and help fix many of the problems that have hurt Pennsylvania. Rendell's attack machine went after him with a fever. Without the funds, the insiders, and the muscles that Rendell had, Swann lost the race. To say that he would have "only" beat Swann by 17 instead of 22 is a joke. I listed the reasons why Rendell won, none of which had to do with race, but all of which hurt our state by having him as Governor. According to Rendell and a great deal of the Democrats out there, Swann should have won the majority of the African American vote if you follow their racial identity politics. The Clintons have shamelessly pursued that aspect since South Carolina and Bill Clinton finally got partially exposed for what he really is in doing so. So what are the new voters that Obama will bring in when he loses the racist PA voters Rendell? What "new voters" are you referring to?
What this goes to further illustrate is how the Democratic Party works. They will always have a built in excuse. They will always say that they believe in the democratic republic in which we live but take shots at it every chance they have. They will divide people in to groups and then chastise groups who do not follow along on the leash the Democrats have crafted. Rendell's insertion of "conservative whites" is simply an unwarranted, untruthful, and shameless attack on Republicans, who just last election cycle elected an African American to represent the Republican Party in the race for the position of governor. Ed Rendell is a liar and a race baiter.
-Caomhin
“You’ve got conservative whites here, and I think
there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an
African-American candidate,” Rendell told the editorial board of the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in Tuesday’s paper.
To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006
re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn
Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60
percent to less than 40 percent.
“I believe, looking at the returns in my election,
that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was —
well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking — but white instead of black,
instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so,” he
said. “And that (attitude) exists. But on the other hand, that is
counterbalanced by Obama’s ability to bring new voters into the
electoral pool.”
Next, Rendell takes a swipe at Lynn Swann, who Rendell viciously lied about during the last gubernatorial races in one of the most negative campaigns I can remember. Swann was an excellent candidate who was running as an outsider, ready to step in and help fix many of the problems that have hurt Pennsylvania. Rendell's attack machine went after him with a fever. Without the funds, the insiders, and the muscles that Rendell had, Swann lost the race. To say that he would have "only" beat Swann by 17 instead of 22 is a joke. I listed the reasons why Rendell won, none of which had to do with race, but all of which hurt our state by having him as Governor. According to Rendell and a great deal of the Democrats out there, Swann should have won the majority of the African American vote if you follow their racial identity politics. The Clintons have shamelessly pursued that aspect since South Carolina and Bill Clinton finally got partially exposed for what he really is in doing so. So what are the new voters that Obama will bring in when he loses the racist PA voters Rendell? What "new voters" are you referring to?
What this goes to further illustrate is how the Democratic Party works. They will always have a built in excuse. They will always say that they believe in the democratic republic in which we live but take shots at it every chance they have. They will divide people in to groups and then chastise groups who do not follow along on the leash the Democrats have crafted. Rendell's insertion of "conservative whites" is simply an unwarranted, untruthful, and shameless attack on Republicans, who just last election cycle elected an African American to represent the Republican Party in the race for the position of governor. Ed Rendell is a liar and a race baiter.
-Caomhin
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Only Thing In The Way of Open Records in PA Is Ed Rendell
A solid law that took way too long to hammer out in our Legislature has finally cleared all the hurdles and is heading to Ed Rendell for signature that will help to bring more accountability to the government. It's a fairly brief article, but I'll still highlight two parts for you, first:
Instead of a narrow list of public records, the bill would force agencies to disclose all records beyond a list of exceptions, and the agency would have to prove a record they do not want to release can be secret under the law.
A central office would set policies and deal with disputes about what should be released. Penalties would be stiffer for agencies that violate the law. And it would require state agencies to respond faster when people request records.
Sounds pretty solid to me. The Republicans pretty much set the frame work for this one and the Dems helped out a bit too after the whole Pay Raise fiasco that will still have repercussions come this November. It's another one of those laws that should be in full effect for every state. What bothers me though was this paragraph from the article:
Gov. Ed Rendell will decide whether to sign the bill, which has undergone numerous revisions during the 13 months since it was first proposed, after he reviews its exact language, said Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo.
He really can't be giving any real thought to vetoing this bill right? Ed Rendell has already made a mockery of the system here in PA, most recently by promoting his insane spending budget that increases spending dramatically, raises some taxes, and provides rebates for only the poorest of the poor, who aren't actually paying taxes anyway (it's called welfare). All this with a state surplus that he easily found a way to spend and then some which is quite remarkable. Rather than provide true tax relief and increase efficiency, he is doing THAT with the budget? Wow. To further demonstrate his economic prowess, he has already pretty much abandoned the idea of giving true property tax relief to seniors, lower class, working families, and the middle class that was supposed to be funded by the slots by miring it in bureaucracy and making it nearly impossible to qualify for, while shifting those revenues into more of his pet projects. Which brings me back to the initial point. I suppose he could actually be giving thought to vetoing this bill given the shenanigans he plays with the budget and pretty much everything else he does.
This should be a good voter guide issue for November and we should get a copy of how the voting went down. Anyone who voted against open records for government is fit to be booted from government regardless of party. You should really take the time to read this article here about concerns some lawmakers had with the bill that got hashed out in the final version. Amazingly, most of the concerns were legit. It turns out this was a pretty solid bipartisan effort.
-Caomhin
Instead of a narrow list of public records, the bill would force agencies to disclose all records beyond a list of exceptions, and the agency would have to prove a record they do not want to release can be secret under the law.
A central office would set policies and deal with disputes about what should be released. Penalties would be stiffer for agencies that violate the law. And it would require state agencies to respond faster when people request records.
Sounds pretty solid to me. The Republicans pretty much set the frame work for this one and the Dems helped out a bit too after the whole Pay Raise fiasco that will still have repercussions come this November. It's another one of those laws that should be in full effect for every state. What bothers me though was this paragraph from the article:
Gov. Ed Rendell will decide whether to sign the bill, which has undergone numerous revisions during the 13 months since it was first proposed, after he reviews its exact language, said Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo.
He really can't be giving any real thought to vetoing this bill right? Ed Rendell has already made a mockery of the system here in PA, most recently by promoting his insane spending budget that increases spending dramatically, raises some taxes, and provides rebates for only the poorest of the poor, who aren't actually paying taxes anyway (it's called welfare). All this with a state surplus that he easily found a way to spend and then some which is quite remarkable. Rather than provide true tax relief and increase efficiency, he is doing THAT with the budget? Wow. To further demonstrate his economic prowess, he has already pretty much abandoned the idea of giving true property tax relief to seniors, lower class, working families, and the middle class that was supposed to be funded by the slots by miring it in bureaucracy and making it nearly impossible to qualify for, while shifting those revenues into more of his pet projects. Which brings me back to the initial point. I suppose he could actually be giving thought to vetoing this bill given the shenanigans he plays with the budget and pretty much everything else he does.
This should be a good voter guide issue for November and we should get a copy of how the voting went down. Anyone who voted against open records for government is fit to be booted from government regardless of party. You should really take the time to read this article here about concerns some lawmakers had with the bill that got hashed out in the final version. Amazingly, most of the concerns were legit. It turns out this was a pretty solid bipartisan effort.
-Caomhin
28 January 2008
Ed Rendell: Political Blowfish
If there's one thing Ed Rendell loves that isn't named "The City of Philadelphia," it's named "Ed Rendell." In perhaps one of the most fitting stories about a politician, Ed Rendell has released a study giving himself all kinds of love on what he has "accomplished" in his five years in office, loaded with questionable numbers, and costing the tax payers at least $20,000 for him to toot his own horn. What a pompous, arrogant move. Irresponsible in every aspect, using tax payer money for what essentially amounts to campaign release for the Democrats while simultaneously stroking his own ego. Worst of all, it's egregiously exaggerated...then again, what else do you expect from the man? Let us not forget he threatened to......campaign against Republicans who oppose his wasteful spending proposal that is socialized health care in Pennsylvania. That's shocking. Good, bring it on Rendell. You're wasting a surplus, increasing spending dramatically, and your health care plan is a further assault on the free market, while banking and hoping that people increase their spending on tobacco products that you have spent enormous amounts of money on trying to get people to stop using whatsoever. What happens then, when PA goes tobacco free? How do you pay for it then? What do you do about the jobs you're going to cost and the all the other taxes you're going to raise? How does it feel to go around threatening people who disagree with you in fascist tactic? Pathetic.
-Caomhin
-Caomhin
18 January 2008
PA State Democrats and Ed "If It Ain't Philly It Don't Mean Nothing To Me" Rendell About to Hose us Over...Again
It's amazing that this incredibly dishonest and underhanded group is in control of the government. I think I'm still a bit dumbfounded that Lynn Swann lost to Rendell in the last election, just to throw that out there. Of course, Rendell's political machine in Philadelphia, the only place the man cares about, is pretty much the only reason he won seeing as how it's the only thing he cares about. So a new round of elections are coming up and the Democrats in state Congress are gearing up to pull a fast one on the people of Pennsylvania. First, was this article, from Penn Live, which is special in that it shows just what "property tax relief" means to the Democrats:
Taking up a major promise to the voters, Democratic leaders in the state House plan to open debate today on a series of property tax measures.
Meanwhile, Rendell, is being dishonest by not fully disclosing the tax increases he wants in order to push through his socialized health care proposal, trying to spout off about decreasing spending, while he tries to initiate new spending projects backed by Liberal and Democratic interest groups while damaging the free market. Here's some meat from that article:
The Governor says approval can be done while still helping doctors pay for their medical malpractice insurance. He proposes to accomplish both by using available surpluses and combining them with other CAP funding sources. The Governor has called for an increase in the cigarette tax by 10- cents and the state's first ever tax on smokeless tobacco.
Now we're talking about increasing CIGARETTE TAXES and a NEW TAX ON SMOKELESS TOBACCO. Funny how Liberals go all drug dealer on smokers such as myself by saying how smoking is an addiction and the tobacco companies are predatory, all the while raising and raising tobacco taxes like a drug dealer would do to a drug addict. He also want to start to outlay money by helping doctors PAY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE. Cap the limits on lawsuits and the insurance costs will go down genius. Finally, he tops this all off by telling Pennsylvanians that, well, he's going to increase taxes even more in the near future and blow the state surplus instead of cutting taxes, and cutting spending which will help the economy and help bring much needed jobs into the state. Sure, he mentions he wants to cut spending, but, hey Ed, all these new spending proposals you are pushing through shows just how committed you are to that idea.
So to recap here's SOME of TAX INCREASES and SOME of INCREASED SPENDING state Democrats are pushing:
-Sales Tax
-Income Tax
-Cigarette Tax
-Smokeless Tobacco Tax
-Socialized Health Care
-Medical Malpractice Insurance
Unless we rally in November, we are headed for financial disaster and a hemorrhaging of jobs. Rendell and the state Democrats are going to do serious, serious damage to this state and we must take a stand.
-Caomhin
Taking up a major promise to the voters, Democratic leaders in the state House plan to open debate today on a series of property tax measures.
Most of the bills are designed to shift the burden of school funding onto state income and sales taxes, allowing local property taxes to drop.
The principal plan advanced this week, sponsored by House Finance Committee Chairman Dave Levdansky, D-Allegheny, would raise the state sales tax to from 6 percent to 6.5 percent and increase the personal income tax rate from 3.07 percent to 3.29 percent.
Coupled with revenue from the state's taxes on casinos, Levdansky says, the plan would cut the statewide property tax burden by about $2.5 billion.
Democrats will reduce property taxes, which was supposed to be achieved by the revenues of the slots alone, ONLY if they RAISE TAXES on SALES TAX by 8.3%, and on PERSONAL INCOME TAX by 7.2%. Substantial increases. It is unforgivable for the legislature to do this. The property tax was going to be lowered through the increase in revenues from the slots. Instead, congressional Democrats have increased their spending by wide margins and will now raise the overall tax burden on Pennsylvanians.Meanwhile, Rendell, is being dishonest by not fully disclosing the tax increases he wants in order to push through his socialized health care proposal, trying to spout off about decreasing spending, while he tries to initiate new spending projects backed by Liberal and Democratic interest groups while damaging the free market. Here's some meat from that article:
The Governor says approval can be done while still helping doctors pay for their medical malpractice insurance. He proposes to accomplish both by using available surpluses and combining them with other CAP funding sources. The Governor has called for an increase in the cigarette tax by 10- cents and the state's first ever tax on smokeless tobacco.
Now we're talking about increasing CIGARETTE TAXES and a NEW TAX ON SMOKELESS TOBACCO. Funny how Liberals go all drug dealer on smokers such as myself by saying how smoking is an addiction and the tobacco companies are predatory, all the while raising and raising tobacco taxes like a drug dealer would do to a drug addict. He also want to start to outlay money by helping doctors PAY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE. Cap the limits on lawsuits and the insurance costs will go down genius. Finally, he tops this all off by telling Pennsylvanians that, well, he's going to increase taxes even more in the near future and blow the state surplus instead of cutting taxes, and cutting spending which will help the economy and help bring much needed jobs into the state. Sure, he mentions he wants to cut spending, but, hey Ed, all these new spending proposals you are pushing through shows just how committed you are to that idea.
So to recap here's SOME of TAX INCREASES and SOME of INCREASED SPENDING state Democrats are pushing:
-Sales Tax
-Income Tax
-Cigarette Tax
-Smokeless Tobacco Tax
-Socialized Health Care
-Medical Malpractice Insurance
Unless we rally in November, we are headed for financial disaster and a hemorrhaging of jobs. Rendell and the state Democrats are going to do serious, serious damage to this state and we must take a stand.
-Caomhin
20 November 2007
Charlie Dent Nails A Homer
Kudos to Rep. Charlie Dent, who represents my district here in PA, for introducing a piece of legislature that would end the sanctuary for some illegal immigrants, these being the ones who have committed a felony. Under the proposal, the bill would require that illegals charged with a felony not be released from prison. Albeit a modest proposal, it is a step in right direction and one that has co-sponsorship from at least three Democrats, who are mentioned in the article. It's a start, and a damned sensible one at that.
-Caomhin
-Caomhin
Nothing to See Here Folks....Says Corrupt Rendell
Rendell is a world class tool, though his chumminess with the Clintons is pretty apparent in his denial that nearly all of the $322,000 in campaign contributions from the winners of the harness racing licenses went to Rendell's Democratic buddies in Pennsylvania, including a total of $211,000 to Rendell and his Philadelphia Future campaign. That's right, that had nothing to do with his decision making that he received these kickbacks. A member of the Clinton crime syndicate receiving illegal money? Ok, not very shocking, but what's shocking is the sheep that the electorate has become and how pathetic it is that no one is raising a fuss over this obvious abuse of power in demanding a kick back for granting this license. This guy has the balls to go out and act like he gives a rats ass about things outside of Philadelphia and their sports teams, but he's full of shit. The guy spends more time on Comcast talking about sports than he does in the legislature helping the people outside of Philly. Pathetic. Here is a demonstration of how to get his attention outside of the Philly area, buy greasing his grubby little paws.
-Caomhin
-Caomhin
Leftists Morons Give Thanks by Caring More About Animals Than Humans...Even the Homeless
Though in many ways, I'm sure that isn't surprising. Apparently, the left is in an uproar over President Bush paying homage to the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County, VA, where a settlement was established before one was established in Massachusetts. Of course, those in Massachusetts feel upset about this, not because of the historical fact that this is true, but because President Bush didn't come up to uber-liberal Massachusetts to face an army of zombie moonbats who would have tried to blame him for the sun's mysterious disappearance each night in the sky only to reappear the next morning among other things. Kind of funny considering this:
Plimoth Plantation spokeswoman Jennifer Monac provided a fact sheet arguing that since President Lincoln declared the first Thanksgiving Day in 1863, the Thanksgiving Americans now celebrate is largely a creation of the Victorian era.
Back to the larger point, which of course, is the Thanksgiving holiday we now observe. The pardoning of the turkey should be one of the least controversial things going on in this country, but certain lefties are pissed...surprise, surprise:
Nonetheless, Mr. Bush will go forward with the traditional turkey pardon this morning, a custom thought to have originated with President Truman.
Here's another perfect example of the flawed leftist logic that I'd like to point out. Recently I hit a deer, in PA, yes, I know that's shocking right? Well, the over-population is out of control, hence the hunting season, after all, deer are not going to exactly ration their food and go on food control portions during the winter to ensure they all they healthy. Besides, it is definitely a risk to humans when a deer jumps out on the highway as I'm sure you know. What better way to combine the need for thinning out the over-population of deer than to donate the meet to the homeless. Many shelters do not have adequate resources to feed the numbers that rely on them, and this should be a win all situation. Unless you're a leftist idiot, as apparently the deer are more important than the homeless:
"If hunters are donating the spoils, [feeding the hungry] is really a secondary issue." Markarian says there are also non-lethal ways to avoid conflicts between deer and human populations, like installing reflectors to prevent roadside collisions.
Got that? We must avoid human-deer conflicts at all costs. Perhaps the UN can investigate and send negotiators. After all, maybe they will be more successful with the deer than the jihadists as deer appear to be much more intelligent and moral, that I will grant them.
-Caomhin
Plimoth Plantation spokeswoman Jennifer Monac provided a fact sheet arguing that since President Lincoln declared the first Thanksgiving Day in 1863, the Thanksgiving Americans now celebrate is largely a creation of the Victorian era.
"In the 1620s, a Thanksgiving was a religious day of fasting, the fact sheet read.
So there you have it folks, the image of the pilgrims celebrating Thanksgiving is just symbolic. Enough of course thought to anger the lefties in Massachusetts who, God forbid, would recognize the religious implications behind the holiday, because according to all liberals, all our leaders, going back forever, never thought that religion should in anyway be recognized and celebrated, no sir-ee. Of course, that logic defies all historical documentation, but I digress.Back to the larger point, which of course, is the Thanksgiving holiday we now observe. The pardoning of the turkey should be one of the least controversial things going on in this country, but certain lefties are pissed...surprise, surprise:
Nonetheless, Mr. Bush will go forward with the traditional turkey pardon this morning, a custom thought to have originated with President Truman.
The turkey, as has been the custom since 2005, will then be flown first class, the White House said, to Disney World, where it will star as the marshal of the Thanksgiving Day parade.
This was still bad news for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who said yesterday that Disney World does not provide proper care for the turkeys."Almost all of the turkeys who have received Thanksgiving pardons from the president in recent years have died within a year," a PETA spokeswoman said.
PETA pronounced the turkey's trip to Disney World "a death sentence."
Maybe for the Turkey's credit rating as we all know how expensive Disney is, but outside of that, the PETA idiots are once again howling at the moon. Personally, I love animals, I really do, love dogs, bears, etc. However, there is a point where you cross over to bat shit crazy and they have definitely flown over that line.Here's another perfect example of the flawed leftist logic that I'd like to point out. Recently I hit a deer, in PA, yes, I know that's shocking right? Well, the over-population is out of control, hence the hunting season, after all, deer are not going to exactly ration their food and go on food control portions during the winter to ensure they all they healthy. Besides, it is definitely a risk to humans when a deer jumps out on the highway as I'm sure you know. What better way to combine the need for thinning out the over-population of deer than to donate the meet to the homeless. Many shelters do not have adequate resources to feed the numbers that rely on them, and this should be a win all situation. Unless you're a leftist idiot, as apparently the deer are more important than the homeless:
"If hunters are donating the spoils, [feeding the hungry] is really a secondary issue." Markarian says there are also non-lethal ways to avoid conflicts between deer and human populations, like installing reflectors to prevent roadside collisions.
Got that? We must avoid human-deer conflicts at all costs. Perhaps the UN can investigate and send negotiators. After all, maybe they will be more successful with the deer than the jihadists as deer appear to be much more intelligent and moral, that I will grant them.
-Caomhin
13 November 2007
Asshat in Carlisle, PA Destroys Flags in Front of Veterans...on Veterans Day
It's a shame the vets didn't teach this a guy a lesson the way they know best. It's a sad, sad day when a drunken moonbat shows up at Veterans Day rally simply to desecrate the American Flag. It's pathetic, and it just further shows how far the Leftists have sunk. Here's the meat of the article:
Police said Jamie M. Connors, 21, of Brooklyn, was drunk when he pulled several flags from their staffs in view of local veterans who were holding a vigil on the square.
-Caomhin
Police said Jamie M. Connors, 21, of Brooklyn, was drunk when he pulled several flags from their staffs in view of local veterans who were holding a vigil on the square.
Lt. Michael Dzezinski said Connors initially was charged only with public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. More serious charges of desecration of a flag and insults to national or commonwealth flags,that carry possible fines and a prison term, were added after witnesses were interviewed, Dzezinski said.
Got that right? Multiple flags destroyed by this guy...in front of a group of war veterans...on Veterans Day...who were holding a vigil for their fallen comrades. I don't care how drunk this guy was, he should be prosecuted for every possible crime and charge that is on the books, even if the laws are outdated and go back to the 1700s. Kudos the Carlisle, PA police for increasing the charges. I hope Connors enjoys prison.-Caomhin
02 October 2007
Rendell to Toll the Life out of Northern PA
All this guy cares about is Philly. I'm sure he'll be on Comcast very soon triumphing the Phillies while figuring out how to re-direct the majority of the state's tax money to his favorite city. The guy is a scumbag. He's New Jersey's lap cat and a pretty dangerous politician in that he actually seems like a pretty cool person. To bad, he's a complete moron with no concern for anyone who lives outside of Philadelphia and with no economic sense. He's all set to put his little "Interstate Privatization" gambit in motion, starting with I-80. There's no way the legislature will allow the insane tolls he wants along I-80, 11 in all from East to West. The Republican legislature here in my home state usually only puts up a minor fight, so they will fold one way or the other. Again, this tax and spend mentality is beyond stupid. Here is a good chunk of the article from my hometown paper, The Morning Call:
Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday he'd only sign off on legislation repealing the placement of tolls on Interstate 80 if lawmakers send him an alternative that raises as much money.
One of those options could be privatization of the Turnpike, Rendell said at a news conference. But he's only interested in handing over the Turnpike to a private entity if the state can wring a minimum of $1 billion to $1.4 billion out of the deal.
''I would not sign legislation repealing [the I-80 tolls] unless I'm signing something that produces as much, if not more, than I-80,'' Rendell said.
State officials believe they can raise an average of $900 million a year over a decade for road and bridge repairs and a mass-transit bailout through a combination of I-80 tolls and borrowing.
A cadre of state lawmakers from northern and north central Pennsylvania has begun pushing for repeal of the legislation that authorized the placement of as many as 10 tolls on the 311-mile length of I-80.
Those lawmakers argue that turning the freeway into a toll road would have a disastrous effect on local commerce, scare away tourists and unfairly penalize area residents who use I-80 to get to and from work.
So Rendell is basically blackmailing the legislature, or holding it hostage, you pick your terminology. He won't repeal the tolls unless he is given another revenue that will equal what he expects from this disaster waiting to happen. The tolls in themselves make no sense. It works out to a toll every 31.1 miles. That will choke off all trucking routes up north and divert them south towards the Lehigh Valley....and Philly. Why is that important? Well, let's say trucks turn down Rt 33 or come across I-78, 22, or the roads down near his hometown. You can pretty much guarantee that the payloads get dumped off to other companies who can essentially duck these tolls, which sends more money down into Philly. Secondly, even if this were not to happen, the opposition lawmakers are right. The people who live along I-80 would be totally screwed. Another effect would be the huge increase of traffic along I-78, which is pretty much at capacity now. Any massive shift of traffic down this way will coke out the other major route in NYC and crush the population here in the Lehigh Valley, as a large, large portion of us travel into NJ for work and vice versa. The fact of the matter is, when Gov. Ridge was in charge, sure we had problems. However due to Rendell's lovely handling of the state outside of Philadelphia we have seen higher taxes, a crazy amount of sprawl that has resulted in displaced rain water, which used to be absorbed into farmland rapidly finding its way into the Delaware River, resulting in numerous, disastrous floods, decrepit roadways and bridges, a sudden booming of the population in illegal immigrants (how many illegal immigration raids have there been in the Easton suburbs over the last few years?) and numerous other problems. His promised "real estate tax" relief is never going to happen, he isn't even trying for the state. The only people who received any tax relief of any kind were located in.....you guessed it...Philadelphia, where his buddy John Street so corrupted and horribly ran the city that for as much as NYC improved, Philly, a city I have a great affection for, has gone to hell. They are at a record for murders already and still have the better part of three months left in the year. This hack has to go.
-Caomhin
Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday he'd only sign off on legislation repealing the placement of tolls on Interstate 80 if lawmakers send him an alternative that raises as much money.
One of those options could be privatization of the Turnpike, Rendell said at a news conference. But he's only interested in handing over the Turnpike to a private entity if the state can wring a minimum of $1 billion to $1.4 billion out of the deal.
''I would not sign legislation repealing [the I-80 tolls] unless I'm signing something that produces as much, if not more, than I-80,'' Rendell said.
State officials believe they can raise an average of $900 million a year over a decade for road and bridge repairs and a mass-transit bailout through a combination of I-80 tolls and borrowing.
A cadre of state lawmakers from northern and north central Pennsylvania has begun pushing for repeal of the legislation that authorized the placement of as many as 10 tolls on the 311-mile length of I-80.
Those lawmakers argue that turning the freeway into a toll road would have a disastrous effect on local commerce, scare away tourists and unfairly penalize area residents who use I-80 to get to and from work.
So Rendell is basically blackmailing the legislature, or holding it hostage, you pick your terminology. He won't repeal the tolls unless he is given another revenue that will equal what he expects from this disaster waiting to happen. The tolls in themselves make no sense. It works out to a toll every 31.1 miles. That will choke off all trucking routes up north and divert them south towards the Lehigh Valley....and Philly. Why is that important? Well, let's say trucks turn down Rt 33 or come across I-78, 22, or the roads down near his hometown. You can pretty much guarantee that the payloads get dumped off to other companies who can essentially duck these tolls, which sends more money down into Philly. Secondly, even if this were not to happen, the opposition lawmakers are right. The people who live along I-80 would be totally screwed. Another effect would be the huge increase of traffic along I-78, which is pretty much at capacity now. Any massive shift of traffic down this way will coke out the other major route in NYC and crush the population here in the Lehigh Valley, as a large, large portion of us travel into NJ for work and vice versa. The fact of the matter is, when Gov. Ridge was in charge, sure we had problems. However due to Rendell's lovely handling of the state outside of Philadelphia we have seen higher taxes, a crazy amount of sprawl that has resulted in displaced rain water, which used to be absorbed into farmland rapidly finding its way into the Delaware River, resulting in numerous, disastrous floods, decrepit roadways and bridges, a sudden booming of the population in illegal immigrants (how many illegal immigration raids have there been in the Easton suburbs over the last few years?) and numerous other problems. His promised "real estate tax" relief is never going to happen, he isn't even trying for the state. The only people who received any tax relief of any kind were located in.....you guessed it...Philadelphia, where his buddy John Street so corrupted and horribly ran the city that for as much as NYC improved, Philly, a city I have a great affection for, has gone to hell. They are at a record for murders already and still have the better part of three months left in the year. This hack has to go.
-Caomhin
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