About That Pennsylvania State Budget…
Governor Ed Rendell and the state government recently banked their entire budget on additional funding from the U.S. Senate. It sorta worked out (the House votes on the state spending bill tonight and will likely pass it), but the proposal combined with the lack of a Plan B (besides the firing of 12,000 government employees) was irresponsible at best. You’ll...
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PA Gets Stimulus Money, The Apocalypse Will Have To Wait
Hooray! Looks like everything’s going to be just fine. Because the US Senate passed a bill yesterday to provide an additional $26 billion in federal stimulus funds to state governments – and, if you’ll remember, Pennsylvania passed its state budget (on time!) while banking on the Republican super minority not stalling the stimulus money to states. Ah, the...
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Rendell Speaks Out on Jobs, Roads, Corbett
Speaking of lame ducks, Governor Rendell isn’t letting the six-month expiration date on his job keep him from running his mouth. He’s had a lot to say already this week and it’s only Tuesday. First, the (sort of) good news: Under the current budget, the state only needs to lay off 700 people, not 1,000 like the governor had previously suggested. But,...
Continue ReadingRendell Staffers High on Gas
Marcellus Shale drilling companies had a dilemma. Normally, they just buy legislators and gubernatorial candidates with campaign contributions. But what to do about a lame duck governor? Rendell caved to lobbyists last year and failed to enact a drilling tax, but has been sounding increasingly aggressive this year about putting some kind of levy in place. Could...
Continue ReadingPennsylvania Resorts to Yard Sale to Raise Cash
Well, it’s finally come to this. Perpetually short on funds, Pennsylvania is auctioning off a bunch of junk to try to make ends meet. Included are all kinds of weird, random stuff; items taken in drug seizures, business supplies from stores bought up by PennDot and plenty of old office equipment. From the Inky: Thousands of items, among them wheelchairs...
Continue ReadingIn Case You Missed It: Big(ger) Budget Cuts Coming
The Inky had a big story this weekend all about how $1.4 billion in combined federal aid that was supposed to come to Pennsylvania and New Jersey to help balance the budgets…wait for it…isn’t. We know you’ve heard this one before. But it looks like in between denying a cozy relationship with his administration’s hottest hottie, guv Rendell had a word...
Continue ReadingLawmakers: Some Stuff Is Going Down (Rendell, Nutt, Sestak, Toomey)
Let’s start at the top. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Philadelphia Magazine profile in which it’s at least insinuated Rendell had an affair with Dr. Kirstin Snow, director of Commonwealth Media Services. Well, he’s got some choice words about the article and the rumors, which have been circulating around him for some time. “No comment,” he said, via...
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This Is Not A Rhetorical Question: What Is Wrong With Ed Rendell?
On Sunday, Rendell and Darrell Issa (R-CA) debated over Sestak-Gate, no one won, and Rendell specifically stated Sestak-Gate isn’t even a “Gate” because what was done happens all the time. Okay. He said the administration was only at fault for dragging their feet on an explanation concerning the non-“Gate” “Gate.” He also claimed he did the same...
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The PA Pie Debacle
Everything’s gonna be OK, methinks, ‘cause according to state law, pie will potentially no longer be a “potentially hazardous substance.” Yep, pie. Made by church ladies. Sigh. In September 2009, a Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture inspector took note of baked goods being sold at a St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church fundraiser in Rochester, outside...
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Tonight in the Gayborhood: Ed Rendell
If you haven’t seen Guv Ed in person yet, we recommend going to the Gayborhood tonight. Oh, yes, he will be there (reportedly). Doing what, you ask? What every other person will be doing there late tonight: Bar crawl! The guv will head out with the Liberty City Democratic Club to remind members of the LGBT community to vote in Tuesday’s election....
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