DAILY GRINDER: Bill Would Encourage Natural Gas Frack Cars
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey has introduced a bill called the STATE Natural Gas Act. His bill would “encourage the use of natural gas as transportation fuel and encourage private investment in natural gas vehicles and transportation infrastructure.” The legislation would do so by providing grants through the Department of Energy, awarded based on competitive...
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DAILY GRINDER: Corbett Signs Budget—15 Minutes Before Deadline
So, on Saturday, Governor Tom Corbett signed that pesky $27.65 billion budget after it was passed at a quarter-to-midnight on Saturday, satisfying exactly no one. Or rather, almost exactly no one. Take Royal Dutch Shell. The tax breaks for that company to build an ethane cracker plant in the commonwealth have been called Corbett’s “crown jewel” of the budget,...
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Liquor Bill Dead–For Now
Don’t say you didn’t see this coming: State Rep. Mike Turzai said this morning that the liquor privatization bill is dead—for now. “It’s clear that people are supportive of privatization. it’s common sense,” Turzai said, according to this Morning Call report. “Consumers are expecting it. But to get to the sweet spot to be able...
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DAILY GRINDER: Mitt Romney Likes Pickles and Sweet Peppers on his Wawa Meatball Hoagies
The Mitt Romney presidential campaign rolled into the Philly suburbs this weekend, and at one point hit up a Quakertown Wawa. He said stuff presidential candidates say, then ordered a meatball hoagie with pickles and sweet peppers while discussing his potential running mate. “I am considering a number of people for my running mate and carrying out the vetting...
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What Happened to the Liquor Privatization Debate?
Will beer keg backpacks still be legal? Wasn’t the liquor debate supposed to be done by now? After some energy at the beginning of the week, the House has scheduled more debate for, well, next week. And after that, maybe the week after. And so on/so forth/etc. As punned by Capitol Ideas, the liquor privatization idea may have lost its fizz, but isn’t necessarily...
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What You Should Know About This Week’s Potential Liquor Vote
Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai has taken it upon himself to make the privatization of the state’s liquor industry his pet project. And on Friday, he promised a vote on a bill which would do just that. The vote is set to come up this week—possibly today. But like the history of this issue, from prohibition’s demise to the present, it’s...
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Another Liquor Privatization Plan Mashed Together in Harrisburg
Remember liquor privatization? It was this thing in the Pennsylvania State House that was supposed to get the government out of the liquor business. But instead, when all was said and done, it looked more like a blueprint to complicate the system a bit more, if that were possible. But complication is complicated. And creating a coalition in the House and Senate...
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In Which We Use the Liquor Control Board’s $100 Thousand App
It was recently revealed by the Pittsburgh CBS affiliate that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spent $100,000 of taxpayer money creating its mobile smartphone application, which was released earlier this year. That seems like a lot. We think. So we decided to try it out. Just because. The Fine Wine and Good Spirits app, as it’s called, is suitable for...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: PLCB App Tells You How to Get Drunk Faster, Cheaper
Who says alcoholism and technology don’t mix? (Answer: no one. Everyone knows you’re not really drinking alone if you’re also playing online X-Box against some dude in Sweden.) The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board recently rolled out a new iPhone application “meant to make it easier to find your favorite wines and liquors.” It’ll allow users to search...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Liquor ‘Privatization’ becomes ‘Modernization’
Just as everyone suspected, the state General Assembly is slowly backing off any attempts to privatize the state’s alcohol system in favor of what they’re all calling “modernization.” Which essentially means, “doing our job…better.” Sort of like the (fingers crossed) City Council bill that’d force the Philadelphia Parking Authority to do the...
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