DAILY GRINDER: Abortion, Liquor, ID, School Vouchers, Redistricting … Legislature Makes Self Look Busy Before New Year
The state General Assembly was really struggling to put together all their bills before they left for winter break. That included killing women’s rights by prohibiting insurance coverage for low income people under ObamaCare, passing architectural restrictions against women’s health centers, privatizing liquor, forcing grandma to show ID at the voting booth...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: New Congressional District Maps Are Here
This is Pennsylvania’s likely new congressional map. Redistricted. Districts are “stretching west.” Enjoy. Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer Joseph Amendola has been acting extremely reasonable during the entirety of the trial on behalf of his trial, correct? Yeah, not so much. Here are a few quotes: “This cockamamie about face is consistent with everything...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Philly Losing Weight in Redistricting Map
As expected, the Pennsylvania House seat currently held by Northeast Philadelphian (and Councilman-elect) Denny O’Brien is set to go to York County under the redistricting map passed 4-1 last night by the commission charged with finalizing the legislative map. The city of Philadelphia was recognized for making “significant steps” toward greening its 291...
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New Report Explains PA Republicans’ Disdain for Electoral College
The Center for American Progress’ Ruy Teixeira and John Halpin have a new report out called “The Path to 270” all about how President Barack Obama can win re-election in 2012. It’s a pretty wonky PDF, but the main point is this: Democrats can win by focusing on a “center-left coalition made up, on the one hand, of voters who have gotten ahead on the...
Continue ReadingUpdate: Occupy Harrisburg Disrupts Redistricting Meeting, Corbett Won’t Fully Support Electoral College Plan
Things are heating up in Harrisburg as Occupy protesters there infiltrated a redistricting commission meeting, and forced a 35-minute delay in its start time. According to a report at PA Independent, the protesters shouted common Occupy slogans like, “This is what Democracy looks like” and “We are the 99 Percent.” Protesters were upset that not all voices...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: GOP Proposes Eliminating Northeast Philly District
Rep. Denny O’Brien better hope he gets that seat on City Council he’s up for. According to a redistricting plan proposed yesterday by the state GOP, which is being called a “raw, politically partisan exercise,” O’Brien’s seat would be history and moved to York County. Why would the GOP get rid of one of their own? Because O’Brien is what you might...
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Philly’s New Councilmanic District Map Appears to Screw Over Two Wards
While most of the district boundaries in the in the new map Council approved yesterday appear to go out of the way to shape around wards, two remain cracked by three wards, creating a political hot-mess. The 42nd is penetrated by the fifth, seventh and eighth councilmanic districts while the 18th Ward is cracked by the fifth, first and seventh, making...
Continue ReadingDiCicco-Kenney Redistricting Plan Passes—What’s that Mean For City Council Bipartisanship?
Anyone concerned about eventual two-party rule in Philadelphia should be afraid of this: City Council just passed the DiCicco-Kenney redistricting map by a vote of 15-2 (only members Brian O’Neill and Jack Kelly voted against). And—surprise!—the map screws over the single Republican sitting in a district seat. Here’s what happened: Aside from the usual...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: More Philly Casinos Will Surely Solve Our Problems
Keep gambling…Pennsylvania says there’s room for a fifth Philadelphia-area casino. A state-commissioned study (they’re never wrong!) says a good place for said house of poor might be either West Philadelphia or City Line Avenue, both of which will soon be called “The next Philly neighborhood” at some point soon, by some publication, we’re sure. Added...
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The Emerging Republican Factions in the Electoral Vote Legislation Controversy
As you’re probably aware by now, Governor Tom Corbett has a penchant for disenfranchising voters and tipping the scales for his own political party’s short-term gains. When a plan was originally proposed by state Senator Dominic Pileggi that would split up Pennsylvania’s electoral votes by Congressional district and likely favor the Republican Party in...
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