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Random Thoughts from a Long, Hot Summer
Posted 8-16-2005
All the hubbub and anger over the recent pay raises is just what
Pennsylvania's legislative leaders expect and, in a way, desire. While the
pay raise is distasteful, other than its symbolic effect, its budget impact
is somewhat inconsequential. The total pay raise, $16 million out of a $24
billion budget, will not have the effect that the continued neglect of other
more important issues will have.
Where is the outrage that we
do not have real tax reform in Pennsylvania? For 15 years, it has been on
the legislative agenda, yet nothing but nibbling around the corners.
Where is the outrage that
even after gambling has been approved, sloppy legislation and a pathetically
slow implementation process has forced Pennsylvania's gamblers to spend
their money out of state?
Where is the outrage that
we've had to shift highway dollars to help fund transit three times in the
past year and STILL the legislature will not address the issue?
And, after years and years of
your school taxes rising, the legislature has yet to assume the share of
school funding it did years ago. Wasn't gambling revenue to be the source to
offset the rising costs for local taxpayers for education funding?
This whole affair is another
example of the media focusing on the simplistic, emotional issue and the
public falling for it. While legislators voting themselves pay raises is
distasteful, their inability or unwillingness to actually solve significant
issues is far more harmful to Pennsylvanians.
Why hold back ANY documents
written by Supreme Court nominee John Roberts? Look, we know the guy is a
member of the Federalist Society. He helped Jeb Bush in shaping up the
post-election strategy for the 2000 election debacle in Florida, so what
else could he have written that would be damaging? And, I am certain Bush
could have nominated a far more controversial right-wing ideologue, so why
not bring all his official writings to light? When the White House hides
stuff, it appears they are doing it for a reason.
Is anyone out there actually
sad that Bob Novak has been given a leave of absence from CNN? So, he
doesn't want to talk about the Joseph Wilson affair? He should not have been
a flunky of the White House and "outed" Joe Wilson's wife, and, then,
perhaps he wouldn't have been so thin-skinned when Jim Carville teased him.
Rick Santorum is an expert on
family life? After growing up in a family where both parents were career
employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, he now wants to lecture
families across America that moms should stay at home. Is he really that out
of touch with how many working families struggle to make ends meet in our
expensive, modern economy? Or, is it more self-serving blather from the
poster-boy for right-wing extremism?
John Stewart (of the Daily
Show) sure "wimped out" when he had Santorum on to promote his book. Instead
of challenging Santorum on his own upbringing and forcing him to say it was
good for Rick but not others, or to say that his own parents' decision to
both work caused Rick to not develop properly, Stewart took the easy way out
and made nice with slick Rick.
Why is it that a certain
local newspaper cannot quit attacking Governor Ed Rendell? Their latest line
of attacking either demonstrates their total and complete partisanship or
their woefully uninformed mentality of how governments everywhere are
involved in economic development. They have been critical of the Governor
helping Dick's Sporting Goods and SONY with assistance for job training.
Assistance that will help existing businesses grow and add jobs.
Now I've been around a few
years, during the terms that Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker shared as governor
preceding Rendell, and I never once saw criticism of them when they brought
money to Westmoreland County. In fact, the stories were always flattering.
They must think we are stupid or have bad memories.
Rendell's attention to
Westmoreland County has been helpful to a variety of businesses,
municipalities, and the county's Industrial Development Corporation. We will
be able to develop more business-ready sites in our industrial parks, which
will allow us to attract new business or allow existing businesses to
expand. He's continued to help our county despite a lack of support in his
first election and continued attacks by the local partisan newspaper. Funny,
I've never seen the local paper railing against corporate welfare at the
national level. Have they complained about no-bid contracts for Halliburton,
or subsidies to the tobacco industry or corporate farming giants? No, the
local paper only complains when a Democratic governor helps direct money to
our county.
290 million Americans and
Bush had to find the most irascible person, who hates the United Nations, to
be our country's representative to that organization? Of course, he couldn't
even get Republican support so Bolton had to be another Bush recess
appointment. Look if the right-wingers hate the UN that much, then quit
being a member and see if it enhances our position as global leader.
Otherwise, we should be appointing people that will work to build positive
relationships. Bolton is not that type of person.
And finally the war...we've
been lied to for years, nothing has gone as the neocons have planned, the
reason for invading has changed countless times, yet there are Americans
that still blindly support this administration. Bush has created a quagmire
in Iraq, but the Iraqis will never stand on their own, as long as our
military is there. Iraqis associated with Americans are either in danger or
viewed suspiciously. So, let them try to make their own society secure, and
let's really support our troops by demanding they be returned home and quit
being killed or wounded in Bush's folly.
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