Thursday, January 13, 2011
Is Dan Onorato going to seek a third term?
I've heard rumors that Dan Onorato will announce his decision about re-election at 2PM this afternoon. Everyone has opined that Mr. Onorato will not run for Executive and will focus on running for Auditor General in 2012.
My opinion is that Mark Patrick Flaherty would not be running for Executive unless he was sure that Onorato would not seek re-election this year.
My opinion is that Mark Patrick Flaherty would not be running for Executive unless he was sure that Onorato would not seek re-election this year.
Monday, January 10, 2011
From the Post Gazette: Courts announce DJ closings
Allegheny County President Judge Donna Jo McDaniel has proposed elimination of three district court positions.
She will petition the state Supreme Court to eliminate the offices now held by Judges Ross C. Cioppa, whose district includes Braddock, Rankin and Swissvale; Nathan N. Firestone, whose office covers two wards in Pittsburgh; and Regis C. Welsh Jr., who covers Pine, Richland and Hampton.
They are all leaving office at the end of this year because of retirement.
The move comes in response to Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Castille's request for a 10 percent statewide reduction in magisterial district courts because of state budget problems.
Judge McDaniel also is proposing changing the boundaries of 14 district court jurisdictions to accommodate the closings.
Congratulations to the citizens of Braddock Borough, Richland Township, Hampton Township, Wilkins Township, Braddock Hills Borough, Swissvale Borough, Ward 28 in the City of Pittsburgh, and Rankin Borough. You have just been assigned a magistrate and won't have the ability to vote for or against your newly appointed magistrate during the next municipal election. In some cases there won't be an election until 2015.
Every politician that is appointed to what is normally an elected position in Pennsylvania has to run for a full term by the next possible election. The exception is when the court system decides to take the power of the vote away from a few municipalities as has been done with this decision.
Is this what the Tea Party wanted when they were asking for less government? For the Government to make decisions to take away the average citizen's ability to elect community leaders?
Special Thanks
Just wanted to give a special thanks to those in the blogger community that have added us to their blog roll over the past year.
PG Early Returns
CasablancaPA
North of the Burgh
PG Early Returns
CasablancaPA
North of the Burgh
Thursday, January 6, 2011
North Hills Magistrate District on the Chopping Block
There have been a few articles about the plan to eliminate the magisterial district judge position in Hampton Township. Thought I would share them with you:
Some oppose closing of district judges' offices
District Offices Could Be Cut
Four county magisterial districts on the chopping block
Some oppose closing of district judges' offices
District Offices Could Be Cut
Four county magisterial districts on the chopping block
Monday, January 3, 2011
Dear Republicans, Congressman Jason Altmire is a Healthcare Hero
I don't try to hide how much I respect Congressman Altmire. The most admirably trait of Congressman Altmire is how much he cares about representing the complex 4th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. During the healthcare debate Altmire was attacked by the extremes of both side and insisted on taking the time to actually wait for the bill to be released and listen to as many constituents as possible before he made his vote. Congressman Altmire has repeatedly said that the 4th Congressional District was overwhelmingly against the so called 'Obamacare' and that was one of the main reasons for his no vote.
My opinion on the healthcare bill is as such. We need healthcare reform on two fronts:
1. We need to bring down the cost of healthcare. The cost is breaking the backs of small businesses and our governments at every level. Healthcare costs are being spent on paperwork and executives instead of true care.
2. We need fair coverage for all that will not bankrupt our Medicare/Medicaid spending and overall government spending.
While the Democrats ran on the platform of going after both fronts of the healthcare battle, at some point they decided one was better than the other. My opinion is that this move was made to appease the doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies because all the healthcare bill did was shift the cost to the government. So instead of attacking the biggest healthcare problem facing our economy and small businesses everywhere, the White House and Democratic leadership said we'll try to pull the moral card in the press and just say we are covering everyone!
This didn’t work because unless someone had a personal experience with not getting healthcare coverage or someone close to them (that they don't judge negatively as lazy) that has had an issue with not having insurance the regular citizen isn’t going to (as Bill Clinton would have said) "feel your pain."
So Congressman Jason Altmire made the right decision by doing his job and trying to fight for deficit reducing measures to be included in a healthcare law. At the end of the day, not only did the healthcare bill add billions of dollars to our debt, but the 4th Congressional District didn't want it passed. Congressman Altmire did the right thing by representing the constituents that he serves and not the party he belongs too.
What did Congressman Altmire get for this thoughtful concept of governing for the people and from the middle? He got a lot of right wing candidates that said he was just pandering and Altmire didn't do enough. To me the only issue any Rothfus supporter had was about voting against anyone with a dreaded D next to their name.
“Altmire can say that he voted against it, but he did not stop the agenda,” Rothfus said.
Rothfus says it's not enough that Altmire didn't vote for President Barack Obama's health care law
Even though Mr. Altmire didn't vote for the health care bill, Mr. Rothfus said Altmire should have been more forceful in his denunciation of the bill instead of sitting on the fence for so long.
Although he did come to the right decision, he shouldn't have sat on the fence as long as he has," Ms. Buchanan said. "People in the district have been clear they are opposed to 'Obamacare.'
Keith Rothfus: “Jason Altmire needs to say no to the new packaging of this old plan. We need to provide more options for health care coverage, including interstate marketing of insurance, tax fairness for individuals who buy their own insurance, and tort reform. We do not need a rehash of the legislation that was overwhelmingly rejected less than a year ago.”
So to my Republican neighbors and friends that tell me that Congressman Altmire is just a lapdog for Pelosi (FYI - He didn't vote for her as Minority Leader) and all the other hypocritical right wing talking points you are spewing, remember that according to Sean Hannity Congressman Altmire is a healthcare reform hero and a GREAT AMERICAN. (Altmire clip is around 1:20)
My opinion on the healthcare bill is as such. We need healthcare reform on two fronts:
1. We need to bring down the cost of healthcare. The cost is breaking the backs of small businesses and our governments at every level. Healthcare costs are being spent on paperwork and executives instead of true care.
2. We need fair coverage for all that will not bankrupt our Medicare/Medicaid spending and overall government spending.
While the Democrats ran on the platform of going after both fronts of the healthcare battle, at some point they decided one was better than the other. My opinion is that this move was made to appease the doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies because all the healthcare bill did was shift the cost to the government. So instead of attacking the biggest healthcare problem facing our economy and small businesses everywhere, the White House and Democratic leadership said we'll try to pull the moral card in the press and just say we are covering everyone!
This didn’t work because unless someone had a personal experience with not getting healthcare coverage or someone close to them (that they don't judge negatively as lazy) that has had an issue with not having insurance the regular citizen isn’t going to (as Bill Clinton would have said) "feel your pain."
So Congressman Jason Altmire made the right decision by doing his job and trying to fight for deficit reducing measures to be included in a healthcare law. At the end of the day, not only did the healthcare bill add billions of dollars to our debt, but the 4th Congressional District didn't want it passed. Congressman Altmire did the right thing by representing the constituents that he serves and not the party he belongs too.
What did Congressman Altmire get for this thoughtful concept of governing for the people and from the middle? He got a lot of right wing candidates that said he was just pandering and Altmire didn't do enough. To me the only issue any Rothfus supporter had was about voting against anyone with a dreaded D next to their name.
“Altmire can say that he voted against it, but he did not stop the agenda,” Rothfus said.
Rothfus says it's not enough that Altmire didn't vote for President Barack Obama's health care law
Even though Mr. Altmire didn't vote for the health care bill, Mr. Rothfus said Altmire should have been more forceful in his denunciation of the bill instead of sitting on the fence for so long.
Although he did come to the right decision, he shouldn't have sat on the fence as long as he has," Ms. Buchanan said. "People in the district have been clear they are opposed to 'Obamacare.'
Keith Rothfus: “Jason Altmire needs to say no to the new packaging of this old plan. We need to provide more options for health care coverage, including interstate marketing of insurance, tax fairness for individuals who buy their own insurance, and tort reform. We do not need a rehash of the legislation that was overwhelmingly rejected less than a year ago.”
So to my Republican neighbors and friends that tell me that Congressman Altmire is just a lapdog for Pelosi (FYI - He didn't vote for her as Minority Leader) and all the other hypocritical right wing talking points you are spewing, remember that according to Sean Hannity Congressman Altmire is a healthcare reform hero and a GREAT AMERICAN. (Altmire clip is around 1:20)
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Pine-Richland School Board Elections
While I haven't heard much about who might be running for Pine-Richland School Board this year, I have been outspoken about my frustration with the tax increase that the all REPUBLICAN school board voted for last year. I would like to see some sort of interest in these races, but it has been very quiet.
Here are school board seats that are up for election in 2011.
Region 1 (Pine Twp. 1, 4, 5, 7, & 8 - 2 Seats):
Therese Dawson
Kevin Nigh*
Region 2 (Pine Twp. 2, 3, 6 & Richland Twp. 1, 2, 7, 8 - 1 Seat):
Scott Stedeford*
Region 3 (Richland Twp. 3, 4, 5, &6 - 2 Seats):
Aafke Loney*
A. Robert Necciai*
*Voted for the property tax increase
The Pine-Richland School District Board of School Directors adopted a modified regional plan for the election of school directors. This plan was presented to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and approved. The realignment is designed to more accurately reflect the changing populations in the Pine and Richland Townships and to equalize the three regions. Each of the three regions elects three school directors to the Board.
The former arrangement grouped all of the Pine Township into Region #1. Region #2 is the western portion of Richland Township, and Region #3 is the eastern portion of Richland Township. Pine has been growing rapidly since the present arrangement was put into place and the population gap between the two municipalities has narrowed.
Under the new realignment plan, the Board expanded Region #2 and added to it three electoral districts from Pine. The plan encompass portions of both townships and involves electing.
Here are school board seats that are up for election in 2011.
Region 1 (Pine Twp. 1, 4, 5, 7, & 8 - 2 Seats):
Therese Dawson
Kevin Nigh*
Region 2 (Pine Twp. 2, 3, 6 & Richland Twp. 1, 2, 7, 8 - 1 Seat):
Scott Stedeford*
Region 3 (Richland Twp. 3, 4, 5, &6 - 2 Seats):
Aafke Loney*
A. Robert Necciai*
*Voted for the property tax increase
The Pine-Richland School District Board of School Directors adopted a modified regional plan for the election of school directors. This plan was presented to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and approved. The realignment is designed to more accurately reflect the changing populations in the Pine and Richland Townships and to equalize the three regions. Each of the three regions elects three school directors to the Board.
The former arrangement grouped all of the Pine Township into Region #1. Region #2 is the western portion of Richland Township, and Region #3 is the eastern portion of Richland Township. Pine has been growing rapidly since the present arrangement was put into place and the population gap between the two municipalities has narrowed.
Under the new realignment plan, the Board expanded Region #2 and added to it three electoral districts from Pine. The plan encompass portions of both townships and involves electing.
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