Notice to All Candidates for Public Office

Notice to All Candidates for Public Office: 

In order to receive an endorsement from the Post-Gazette, it is absolutely mandatory that you be for the abolishment of the State Store system as some person/persons on the Editorial Board desire to open a lovely, little wine & cheese shop after they retire.

Thank you

Why you need to vote for Heather Arnet for PA State Senate (37th District)

The Reasons to Vote for Heather Arnet
On the Issues:
First of all, Heather has an actual issues page--Guy doesn't! You can see her positions on issues related to the workplace, education, taxes, healthcare & services, the environment, rights & representation, and more. She's particularly committed to fighting to:

- Attract high quality jobs to our district;
- Strengthen retirement security for seniors;
- Ensure we provide property tax relief for the middle class and seniors;
- Fully fund our school system and make high-quality pre-k available to all;
- Provide safe, affordable healthcare for our families that includes women making their own healthcare decisions.

Bio:
Professionally, she's worked to increase rights and opportunities for working families as the CEO of the Women and Girls Foundation, as well as serving on the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Education. She's also won numerous awards and has frequently appeared in both the local and national media.

Bonus Points:
A piddly 18 percent of the 253-member PA General Assembly are women. That earns PA the ignoble distinction of ranking 39th in the nation for the percentage of women in our state Legislature. We are grossly under-represented! (Also where the clever "We don't need another guy in Harrisburg" line comes from in her above ad.)

Additionally, knowing Heather personally, I can certainly vouch for her as a passionate and genuine person and fighter for rights for all.

The Reasons Not to Vote for Guy Reschenthaler
On the Issues:
As mentioned above, Guy has no issues page or, hell, even a paragraph on his website. You are meant to vote for Guy because he's a great American! He touts being "a son of western Pennsylvania" and "born here and raised in the values and traditions that make our region great"!

But you can get to where he stands on some issues by looking at his endorsements which include an anti-choice group and, not one, but two separate pro gun groups (just in case you didn't already know he was a Republican).

Bio:
Reschenthaler is running primarily on his bio. The headline of which is "Iraq War Veteran | Former District Magistrate | Former Navy Prosecutor" and then the repeat about the whole "son of western Pennsylvania" thing, tradition, values, etc.

Penalty Points:
Oh, my, where to start? While Guy and the Republican Party have labeled Heather as an "extreme liberal," Guy's actual extremist values would make the Tea Party stand up and cheer, while going so far as to possibly embarrass the more enlightened members.

It seems that Guy used to host a conservative podcast in 2013 called "The Sound of Freedom with Hig and Resch," along with his co-host, Carl Higbie. They discussed topics like taxes, immigration and gun control and had on Tea Party members and Oath Keepers as guests.

It's worse than you may imagine. While his co-host made the most disgusting comments (“You cross my border, I will shoot you in the face” and “The black race is lazier than the white race” and "I don't like Muslim people"), he made them with Guy's name on the show and in some cases with little push-back. Guy himself said that people on government assistance are "abusing the trust the government." Guy calls Social Security and Medicare “scary,” because “we can’t cut them if we wanted to.” He says that they “turn our government into an entitlement generating machine."

If you can stomach it, you can hear and read more clips at http://guyreschenthalerpa.com as well as this from Keystone Progress:


Guy Reschenthaler: The Dark Side of Technology from Keystone Progress PAC on Vimeo.

So now ask yourself, not just "Do we need another guy in Harrisburg?" but "Do we need this extremist Guy in Harrisburg?"

And then, go vote for Heather Arnet. And, even if you don't live in her district, go sign up to help now through election day. And, throw some $$ her way.

Tell the PA Senate: No immunity for frackers! (SB411)

Via PennEnvironment:

The Pennsylvania Senate could vote as soon as this afternoon to give drilling companies immunity – making it virtually impossible to hold them accountable to accidents and spills.

We all know the oil and gas industry has an atrocious record of spills and accidents in Pennsylvania -- granting them immunity for risky activity is the last thing we should do.

Join me in telling our state senators to vote NO to letting gas drilling companies off the hook from their accidents and pollution in our communities.

In a move that mixes the worst of Pennsylvania’s past pollution with its current one, Senate Bill 411 removes liability for gas drilling companies when they use contaminated water from abandoned coal mines.  

What could this mean?   

• When drilling companies have spills or accidents, it may be virtually impossible to hold them accountable.  

• If you own property adjacent to or downstream from one of these accidents, you couldn’t take actions to recover damages.   

• And the bill is so vague that it’s even unclear if enforcement agencies could hold fracking companies accountable under existing laws if they chose to violate them.

Click here to take action: http://bit.ly/NoImmunityForFrackers

Turzai Admits PA Voter ID Law Passed to Give Win to Romney

Oh lookie here! An honest Republican in the State Assembly. Via PoliticsPA:

House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) suggested that the House’s end game in passing the Voter ID law was to benefit the GOP politically.  

“We are focused on making sure that we meet our obligations that we’ve talked about for years,” said Turzai in a speech to committee members Saturday. He mentioned the law among a laundry list of accomplishments made by the GOP-run legislature.  

“Pro-Second Amendment? The Castle Doctrine, it’s done. First pro-life legislation – abortion facility regulations – in 22 years, done. Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.”

I guess that means all those Voter ID laws passed around the same time by Republican-controlled states weren't about some mythical massive voter fraud -- they were about voter suppression of folks most likely to vote for a Democrat. Either that, or Turzai is saying the vast majority of voter fraud is done by Democrats -- you know, Republicans only need a fighting chance to win. It couldn't possibly be about their extremist policies or candidates...

John of The Pennsylvania Progressive calls a liar a liar. And, he points out that the lies weren't just about voting, they extend to the real reason behind SB 732:

Isn't lying on the House floor an ethics violation? If not it should be and should be cause for censure or expulsion. When Representatives and Senators willfully lie and fabricate arguments while passing legislation they should be expelled from office. It is a stain on all of us when the likes of Mike Turzai get up to speak in OUR hallowed hall and lie to us about what they're doing.  

He also revealed they lied about Senate Bill 732 the ambulatory surgical center abortion bill. We've said all along this was back door legislation to outlaw abortion. His quote " First pro-life legislation - abortion facility regulations - in 22 years" reveals it for what it was: pro life, anti-abortion legislation. By making onerous regulations impossible or financially impossible to meet they are banning abortions in Pennsylvania for most women. Even if clinics could retrofit the cost would make abortions unaffordable for anyone but the wealthy.

I guess it's a good thing that at least one Republican is finally being honest about their lies.

Dan DeMarco's First TV Ad

Dan DeMarco is a Democrat running for the State Senate from Pennsylvania's 40th District as a write-in candidate. Normally, someone running as a write-in against an incumbent is pretty much a joke, but in this case [D'oh! Of course, Dan was a write-in for the primary and won the right to be on the ballot in the general.] his opponent is the criminally-indicted Jane Orie and Dan's chances are looking good.

Here's his first TV commercial:


You can show Dan some love here or you can leave the election up to the "angel lady."
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WTF? Orie Sib Works For...PA AG Corbett?

The Ories: Jane, Judith, Jack, Joan & Janine, but no Jerry...
We just assumed that all the Orie siblings turned up earlier this week to show their support for PA state Sen. Jane Orie (R) and Janine Orie who face criminal charges stemming from allegedly campaigning for their sister, Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, on the public's dime.

Turns out there's at least one more Orie sibling: Jerome A. Orie. He was a no show at the above presser -- guess he couldn't get off work.

Speaking of which, you'll never guess where Jerry works (OK, you will if you read the headline).

He's a deputy attorney at the Attorney General's Insurance Fraud Section.

Yeah, that would be Tom Corbett's office.

The same Tom Corbett who is a Republican prosecuting Democrats for the same types of charges that the Orie sisters are facing -- but not facing from PA AG Tom Corbett -- even though complaints were brought to him.

As Michael Morrill from Keystone Progress notes:

Why is no one reporting on the fact that Jerry Orie, the brother of Republican State Senator Jane Orie and Republican Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, works for Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett?

[snip]

Corbett is being accused of selective prosecution for not investigating Jane Orie's use of her Senate staff for her sister's 2009 campaign for Supreme Court. Corbett is running for governor this year, largely on the basis of his record in prosecuting mostly Democrats for using their staffs for political campaigns.

[snip]

We're not suggesting that there's a connection, but I'm surprised that this Orie relationship to Corbett hasn't been reported in any stories related to this issue. At least none that we've seen.

I certainly don't remember hearing about this connection which is interesting to say the least.

However, it appears that at least one news source has mentioned it: The Pennsylvania Independent. Eric Boehm reported yesterday:

Prior to her elected career, Sen. Orie worked as an assistant district attorney in Allegheny County and as a deputy state attorney general. Sen. Orie's siblings include Justice Orie-Melvin, Jack Orie, a former assistant DA in Allegheny County, and Jerry Orie, a deputy attorney general in the Insurance Fraud Section.

Neither Sen. Orie's personal history, nor the fact that her brother is employed by the Office of the Attorney General had any bearing on the office's decision not to handle the investigation, said Kevin Harley, a spokesman for the Attorney General's office.

By the time the Attorney General's office became aware of the investigation, the Allegheny County DA was fully involved, and despite having concurrent jurisdiction in the case, it would be unusual for the Attorney General to get involved, said Mr. Harley.

Alrighty then!

We certainly know that the Office of the Attorney General would never do anything partisan or less than transparent. And, it's not like any other Orie could be facing any other charges down the line.

(Looks like we need to add someone to our blogroll.)

Bravo Debuts "The Real Political Dynasties of Southwestern PA"

PA Sen. Jane Orie reacts to indictments on
"The Real Political Dynasties of Southwestern PA."
Bravo TV announced their summer lineup today. Of particular interest to Pittsburghers will be their new reality show: "The Real Political Dynasties of Southwestern PA."

According to their press release, they guarantee that the show will feature more personal animus; explosive arguments; and petty, longstanding grudges than the finale of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and bigger hair bumps than MTV's "Jersey Shore."

The show will focus on the Orie and Zappala families, but Bravo says that if it's a success, there could be spin-offs for the Ravenstahls, the Wagners, the Costas, well, you get the picture.

Original episodes of "The Real Political Dynasties of Southwestern PA" will first air on Bravo and then will re-air on the truTV network (formally Court TV) one week later.

It's the Ories Vs. the Zappalas on Bravo's new show:


Ories: Jane, Judith, Jack, Joan (Melvin) and Janine


Zappalas: Stephen, Jr., Michele (Peck) and Stephen, Sr.

Meet the Ories: Jane, Janine, Joan & Jack!

PA Sen. Jane Orie

Jane Orie: PA state Sen. Republican Whip (R-McCandless) charged today with 10 criminal charges including diversion of services, restricted activities, tampering with evidence and conspiracy.

Janine Orie: An aide to state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin. Janine was charged with two criminal charges today which include theft and diversion of services.

Joan Orie Melvin: Recently elected PA Supreme Court Justice who benefited from the shenanigans of her sisters Jane and Janine (but who hasn't been charged with anything).

Jack Orie: A Pittsburgh attorney and brother of Jane and Janine and Joan who represented Jane and Janine today.

__________________________________________________

Sources: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Sen. Ferlo: Trib Misrepresents Me Regarding G-20 and "Free Speech Zone"

Here's the headline and first two paragraphs of a story which appeared in today's Tribune-Review:

State Sen. Ferlo wants Point State Park designated free-speech zone for G-20

By Jeremy Boren, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, July 24, 2009

Sen. Jim Ferlo wants the city's permission to turn Point State Park into a free-speech zone for activists the day before the Group of 20 economic summit begins Downtown.

Ferlo, D-Highland Park, said Thursday he wants a permit to use the park from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 23 to "provide a forum for a very large event where people would feel comfortable appearing."

The problem? (Besides, of course, the whole idea of "free speech zones.") Sen. Jim Ferlo never requested a permit for a "free speech zone" -- he did request a permit for an event to be held at Point State Park on September 23rd (the day before the G-20 Summit).

According to a letter that Ferlo sent to police Chief Nate Harper and Public Safety Director Michael Huss (.pdf here), the event would entail "speeches and cultural entertainment focusing on the arrival of the G-20 delegates and international media to our great City" and which would be "entirely peaceful, motivated by the spirit of democratic participation, and open to the public."

The Trib characterized Ferlo's request as trying to create a "free speech zone."

Anyone paying attention during the, oh, last eight years or so knows that a "free speech zone" typically refers to setting up a designated area for protestors and only allowing protest/political speech to take place in that designated area (usually far from the political event) as a means of censoring free speech.

Anyone actually reading Ferlo's letter to Harper and Huss can see that Ferlo is not trying to censor speech, but rather, he's trying to initiate a rally which would enhance those desiring a peaceful, safe space to comment on the upcoming G-20 summit.

From my reading of his request, Ferlo is trying to provide AN ALTERNATIVE for those who have no desire to take to the streets but still wish to mark the summit -- a huge difference from the way that the Trib characterized his request.

I mean for Pete's sake, Ferlo cc'd Vic Walczak of the ACLU on his permit request! Does anyone really think that he would have done this if he was trying to curtail speech in any way?

[sigh]

Here's Ferlo's response to the Trib article:

Jeremy,

Respectfully, I have been in public life for over 25 years and while I have taken exception to various editorials and news reporting I have never written and asked for a correction or retraction. The headline and your own reporting of an interview with me following the release of my letter to local public safety officials amounts to the pusillanimous neglect of accuracy and truth! I never , either in written word or our phone conversation, used the phrase or suggested a so-called "free-speech zone". A so-called "free speech zone" violates our right of free speech and assembly---anywhere! It would amount to me telling you and the Trib and Mr. Scaife that you could only sell or pass out the Trib at certain public intersections. My request and administrative processing of a permit for Pt. State Park is for obvious permitting procedures and exclusive use of an area. All the other events that I described to you generally provided a picture of the various actions that individuals and organizations, locally, nationally and from around the globe, will exercise leading up to and during the G-20 summit here in Pittsburgh. No one needs a permit or be told by police or government officials that free speech is limited to "certain designated areas". This is morally, politically and Constitutionally un-acceptable and I will go to jail should it be necessary to fight and secure this principle. All of the United States - anywhere - is guaranteed free speech and that's a pretty big "zone"!

Sincerely,

Senator Jim Ferlo

Ferlo's office is requesting that you all use your free speech to "take a moment to write a letter to the Trib editor regarding you opinion on this matter."
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PA State Senator Jane Orie Considers Challenging Pat Toomey in US Senate Primary

PoliticsPA reports that sources have told them that PA Senate’s majority whip Jane Orie has been meeting with Republican leaders and the NRSC in Washington about a possible run for the US Senate.

According to PoliticsPA:

[M]any Republican leaders have continued to worry privately about Toomey’s electability statewide, fearing he is too conservative for a state that gave Barack Obama a 10-point victory over John McCain last year.

Ummm, huh? I never really thought of Orie as being anything less than strongly conservative.


This is a person, after all, who believes:

Abortions should always be illegal, while schools should teach abstinence-only sex education, while being against expanding state funding for pre-natal and infant care programs available in the state, including immunizations. (Love the fetus - Hate the child!)

No to same-sex marriage and that sexual orientation should not be added to the state's anti-discrimination laws. (Well, it is pretty obvious that no self-respecting gay stylist has ever been within a mile of that hair, that eyeliner or those nails.)

Minimum wage should not be increased, welfare aid should be greatly reduced, and does not favor increasing state funding for programs to re-train unemployed workers. (Bootstraps!)

Maintaining minimum environmental quality as mandated by current federal regulations is unnecessary. (Seriously, WTF?)

Implementing chain gangs, expanding the death penalty, prosecuting more juveniles as adults, and advocating the use of prison labor for private industry are all good things. (If this run doesn't work out for her, she might want to consider holding office in China...)

For a conservative, what's not to love?

Of course what sort of liberal blog would we be without reminding our readers of the last time we posted on Orie:

PA Sen. Jane Orie aide Alan David Berlin jailed for soliciting furry sex with teen boy



(Actual photo from her web site which she posed for after the furry thing. LOL)
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