Funding Restored

Philadelphia is restoring millions of dollars to funding for parks and recreation centers, domestic violence shelters, and other programs, after it was discovered that  the city's fund balance was $49 million larger than anticipated at the end of the fiscal year that ended June 30.

The Department of Parks and Recreation will receive $2.6 million for the Department of Parks; the Office of Supportive Housing will receive $3 million 100 additional domestic-abuse shelter beds.

Philadelphia City Council approved the legislation on November 29.

Obama Nominated Three Pa. Judges

President Obama nominated three judges, two Democrats and one Republican, to take the bench in Pennsylvania’s eastern district. This district includes southeast Pa.: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia counties.

These choices - Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro,  a judge on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, and the first openly gay hispanic woman to serve on the federal bench, Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo, a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania since 2006, and Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl, President Judge of the Berks County Court of Common Pleas since 2008 - must be confirmed by the U.S Senate.

Hurricane Sandy's Estimated Cost in N.J

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie estimated that damage caused by Hurricane Sandy could cost around  $29.4 billion in the state; however, that the estimate could increase as the damage is further evaluated and 2013’s tourism losses are considered.

While FEMA has over $8 million available in disaster relief funding, a spokeswoman from the organization told the Philadelphia Inquirer that it has not yet determined how the funds will be distributed to states affected by the storm. Since the storm, EMA has paid out around $248 million. According to the Associated Press, it has inspected 96 percent of the homes that it was requested to check.

Increased Pension Costs

The state’s Independent Fiscal Office projected that state pension costs will climb by 46 percent in this year’s budget and 42 percent in next year’s budget. However, revenue will grow by only 0.8 percent this year and 3 percent annually during the next five years.

The report also notes that by fiscal year 2017-18, pension costs will drive the state towards spending $753 million more than it takes in.

“The increase in pension contributions is estimated to be about $500 million per year for the next several years,” Mark Ryan, deputy director of the IFO told PAIndependent.com

Hurricane Sandy Boots Approval Ratings

Their handling of Hurricane Sandy lead to an boost in both President Obama and Governor Tom Corbett approval rating, according to the most recent state poll from Quinnipiac University.

Pennsylvania voters approve President Obama a 52-45, Governor Corbett,  40-38 and the majority of respondents described the leaders response to Sandy as “excellent” or “good. ”

This is an significant improvement for Governor Corbett who has suffered low ratings lingering below 50 percent during the majority of his term of in office.

Mayor Nutter Supports Locally Made Products

Mayor Nutter demonstrated his support for local business November 7 with his singing of a non-binding order creating a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and American made preference for all work projects.

“By signing this executive order, the City of Philadelphia codifies a preference for local businesses and products. We are committed to supporting our local economy here in Philadelphia, but also in Pennsylvania and the United States. Bolstering our manufacturing and professional services industries will get our country back on track,” Mr. Nutter said in a press release.

Incidents of Voting Fraud

State officials said that they received almost 400 voting complaints on Election Day, around half of which were filed under “other.”

Similarly, House Speaker Sam Smith told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he’s heard stories about 90 percent of precincts reporting 90 percent voter turnout, calling such numbers “questionable.”

Sen. Vince Hughes, D-Philadelphia, told the PAIndependent.com that he saw no evidence of voter fraud at the polling places he visited. He called Mr. Smith’s comment “an attempt to marginalize Philadelphia residents”.

October Revenue Figures

The State Department of Revenue released figures from the previous month on November 1. Notable figures: Pennsylvania’s General Fund revenue was 3.6 percent higher than anticipated, $2 billion. Yet sales tax receipts and other General Fund tax revenue for October were both below estimates. Tax receipts totaled $755.3 million for October, $2.9 million below estimate, and other General Fund tax revenue was $125.7 million for the month, or $3.2 million below estimate.

Cutting Costs for Winter Rec Programs

The Nutter administration and the Philadelphia School District have worked to reduce costs for city winter recreational programs. By cutting costs by $1.8 million, they will be able to maintain winter recreation programs for 16,000 city children using school gymnasiums.

The plan places heavier significance on the School District's larger athletic facilities, and reduces the use of smaller gyms, which cannot handle the same amount of traffic larger facilities can. The city will pay the School District $338,000 to cover longer hours at these 25 larger schools, while the District will continue to cover costs at the 80 smaller schools.

The deal takes effect Nov. 5 through March 23.

Over 20,000 unprocessed voter registration applications

With eight days left until election, there are still 23,000 unprocessed voter registration applications in Philadelphia. While the City Commissioners Office was supposed to have finished processing the applications October 29, they have moved that back to November 3, two days before voters hit the polls.

City Commissioners Chairwoman Stephanie Singer told CityPaper that a combined issue of the massive amount of electronic applications from the state Department of Transportation and slow computer servers caused the delay. She also told that that the Office hired extra workers to speed up the process and extended the deadline for correcting incomplete voter registration applications to Nov. 2.

No school property taxes?

Act 1776  and Bill 1400 have one goal: replace school property taxes with increased  sales and income levies.

Introduced by Republican Rep. Jim Cox in the House, the bill would not immediately take effect; rather it would be enacted over the course of two years.

If it was made law, the income tax would increase from from 3 percent to 4 percent, and the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent.

Not everyone in Pennsylvania is on board; the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue said the plan would leave a $3.5 billion deficit and the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center has vocally spoken out against the bill.

Changes Made to Charter Schools Testing Requirements

Does the Corbett administration favor charter schools over public? 

Changes to testing requirements for charter schools imply just that.

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis has simplified the testing process for charter schools, enabling them to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) more easily than state public schools. While public schools are evaluated by whether they meet certain test score targets in each grade tested, charter schools will now only have to meet those goals in one of three groupings of grades: 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Under these changes, only one grouping of grades must perform well to meet AYP.

According to City Paper, Governor Tom Corbett gave charter schools a similar edge last month with a new law which require that test scores be included in only public school teacher evaluations, not charter.

These laws may inflate charter schools’ progress, as an Allentown Morning Call revealed.

Beer Sales in Pennsylvania!

Craft breweries may now be able to sell their products  farmers' markets and food festivals  across the state.

House Bill 2429, introduced by State Representative Dante Santoni Jr., Democratic chairman of the House Liquor Control Committee., passed in the House, 175 to  20 on Tuesday.

Under the bill, the breweries, with appropriate permits, would be permitted to offer tasting and sales of their products for off-premises consumption. The permits would only be available for companies which produced an annual total of less than 25,000 barrels of beer.

In a press release, Rep. Santoni said, “The craft brewing industry has grown at an astonishing rate in the past several years. House Bill 2429 would allow these small businesses to participate more fully in the niche markets that exist for their products."

Pa. Dems Tout Fundraising Advantage

Kathleen Kane, Rep. Eugene DePasquale, and Rob McCord all have reason to celebrate. With only six weeks to go until the general election, each Democratic candidate holds a fundraising advantage.

Mrs. Kane, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, has generated over $1.4 million, and was left with $1.2 million on hand. Her opponent, Cumberland County DA Dave Freed, has raised $807,000 since May and has $1.2 million on hand.

Similarly, the Democratic candidate for auditor general, Rep. Eugene DePasquale, holds a slight lead in fundraising over Republican challenger state Rep. John Maher. Mr. DePasquale raised $243,000, with almost $200K on hand. Mr. Maher reported raising $152,000, with only $86,000 on hand.

Is Pa. Ready for Voter ID?

A new study, released Tuesday by the The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center may have an effect on Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson’s ruling on the fate of Voter ID.

The Department found serious issues with the ease of obtaining proper voting identification from 44 driver license centers. Obstacles included long lines and uniformed PennDOT staffers.

According to the study, in almost 50% of cases, observers received inaccurate or incomplete information.

Court hearings for the law resumed today. Judge Simpson has 6 days, until October 2, to make a ruling.

No Change in Corbett Ratings

Governor Corbett has received dismal poll ratings all summer, continuing into fall. The latest Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll shows that has not changed. Voters gave Governor Corbett the exact same approval, 30 percent, and disapproval, 46 percent, ratings he received from their last poll in August.

The upside? His ratings have not decreased further. (Yet.)

The poll of 640 likely voters was conducted between Sept. 10 and 16.

Obama has strong lead in Pa. and Nj.

More good news for Team Obama. Although a recent poll by Susquehanna Polling & Research,
a Republican backed organization, alleges that Mitt Romney is only one point behind his opponent in Pennsylvania, almost every survey, including the two most recent by Monmouth University/Asbury Park and Mercyhurst University found the President with a significant lead.

Out the 522 likely Pa. voters that Mercyhurst surveyed, almost half (48 percent) said they would cast their ballots for Obama. 40 percent said Mr. Romney had their vote.

Additionally, The Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll found that the President holds a 15 percentage point lead over Mr. Romney in New Jersey.

The race also found that Senator Menendez was favored by 49 percent, with 34 percent for Senator Kyrillos.

Cell Phone Ban?

Rep. Joe Markosek, D-Alleghany County, is proposing enforced cell phone legislation for drivers; he hopes to ban drivers from using handheld devices while driving. Mr. Markosek has been working towards this goal since his time as the chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

While it is already illegal to text and drive in Pennsylvania, it is legal to use a handheld device for phone calls. This distinction blurs the line between illegal and legal cell phone use while driving.

Although almost 40 states have legislation banning texting while driving, only 10 ban drivers from using handheld cell phones while they’re behind the wheel.

Mr. Markosek also hopes to educate the public about the real danger of cell phone use while driving.

Pennsylvania Schools get a C

According to 600 voters statewide, Pennsylvania schools get a “C.”

The Inquirer Pennsylvania Poll, conducted by the bipartisan team of Global Strategy Group, a Democratic polling firm, and National Research, a Republican polling firm, found that respondents rate their local schools only slightly better.

“What this survey shows is the broad range of opinions that Pennsylvanians have when it comes to education, which is why Governor Corbett believes that parents should have the ability to choose the public or nonpublic schools their children attend," said Timothy Eller, spokesman for the state Department of Education to the Inquirer.

Obama Leads in New Jersey

The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows President Barack Obama is still in the lead over his challenger Mitt Romney in New Jersey. President Obama has 7 point lead overall; 52 percent of voters view him favorably, 43 for Mr. Romney.

Voters felt Obama is the better candidate on Medicare and health care, while Mr. Romney is the better candidate on the economy.

The telephone survey of 1,471 likely voters was conducted from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

Pa. Introduces Online Sales Tax

While Gov. Tom Corbett‘s administration has been known for a lean budget with “no budget increases,” as of September 1, Pennsylvania will feature a new sales tax, online sales that is.

The tax applies only to transactions with online businesses that also feature a physical presence in the state, such as stores, delivery trucks, or even just advertising.

Most notably among the websites that will be affected is Amazon.com.

Voter ID Made Easy?

The Pennsylvania Department of State introduced the Voter ID card last week, supposedly making it possible for every citizen, no matter their age or income, to obtain proper voting identification. However, that may be easier said than done.

The card, only for voting purposes, is to be used as a last resort. It is to distributed only to those who have already exhausted all of other venues for obtaining an ID. In other words, those who have already made at least one trip to a Department of Transportation office.

In its first two days, 87 cards were distributed to Philadelphia, with another 57 in the rest of Pennsylvania.

Time will tell how much this new card will improve the chances of disenfranchised voters getting to the ballots.

Melvin Won't Be Getting Her Big Dollar Salary

More bad news for State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin. She won't be receiving her $195,309 annual salary while she awaits sentencing.

The Court of Judicial Discipline ruled Thursday that due to the nature of the charges against Melvin, who was charged in May with using her staff for campaigning purposes, she is no longer fit to receive pay.

"[W]e see this respondent as so single-mindedly occupied with achieving personal aggrandizement that she pressured, intimidated and bullied her clerks and secretaries into performing work on her political campaigns," President Judge Robert E.J. Curran wrote.

As for the other Melvins, Justice Orie Melvin's sister, Janine Orie is also awaiting trial and Former State Sen. Jane Orie was sentenced to prison in June for crimes similar to her sister’s.

More On Voter ID, but Not in Pa

A federal court blocked a Texas Voter ID with similar ramifications as Pennsylvania’s Voter ID legislation. They reasoned a measure requiring voters to show id before casting a ballot would disenfranchise minority voters.

Circuit Judge David Tatel noted that that the law would do the most harm to African Americans and Hispanics.

Get the rest of the story here.

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court will decide on Pa’s Voter ID law on Sept. 13 in Philadelphia.

State Democrats Fashioning a Sad Reality Show

Taken individually, each of the stories raises eyebrows. Taken collectively, it has to make you wonder what's going with state Democrats.

Read the list, then judge for yourself:

The Bill DeWeese fiasco at least appears to be heading into the sunset as party officials selected someone to run in his spot on the November ballot. No need to rehash DeWeese's situation, other than to say he's in prison ... and still planned on running for re-election.

Then we have the curious case of Mike Gerber, the Montgomery County lawmaker seen as many as a candidate for governor down the road. He resigned a few weeks ago, rather suddenly, to head back to the private sector and, one can only suspect, a much bigger paycheck with a lot less public scrutiny. For a man who generated a lot of buzz while in office, Dems sure are keeping mum about the whole thing.

Finally, we have Joe Brennan who said yesterday that he won't seek re-election. Like DeWeese, Mr. Brennan has legal problems, though nothing related to his office. He's facing charges involving assault of his wife and drunk driving.

Maybe it's just a matter of these types of things happening in threes, but state Democrats seem to be on the brink of a real image problem.

Voter ID = Fundraiser?

Had to read this piece by The Morning Call's John Micek twice, but that's the gist.

He quotes Larry Ceisler, an area consultant for the Democrats, as saying the law is "big hype" and will eventually benefit the Democrats by rallying supporting and boosting efforts to raise funds.

Next Stop For Voter ID: State Supreme Court

The predictable next step for the state's voter ID law is upon us, a trip to the state Supreme Court.

This would all be relatively normal except that the state has an even number of judges on the bench - six, to be exact - thanks to the suspension of Joan Orie Melvin. That, of course, leaves the door open for a split decision.

Sifting Through Voter ID Ruling Fallout

Time to take a deep breath. The Commonwealth Court upheld Pennsylvania's Voter ID law, but with a decision written with the knowledge that this wouldn't be the final word and the clear expectation that the ruling would be appealed.

Still, it was a main point of discussion nationwide.

An Associated Press piece posted overnight notes that a move the state Supreme Court is next. That holds its own complications, since the court is currently split politically, as one justice has been suspended. So the stage is set for a boondoggle.

No surprise, Huffington Post blogger and liberal talking head Rev. Al Sharpton slammed the ruling, saying it "can only be described as a shocking and appalling."

On the other hand, check out this op-ed piece originally posted by the Los Angeles Times and co-written by a professor of history emeritus at Harvard and the author of "Voting Rights — and Wrongs: The Elusive Quest for Racially Fair Elections." The piece is in well-reasoned support of Voter ID laws, though they do point out that states must make it easy for citizens to obtain the ID. Not sure if Pennsylvania is capable of meeting that criteria.

The rhetoric will only get more heated as this heads to the state's supreme court.

Voter ID Law Upheld, But We're Not Done Yet

The long-awaited Commonwealth Court ruling on Pennsylvania's heavily debated Voter ID law came down today, upholding the legislation. But in the end, will that matter?

Most folks realized that this wouldn't be the end game. In fact, a story on Phlly.com includes this bit: "A petition to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is expected within days, if not hours. More legal briefs and courtroom arguments are expected. Others have been eyeing a parallel challenge in federal court."

Longtime Harrisburg journalist John Micek quotes the governor and secretary of state looking to move on despite the planned appeals.

They may forge ahead, but the issue is far from settled.

We May Learn Voter ID's Fate Today

The fate of Pennsylvania's much-debated Voter ID law was placed in the hands of Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson earlier this month and he said, at that time, that today might be the day we get the result.

To mark the occasion, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Tom Infield offers this in-depth profile of a judge who has spent much of his professional career far from the glare of the public spotlight. The most important item might be near the end, though, where it's noted that Mr. Simpson may not have the last word anyway, since the losing side could appeal to the state's Supreme Court.

The law's bumpy ride isn't over yet.

The Gerber Saga Unfolds

When Montco's Mike Gerber announced that he was stepping down, he set off a ripple in the state political pool.

After all, he was a rising star in the state's Democratic party, possibly earmarked for a run at the governor's mansion. Resigning suddenly, especially just months before an election - one he was almost certain to win by a large margin - upset the apple cart.

Most signs point to his resignation being nothing more than seeing a great opportunity and taking it. Yet there is still the little matter of who will fill his spot on the ballot come November.

A lot of names were kicked around, but PoliticsPA is reporting that Mary Jo Daley, a member of the Narberth council for some 20 years, has been chosen. There are still some formalities, of course.

Lawmakers Finally Put Pension Crisis on Agenda

No one wants to talk about it, but the state is facing a massive pension problem, currently at $40 billion and growing.

But it looks like state lawmakers are finally going to stop playing possum and start dealing with this mess. According to the PA Independent, the first step on the long and rocky road of pension reform will be taken Tuesday morning at a joint hearing of the House State Government Committee and the House Finance Committee.

This merits close attention, because the pension problems are very real and could cripple the state in years to come. More importantly, they are NOT due to the recent economic slide, so even a strong recovery won't make them go away.

State Liquor Stores Hit Virtual Airways

After being knocked to the canvas, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has bounced back up and come out swinging.

The debate over privatizing the agency, which hit fever pitch during the heated budget wrangling, has subsided and now, according to The Morning Call's John Micek, the PLCB is deploying marketing dollars online.

Mr. Micek reports that in addition to a $21,000 ad buy with online music streaming site Pandora, the PCLB purchased ads on Facebook.

Corbett's Effort at Anti-transparency

Governor Tom Corbett is under fire. Not for his austere budget or even the seemingly never-ending Penn State saga. No, this time he's under fire for lack of simple common sense.

His administration is appealing rulings that say state employee's e-mails and direct phone lines should be available to the public. To be clear, we're not talking about reams of e-mail messages or hours of telephone conversations. The Open Records request was for the e-mail address and direct telephone numbers but the administration doesn't believe that the taxpayers should have access to this sort of thing.

Seriously.

The editorial board at The Patriot News in Harrisburg gave this interpretation:

Their argument? That the phone numbers and email addresses contain “personal identification information” and should be exempt. Personal information? The next thing you know, we won’t be able to refer to the governor as Tom Corbett — that’s a bit too personal — we’ll have to start calling him “he who cannot be named.”

Daily News political columnist John Baer openly wondered who in the administration would have taken this position:

It must have been approved by someone who never heard Tom Corbett as candidate or governor proclaim advocacy of open, transparent government, including in his inaugural address when he said, "We must restore transparency."

At this point, I'd settle for restoring a little common sense.

This whole thing is ridiculous, even in a state known for painfully inadequate open records laws. Corbett should have let this one slide and it would have not had an impact on anyone. Instead, he's got egg on face and is in a perfectly indefensible position.

Dunbar Challenges Taylor to Debates, Of Course

Hidden among The Morning Buzz on PoliticsPA today is a nugget about House District 177. Specifically, Democrat William Dunbar challenging incumbent John Taylor to three debates before Halloween arrives.

Not really a big surprise. Mr. Dunbar is a huge underdog while Mr. Taylor has been in office since Ronald Reagan humiliated Fritz Mondale on the national stage. Huge underdogs challenging established front runners to debates is one of the oldest tactics in the book, but it's not likely to have an impact come November.

Chester Rep. Says ID Law May Increase Voter Turnout

Here's a twist that fell through the cracks last week. The Phoenixville Patch reports that Chester County Rep. Warren Kampf said the state's disputed voter ID law will not cause problems for residents casting ballots and, in fact, may actually increase voter turnout across the state. Mr. Kampf cited numbers from Georgia after implementation of a similar law. The law had its day(s) in court and the judge said he will rule by August 13.

Voter ID Law in Judge's Hands

The legal back-and-forth is over for now and the fate of Pennsylvania's debate-inspiring voter ID law now rests with Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson. Closing arguments wrapped up Thursday and Mr. Simpson indicated that he will issue a ruling the week of August 13.

Voter ID law gets day(s) in court

Pennsylvania's new voter ID law heads to the Commonwealth Court today and the nation is watching.

There has been plenty of activity prior today's proceedings. According to a story on The Huffington Post, "state officials conceded that they had no evidence of prior in-person voter fraud, or even any reason to believe that such crimes would occur with more frequency if a voter ID law wasn't in effect."

Odd, since that's one of the core arguments for supporters of the measure. It's also interesting that in the past week or so, there's been a lot of chatter about a report on possible voting "irregularities" in Philadelphia.

And, in the end, it may not matter because the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating to see if the law complies with federal law.

Bottom line, the Commonwealth Court will likely not have the last word, so stay tuned.

Who is up for Gerber's seat?

You knew it wouldn't take long. It was just a few short days ago that Montgomery County state representative Mike Gerber announced he wouldn't be seeking re-election this fall.

Now we're on to the speculation portion of the game. PoliticsPA jumped right into the fray, listing five potential replacements.

Casey (2.0) for governor?

Long story made short: U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. said he wouldn't rule out running against Tom Corbett for governor.

Corbett upset with PSU officials' lack of cooperation and now they're under investigation

Seems Penn State officials believed they could ignore subpoenas for e-mails from the state's Attorney General's office.

Gov. Tom Corbett said they didn't comply with the requests until former FBI director Louis Freeh's investigation got into full swing.

Just add that to the heap of things these PSU officials will be scrutinized for as the days just get darker in Happy Valley.

Pennsylvania's financial future not so bright

Veteran Harrisburg journalist John Micek rang the warning bell today and we'd all be wise to heed the sound.

Micek took a national report about the most serious threats to a state's fiscal stability and, essentially, said Pennsylvania is, well, seriously threatened. The state's massively underfunded pension liabilities are a major source of concern.

Consider this nugget:

The six states in the study accounted for about half the shortfall. But Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s most populous states, is paying about one-third of what it should be paying into its pension funds, said Nathan Benefield, a policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, a right-leaning Harrisburg think-tank.

That's one-third of what it should be paying. Put that in perspective for a moment. What if you only paid one-third of your mortgage each month? You'd certainly get the attention of your creditors, wouldn't you? Well, Pennsylvania has done that, too. Just a few days ago, Micek reported that the ratings agency Moody's had downgraded the state's credit worthiness a notch.

It will take more than the economy picking up to bridge this gap, too. The storm coulds are gathering and this one isn't pass over.

Same state, different world

You can leave our area in the morning, get to Harrisburg for a leisurely lunch and still be back home well before the afternoon traffic surge.

Yet the two cities are separated by more than miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Both cities are political, intensely so, but the cultures stand in start contrast to one another. Stereotypes come easily and the divisions are clear.

And one thing is certain - despite the differences, the two cities are inextricably connected. Everything that happens within the state government has direct, though sometimes subtle, impact on Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania suburbs. Likewise, Philadelphia's influence in the state government cannot be overstated, let alone denied.

We'll be looking at all of that, and much more here at Meanwhile, In Harrisburg. Like the traffic on the turnpike, the news and information flows between the two cities and we'll let you know what's coming down the road.