Pennsylvania
updated
11:11 a.m.
Contains only posts that are ID'd as local content. An explanation. Want to help improve our local content filter? Add keywords here.
Yesterday, we had the amazing story of Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey out on patrol, coming across a brawl on the streets, and when he called for backup, the police radio system crashed, leaving the cops largely deaf to what was going on the streets and with their fellow officers: The trouble started at 9:36 p.m. Tuesday, when Ramsey radioed for an assist after he and his driver came upo...
Young Philly Politics - 9:30 a.m. - 2 clicks 
His efforts stymied once before, a Northampton County lawmaker is taking a fresh crack at changing the way Pennsylvania draws its legislative district boundaries. And this time, he apparently has his onetime nemesis on his side. Democratic Rep. Steve Samuelson of Bethlehem says he’s teamed up with House State Government Committee Chairwoman Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, to pass legi...
Keystone Politics - 9:30 a.m.
The chief justice of Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court is pouring cold water on the idea of a four-day week for the state’s courts. In response to what he says was an informal request to allow one county’s courthouse to operate on a four-day week, Pennsylvania Supreme Court chief justice Ron Castille (in file photo above) has informed all county president judges that they are to maintain five day...
Keystone Politics - 9:30 a.m.
Novakula runs down a pedestrian. Claims he didn't realize he hit someone. David Bono, the bicyclist who witnessed the incident, told The Associated Press that the pedestrian was hit in a crosswalk and was splayed across Novak's windshield . Well, I can see who he might not have noticed the guy. Probably thought it was a bug, hit the wipers, and continued on his way. After all, he...
Froth Slosh B'Gosh - 9:30 a.m. - 2 clicks
HOW BAD IS the Pennsylvania Legislature? So bad, they’re talking about it in Washington. The Brookings Institution, the oldest think tank in America, a centrist (leaning left) nonprofit, almost always referred to as “the prestigious” Brookings, held a daylong round table this week on our own beloved Legislature. More than 30 smart people from academia, foundat...
Keystone Politics - Wed 8:39 p.m. - 9 clicks
37 agencies have entered contracts, 81 have not. The state Treasury Department says that a free, searchable online database for state contracts is up and running. An expansion of Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law that was signed in February by Gov. Ed Rendell required the creation of the database as a way to improve government transparency. ...
Keystone Politics - Wed 8:39 p.m. - 8 clicks
Francis McConnell is a field supervisor for the Philadelphia Water Department, but lately he is acting more like an undercover police officer . Several hours a day, five days a week, he stakes out junkyards. Pretending to read a newspaper, Mr. McConnell sits near the entrances and writes down descriptions of passing pickup trucks and shirtless men pushing shopping carts. His mission is ...
Keystone Politics - Wed 8:39 p.m. - 4 clicks
Some numbers were running through my head this morning: PA Democratic Registration Advantage, November 1998: 442,671. PA Democratic Registration Advantage, May 2008: 1,014,052 Percent of Pennsylvania House Reps that are Democratic: 50.2% Percent of Pennsylvania Senators that are Democratic: 42% Dear Pennsylvania Democratic Party and activists: Get it together. A basic tie in t...
Young Philly Politics - Wed 3:30 p.m. - 4 clicks
State Auditor General Jack Wagner, state Sen. Jane Orie and other officials are urging the Legislature to require convicted sex offenders to wear ankle bracelets containing “global positioning system” technology for five years after being released from jail. Mr. Wagner, a former state senator from Beechview, released a report today saying that in June, the state had “lost t...
Keystone Politics - Tue 8:39 p.m. - 9 clicks
WHYY's It's Our City has a pretty interesting video on the fate of Philly's Curfew Centers: Fate of Philadelphia curfew centers uncertain from whyyphila on Vimeo . The video shows Donald Schwartz, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity, discussing the Curfew Centers at a Philly Stat meeting. Basically, the punchline is that while the curfew centers are supposed to ta...
Young Philly Politics - Tue 5:36 p.m. - 7 clicks
"Chinese millionaires turned away" was an eye-catching headline this morning. Here's the basic summary from the Inky: Close to 150 Chinese millionaires want to help Philadelphia expand its Convention Center, but the center's board wants no part of their cash. ... For the Chinese, the money represents a legal way to expedite access to U.S. "green cards" for permanent residency. Adhering to...
Young Philly Politics - Tue 5:36 p.m. - 8 clicks
For a guy who for years was a " mavericky " darling of the media, it seems just a tad bit , oh I don't know, hypocritical for McCain to complain about the coverage Obama is getting at the moment. McCain's the guy who complained about Obama not going to Iraq and Afghanistan, and now that he's there, he complaining about the coverage. Like it or not, its big news when a presumtive president...
Froth Slosh B'Gosh - Tue 3:37 p.m. - 4 clicks
It was a scorching weekend at the Shore, but we don't leave until tomorrow. This Morning I read the Sunday papers, and have some thoughts This is the Political Blog, so I'm going to vent today on my annoyance with the Congressional Races locally. I live in the one Lehigh County Precinct that gets to vote in the 6th Congressional District. My Choices are Incumbent Jim Gerlach or challenger Bob Rog...
The Lehigh Valley Political Blog - Tue 6:34 a.m. - 8 clicks
So let me see if I have this straight: One of the Republicans' memes on Obama is that he doesn't have the foreign policy credentials to be president, yet McSame doesn't have a grasp of basic geography, and is incapable of reading a fucking map. ...
Froth Slosh B'Gosh - Mon 1:02 p.m. - 12 clicks
The Goals We Share (tailgate / potluck) Sat. July 26, rain or shine, 11-3:30Please come to "The Goals We Share," a family-friendly, alcohol-free potluck/tailgate at West Penn Ballfield at the edge of Polish Hill. This was an unusual spring where the super-heated rhetoric of primary politics hit Pittsburgh hard. Lets eat together, relax together, and talk [...]...
Democracy for Pittsburgh - Mon 1:02 p.m. - 16 clicks
May 29 Above : What I would be reading online if I didn't have a book review to complete by Monday. Below : my old political activist buddy and ACT (America Coming Together) boss/partner Bob Harris is making some waves in Atlanta, where I understand there are some opportunities for the...
Three Rivers Online - Sun 9:01 p.m. - 16 clicks
April 3 From Mark Rauterkaus : PITTSBURGH FILMMAKERS - Melwood Screening Room Thursday, April 3, 2008 - 6:30 pm Includes Q&A with filmmaker David Earnhardt, special guest Marybeth Kuznik, and othe...
Three Rivers Online - Sun 9:01 p.m. - 15 clicks
Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is the other Freshman Senator to be elected in 2006 by defeating an incumbent. Last week's subject, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, was the other. Like Senator McCaskill, Amy Klobuchar made the New York Times Editorial Board list of 17 woman who were most likely to be elected President someday. On March 30, 2008, she endorsed Barack Obama for President, citing his s...
The Lehigh Valley Political Blog - Fri 9:01 a.m. - 11 clicks
What can you do tonight that combines the following awesome things? Summer camp Empowering girls Rock and roll Public defenders Drinking Come to the benefit for Camp Sojourner , a camp that's committed to helping Philadelphia girls 'to be strong, confident leaders who reach for their own dreams and are committed to making a positive impact on the world around them'! THURSD...
Young Philly Politics - Thu 5:08 p.m. - 13 clicks
I have heard this place in Philadelphia is very good. Anyone out there have a personal recommendation?......
PSoTD - Jul 17 - 11 clicks
Only my second blog back from a long hiatus and I find myself unprecentedly apologizing to the still-somewhat-honorable H. William DeWeese, majority leader of the Pennsylvania House. Not bad. DeWeese was not indicted by a state grand jury last week as another blogger predicted he might be. Instead, state Attorney General Tom Corbett completed the first phase of his investigation by filing...
Daily Rant - Jul 14 - 6 clicks
I got an email today from Women's Way reminding me about something one of their grantees had done: Last month, PathWays PA released the 2008 Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania which measures how much money a family needs to earn in order to meet their basic needs without public or private assistance. The report found that a family of four (two adults, one preschooler and one school age...
Young Philly Politics - Jul 14 - 7 clicks
1) Continuing on the Casino theme from last week, Casino Free Philadelphia is asking for signatures on their letter to Gov. Rendell and co. on the Casino re-siting process. Their first demand is: The resiting process must be fair, transparent and inclusive. The process used by the PGCB was unfair, secret and exclusionary. Any effort to resite the casinos must be the opposite. I agree, ...
Young Philly Politics - Jul 14 - 7 clicks
