Regional Political Round Up 8-21 PA Dems Turn Down Stimulus?
Aug 21st, 2009 by David Anderson
New York, the Democrats pick turncoats as leaders in New York if that is what it takes to regain power. What is interesting is how many friends of newly minted majority leader Pedro Espada. Newsday reported, “Democrats in New York’s Senate not only gave Sen. Pedro Espada a lucrative post after he allowed them to regain majority control of the chamber. They also approved $350,000 to hire his friends and give raises to staffers, records show.” It is only tax money.
New Jersey had little new. In spite of silly attacks, Governor Corzine trails in even Democrat districts. Corzine is attacking Christie for the Obama Justice Department’s “Stonewalling” the release of irrelevant documents. Corzine who failed to report interest off a half a million dollar loan to a friend is knocking Christie for failing to put $420 of interest from a loan on his 2007 tax return. Christie found the error and amended his taxes and disclosure form which is why they know about it.
Pennsylvania saw the Democrats and Ed Rendell wage war on education while claiming to be its saviors. They sustained the Governor’s veto of education items in order to hold out for more. Higher education programs are on the verge of shutting down. That may be a vote they regret.
The Democrats may have accidentally turned down 3.8 Billion in stimulus money by sustaining Ed Rendell’s veto. I can’t link to the analysis because it is a paid subscription site. “Pennsylvania has available to it $1.3 billion in stabilization funds, the biggest but not the only chunk of money caught in the wait” according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. I am sure the President will call Governor Rendell reckless and irresponsible.
Delaware had a quiet week with a nomination to serve as Vice Chancellor on Delaware’s Court of Chancery. Governor Jack Markell announced Tuesday that he will nominate J. Travis Laster, a Wilmington attorney.
Maryland was dominated by stimulus news. In spite of the fact that Maryland has the House Majority leader and a senior senator, the funds have been slow to come and a recalculation may reduce the amount of stimulus funds the state receives. Maryland must not have had a road repair budget. 94% of stimulus money so far has gone to existing roads. So much for job creation.
Senator Lowell Stoltzfus (R)-Salisbury and former Senate Republican Leader has announced that he is retiring which will leave a wide open race in Maryland’s 38th Senate district. His wife has suffered recent ill health which prompted the retirement.
Virginia may be a case of the best for last. My very good friend Carrie Wigal is the star of the show called Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Fifth District) Town Hall. The Representative is from a swing district that historically leans Republican.
Virginia is looking more and more Republican this year if polling is to be believed. Two years ago only 41% of state house races were contested. This year two thirds are. Virginia should have more excitement and turnout than usual.
This off year is going to be a wake up call to the statists.
I do wonder where are all of the attacks on Governor Rendell. I guess vetoing to save tax money is evil, but to spend money is good.
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2010 – here come the conservatives.
Many of the practitioners of politics are into static thinking and believe that the ‘politics as usual’ will grind on as always.
This is true in both parties but Republicans are marginally better.
They lost their way when they grabbed all the pork and earmarks that they could. They are paying the price. Can elected officials really hold onto office by showing up with those big cardboard checks while ignoring the voices of their constituents?
How many people at the top of tickets are going to have negative coattails? McCain did not do wonders for local candidates in spite of his ‘Hail Mary’ move in selection of Palin as a running mate. Imagine the losses if the running mate had been the oafish Tom Ridge!
Well specifically here in Delaware the GOP is deeply scarred. The conservatives in central and northern Delaware are getting a foothold but the recent special elections in southern Delaware leave a lot to be desired for true conservatives. I can only hope that we continue to make headway in Central and Northern DE as the shift from RINO leadership to Conservative Core values occurs.
Meanwhile, John Kasich has finally gotten off his ass (spending time with the family, doing a weekend show on Fox) to run for Governor of Ohio. 2012.
2010 and I am happy with that, John Kasich was one of the great leaders of our party. He is more responsible for balancing the federal budget than any single person.